Genesis 16:9-10
Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.”
I don’t know about you, but I hate getting instructions like that. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the case in life. The only way forward is to go back.
I have learned this the hard way on many occasions. I love to go on road trips with my wife. Most of the time it’s great fun. However, there have been times when I have missed an exit or a road I needed to go down.
That’s when the “man pride” starts to kick in. Do I keep going forward as if nothing’s wrong? Do I humble myself, admit the problem, and turn around? Sometimes it can be a hard decision.
Backtracking is never easy to do. It requires you to acknowledge that you’re not perfect. But, the fact is that not turning around can compound the problem. If I hadn’t gone back to the right exit, who knows where I would have ended up.
In life, don’t be too proud to backtrack. Sometimes you need to find the place where you last knew you were in God’s plan. If you find yourself a little “lost” in life, take the time to go before the Lord and seek His wisdom to get you back on track. Don’t be too afraid or proud to work on the areas He speaks to you about. Do what is needed to bring restoration.
Tags: backtrack, calling, destiny, go back, God's will, God's wisdom, Holy Spirit, humble myself, lost, path, pride, restoration, running away, turn around, victory
Genesis 16:7-8
The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
Here Hagar finds herself in a no-win situation. She has just become pregnant by Abram, the husband of her mistress, Sarai. Originally it was at Sarai’s insistence. But now Hagar is hated and mistreated for her obedience. She felt no other choice but to run away from the situation.
Many people use outdoor activities as an escape from the problems of life. I have met many long-distance hikers who are on the trail to “find themselves.” Just like Hagar, they are trying to get away from their problems.
It’s okay to run away sometimes, as long as we know where we are running to. When she was asked what she was doing, Hagar admitted her problem. She told the angel that she was running away.
That’s the first step to healing. You must admit to yourself and to God that you are trying to cope with something beyond your strength to deal with.
If this describes you, take the time to admit your condition. Be honest with yourself and seek the wisdom of God to see you through this difficult season. Let His arms of compassion surround you and begin the process that will lead you back to an abundant life.
Tags: Abraham, escape, God's love, Hagar, no win situation, overcoming, problems, protection, run away, runaway, running away, strength, victory, wisdom of God
Psalm 120:1
I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me.
We can clearly see from this Scripture what David’s natural response to distress was. “I call on the Lord.” It is a simple statement of fact.
I think back to when I first started hiking. Out of shape and 50 pounds overweight, I was in distress most of the time. Some hikes were one long prayer for my deliverance!
We need to ask ourselves – “What do I do when I find myself in distress?” Do we first try to do everything we can think of to help ourselves? Do we ignore the problem and hope it will go away? Do we only run to God after everything else has failed?
We need to learn from David’s example. Our first choice in time of distress should be to call upon the name of the Lord. He is the Rock of safety that is always close at hand. He alone is always available to meet our needs.
It is only in Christ that we are assured to come out victoriously on the other side. Let the Lord handle your problems. You will find that you spend less time worrying. Trust Him, it will make all the difference in the outcome of the problem.
Tags: available, call on the Lord, deliverance, distress, faith, God's faithfulness, overcoming, problems, rock of safety, trust, victory
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Think about it. Do everything in the name of Jesus. It doesn’t matter if it’s speaking, doing the dishes or driving the car. We must do it all in His name.
Many believers don’t know what this means. Doing things “in Jesus’ name” is part of a lifestyle of service to God. We need to see it as more than just a last line for a prayer. It means living our lives as if Jesus Himself were living through us.
We sometimes get the idea that Jesus only wants to be involved in the “religious” parts of our lives. That kind of thinking couldn’t be more wrong. We are, by nature, spiritual beings. We carry the spiritual with us wherever we go, whatever we do.
The challenging part is learning to cultivate the spirit no matter what the activity. That’s the goal of these posts. I want us to see our daily activities in a new light.
No matter what you do throughout the day, you can use it to strengthen your relationship with Christ. Take some time right now, and meditate on what it means, to you, to “do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Tags: Christ, Christian, Christian witness, disciple, Jesus Christ, Jesus' name, lifestyle, name of Jesus, service to God, spiritual, spiritual life, testimony
Genesis 12:7-8
The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
In all his traveling through the wilderness, Abram kept his focus upon the true purpose of life; to be a worshipper of God. This is the highest calling we could attain to.
Just thinking about the miles that he traveled is daunting. I Don’t say that because of the great distance he traveled. There are many long-distance hikers who do an incredible amount of miles each year. Following the trail is the easy part.
Here we have a man who left all to follow God on a trail that he didn’t know where it ended. When he got there – he was a stranger. Yet the first task he set for himself was to build an altar and worship God.
Where has the path of your life taken you? What kind of place do you find yourself at right now? No matter what your answers to those questions might be, follow the example of Abram.
Make this place your altar. Take some time right now to worship God. Without asking for anything, simply exalt Him for who He is and where He has brought you to – even if it is not the best of situations. Let the Lord know that He is the central focus of your life.
Tags: Abraham, Abram, calling, destiny, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, path, purpose, trust, worship
Genesis 12:4-6
So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
The story of Abram’s life always amazes me. The Word of God was not in written form yet, so he had no Bible. He had nothing written, upon which to base his trust of God. Yet, with open arms, he received the promise of God as the path for his life.
Not only was he convinced of the Lord’s faithfulness himself, but it spilled over. A whole host of others were willing to put their future into the hands of his God based solely upon Abram’s word. Two whole households moved to a new country in response to the call of God.
Is your faith that evident? Are there people that have trusted God based upon your word and the testimony of your life? We need to walk in the things we believe. Our faith needs to be seen and felt by those around us.
We have the written Word of God. We have thousands of years of history to view the faithfulness of God. How can we ever doubt Him?
If you have never made a decision to set the Word of God as the path for your life, today is the day for you. Spend time, today, placing your destiny firmly in the hands of the Lord.
Tags: Abraham, Abram, Bible, calling, Christian witness, destiny, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, promise of God, trust, word of God
Genesis 12:1-3
The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
I sometimes wonder what might have been running through Abram’s mind as he was listening to the Lord? These are some incredible promises that he was given. God says that He will make Abram’s family into a great nation. He also promises to make Abram famous and to bestow a blessing upon whoever helps him.
But the toughest part, at least for me, would be to step out based on this simple statement. Our first reaction today is: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.”
We need to be more like Abram. We must stop assigning God the role of the Madison Avenue hustler, whose only goal is to get your money into his pocket by selling you something you don’t need.
God knows and wants only the best for our lives. His Word contains everything we need for an abundant life. All we need to do is to accept it as true. If we embrace God’s Word as truth, then we will not be afraid to step out on it.
Spend some time today meditating upon the truth of God’s Word to you. Maybe there are some things you have never obeyed because of fear. Use this day to settle the matter before God.
Tags: Abraham, Abram, abundant life, blessing, destiny, devotion, disciple, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, promise, promises, trust
Exodus 34:29-30
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
Having spent time on a mountaintop with God, Moses’ face began to shine with a radiance like that of the sun. It was so bright that it caused the Israelites to fear even being near him. There was no doubt about it. Moses was changed, inside and out.
When you spend quality, intimate, time with the Lord, people will begin to notice a change in you. Your face will probably not begin to glow. But just like Moses began to reflect the glory of God, your life will begin to reflect Christ in a new and more powerful way. As a matter of fact, you may not notice the change as much as your family and friends will.
We all have areas in our lives that need change. Sometimes we try to do it on our own. Usually we fail – we are not strong enough. Lasting change comes from a deep work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The kind of work that requires a freedom from distractions. This means that you must have a “secret place” to get alone with Christ.
Spend some time with the Lord today. Open up your life to Him so that He might work in you. Yield your desires to the Lord that He might shed His transforming power upon your heart. Let lasting change begin today.
Tags: change, Christ, disciple, glory, Holy Spirit, inside and out, intimacy, Jesus Christ, mountain, mountaintop, prayer, presence of the lord, reflect Christ, reflect the glory
Job 38:12-15
“Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken.”
Sunrise is a very special time of day. It is then that the dark, gray, formless world suddenly bursts with color, shape, and sound. I consider it a privilege to be able to wake up with the dawn. Just to see the blazing colors of the rising sun, to smell the earthy fragrance of the fresh morning dew, and to hear the chatter of the forest creatures as they begin their work in the new day is an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else.
This should humble us as human beings. Just to think that this ritual of nature has been repeating itself since creation, and yet we have absolutely no control over it. The rising and the setting of the sun was set by God ages ago and is far outside the realm of our power and authority.
Don’t miss the opportunity to thank God for this new day. Each one is a blessing from Him. It is a gift from His hand, and we never know what it will bring until we walk it out. Start each new day with adoration, praise, and thanksgiving to the Lord. In that way you will have established it on a firm foundation. What you do at this critical time will set the direction and atmosphere for the rest of your day. Make good use of each one.
Tags: adoration, Bible, Christian, dawn, devotion, encouragement, glory, God's faithfulness, holy worship, humble, humility, joy, morning, new day, praise, prayer, sunrise, thank God, thanksgiving
Philippians 4:8-9
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
This is one of the most important areas of your life. It will either make or break you. It’s always interesting to see what people do with their “down time”. I’m talking about the time during the day that you’re not having to concentrate on what you are doing.
This is the time that you’re getting dressed, driving to work, or doing other things that don’t require a lot of thought. These are times where you have nothing but your own thoughts to keep you company. Using the time wisely can be very challenging.
Of course, with many people, this time is filled by their I-pod, radio, or cell phone. The last thing this society wants is to think too deeply. Like it or not, we need to take the time to think about important issues.
It has become abundantly clear to me through the Word of God and my own experience that what you meditate on during these times will ultimately shape your character. If you are to achieve the maximum benefit from this, then you need to focus on what is spiritual – the Word of God, God’s calling on your life, and songs of praise and worship.
As these thoughts start to fill your mind, a change starts to take place in your heart. You start to be drawn upward to God. This idle time will now become a time of spiritual growth, renewal, and refreshing.
Take the opportunity today to turn off the external “noise”. Begin to steer your thoughts toward the things of the Lord. Discover the power you need for living as you fill your heart with the only thoughts that can bring lasting change to your life.
Tags: Bible, character, Christian, deep thought, destiny, devotion, distractions, down time, driving, encouragement, focus, getting dressed, growth, meditate, meditation, praise, renewal, spiritual, think, thought life
The Spirit and the Word 