Isaiah 55:12-13
“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.”
We have the power to transform our world. It would be an amazing thing if we could see this verse happening as we going about our daily tasks.
I have mentioned that I enjoy hiking on the Appalachian Trail. There is a portion of this trail in Pennsylvania that traverses a barren, polluted wasteland. It became that way because of the carelessness of man’s industry. Nothing grows there, and you cannot drink the water. You just want to get through it as quickly as possible. It is an ugly scar on the earth.
What a joy it would be to see it blossom with new life before our very eyes. Unfortunately, the literal fulfillment of this verse will have to wait for the coming of Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom on earth.
The good news is that there is another way to bring this verse to life. We can fulfill this every day in the area of our attitude. That is what makes all the difference in our outlook. It can change our whole view of the world around us.
If we are always looking for problems, disappointments, and sorrows, we will see plenty of them in this world. But, on the other hand, if we are looking to see God’s Spirit at work, opportunities for ministry and things to praise God for – this attitude will transform our world. We will see it change from thorn bushes and roadblocks to myrtle trees and singing mountains.
Transform your world today. Renew your attitude in the presence of the Lord. Let Him realign your focus so that you see His goodness and grace, instead of your problems.
Tags: attitude, barren, Bible, blossom, calling, Christian, devotion, disappointment, distractions, encouragement, faith, focus, goodness, joy, opportunity, outlook, overcoming, pollution, praise, prepare, presence of the lord, problems, sorrow, transformation
1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
I have learned many valuable spiritual lessons as I have been hiking. One of those lessons has to do with bears.
I praise God that I live on the East Coast. When I hike, I don’t have to contend with grizzly, Kodiak, or polar bears. Only cute, little (comparatively), vegetarian, black bears. Well, as many people are aware of, even black bears can be nuisances. Usually it’s the fault of a human. When we leave our food and trash out, we encourage them to hang around. They will then prowl around looking for something to devour. Hmm…sounds familiar.
A lot of the time we encourage the enemy to attack us. We do it by trying to live in both kingdoms. We try to get God’s blessing using the world’s methods. Or we try to use God’s power to satisfy our lust for material gain. These things signal the enemy to hang around hoping for a free handout.
It is time for us to “clean up our camp.” Seek God today. Is there anything that needs to be put back in order in your life? Christ will give you the wisdom, strength, and courage you need to overcome in this area. Turn it over to Him. Don’t give the enemy a free handout. Use this time to take back any foothold that you have given him in your life.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devil, devotion, distractions, encouragement, enemies, enemy, Holy Spirit, overcoming, praise, problems, protection, spiritual attack, victory
John 4:4-7
Now he [Jesus] had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”
It is interesting to see that The Lord took on Himself the same physical limitations that we have. When He exerted Himself in the heat of the day, it produced hunger and thirst in Him. He knows what we go through.
Walking the road to Sychar made Jesus thirsty. In the part of the world the Lord walked in, the heat could get downright oppressive. Water drawn from deep down in a well was cold and refreshing. Jesus knew that His body needed that kind of a lift.
I was on a hike once where I ran out of water. It was a hot day and I began to dehydrate as I tried to get to the next source of water. I remember the pain as my muscles started cramping up, and each step was painful. It felt like Heaven on earth when I finally arrived at a tiny trickle of water across the trail that I could use to rehydrate my body and fill my canteens.
Of course, as important as water is to our physical well-being, there is a deeper truth. As He continued talking to the woman, Jesus related the need to spiritual water. Think about how thirsty you get when you walk under the blazing sun. You can then understand how thirsty your soul must get traveling through this world filled with problems. You need to do something that offers spiritual refreshment.
Spending time in the Word and listening to the Lord, is like a cold drink to your soul. Refresh your inner man today. Take a nice long drink at the well of the Lord.
Tags: Bible, Christian, cross, dehydrate, devotion, disciple, distractions, drink, encouragement, faith, Holy Spirit, holy worship, listening, overcoming, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, soul, spiritual drink, thirsty, well, woman at the well
Ezekiel 1:1
In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
I find that there is something about being by a river that refreshes you. The noise of the rushing water has a soothing effect on the senses. Many people use the sound of water as a background noise in their homes. It seems to have the ability to calm everything down.
At this time in Ezekiel’s life, he was in the wilderness by the Kebar River. He was there as an exile from his own country. Yet, he was able to focus in on God. It says clearly that as he was by that river, he saw visions of God.
No matter what you are going through, you need to find a place that is conducive to meeting with God. You should learn the places and conditions that calm your soul. These are the places that will really benefit your time in God’s presence.
The Lord can take a quiet, undistracted heart and renew vision, impart faith, and give direction. You may never see the heavens open up like Ezekiel did, but all it will take is one word from God to turn your whole world around.
Spend some time in His presence today quietly listening to hear His voice. Be open to the soft, gentle leading of His Spirit. Allow yourself to be renewed and refreshed in His presence.
Tags: Bible, calm, Christian, devotion, distractions, encouragement, Ezekiel, faith, fellowship, focus, God's faithfulness, God's word, Holy Spirit, holy worship, presence of the lord, refresh, renew, river, vision
2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Thousands of people start new things each day. A new diet, hiking the Appalachian Trail or an exercise program just to name a few. It is a sad fact that most of them never finish what they have started. They had good intentions. They started strong and were eager to take on the new challenge. But somewhere along the way they fizzled out before the finish line.
Think about an athletic event like the Olympics. Nobody remembers how the race started, only the finish. The winner may have started at the back of the pack – it doesn’t matter – it is the strong finisher who gets the gold medal. We need to pick up the attitude that says, “No matter the obstacles, I’m finishing strong.”
What counts in God’s economy is not how you start, but how you finish. Whether it’s in athletics or in our walk with the Lord, we need the persistence to keep going even when we would much rather quit. It doesn’t take any special ability to drop out of the race. Most people never finish half of what they start. Find out what is important to the Lord in your life and commit yourself to finishing it.
We need God’s strength to keep going. Seek His power for your life today. Seek the Lord’s wisdom to know if there is some area of your life that you have quit that you should now pick up and bring to the finish line. Take the time needed to get this area of your life back in line.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christian, devotion, distractions, encouragement, finish, finishing strong, God's will, good intentions, Holy Spirit, overcoming, path, persistence, power, quit, run the race, start, strength
Matthew 26:36-38
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
This is the time in Jesus’ life that leads up to His betrayal and arrest. He knew that the cross was before Him. He came to earth knowing that He was to die for the sins of all people.
When it comes down to the hard choices, knowing your path and walking it out can be very different. Now that the hour was at hand, the Lord needed the strength to see it through. In order to receive what He needed from the Father, Jesus did what He always knew would bring Him an answer. He spent time with God the Father in a private place, far away from any distractions.
This was not to be a time for crowds of people. He even left most of His disciples at the entrance to the garden. The only ones to stay with Him were Peter, James, and John. He would spend the night agonizing over what was ahead.
Let this today be your garden of prayer. God is waiting for you to cry out to Him. Only the Lord can give you the strength you need for the road ahead. Whether you know the dangers or not, let the peace of God rule in you this day. Find your rest in His presence.
Tags: Bible, choices, Christ, Christian, cross, devotion, distractions, encouragement, faith, garden, garden of prayer, Gethsemane, God's will, Jesus Christ, overcoming, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, problems, solitude, strength, trust
Jeremiah 12:5
“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?”
God calls us to do greater things with Him than we could have ever done without Him. We can go above and beyond our abilities, because of His strength working in us. In this section of Scripture, Jeremiah is complaining about why the wicked prosper. It was upsetting him to the point that it was affecting his work for God.
Sometimes we get distracted by the lack of commitment that we see in others. What God tells him applies to us as well. God’s reply to Jeremiah is that if you are turned aside that easily – just by looking at what others are doing (or not doing) – then you will really be thrown off when you see how high I’ve actually called you to go.
It’s like the person who says that their dream is to walk the Appalachian Trail, yet all the while they complain about the number of stairs leading to their front door. Take some time to refocus your sights on the high calling God has for you. And remember, if you let the small stuff get you down, you will never move on to the great things.
Take the time to refocus your thoughts in the presence of the Lord. Let His plan for you fill your vision. In this way you will not be distracted from completing the assignment God has for you.
Tags: above and beyond, Bible, Christian, commitment, complain, complaining, devotion, disciple, distractions, encouragement, God's faithfulness, God's will, greater things, higher, Holy Spirit, Jeremiah, overcoming, presence of the lord, problems, strength
Exodus 3:4-6
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”
“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Yesterday I posted about the “burning bush” experience that God wants us to have with Him. Today I want to take it a step further. The first thing I notice, is that God did not reveal Himself until He knew that He had Moses attention.
Sometimes I like to go out hiking or camping in the woods. While I’m there, I usually take the time to pray and seek the Lord. The reason I love to meet with God in the wilderness is that there are no distractions.
We live in a world where there’s a whirlwind of activity around us. We desperately need to take the time and get alone with God in a solitary place. Only then will God have the freedom to speak with us on the level He desires.
The next thing is that God instructs Moses to take off his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. God wants nothing to insulate Moses from His holiness. So often we want a buffer between us and God. We want the Pastor to pray for us and tell us what to do. The truth is that we need to see ourselves as holy – set apart for the exclusive use of God.
Take the time right now to bask in the holiness of the Lord. Begin to see yourself as set apart for His plan. Lay down your desires upon the altar of God. In that way you are opening the door for a “burning bush” of your own.
Tags: alone with God, attention, Bible, burning bush, camping, Christian, devotion, distractions, encouragement, fellowship, glory, God's faithfulness, hiking, holiness, holy ground, Holy Spirit, holy worship, Moses, prayer, presence of the lord, set apart, wilderness
Exodus 3:1-3
Now Moses was tending the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up.”
This is a very familiar portion of the Word of God. Every Sunday School student knows about Moses and the burning bush. Here we see Moses going through the normal routine of an average day. Then, out of nowhere, God shows up and absolutely revolutionizes his life.
What may surprise you is that God desires us all to have “burning bush” experiences. We serve a God who always desires fellowship with his children. If you are listening, there will be times of deep intimacy between you and the Lord. These are times when you have a special moment with the Lord.
You also need to understand that these times are few and far between. However, they are times when the Spirit of God speaks to you so clearly that you can almost hear Him with your physical ears.
The important thing to remember is that we need to keep our eyes open for these times of special clarity in our walk with God. We cannot afford to miss them – they are life changing.
Spend some time, today, in quiet reverence before the Lord. Let Him know that you are willing to listen to His voice. Allow Him to share His heart with yours.
Tags: Bible, burning bush, Christian, clarity, devotion, distractions, encouragement, fellowship, glory, God's faithfulness, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, life changing, presence of the lord, reverence
Mark 2:23
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.
On one of His journeys, the Lord and His disciples passed through a field of grain. As they went through they began to pick and eat some of the heads of wheat. This was something the Law of Moses allowed so that a traveler could have something to eat along the way.
This reminds me of a time when I was hiking a trail up Mt. Everett in southwestern Massachusetts. As I neared the top I suddenly came into a stand of high bush blueberries. Each bush was overflowing with ripe fruit. Without even bending over I was able to grab a handful at a time and pop them into my mouth. What a great snack God had provided!
God always desires to refresh the weary traveler. He provides a bounty in the wilderness. This is especially true along the path of life. God wants to keep your spirit fresh and vibrant.
Our job is to keep our eyes open and to look for these times of refreshing. They could happen anywhere and at any time.
Spend a few moments right now thanking God for His abundant provision. Give Him praise for the times of encouragement you have received in the past. Ask Him to give you a sensitive spirit so that you can recognize the signs of His presence all around you as you continue your journey.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, distractions, encouragement, faith, God's faithfulness, goodness, Holy Spirit, mountain, overcoming, path, presence of the lord, refreshing, traveler
The Spirit and the Word 