Isaiah 44:3-4
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.
When I go hiking, I always prepare by reading what the trail guide says about the area. Many times I find these words concerning a campsite. “The spring may not be reliable in dry seasons.” Practically speaking then, what good is it? At the very time you’d need it the most – it’s gone.
Some of our friends are like that. Just when you need them the most they’re not around. Or, along the same lines, they promise to be somewhere to help you and then never show up.
This is not so with the Lord. He is the friend that “sticks closer than a brother.” He is always right there when you need Him. As a matter of fact, the Word says that He even knows what you need before you ask Him.
He is that spring in the wilderness that is always flowing, always reliable. Even in the driest point in your life, you can draw cool, refreshing water from that living well. He promised “never to leave us nor forsake us” and “He is not a man that He should lie.”
Draw life-giving water from that well today. Spend some quality time in His presence being renewed, refreshed and refilled. Avail yourself to the resources only the Lord can provide. You will find your walk with Him to be much more enjoyable.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, dry season, encouragement, faith, God's faithfulness, Holy Spirit, living water, overcoming, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, refill, refresh, reliable, renew, revival, spring, strength, unreliable, victory, water, wilderness
Job 38:28-30
Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?
Water has some very amazing properties. I think about it when I see a rainbow in the sky after a storm has passed. Sometimes I am dazzled by sunlight reflecting off of a field covered with morning dew. I have gotten a other-worldly feeling as I’ve walked through a crystal forest after an ice storm.
God has provided an incredible variety of sights and sounds all related to precipitation. It is wonderful to wake up in the morning and see a world changed by the weather of the night before. It is in times like these that praise to God, the Creator, just seems to burst from my heart.
It is God who established the physical laws that govern the seasons. It is God who set down the properties that all of the various elements and substances (including water) exhibit. It is God who programmed us to respond emotionally to the beauty we see around us.
Praise Him today for His marvelous handiwork. Take the time right now to show Him your appreciation for His love and care for us in giving us such a beautiful world to live in.
Tags: beauty, Bible, Christian, devotion, encouragement, faith, glory, God's faithfulness, holy worship, ice, joy, praise, precipitation, presence of the lord, rain, rainbow, storm, water
Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
It is not always easy to press on. Sometimes it is an effort just to put one foot in front of the other. Hikers and joggers have learned to just keep moving forward. There have been times when I was hiking that, because of injury or pain, I have felt like giving up. It is in times like those that I had to keep telling myself, “As long as you keep taking each step, you will come to the end of the trail.”
It is the same thing in life. It is usually not the big things that knock us down, but the continual monotony of our daily lives, day after day, week after week. It is the constant grind that saps our strength and weakens our spirit.
In order to overcome, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We know that if we keep to His course for our lives, we will come out with His result. We will lay hold of the prize for which He has called us.
Don’t give up. Go to the Lord today and ask for His strength for the road ahead. Don’t live a day without allowing His renewing Spirit to work in your life.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, daily grind, devotion, disciple, effort, encouragement, faith, giving up, glory, God's faithfulness, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, monotony, move forward, overcoming, path, prayer, press on, problems, renew, renewal, strength, trust, victory
2 Corinthians 1:8-10
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.
It is my hope and prayer that you are never in a life-threatening situation. I know, however, that weather, accidents, and natural disasters can come when least expected. It seems like everyday there is something going on in the United States that could have tragic results. If and when that occurs, you will be faced with a choice – do you despair and give up or do you continue to put your hope in God?
I have been in that kind of situation. I know what it feels like to be trapped by an unforeseen incident with no way out and no help in sight. It is truly in those times of need that God proves Himself faithful. I can say, without hesitation, that God has never abandoned me to my problems.
The key to making it safely through a future problem is to make the choice now, that whatever happens, you will not abandon your trust in God. You will find that He is always there with you to help you in your time of need. In your prayer time today, reaffirm your trust in the Lord to take you through the hard times. Place your life fully in His hands.
Tags: accident, Bible, Christian, Christian witness, deadly, despair, devotion, encouragement, fear, God's faithfulness, God's love, hope, hope in God, natural disaster, overcoming, peril, prayer, prepare, problems, protection, strength, trust, victory, weather
1Thessalonians 1:2-3
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith, hope, and love – they are the three things that the Bible says will be with us eternally. Too often we think about them in spiritual terms. We get the idea that these are just good feelings that Christians should enjoy. Like they are wonderful gifts that should be tucked quietly away in our hearts.
NO WAY!!! Faith, hope, and love are the sparks that ignite our ministry before God. There are three different things that happen as a result of their influence on us.
First, faith produces our work. That word literally means your assignment. It is the task that God has given you. As you go before God in faith, He gives you grace for the calling He has placed upon your life. Faith causes you to stand in your assignment.
Then comes love – it prompts us to labor. That word means to use up your strength in performing a task. Without the love of God, we will never pour ourselves into the calling He has placed upon us. We are called to work with all of our strength. Without love, that will never happen.
Finally, hope inspires endurance. It’s easy to start out strong, but it’s how we finish that matters the most. Hope is the biblical word for expectation. If I do my part, then I can expect God to show up and do His part. That’s what keeps me going even when I don’t feel like it. Hope gives you the endurance to persevere to the end.
Let faith, hope, and love give you more than just a warm feeling. Let them spur you on to accomplishing your destiny in the Lord’s Kingdom.
Tags: assignment, Bible, calling, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, encouragement, endurance, expectation, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, hope, labor, love, ministry, prepare, strength, victory, work
Exodus 13:20-22
After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
God was everything that Israel needed in the desert. By day He was a pillar of cloud to shield them from the desert sun. By night He was a pillar of blazing fire to warm them in the cold night air. But even more than that – night or day – they could see God clearly and follow the path He was marking out for them.
God will go before us in our lives as well, if we let Him. Our job is to look for the signs of His guidance. He wants to make the path clear before us. Even when we go through dark times – when it seems that we can’t go on, He will make a way for us to come through victoriously.
As drivers, many of us put our complete trust in the GPS receiver on our dashboards. We will turn any direction it tells us to go. If only we would follow God’s Word the same way, we would have a life that was truly worth living.
Turn your path over to God today. Let Him be your daily guide. Enter into the freedom that comes from knowing that the road ahead has already been mapped out. Commit yourself to following after the only true Guide of our souls.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, direction, disciple, encouragement, freedom, God's faithfulness, God's leading, God's will, GPS, guidance, guide, Holy Spirit, path, prayer, presence of the lord, victory
Isaiah 64:8
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
There was a preacher in the early 1900’s by the name of Adelaide Pollard. She had a traveling ministry that was quite successful. But, she desired to do more. She wanted to take a missionary trip to Africa – that was her heart’s desire.
In order to fulfill this dream, she tried to raise the support needed to send her there. In spite of all of her efforts, the money was just not coming in. The more she thought about it, the more discouraged she became. It was almost to the point of depression.
One night she decided to attend a local prayer meeting. As she was there, Adelaide began to listen to the prayers going up to the throne of God. One in particular caught her attention. It was a simple request spoken by an elderly believer.
“It really doesn’t matter what you do with us, Lord, just have your way in our lives.”
When the would-be missionary heard those words, they arrested her. She couldn’t shake the grip of the Holy Spirit speaking to her heart through them.
Later on, when she was home, Adelaide read the words of Jeremiah chapter 18, speaking of his trip to the potter’s house. Suddenly it all came into focus for her. It wasn’t about the money or the trip to Africa, but about God’s will for her life. That night, before she went to sleep, she had the entire hymn written.
This is a lesson that we all need to learn, as believers. It is not our agenda that is important. Our goal should be to let God have His way in our lives. After all, we are His people, He has redeemed us. And, it is His plan that will ultimately bring about the victory in our lives.
Go before God with this attitude today. It is not about my will, but Yours, Lord.
“Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, after thy will. While I am waiting, yielded and still.”
Tags: Adelaide Pollard, Bible, calling, Christian, cross, devotion, disciple, encouragement, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, have thine own way Lord, Holy Spirit, holy worship, hymn, missionary, overcoming, prayer, prayer meeting, presence of the lord, trust, victory
Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’”
At one point in Jesus’ ministry, His disciples came to Him with a question. They understood the power of Christ was based upon His prayer life. They wanted to learn how to walk in that kind of intimacy with God. So, they came to Jesus for His word on the matter.
Of course, the Lord was more than willing to show the disciples the starting point for a rich relationship with God. Yes, I said starting point. The so called Lord’s Prayer is not the ultimate prayer we can offer. It is the first baby step that Christ gave to His followers so that they might walk the path of prayer.
This short glimpse into the realm of prayer is the foundation for all of the things we converse with God about. It is so rich in truth that I will have many future posts dedicated to this teaching of Christ. But for now, I want to talk about the focus of this prayer – the One to whom it is addressed.
OUR FATHER! Some of the most amazing words in Scripture. Jesus didn’t say, “My Father.” He called God “Our Father.” This is something that the people of God need a fresh revelation of. The God of Heaven, Creator of the universe, Savior of all mankind, allows me to call Him “Father.”
There is a lot of blessing tied up in that name. He is not a god far off and unconcerned with our needs. Our Father cares about us, no matter how great or small the matter we bring before Him. He is not a god looking for a reason to destroy us for any little fault. Our Father loves us and wants the best for us – leading us with His hand of mercy and grace.
Spend some quality time getting to know our Father today. Meditate upon this all encompassing truth. Let it reshape your prayer life so that it is something you look forward to each day.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, faith, fellowship, God's faithfulness, God's love, intimacy, Jesus Christ, Lord's Prayer, Our Father, prayer, prayer life, prepare, presence of the lord, relationship
Romans 1:20-23
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
The first part of this passage is why I love the outdoors! To see the beauty of a mountain vista, fall colors, lake, sky, and wind. They all combine together to give a sense of awe and wonder. All of Creation seems to cry out that it is the work of someone vastly more intelligent and powerful than you or I.
This verse reminds us that not everyone credits God for His work. There are those who see a vastly different picture. Evolution and chance are the gods of this world. There are many people who overlook the obvious in order to avoid giving account of themselves to God. The fact remains that God has revealed Himself in the context of His Creation.
What about God’s people? How should we respond to the world that we see around us? One thing I do know is that we must not be found guilty of the sin of ungratefulness. Never take the majesty of the Lord’s Creation for granted.
Make sure that you give God praise today. Thank Him for the beauty of His Creation. Thank Him for allowing us to share it with Him. And thank Him for His marvelous presence that helps us to enjoy His handiwork all the more.
Tags: Bible, chance, Christian, creation, devotion, encouragement, evolution, glory, God's faithfulness, God's love, holy worship, mountain, outdoors, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, thankful, ungratefulness
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
There are some blogs that I really enjoy reading. This one I just had to copy.
The following is reblogged from Truth Pressure. Originally Posted 4-30-2012
Self discovery is a powerful thing. Finding out who you are in Christ is THE most powerful revelation you can attain after salvation.
Most of the Apostle Paul’s writings were focused on helping believers understand who they are in Christ.
In Christ you have been repositioned, relabeled, renamed, re-categorized, and redeemed. You have a new family, a new status, a new nature, a new purpose, and a new destiny. You have a new heritage, a new identity, with new rights, new power, new authority, and new responsibilities. The old is passed away, and all things are new!
2 Corinthians 5:17 ~ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The New Testament reveals the model of who we are supposed to be, what a living church should look like, and yet, if you search the earth you find very few bodies of believers living up to that model. Why? I believe that it stems from an identity crisis.
We, the church, don’t really know who we are. We don’t understand our heritage and the royal bloodline that we were birthed into when we made Jesus the Lord of our life. Jesus emptied himself of all His kingly privilege and power and LIVED HIS LIFE for us … then he GAVE HIS LIFE for us. Now He wants to live His life through us as the KING of KINGS!
We must awaken to the marvelous truth, that Christ is not in the heavens only, seated at the right hand of the Father, but Christ is in us. Our main function in this life is to manifest Christ to the world in all His glory. It is Christ’s body that validates Christ to the world. Without His body reigning in life as a king the world will be limited to only hearing about Christ instead of experiencing Him. There must be a SHOWING FORTH as well as a TELLING ABOUT. To Show Forth the kingdom we must function in the authority that has been given us.
1 Peter 2:9 ~ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Romans 5:17 ~ For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
Revelation 5:10 ~ And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 1:6 ~ And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
The life that Christ lived qualified Him for the death that He died …. and the death that He died qualifies us for the life we now live … as Kings and Priests unto our God. Are you living like a King, with a King’s authority and resources? That is available to YOU AND I.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, church, devotion, encouragement, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, in Christ, Jesus Christ, kings and priests, new creature, overcoming, self discovery, testimony, victory
The Spirit and the Word 