The Olympics are quickly approaching. Are you going to watch it? If so, what excites you about it?
1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
One of the biggest things about the Olympics, that draws us in, is that it only happens every 4 years. For many athletes it is a once in a lifetime chance to show what they’re capable of accomplishing. It is this all or nothing, “go for the gold” attitude that brings fans to their feet in applause for the victors.
I have never heard any competitor say, “I just wanted to run on the Olympic track. That’s good enough for me. I don’t need to give my best.” That would be the craziest thing ever. No one would want to watch that athlete.
Yet, in the Christian walk, how often do we see this attitude.
“I’m saved and going to Heaven. That’s good enough for me.”
These believers will go to church on Sunday. But they don’t want to inconvenience themselves for God or His work. There is no passion in their walk. There is no drive or vision for what the Lord can do in and through them.
We need to take inventory of ourselves. What kind of a runner am I? Am I content to just sit back and let others win the prize? Or do I want to give it everything I have within me?
We need to pick up the “Olympic spirit” in our spiritual walk. Go for the gold. Let the Holy Spirit inspire you to accomplish great things for God. Through Him, we can do above and beyond all we could ever imagine that we could do. Be that victorious believer, who runs the race from a heart on fire for Christ.
Tags: athlete, Bible, calling, Christian, church, destiny, devotion, drive, encouragement, go for the gold, God's will, higher, Holy Spirit, Olympics, overcoming, passion, power, prepare, prize, runner, spiritual walk, strength, take inventory, victory, vision
John 4:19-24
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem… Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
The Jews and the Samaritans worshipped God on two different mountains. The woman speaking to Jesus in this verse was starting to get uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading. She thought that she could start an argument about which was the right place. Fortunately the Lord was not distracted from His objective by her question.
Jesus answered that God is Spirit. He knows no physical limitations as to time and place. He explained to the woman that anywhere you worshipped God was the right place. This is a great blessing to us.
Worshipping God is one of the greatest experiences you could have. It doesn’t matter where you set aside the place. The key is that we come into His presence in spirit and in truth. To be alone with the Lord is something you cannot afford to miss.
Take the opportunity today to worship in His presence. Worship Him in spirit and truth, as He calls us to. You will find it to be one of the high points of your day.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, distractions, encouragement, fellowship, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, Jesus Christ, mountain, mountaintop, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, spirit and truth, worship
Isaiah 25:6-8
On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.
I remember the first time I thought of buying a freeze-dried meal for hiking. I was at my local hiking store and asked one of the salespeople if this food was any good.
He replied, “It’s like this. At the end of a day of walking up and down mountains for 10 miles, with 35 pounds on your back, it will taste like you’re in a four star restaurant…just don’t try to eat them at home!” It seems that everything tastes better after a hike in the mountains.
God did His best work on Mt. Calvary. When Jesus went to the cross, He destroyed death and opened up the way to the greatest blessing we could imagine – a feast for our weary souls. He is the Bread of Heaven and the Living Water. If we feed on Him we will never hunger and thirst again.
Meditate on these things today as you go throughout your day. God is good. He has a banquet laid out for our souls. All we need to do is spend time with Him to avail ourselves of His bounty.
Tags: banquet, Bible, bread of heaven, Christ, Christian, devotion, encouragement, feast, fellowship, freeze dried, God's faithfulness, hiking food, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, living water, mountain, mountain feast, mountaintop, prayer, presence of the lord, revival, strength, trust
Luke 9:28-32
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
This was a life-changing event in the eyes of the apostles. As Jesus prayed on the mountain, His appearance changed. For a brief instance He clothed Himself with the glory that was His throughout eternity.
It is God’s desire to do a similar work in us. When we receive a word from the Lord we are changed. We see what we could become – what we are truly called to be in Christ. In that moment we get a glimpse of the glory that could be evident in our lives.
This is our portion and our heritage in God. It could happen if we would only take the time to free ourselves from the cares and distractions of everyday life. By doing so we would enter a realm where God could speak to us in such a way as to change us forever.
Enter that life-changing presence today. Submit to the power of the Lord’s Word to you. Be transformed at His feet. Then descend the mountain – forever changed.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, destiny, devotion, encouragement, faith, glory, God's will, God's word, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Jesus Christ, life changing, mountain, mountaintop, overcoming, prayer, presence of the lord
Psalm 42:5-8
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you…Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life.
We all have times during which we get downcast. Confusion, weariness, and depression all come knocking at our door from time to time. If we give in, we lose without a fight.
There is one bright hope through it all – that is if we can remember to place God into the equation. When we merely focus in on the problem, it is easy to forget what God is able to do on our behalf.
It seems that whenever I meditate upon what the Lord has done for me in the past, I once again realize how good God really is. In this mindset I am aware of His presence to a greater degree than at any other time. It is very easy, then, to put God back in control of my situation.
Don’t waste the opportunity that your time with the Lord offers for the refreshing of your spirit. Use this time to strengthen your fellowship with Christ. Remember the victories He has brought you through in the past. He is still on the throne. He is well able to meet your need today.
Take those things that are burdening you down and turn them over to the One who can truly meet all your needs. Then you will be able to leave that downcast spirit at the foot of the cross and come away with a fresh and healthy new attitude.
Tags: Bible, burdens, Christ, Christian, confusion, cross, depression, devotion, disciple, distractions, downcast, encouragement, faith, glory, God's faithfulness, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, overcoming, power, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, problems, remember God, trust, victory, weariness
1 Peter 5:5-6
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
I am so thankful to God that I was raised in a Christian home. Because of that, I was able to accept the Gospel message at an early age. (See my previous “Testimony” post) That being said, there is a truth that all those in my condition need to learn. Just because I grew up going to church doesn’t mean that I had no use for the life transforming power of God in me.
I need Christ to work on me the same as everybody else – maybe even more so, because my problems were below the surface. Let me explain…
From my earliest memories, I was attending Sunday School at my church. I was also at church whenever the doors were open. That’s how my parents operated. Speaking of my parents, they were the type that always made sure that I had learned my “memory verse” for the week – BEFORE Sunday. There was only one other person in my class who had to do that. The rest just waited for him or me to go first, and then they repeated what we said.
I loved learning the Bible and soaked it in like a sponge. Ultimately, I became very knowledgeable in the Word of God. And that’s where it started to go downhill. When a question was asked by the teacher, I always knew the answer and raised my hand. Sometimes the teacher would call on me and I would receive the satisfaction of being correct.
Of course, teachers didn’t want the same person answering all the questions. So I was the one who jumped around with my hand up going, “Ou – ou – ou. Call on me. I know it.” When I saw that didn’t work, I resorted to yelling out the answer without the teacher calling on me. Needless to say, the teacher’s reaction didn’t boost my ego as I had intended.
Then it struck me. I came up with a new strategy. I never raised my hand again. I let all the other students answer the questions UNTIL there was a question that no one could answer. Only then would I raise my hand and invariably give the right answer. I became the class expert. The one they went to at the last resort.
Without me ever knowing, the sin of pride had taken root in me. The same sin that caused Satan to fall had now taken over my life. That’s where it started, but I have had to battle it ever since. Thank God for the power of the Holy Spirit that gives me victory over it today. It’s the sin that will always pop up when I least expect it. I need the Savior’s power as a constant part of my life. I cannot be who I am without Him.
Just because I grew up in church doesn’t make me invulnerable to sin. I need the power of the Holy Spirit just like anyone else. I can truly say that without His hand on me, I would never have made it to where I am today. Thank You, Jesus, for your life-changing power!
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, Christian witness, devotion, disciple, encouragement, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, overcoming, power of God, pride, problems, self-righteous, self-satisfaction, sin of pride, strength, testimony, trust, victory
Mark 13:14
“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
Jesus was giving His disciples a prophetic word concerning what they would be facing in the years ahead. He was explaining to them about the fall of Jerusalem and the desecration of the temple. He told them that when they see these things occur it was time to head for the hills, as the city would not be safe any longer.
“Fee to the mountains” is still good advice today. When sin and the “abominations” of life start to weaken you, you must find a refuge for rest and relief. You have to find a place to be alone with God. Your faith and strength need to be restored in His presence.
Throughout Scripture we are exhorted to enter the mountains of God. We need to seek a mountaintop experience with the Lord. This is quality time, not just rattling off a list of needs and wants. It is spending a while just listening to Him. That is probably the hardest thing for any Christian to accomplish – spending time in silence. In some cases it may be just as hard as scaling a tall mountain.
It is in the quiet places that your spirit can be renewed and refreshed. You can put the noise of society behind you and hear the voice of Christ calling you to a higher walk. Spend that quality time before Him today. In His presence is all you need for life and godliness. If you will flee to His side, you will have all the strength you need to continue on and face your battles victoriously.
Tags: alone with God, Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, distractions, encouragement, faith, God's will, higher, Holy Spirit, intimacy, mountain, mountaintop, mountaintop experience, overcoming, presence of the lord, refresh, relief, renew, rest, restoration, revival, strength, trust, victory
God has given you many precious promises. Some are in the Scripture, while others are more personal – between God and you. How real are they to you?
Deuteronomy 34:1-2
Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land – from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea.
Sometimes, when you’re alone with God, He will take you for a mountaintop view of the promise. Maybe it will deal with your calling, career, family, relationships, or some other area of your life. At that point you will see clearly what He has in store for you, even if He doesn’t always show the path by which He will take you there.
It is always God’s will to share His plans with His people, the problem is, we are not always listening. The Lord waits until He has our undivided attention so that He can speak to us clearly and without distraction.
He wants to show you a glimpse of His plan for you. It will encourage you and strengthen you for the road ahead. Always be ready for these moments of clarity. Unfortunately, these times are few and far between in our lives. Missing the chance that the Lord offers will hurt your progress, but responding to His call will affect the rest of your life.
Use your time wisely. Spend quality time in His presence, listening for His voice. Seek to know His will for your life.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christian, destiny, devotion, distractions, encouragement, God's faithfulness, God's voice, God's will, higher, Holy Spirit, listening, listening heart, mountain, mountaintop, overcoming, path, power, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, promise, promises, strength, trust, undivided attention
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
1 Timothy 4:8
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
Physical training and exercise is good. We need to be in shape if we want to do our best work for God. I firmly believe that God wants us to take proper care of our physical bodies.
That, however, is only part of the story. We also are to be in shape spiritually. Our inner being requires just as much care and attention as the outer. Unfortunately, most Christians ignore this fact to their own detriment. Of the two of these goals, I believe that keeping our spiritual life in shape is the tougher assignment.
One of the reasons I enjoy hiking so much is that wilderness training can meet both needs – physical and spiritual. On the one hand, I have lost thirty pounds since I started hiking and I can now run up a flight of stairs without breathing heavy. On the other side of the coin, through my time spent with the Lord in the woods I have developed a new depth of insight into the Word of God. In the wilderness, prayer and meditation can be accomplished for hours at a time with little or no interruptions. At the same time you are increasing your physical endurance.
However you choose to work out your spiritual training, this is a good day to deepen your walk with the Lord. Seek Him as you walk before God this day.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, godliness, hiking, Holy Spirit, in shape, meditation, overcoming, physical training, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, spiritual, spiritual life, strength, victory
The Spirit and the Word 