Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Usually, when we think of mountains, we associate them with stability and security. It seems to us that they will remain unchanged forever – at least from our perspective. After all, they have been there for thousands of years.
Yet the Bible teaches us that the things in our lives which we think are immovable and secure can sometimes give way. Without warning our lives can come crashing down around us. Nothing on earth is absolutely unchangeable.
We must be very careful in what we put our trust in. The things of this world are so unsure. We cannot rest our lives on the shifting sands of society. The stock market, the economy, our family and friends, our job, our insurance plan, and anything else you can think of is not worthy of placing our life upon. None of these things, no matter how strong the track record, has a certain tomorrow.
Take stock of your life today. What are you trusting in. Anything other than Christ Himself is a disaster waiting to happen. If you need to – place these things on the altar this day. Make sure you are dependant upon God alone. Only then can you truly enjoy all these other areas of your life.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, God's faithfulness, mountain, prepare, presence of the lord, problems, security, stability, strength, trust
Psalm 121:1-4
I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
Whether you are talking about the Rockies or the Appalachians, mountains and hills are a majestic sight. I can spend hours praising, worshiping, and praying to God when I am in the presence of such beauty. When I look at their splendor I cannot help but sense a power far greater than my own.
It is an awesome revelation that the God I am in relationship with is the Creator of those mountains. Greater still, He also created the stars I see wheeling over those peaks.
Yet, in spite of all that power, He wants to help me. Now that is a humbling thought! The God of the universe wants to be a part of my life.
Praise the Lord! He is my source and my strength. It is He who upholds and sustains me. I can rest in Him knowing that the path of my life is safe and secure in His loving hands.
Even though I get tired and fall asleep, the Lord does not have that weakness. That is a comforting thought. He is always awake and alert, watching over my life and helping it to conform to His Word.
Take the time today to thank God for His unfailing help and protection in your life. Give Him praise for His majesty and strength.
Tags: Bible, Christian, Creator, devotion, encouragement, God's faithfulness, help, Holy Spirit, holy worship, Jesus Christ, mountain, mountaintop, outdoors, praise, presence of the lord, problems, protection, sleep, strength, trust, wilderness
I Kings 19:5-8
Then he [Elijah] lay down under the tree and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
While he was on the very edge of despair, Elijah received sustenance from the Lord. As he was running away from the stress in his life, God provided him with supernatural food to sustain him. God knew that the journey before him was too much for his flesh to handle. So, He provided what Elijah needed.
I will let you in on a secret. If you are following God’s plan for your life, then your journey is more than you can take. You will need this supernatural food to strengthen you.
That is why your life experience must have a spiritual side to it. Meeting with God in a quiet place is one of the most powerful, life-changing events you could ever plan for. Don’t neglect your spiritual food.
Take the time to find nourishment for your soul in the Lord’s presence. Cast your burdens upon Him and allow His strength to revive your spirit.
Tags: Bible, Christian, despair, devotion, Elijah, encouragement, enemies, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, mountain, overcoming, presence of the lord, problems, spiritual food, strength
I Kings 19:3-4
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”
Elijah is probably one of the most powerful Old Testament figures. Through him, God performed incredible miracles to turn Israel around. Yet at this point in his life he was ready to throw in the towel. He actually prayed for God to take his life.
What could cause such an uncompromising individual to leave the race? The answer lies in the first line. “Elijah was afraid.” The evil queen, Jezebel, had ordered his arrest and execution. Fear had gripped his heart in spite of the presence of God in his life.
How many times do we lose sight of our calling when faced with the overwhelming problems of life? We need to take the same path that Elijah took – but not the same attitude. We need to run to the place of solitude with God and pour out our heart in prayer.
Just like Elijah, we need to admit our faults and failings. Only the Lord is able to meet the need of our inner man.
Use this time to seek the Lord’s help for the challenges you face. Confess your failures and trials. God stands ready to enfold you in His arms. Allow His strength to work in you the restoration that is needed.
Tags: afraid, attitude, Bible, calling, Christian, devotion, distractions, Elijah, encouragement, enemies, faith, fear, giving up, God's faithfulness, God's will, Jezebel, mountain, mountaintop, overcoming, presence of the lord, problems
Do you feel like a victim, like you’re the target practice for the world? That’s not God’s plan for you.
1 Peter 5:8 – Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
(NIV)
This verse gives us some insight into the strategy of our spiritual enemy. He hunts like a “roaring lion”. Lions are interesting hunters. Normally they are absolutely silent. You don’t see them until they are literally on top of you. A roaring lion is one who has gotten too old for that kind of hunting. He has lost some of his teeth. Younger lions move out in front of the prey, while the old toothless lion roars, and scares the prey so that they run right into the trap set by the younger ones.
This older lion then lets the young ones rip the prey apart, then eats the carved up pieces. That word devour, literally means to gulp down in one bite. The roaring lion is not looking for a fight. He doesn’t want to go one on one with the prey. All he wants to do is scare it into a trap.
This should speak volumes to us. Are you an easy prey for the devil? Do you run at the first sign of his attack? He is looking for someone with a victim mentality. The last person the devil wants to deal with is a Christian fully armed and standing on God’s Word.
Don’t just roll over and play dead. You are not the world’s doormat. You are meant to be victorious in Christ. Be strong in the Lord. Let the power of the Holy Spirit work in you. Stay in prayer and in the Word so that you are spiritually self-controlled and alert. Then you will not become the devil’s punching bag. Instead you can go on the offensive and free the oppressed from their bondage to sin. Be that champion God has called you to be!
Tags: armor of God, Bible, Christian, devotion, enemies, overcoming, problems, roaring lion, spiritual attack, spiritual battle, victory
Everyone wants joy. Unfortunately many Christians miss out on the joy that God wants them to have. What is the key to the joy of the Lord?
I John 1:3-4 – We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.
(NIV)
The key to complete joy can be summed up in one word – fellowship. Because of what Christ did on the cross, we can have fellowship with a holy God. Then, because we are in fellowship with Him, we are also in fellowship with each other. According to the Apostle John, that is the foundation for complete joy.
So many believers have no clue what fellowship entails. The root word of fellowship means together, united, or beside. It speaks about sharing in one another’s lives, not just sitting next to each other in a church service. If the church was only about hearing a message about God, we could do that in front of a TV at home. Fellowship is much more than that.
It is when those who have surrendered to the Holy Spirit meet together to share their lives with each other. Those who have won a victory can encourage those who are in the middle of a struggle. Those who have a testimony of praise can help those who are down. The strong can pray for the weak.
Together, the whole body of Christ can be strengthened and built up. We can hear the Word together, pray together, and share together. The church is more than just a good organization, it is an organism. It is alive and life giving to those who know what true fellowship is about.
Be an active member of the body of Christ. Participate in the lives of others. Allow the complete joy of the Holy Spirit to find a place in your heart.
Tags: Bible, Christian, church, devotion, encouragement, fellowship, growth, joy, participation, problems, unity
The Spirit and the Word 