Monthly Archives: February 2022

February 14, 2022 · 5:46 AM

Awakening Your Gifts

If you’ve ever smoked meat, getting a fire going and maintaining it is critical. Because it’s been a colder than normal winter for us, dried out wood has become difficult to find. The wood I purchased was still somewhat green, which made it difficult to keep burning. I found myself blowing on it, stoking it and doing everything possible to keep it going. It reminded me of one of my pastor’s recent sermons using 2 Timothy 1:6. Paul told Timothy to fan into flames the gifts that were given to him. As I’ve been fanning my gifts into flame, God has been reawakening gifts and promises that I thought were dead.

In Ezekiel 37, God takes Ezekiel to a valley of dry bones of people who had been dead a long time. In verse 3 God asked, “Can these bones become living people again?” (NLT) I’m sure Ezekiel was bewildered by the question knowing the answer, but also wondering why God was asking. Wisely he responded, “You alone know the answer to that.” God then told him to prophesy to those bones of what God was going to do. Ezekiel did it and the bones, sinews, muscles and flesh came back together. God wasn’t asking Ezekiel to bring them to life though. He was simply asking him to have enough faith to speak to them to come alive.

Romans 11:29 says, “For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.” That means that the gifts He’s given you are still yours. They may look dry and feel dead, but God has not taken them from you no matter what you’ve done. In an act of faith, you need to speak to them, stir them up and fan them into flame once again. God is wanting us to be prepared for the coming of His Son. He is looking for a Church that is ready. It’s time to revisit those promises and gifts. It’s time to start operating in them and using them. Don’t look at them with your human eyes. Look at them with the faith of Ezekiel and call them back to life. What looks dead and gone is ready to come alive.

Photo by Ihor Malytskyi on Unsplash

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February 11, 2022 · 5:35 AM

Producing Endurance

Merrimack-Webster’s dictionary says that endurance is the ability to withstand hardship or adversity. The on,y way to get endurance is to go through hardship or adversity though. As believers, we’re going to experience those things because God uses them to produce in us things that can’t be produced any other way. Instead of running from hardship and adversity, we are to embrace them because it’s a sign that God is working on us and in us. It’s His process to receive His promises. The greater the hardships you have to endure, the greater things God will produce in you. Hand in there. He’s doing something amazing in you.

Here are some Bible verses on endurance.

1. Stand firm with patient endurance and you will find your souls’ deliverance.

Luke 21:19 TPT

2. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy.

Colossians 1:11 NLT

3. For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised.

Hebrews 10:36 AMP

4. For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up in you the power of endurance.

James (Jacob) 1:3 TPT

5. We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance,

Romans 5:3 GNT

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February 10, 2022 · 5:30 AM

Waiting On God

Have you ever felt ill equipped to do something? Maybe you did your part to get ready for it, but you didn’t have the right tools to be successful. I’ve had that happen before. I had to lead a meeting, but when I arrived to the location, there wasn’t a projector. If they couldn’t see my PowerPoint slides, they wouldn’t be able to understand what I was discussing. It was one of those moments where you have to get really creative or pray that someone had a spare projector somewhere. Thankfully that was the case and I was able to give them the info they needed.

When it comes to fulfilling your purpose, the same thing can happen. There’s only so much you can do before you need God to do what only He can do. The problems come when we stop being patient and start trying to get creative in doing God’s part. We try to equip ourselves for what He wants to accomplish through us, but like Saul’s armor on David, it doesn’t fit. I’ve found that moving forward before God has done His part often complicates things and can have long lasting consequences.

In Hebrews 13:21, the writer prays and reminds us, “May the God of peace provide you with every good thing you need in order to do his will” (GNT). You have a part and God has a part. Learn to do your part and then have patience while God does His. He will give you what you need when you need it. I know it feels like you need it sooner or that you need to step in and help Him, but wait on Him. The Bible is full of people who didn’t wait and tried to do God’s part. Today, purpose in your heart that you will trust God to provide the thing you’re missing to accomplish His will and that you will wait until He gives it to you.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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February 9, 2022 · 5:55 AM

Don’t Fall Alone

One night I got a call from a friend’s wife. When I answered, I heard, “See if you can talk some sense into him!” I could hear him crying before he grabbed the phone. He was spiraling downhill and couldn’t stop. For days he had not been able to pull out of this depression and it was reaching the point of no return. I grabbed my keys as I kept him talking while I drove to his house. After about an hour of talking, he pulled up out of it. After a few days, he called back to thanks me, but was upset that I was called. I explained that friends aren’t just there in the good times. They’re there to help us when we’re low and can’t break free too.

The Bible is full of friendships, and when we think of them, Jonathan and David too the list. However, one of the friendships that has always stood out tome is Job’s three friends. I know they didn’t give him good advice, but I love that when they heard what he was going through, they showed up. I also love what Job 2:13 says. “Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words” (NLT). Sometimes you just need someone to be present with you instead of words. People like that, who show up in the most desperate times, save lives without having to say a word. Their presence let’s you know you’re not alone. No words needed.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Don’t let pride stand in your way when you need the presence of a friend. Don’t let your pain or embarrassment keep you from reaching out. Every one of us have low moments in life when we need the help of someone to pull us up. Make sure you take time to identify those people in your life who can help you in the low times. Let them know now that they are the person you will call. They don’t have to have a degree in counseling. They don’t have to have all the answers or the right words. They just need to be present so you don’t fall alone.

Photo by Jackson David on Unsplash

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February 8, 2022 · 5:51 AM

Fresh Manna

When I first started writing for this site, I made a list of topics in my phone. I would try to brainstorm every couple of days to add to the list. I wrote on things I knew, but each day I was writing out of fear. I was so afraid that I wouldn’t have anything to say or that I’d run out of topics. As I shared my fear with an author, he told me I was approaching it all wrong. He said, “You need to go to God each day with an empty bucket and say, ‘Here i am, Lord. I need a fresh word. Will you fill up my bucket with enough for today?’” That conversation changed how I write and how I approach writing. It’s forced me to quit trying to use my knowledge, and to go to God each day seeking to hear Him.

In Exodus 16, the children of Israel had crossed the Red Sea and were on their way to Mount Sinai. They were hungry and began to glamorize their slavery. They complained that at least they had food in Egypt. God heard them and decided to supply them with what they needed. Each night, quail would fly into the camp and rest on the ground to provide them with meat. In the morning, the dew would turn to a thin bread like substance called manna. They were to take their buckets out in the morning to collect about half a gallon of it per person as food rations. They did this every day while they were in the desert.

In Exodus 16:15-16 Moses said, “This is the food that the Lord has given you to eat. The Lord has commanded that each of you is to gather as much of it as he needs, two quarts for each member of his household” (GNT). I believe the same is true for us. To move from a head knowledge of God to a heart relationship, we must go to Him each day seeking Him. Sunday’s sermon wasn’t meant to feed you all week. God is looking for you to meet with Him daily to feed your spirit. It’s time we started getting fresh manna from above each day. If you’re not sure how, pray, “Lord, I need fresh manna from you. I open my heart to hear from you today. Show me what you want to hear from you today.” Then open your Bible and read until you hear from Him. It’s not about the quantity as it is the quality. God will speak to you through His Word and fill your bucket daily.

Photo by Artur Rutkowski on Unsplash

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February 7, 2022 · 5:44 AM

Labor Shortage

You can’t go to any restaurant or business right now hardly without seeing signs that advertise they are hiring. When you try to buy your favorite items, many times they’re out of them temporarily because they can’t seem to get them due to supply chain issues. It turns out that the companies in the supply chain are experiencing labor shortages as well. The people who are working at these places are working as hard as they can to try to keep up with demand. They’re coming up with ingenious work arounds, but nothing can take the place of the people who are needed in those roles.

In Luke 9, Jesus called His twelve disciples together. He then commissioned them and sent them out to proclaim God’s Kingdom. They went out preaching, teaching and healing people throughout Israel. So much was going on because of their ministry that even King Herod heard about it. They returned a few months later and shared with Jesus all they had done. It wasn’t much later when in Luke 10, Jesus sent the twelve out again, but this time He added 60 more. They went out in pairs. When He commissioned this group with the same task, He didn’t just send them all over. He sent them to the towns He was about to visit.

Before He sent them out, In verse 2 He said, “The harvest is huge. But there are not enough harvesters to bring it in. As you go, plead with the Owner of the Harvest to send out many more workers into his harvest fields” (TPT). That’s where you and I come in. We are laborers in His Kingdom. We have been given the Great Commission (Mark 16:15) to proclaim the Kingdom of God wherever we go before He comes. Too many Christians are sitting on the sidelines causing a labor shortage in Kingdom work. You are called, you are commissioned and you are needed to bring in the harvest. It’s time for all of us to get to work and to be about the Father’s business.

Photo by Paz Arando on Unsplash

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February 4, 2022 · 5:51 AM

Being Ready

Growing up, I was in a scouting program at church. They taught us a motto to live by. It was, “Ready! Ready for anything. Ready to work, play, serve, obey, worship, love, etc.” When things come up, I’ve found it’s better to be ready than not. When you’re ready, you can be proactive rather than reactive. As believers, we’re called to be ready for a lot of things as well. Ready to serve others. Ready to share our faith. Ready to lay hands on the sick. Ready for Jesus to come back. You and I can’t afford to live our lives unprepared for all the things the Bible tells us to be ready for.

Here are some Bible verses on being ready.

1. Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others.

1 Timothy 6:18 GNT

2. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Romans 12:13 NLT

3. So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate, and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace.

Ephesians 6:14-15 GNT

4. Be dressed and ready for active service, and keep your lamps continuously burning.

Luke 12:35 AMP

5. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

Matthew 24:44 NLT

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February 3, 2022 · 5:30 AM

Spiritual Refreshing

When I was in high school, we would have 2 hour practices after school. Coach always started and ended practices with running. He would say, “Since we aren’t the tallest team, we are going to be the best conditioned team.” There were some brothers on the team who lived in some apartments across from the school. While running on hot afternoons, we would say to each other, “Hey, once this is over, let’s go jump in the apartment pool.” The thought of jumping into that cool water was often enough to keep us going.

There was something about diving head first into that water after practice that was so refreshing. We would swim from one end to the other under water to make sure our whole body got cooled down. It was so refreshing, and we needed that because a couple of us worked jobs in the evenings. After all day of school and a two hour practice, we still had a four hour shift to complete before coming home and doing homework. Refreshment was needed.

There are times when we need spiritual refreshing as well. Sometimes things seem to hit us one after the other. It feels like we never get a break from it all. Other times, we face the consequences of our actions, and those can lead us to spiritual exhaustion. The Bible says we can have spiritual refreshing in those times too. If you’re mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausted, you may need to repent in order to experience a refreshing.

Acts 3:19 says, “So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]” (AMP). When you repent, it’s like jumping into that pool after a two hour practice on a hot afternoon. God brings a refreshing into your life that also brings spiritual strength with it. Just like everything else in Scripture, the first step in activating God’s promises starts with you taking the first step.

What in your mind or life do you need to change today in order to return to God’s way of thinking?

If you haven’t been living for His purpose and you’re worn out, pray that God would help you to return to living for His purpose.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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February 2, 2022 · 5:41 AM

Testimony Night

I miss testimony nights at church. When I was growing up, at least one Sunday night a month, we would have testimony night. People would line up waiting to tell, what God had done for them. There was always one lady who would get up and say the same thing each time. Sometimes kids would get up there and freeze when it was their turn, but there were always people who called out specific things God had done for them. On those nights, we left church with our faith boosted because we knew God had answered prayers for people we knew. Those services were a way to remember what God had done in the lives of people.

I think that’s why the Psalms resonate with so many of us. They’re prayer requests and testimonies of God’s faithfulness. A read through them is like going to testimony night. David, and the other authors, were so good at calling out all God had done for them. Sometimes they would write about the faithfulness of God from the times of old. Men and women would build altars to God as a way to honor Him and to remember what He had done for them so that future generations would know. Even the Passover meal that is still celebrated today is a way to look back and remember what God did.

Exodus 13:14 says, “And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With the power of his mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery’” (NLT). Future generations need to know about God’s faithfulness to you. What are you doing to record it or remember it for yourself? Keep a journal, write them an email or record a video of it, but do something that tells of the goodness of God. Be specific about what He’s done for you, the prayers He’s answered and the dreams He’s fulfilled. We don’t build altars anymore, nor do we have testimony night. We need to do something to create reminders for ourselves and future generations that God answers prayers and is actively involved in our lives.

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February 1, 2022 · 5:54 AM

Give Something

It wasn’t that long ago that there were national headlines that read, “Philadelphia Subway Riders Witness Rape, But Did Nothing.” There is some dispute over those headlines, but there were a number of people there who were so busy on their phones that they didn’t even notice it happening right by them. Someone needed help, and no one ingervened. It reminds me of a TV show I’ve watched called “What Would You Do?” They have hidden cameras and have actors playing out different scenarios where someone needs help. Most people don’t get involved because it’s none of their business. The ones that do help, tell the reporter that they had to do something because no one else was.

In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. A person had been beaten up and robbed on a busy road. People may have witnessed it, but did nothing. The next part is just as shocking. A priest sees the man lying there naked and beaten up, looks at him and walks by on the other side. Then a person who worked in the Temple came by, saw him and walked away. The least likely person to help walked by, saw him, had compassion on him and helped him. Jesus asked the crowd who acted neighborly towards the injured man. When they told Him the Samaritan was, He told them to go act the same way towards people.

Proverbs 3:27 says, “Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person” (MSG). In order to help others, we need to be aware of our surroundings and the people around us. We are God’s hands in a broken world. So many people that you know are in need of help one way or another. We can’t hide behind the excuse that we don’t know how to help them or we don’t have enough. If the boy that had the five loaves and two fish had looked at what he had compared to the crowd, he would have thought the same thing. However, when he was willing to help, Jesus took what He had and made it more than enough. Give what you can (listening ear, money, a room, etc.), and let God do the rest.

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