Monthly Archives: November 2023

November 16, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Living Stones

There’s a scripture I’ve read over many times and haven’t given much thought to until today. It’s 1 Peter 2:5 that says, “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple” (NLT). If you think about what stones are and how they are used, a lot jumps out at you. Stones are movable, shapable, polishable and usable. These are all things God wants to do in our lives so that He can use us for His purposes. We all have a role to play in building His church of living stones. I don’t think it was by accident Peter used the term stone here. In fact, it was divinely inspired.

Think about what David picked up and used to slay the giant. It was a stone, five smooth ones to be exact. What did the Israelites take out of the Jordan river to build an altar to God so people would remember what He did? Stones. What was the Temple in the Old Testament built out of? You guessed it, stones. The Bible uses stones for many things. If you think about them as people, we’ll that’s the same things God wants to do with us as living stones. We are to be giant slayers, reminding people of all God has done and we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

The thing that all these stones had in common is that they were able to be used and given a purpose. Sometimes God has to shape us before He can place us exactly where we’ll be the most effective. Sometimes that means parts of our lives will be knocked off so we’ll fit. Sometimes we will have our rough edges sanded off so we’re smooth. No matter what, we must submit to God and His purposes so we can reach our potential. Otherwise we will be stuck in the ground going nowhere. Today, ask God how He wants to use you as a living stone and see what He does.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart 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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November 14, 2023 · 5:37 AM

Turning North

One of my favorite visual lessons to use in a group is to have everyone close their eyes and to then point north. What usually happens is you will have a room full of people pointing just about every direction including up. I then have them open their eyes to see where everyone is pointing. Immediately some start laughing, but others start trying to convince others they’re right. I then pull a compass out of my pocket and show them which way is north. I’ll ask them to again close their eyes and point to north. Most will point in the direction the compass did, but there will still be some who point in other directions. I tell them that if they don’t know which way north is, and you’re lost, it’s hard to get where you’re going.

All throughout the book of Jeremiah, Israel was lost. Each person was doing what was right in their own eyes and doing what they wanted. Even though they had the compass of The Law, they chose to go in different directions. In Jeremiah 18, God had Jeremiah watch a potter work with some clay. After making a piece of pottery, the potter didn’t like it, then crushed it and started over. Then, in verse 11, God said, “Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds” (ESV). He was telling them to repent, which means to change directions. He wanted them to turn north towards Him.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path” (GNT). God has given us the compass to this life through His Word. It will guide us in the direction of our life and in the choices we make. However, just like in the room full of people knowing which way north is, we still have to make the choice each day to point north or in a different direction. God always gives us a choice. If we head any direction but north, we risk facing the consequences of our actions. His way is the only right way to get north. His word lights the path so we can see where we’re going and also guides us in the paths of righteousness. It’s up to me and you to continually turn north when everything else is trying to get us to turn in different directions.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

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November 13, 2023 · 5:54 AM

Life Transformation

One of our favorite types of shows to watch on TV are home renovations. There’s something beautiful and hopeful when you see these amazing professionals take a drab house no one wants and turn it into someone’s dream home. There are also shows where the home owner tries their own renovation. It’s usually a disaster. They had watched these shows where the professionals renovated and then tried to do it themselves. The house is in shambles, they’re over budget, over extended and ready to give up. Shows like that remind me that I can make small changes to the house, but I’m not qualified to take on an e tire renovation myself. It’s best to leave that to the ones who understand how houses are built and do it all the time.

Paul wrote about half of the New Testament, but before he became Paul, he was Saul. Saul was a person who hated Christians. In fact, he hunted them down and killed them in public. He was on a mission to destroy Christianity anywhere it spread. After he chased Christians out of Jerusalem, he was headed to Damascus to kill them. While on his way in Acts 9, he was met and blinded by Jesus. His life was completely transformed. The believers and Jews alike were perplexed by such a radical transformation in him. They couldn’t believe it was the same person. He went on to preach and share his story across the world of what God can do with a life that submits to its creator.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (ESV). When we give ourselves fully to Christ, He takes our old life and renovates it into something new. The old person we once were no longer exists. Our spirit is reborn and a transformation takes place. It’s not something we can do ourselves though. Only Christ who lives in us can transform us. We are no longer bound to our old life, it’s desires or it’s fate. I’ve seen several people whom God delivered and transformed instantly. I’ve also seen people who spend the rest of their life struggling to not go back to who they once were. I don’t know the difference, but I do know that the Creator knows what He’s doing, loves them both and has given them new life. Every renovation is different, yet each one starts with us submitting to the transformation.

Photo by Anuj Yadav on Unsplash

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November 10, 2023 · 5:24 AM

God Our Source

There is a difference between a source and a resource. A source supplies something we can’t produce on our own. A resource is something you acquire from a source that use you use accomplish an objective. God is our source and everything He gives us is a resource to accomplish His will in our lives. We’re to be good stewards of all the resources He places in our lives. We often refer to God as our source in terms of money, but He is the source of everything we need. Sometimes the resources He gives are raw and need to be refined. Other things He gives are complete. Take a look at all the resources He has placed in your life, then give Him thanks and honor as your source. He will not withhold any good resource from those who walk uprightly.

Here are some Bible verses on God as your source.

1. God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

John 4:24 AMP

2. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.

Hebrews 5:8-9 ESV

3. I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless.

John 15:5 TPT

4. May God, our source of peace, be with all of you. Amen.

Romans 15:33 GNT

5. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.

1 Corinthians 12:4 NLT

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

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November 9, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Productive Planting

Every spring there are big displays in home improvement stores selling seeds. I like to look through them to see if there’s anything we would like to try to grow. One one side of the packet you have a picture of what the seeds inside will produce. On the other side you have a color coded map that tells you where these seeds grow the best and then some instructions that tell you how deep to plant them, how far apart, when the best time of year to plant them is and how long it will take them to produce. The more closely you follow those directions, the more likely that your garden will produce something from the packet.

Most of the seeds we plant in life can’t be seen and aren’t physically put in the ground. There’s no packet that you can read to tell you where they will grow best, how long until they produce or when the best time to plant them is. When I was a kid, a popular saying in the church world was, “You’ll reap what you sow.” To me, it always seemed to have a negative connotation. They only brought it up when you weren’t doing the right thing. While it’s true that it works for those behaviors, it also works for the behaviors God wants to reinforce in our lives. The law of sowing and reaping was instituted in during creation when the Bible tells us that God planted a garden in the east. He didn’t speak the Garden of Eden into existence like most everything else.

As Christians, we need to pay attention to the things we are planting in our lives, the lives of others and into the world. We don’t have to worry about timing, location or season. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “We know that we prosper and excel in every season by serving the Lord, because we are assured that our union with the Lord makes our labor productive with fruit that endures” (TPT). The seeds you’re sowing today are not in vain. They will produce whether you think it’s the right season to plant them or not. The law of sowing and reaping can only come into affect when you plan seeds. God is the one who makes them grow, not you. Don’t hold back in planting where God tells you to or when. Your planting will be productive through Him.

Photo by Ricardo IV Tamayo 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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November 8, 2023 · 5:45 AM

Giving God Your Ashes

A friend of mine, who has a green thumb, reached out to me recently. She said she had reached out to several people asking what kind of fire place they had. When everyone had a gas fireplace, she remembered that I have a BBQ pit. She then said, “I have a strange request. Can I have your ashes?” I told her that I had just smoked some meat recently and that she was welcome to the ashes. Then I asked why she needed ashes since it was just dust. She then told me how the oak trees in her yard were sick and how she could take the ashes from the trees I burned to make a paste that would heal her trees. I had never heard of that, but it made sense.

In the book of Ruth, there had been a famine in Israel and Naomi, along with her husband and two sons, had to move to a foreign land. When her sons grew up, her husband died. Her sons then married foreign women. About ten years later, her sins died without having kids. She decided to return to Israel and told her daughters in law to go home. Ruth decided to go with her though. When they entered Bethlehem, the people greeted Naomi (which means pleasant), but she told them to call her Mara (bitter) because she had lost everything except Ruth. That’s when Ruth realized they needed food and gleaned in Boaz’ field. Boaz married Ruth later and they had a son. The people rejoiced for Naomi and sang of her restoration and healing through Ruth and her grandson. God brought her out of the ashes and gave her new life.

Isaiah 61:3 says, “To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory” (NLT). If you’re looking at the ashes of what used to be your life, know that God can make beauty from them. He can restore your life to better than it once was. He will use the ashes to heal you and others. I’ve seen Him do it in my own life. I was left holding the ashes of everything in my life that I held dear, ready to give up, when God took the ashes and exchanged my despair for joy. The ashes of what once was are the soil God uses to create something new. Give Him your ashes and let Him create something beautiful.

Photo by David von Diemar on Unsplash

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November 7, 2023 · 5:43 AM

Opportunities To Grow

Every winter I prune back my crepe myrtle trees so they will grow tall and bloom in the spring. While I’m cutting back the branches, I wonder if they think I’m not a good caretaker because of the pain they’re going through. I wonder if they think that I don’t care what happens to them because they’re going through so much loss. Then I start to wonder why we do that to God. When things aren’t going right, when things cause us pain and when we suffer loss we wonder if God is good. We wonder if He even cares about us or sees the pain we’re experiencing. I’ve laid on the floor weeping in my most painful moments asking God to intervene when in fact He was. I couldn’t see it at the time, but He was pruning my life so I could grow and bloom like never before.

There are two stories in Mark that always get my attention. In Mark 4, Jesus and the disciples get in a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. A crazy storm erupts and the boat starts to sink. They realize Jesus is sleeping in the hull and wake Him. They said, “Don’t you care that we are about to die?” (GNT) Jesus, knowing they weren’t in real danger called the storm. Then a couple chapters Jesus told the disciples to cross the sea and He’d meet them. Another storm arose and threatened to sink the boat. Jesus then walked on the water. Mark 6:48 said it looked like He was going to pass them by. They were afraid and called out to Him. When He entered the boat, the storm stopped. In both of these instances, in both instances He tested their faith and used the opportunities to grow their trust in Him.

Psalm 23:4 says, “Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are with me. Your shepherd’s rod and staff protect me.” Just be a you’re a Christian m it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to walk through dark valleys. It doesn’t mean you aren’t going to experience loss or pain. What it does mean is that you will get to experience the grace of God when you need it most. He will be there with you in the darkness with His rod and staff even when you can’t see Him or feel Him. He works everything (every situation) out for your good. He is for you and will use every situation and opportunity to grow you. What the enemy intends for evil and destruction in your life, God uses as a place of growth. When the enemy tries to close the book on you, God starts a new chapter of hope. Don’t give up in the darkest of valleys. Let your faith arise because God is there and is doing something for your good giving you opportunities to grow.

Photo by Chris Buckwald on Unsplash

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November 6, 2023 · 5:42 AM

The Source Of Hope

Scientists and researchers have been trying to crack the code of hope for a while. They’ve studied it and tested it. They’ve seen the wonders it does for someone who is sick to receive hope from a doctor. They’ve discovered that it creates a mindset in people that helps them overcome obstacles. It is also critical to success with people who sets goals. They’ve found that it can’t be based on nothing though because that is just optimism which doesn’t give the same results as hope. When hope is based on something, it’s not an emotion, but an entire system in the brain that drives behaviors. That’s why it is so powerful.

In Isaiah 36-37 Jerusalem was besieged by the strongest army on earth who were undefeated. They understood psychological warfare as well as strategies. They told the people it was hopeless as they cut off their food and water supplies. When they sent a letter to King Hezekiah detailing their victories and that God couldn’t save Jerusalem, he took it to the Temple to pray. The prophet Isaiah gave Hezekiah the word from God that the attackers would be led away and the king would be killed in his own land. Hezekiah trusted the word of the Lord and that created hope in him. Even though they kept sending letters, he kept praying and taking their reports to the Lord while keeping hope in His word. Finally, the Lord’s words came to pass and Jerusalem was saved.

Psalm 119:114 says, “You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope” (NLT). David also understood that God’s Word is the source of hope. It is greater than any other report you receive. Whenever you receive a report that tries to kill hope, do what Hezekiah did. Take it and lay it out before the Lord. Ask Him to intervene and give you hope. I’ve seen God intervene in hopeless situations. His Word is greater than anything any person ever says and is more powerful than any enemy you face. It is the source of our hope and when we trust in it, our entire system that drives behaviors activates. People won’t understand it because they can’t quantify hope. Don’t let that stop you from believing in and acting on the hope you receive from God. It is an anchor for our lives in a sea filled with waves of trouble. It will hold in the strongest of storms.

Photo by Tanja Cotoaga on Unsplash

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November 3, 2023 · 5:31 AM

The Fire Of God

Can you imagine where mankind would be without fire? We use it to warm ourselves, to cook food, to light our way through darkness and have used it to make tools and weapons. It is critical to our survival. It’s no coincidence that God often appeared as a fire in the Bible and referred to Himself as one. He is critical to our wellbeing. He uses the right fire at the right time in our lives when and where we need it. Take a moment to I ask God to give your life the fire it needs right now. Whether it’s to purify you, ignite you, light your path or anything else, He will do it.

Here are some Bible verses on the Fire of God.

1. The [presence of the] Lord was going before them by day in a pillar (column) of cloud to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, so that they could travel by day and by night.

Exodus 13:21 AMP

2. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing flame of fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was on fire, yet it was not consumed.

Exodus 3:2 AMP

3. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

Acts of the Apostles 2:3-4 NLT

4. Be certain that you do not forget the covenant that the Lord your God made with you. Obey his command not to make yourselves any kind of idol, because the Lord your God is like a flaming fire; he tolerates no rivals.

Deuteronomy 4:23-24 GNT

5. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV

Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash

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