Monthly Archives: February 2024

February 15, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Participating In The Process

Recently I was talking with my friend outside while the kids were playing. They decided they wanted to play basketball. They were taking turns shooting, but every time the youngest tried to shoot, she could barely get the ball over her heard. I lowered the goal to see if that would help, but it didn’t. She just wasn’t able to get the ball high enough to go through the hoop. The next time it was her turn, I picked her up and held her over the goal so she could easily make it. After realizing she couldn’t do it on her own, and that she could with help, she began to ask us to lift her up each time it was her shot. I couldn’t help but think that it was great picture of how God helps us accomplish the things He’s called us to.

When the disciples came to Jesus to tell Him the 5,000 people were hungry, He told them to give the people something to eat. Just like that little girl looking up at that basketball goal, they realized it was impossible for them. Jesus blessed the fish and loaves, but had the disciples distribute it and pick up the leftovers. They were still able to participate in the miracle with His help. He was always working to give them confidence to do the work of the ministry with His help and not on their own strength. When He sent out the 70 in Luke 10, He told them, “You won’t need to take anything with you—trust in God alone. And don’t get distracted from my purpose by anyone you might meet along the way” (TPT). He was reminding them that they get to participate in the miraculous with God and they wouldn’t need anything of their own to make it happen.

Before He sent them off, He also said, “The harvest is huge and ripe. But there are not enough harvesters to bring it all in. As you go, plead with the Owner of the Harvest to drive out into his harvest fields many more workers.” God is still looking for people who will participate in the work that needs to be done, but to do it in His strength and with His help. He calls us to things that are greater than ourselves so that we can rely on His strength and know that it’s not in our own abilities. We can keep trying to do things on our own, over and over again, but they will fall short. When we learn to ask Him for help, and present ourselves as available to participate, He comes in with His strength, lifts us up and allows us to complete the goal. Remember it’s in our weaknesses and inabilities that His strength is made perfect. When we do our part, He does His.

Photo by Warren 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 14, 2024 · 5:29 AM

Known For Your Love

A lot of churches and organizations have assimilation classes. They might call it a membership class or new hire, but the goal is to assimilate that person into the larger group. I looked up the word assimilation in the encyclopedia Britannica and it says that assimilation is the process by which people from varying backgrounds and cultures are absorbed into the dominant culture. During the process the people take on the characteristics of the dominant culture. That’s interesting to me. Culture is pretty much what drives and defines a group of people whether they’re in a church, a company or country. The culture shapes ideas and actions of the people who are apart of it.

In Mark 3, Jesus was calling the 12 disciples who would follow Him throughout His ministry. Verse 17 says that when He spoke to brother James and John, He referred to them as the “Sons of Thunder”. I’ve always loved that name, but I’ve started thinking about why He would call them that. Thunder disrupts the peace. Thunder is loud and draws attention. Yet, after three years of being with Jesus, we don’t hear John ever referred to as a “Son of Thunder” anymore. He’s known as . The Beloved” or revered to as “the one Jesus loved”. When thinking about him in the context of assimilation, being around the dominant culture of Jesus (Love), John was changed as a person and became known for his love for others as Jesus said we should be known for.

In 1 John 4:7-8, he writes, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (NLT). How has God’s love changed who you are and how you treat other people? The closer you get to God, the more you experience His love. The more of His love you experience, the more you show that love to other people. We are to be assimilated into the culture of God’s kingdom as believers. His love should shape our ideas and our actions. This isn’t the emotional type of love that’s celebrated today. This is an agape love that seeks the betterment of others. It’s the highest form of love because it’s a choice we make to do something that is for the good of someone else even when it goes against our emotions. It’s the type of love that fundamentally changes the people who are exposed to it. Are you known by your love for others?

Photo by Maira Gallardo on Unsplash

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February 12, 2024 · 5:38 AM

Stewarding The Seed

Seeds are fascinating to me. They can lie dormant for the longest time waiting for the right conditions in order to activate. The first thing they need is water. The water causes a seed to expand and release enzymes. Those enzymes cause the seed to ramp up metabolic energy and release food storage that’s built into it. Then a tap root breaks out of one end and starts heading down. On the other end a stem comes out heading upwards. Once it reaches the surface, two leaves form and photosynthesis begins. Depending on moisture and oxygen levels in the soil and sunlight, the seed takes on life and becomes what it was designed to be.

A seed was planted in Terah, Abraham’s father, to go to the land of Canaan. When his father died, he gather his sons and their families to head to Canaan. Genesis 11:31 says that while on their way, they stopped in Haran and settled there. In the next chapter, the word of the Lord co,es to Abraham and tells him to leave where his father stopped and continue the journey to Canaan. God then planted another seed in Abraham. He told him in the new land he would become the father of many nations and would bless him. The seeds in him began to sprout so he packed up everything and left his father. When he arrived, the Lord planted another seed in him telling him that He would give him all that land to his descendants.

In Isaiah 30:21, the Lord tells Israel that he will respond and guide us telling us which way we should go. Verse 23 says, “Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock” (NLT). I know that God has already planted seeds in you. They may be lying dormant right now waiting for the watering of the Lord. It will come when the time is right. The seed will grow, send down roots and sending a shoot up. Though it’s been dormant for a while, it is not dead. God will bring it to pass. You may have to get into a place, like Abraham did, where it can grow. You may have to get in the right environment so it can thrive. Seek God on what you need to be doing in the meantime to steward that seed and prepare it for growth. God will bring about a harvest to every seed He’s planted in you.

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February 9, 2024 · 5:35 AM

Giving God Your Little

There are times when God asks us to do something but we look at our resources and tell Him we can’t. Instead of taking a step of faith, I say, “But God, I only have this.” What I forget in those moments is that God is a multiplier. He can multiply what little I have if I’m willing to offer it up instead of an excuse. He doesn’t require much in order to accomplish what He asks of us. He wants to see if we’re willing to give Him our little and to allow Him to do with it what He wants. The Bible is full of stories where people were willing to give what little they had and saw God do incredible things with it. A little is enough in God’s hands.

Here are some Bible verses on giving God a little.

1. He told them, “It was because of your lack of faith. I promise you, if you have faith inside of you no bigger than the size of a small mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move away from here and go over there,’ and you will see it move! There is nothing you couldn’t do!

Matthew 17:20 TPT

2. But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered. “Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers.

Matthew 14:17-20 NLT

3. But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.” But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!” So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

1 Kings 17:12-16 NLT

4. A destitute widow walked up and dropped in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny. Jesus called his disciples to gather around and then said to them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given a larger offering than any of the wealthy.”

Mark 12:42-43 TPT

5. It is much better to have little combined with much of God than to have the fabulous wealth of the wicked and nothing else.

Psalms 37:16 TPT

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February 8, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Calming Anxious Thoughts

Have you ever seen a giant Sequoia tree? They are some of the tallest trees in the world. They’re also some of the fastest growing trees, especially when they’re young. They can grow up to six feet per year. Not only do they grow tall, they also grow wide. These are the trees that you’ve seen pictures of cars driving through them. Their root system is shallow though. It grows out instead of down. They don’t have a tap root. Instead they have thousands of tiny roots that multiply, grow out and around the tree and can cover up to an acre of land.

If you think about it, they’re a lot like our anxious thoughts. Those type of thoughts grow quickly in our mind, they take up a lot of space and infect almost every part of our life. The more we entertain those thoughts, the more they grow. Before you know it, you’ve given up a huge portion of your mind and your life to worrying about things that may or may not happen. Because these thoughts take up so much space, they require a lot to feed them. That’s why they infect every area of your mind as they multiply and grow. The good news is that their root systems are shallow and they can be uprooted.

Psalm 94:19 says, “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comforts delight me” (AMP). Spending time in God’s Word, resting in His presence and worshiping Him are all ways you can uproot those anxious thoughts. Colossians 2:7 tell us to let our roots grow down deeply into God. When we do that, our lives won’t be uprooted by anxious thoughts because there is no room for them. When I start to get anxious about things, I have to remember to quit comparing things against my abilities and letting them feed on fear. Instead, I feed myself on God’s Word and compare those same problems to God. I then realize He is greater than whatever I’m facing. When we focus our thoughts on the truth (Philippians 4:8), we cut off the food supply to our anxious thoughts.

Photo by saira ahmed 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 7, 2024 · 5:32 AM

Big Vision, Small Details

Have you ever heard that some people are headlines and others are the articles? Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “I’m a big picture person.” What they’re saying is that they don’t like the small, detailed work. I once took a behavioral assessment at work. It said that when it comes to sales, I like to go for the high risk, high reward sales. I preferred those to the low hanging fruit sales. I’ve been the type of person who tries to hit a home run every time. The problem with that mentality is that success in whatever God has called us to do is built one, small step at a time. You have to start with a Timex watch and not a Rolex. You can get there by focusing on the details while keeping your eye on the big picture.

In Zechariah 4, Zechariah had seen a vision of the Temple. He saw a golden lamp stand, some oil, other lamps and two olive trees. Keeping the lamps filled with oil, trimming the wicks and keeping them lit was very tedious work. When he asked what it was, the Lord told him that his message to Zerubbabel was that it wasn’t by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit. He also told him that not even a mountain could stand before him insinuating that success is in the little things. Zerubbabel was a civic leader tasked with completing the Temple and God said he would finish such a great task that had stalled. God showed Zechariah that the Temple would be finished and the final stone would be laid by Zerubbabel.

God’s message to them and to us can be found in verse 10. He said, ”Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand” (NLT). I don’t know what God has called you to, but I do know that it’s greater than your abilities and capabilities. It can be overwhelming to think about. However, it won’t be by your strength or by your might that it is accomplished. It will be by the strength of the Lord. I also know that if you lay the foundation, take it one step at a time and trust God, no financial mountain, no skill gap mountain, or any mountain will be able to stand in your way. Don’t despise the small, detailed work. When you’re faithful in the little things, God can trust you with the big things.

Photo by Jukan Tateisi on Unsplash

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February 6, 2024 · 5:36 AM

Recognizing Deception

Since wars began, deception has been used as a tactic to win. We’ve all heard the story of the Trojan horse. Military leaders know the power of deceiving your enemy to get them out of their place of refuge, drop their guard and to walk into a trap. In fact, Sun Tzu in lathe Art of War” prioritizes deception and says it’s something that every great military leader must master. Confusing maneuvers, misinformation, messing with the enemy’s psyche, camouflage and more are used to deceive the other side and have proven to be the difference between victory and defeat. It’s no wonder our enemy uses deceit to attack us. He plants lies to echo in our minds to keep us from remembering the truth.

In Nehemiah 6, Sanbalat and the other enemies of Israel had found out that there were no more gaps in the wall around Jerusalem. They continued to use deceit to attack Nehemiah. Four times they sent messages trying to get Nehemiah to leave the protection of the walls and meet them. He rejected them each time staying the course to finish the gates. Then they told him that there were rumors of his true intent and they were going to tell the king who would attack him. Verses 8-9 say, “I replied, ‘There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.’ They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination“ (NLT). Nehemiah refused to be swayed by the lies by holding onto the truth of what God had told him.

Our enemy lies to us constantly trying to get us to quit doing what God has called us to. He is the father of lies. That’s why we are told to put on the whole Armor of God. Ephesians 6:14 says, “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.” We must stand our ground when the enemy attacks with lies and deceit. We do that by putting on the belt of truth. God’s Word is truth and the standard by which we hold every thought captive to. Truth exposes the lies of the enemy and sets us free. What thoughts have been intimidating you lately? What thoughts have been causing you to doubt God? Recognize them as deceit from the enemy to keep you from the work God has called you to, put on the belt of truth and continue with greater determination.

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February 5, 2024 · 5:37 AM

Quit Looking Back

When driving, how often do you use the rear view mirror? It’s used for the occasional looking back, but if you looked in it for most of your driving, it would be dangerous to move forward. Our lives should be lived the same way. I’ve known people who live in their past. They feel like their best years are behind them. I’ve known other people who are prisoners of their past. They can’t move forward because of something that happened back there. When our past is disrupting our present and keeping us from our future, we’re spending too much time looking backwards. I’ve spent a lot of time in my life looking in my rear view mirror reliving the pain, but God reminded me that He can use the past to bring healing to others if I’ll look ahead.

When Israel was set free from their captivity in Egypt, they were thrilled. They were given gold and silver on their way out to let them know God was taking care of their future. He also was out front with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. However, every time they encountered some kind of hardship or difficulty, they immediately began to look in the rear view mirror. They saw their slavery as a form of security. When God showed them the Promised Land and He had prepared for them, they rebelled. Numbers 14:4 says, “Then they plotted among themselves, ‘Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!’” (NLT). They were so bound up by their past, they wouldn’t fight for their future. They were willing to sacrifice the blessings and provision of God to return to their bondage.

Proverbs 4:25 says, “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.” You will always travel in the direction you’re looking. God has prepared a future for you full of hope and blessings. Don’t miss it because you’re looking backwards. You will encounter hard times. You will be expected to go through some battles. Don’t let those push you back into your past. Instead let them strengthen you and give you confidence in what God is doing in you. A piece of clay can on,y become pottery after it’s been through the fire. Your best days are ahead of you. Your healing is ahead of you. Your victory is ahead of you. Quit using the rear view mirror of your life to look backwards when what God had for you is ahead.

Photo by Darwin Vegher on Unsplash

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February 2, 2024 · 5:35 AM

God’s Discipline

When I was a child and I broke the rules, my parents disciplined me. When I went to school and my behavior was not in line with the school’s expectations, I was disciplined. When I got a job, my employer let me know that if I didn’t uphold their standards or do my job well, I would be disciplined. One HR manager told me that discipline isn’t to punish us, but to instruct and correct us. My whole life I had seen it as a punishment, but it’s actually a tool God created to help us. Over and over it tells us that God disciplines those He loves. He won’t just let us continue down the wrong path. He will correct us and instruct us so we make choices that bring blessings. As believers, discipline should be expected from God and received with joy because of His love for us. It may not feel good in the moment, but long term it’s the best thing for our lives.

Here are some Bible verses on God’s discipline.

1. Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I rebuke and discipline [showing them their faults and instructing them]; so be enthusiastic and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will].

Revelation 3:19 AMP

2. Therefore, know in your heart (be fully cognizant) that the Lord your God disciplines and instructs you just as a man disciplines and instructs his son.

Deuteronomy 8:5 AMP

3. My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you.

Proverbs 3:11 NLT

4. For the Father’s discipline comes only from his passionate love and pleasure for you. Even when it seems like his correction is harsh, it’s still better than any father on earth gives to his child.

Proverbs 3:12 TPT

5. Now all discipline seems to be painful at the time, yet later it will produce a transformation of character, bringing a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who yield to it.

Hebrews 12:11 TPT

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