Monthly Archives: May 2024

May 31, 2024 · 5:35 AM

Being Together

In Exodus 17, while the Israelites were trekking through the wilderness, they were attacked by the Amalekites. Moses knew they needed the Lord’s help for victory, so he sent Joshua to take men to the battle while he went up a hill with Aaron and Hur. While Moses’ hands were raised, they we’re winning, but when he got tired and out them down, they began to lose. Aaron and Hur held Moses’ hand up until the battle was won. They gave a great representation why we need people in our lives around us. Even when God is fighting our battles, we need to be together with His people. Like God told Adam in the Garden, it’s not good to be alone. We need to be together for strength, encouragement, victory and more. Don’t try to face life alone. Get together with God’s people who will support you and hold you up the way Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ arms.

Here are some Bible verses on being together.

1. Now, the important thing is that your way of life should be as the gospel of Christ requires, so that, whether or not I am able to go and see you, I will hear that you are standing firm with one common purpose and that with only one desire you are fighting together for the faith of the gospel.

Philippians 1:27 GNT

2. For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.

Matthew 18:20 AMP

3. 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. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT

4. This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.

Hebrews 10:25 TPT

5. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

Thanks to Unsplash for the photo.

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May 30, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Miracles In The Wilderness

There were two instances where Jesus wanted to feed a large crowd. One was a crowd of 5,000 and the other was of 4,000. In both instances, they were away from the city with nowhere to buy food. In Mark 8, we find the story of the 4,000 people who were following Jesus and it says they ran out of food. Jesus had compassion on them and indicated he wanted to feed the mass of people. The disciples were incredulous and asked, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?” (NLT)

They knew that Jesus was looking to them to feed the people. I’m sure the “we” in that sentence had some inflection in it indicating they thought He should be the one finding the food. He was the Son of God after all. But Jesus didn’t waiver. He stayed true to who He has been since the beginning of time. He looked to them for an act of faith. He wanted them to be the ones who looked at an impossible situation and to offer Him something to multiply. If you remember your multiplication tables, anything multiplied by zero is zero.

When their faith saw only the impossibility, He threw them a hint. In verse 5 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?” He was looking for them to trust Him with their own bread so He could do what only He could do. He wanted them to see He could perform miracles in the wilderness. He didn’t have to be in a lush environment or around a lot of people in a city. He just needed to be by a few people with enough faith to trust Him with what they had.

You may be in a wilderness right now wondering what God is doing. You may look around you and think you don’t have anything to offer God to take care of the mass of problems in your life. I believe God would say to you what He said to them, “How much bread do you have?” What is your bread that God could multiply? What is it that you can offer Him in the wilderness that you need Him to multiply? If your faith can’t see what your bread is, ask God to point it out to you like He did with the disciples. When you put it in His hands, He’ll perform miracles in your wilderness.

Photo by Ales Krivec 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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May 29, 2024 · 5:41 AM

Affirmation From God

When I’m working with a leader and teaching them how to coach an employee, I tell them that the last step is the most important. After creating a collaborative action plan for future behaviors, they must end with an affirmation of belief in the employee. It’s critical for the leader to say, “I know you can make this change and it will change your results.” When we haven’t met expectations or have fallen short in an area repeatedly, our negative self talk can keep us in a cycle of failure. Affirmations of belief from a superior resonate in a person and can replace that self talk. There’s something to having someone believe in you that encourages you and gives you the will to face a battle you’ve lost before.

In Judges 6, israel was being bullied by the Midianites. The Israelites would often hide from them in caves and other places where they wouldn’t be seen. The Midianites would destroy their crops, take their livestock and make life unbearable for the Israelites. That’s when we’re introduced to Gideon. He had managed to grow some grain without them destroying it and was hiding while threshing it. Suddenly God visited him in the form of an angel and spoke to him. He said, “The Lord is with you, brave and mighty man!” (GNT) Gideon didn’t see himself that way in the moment and asked why God hadn’t delivered them. That’s when God told him to go in the strength he had to deliver Israel. God believed in Gideon and affirmed something in him that he didn’t see in himself. He went on to defeat the Midianite army and become the leader of Israel.

Galatians 1:21-22 says, “God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete” (MSG). God has put His Spirit in you as a believer affirming your calling and giving you strength to accomplish His will for your life. He sees you as a mighty warrior who is able to defeat the thing standing in your way. He’s given you strength to complete what you haven’t been able to do on your own. He calls out of us abilities and strengths we didn’t know we had. We access those by stepping onto the battlefield in faith the way Gideon did. When God calls you to something, He equips you and strengthens you when you step out in faith. Gideon had to step onto the battlefield with 300 men to face 130,000. He didn’t feel qualified and he didn’t feel prepared, but when he stepped out in faith, God showed up. The same is true for us. God affirms who we are in Christ and gives us strength in our weaknesses.

Photo by Jordan Donaldson | @jordi.d on Unsplash

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May 28, 2024 · 5:13 AM

Hidden Motives

When I was in high school, my dad told me that chewing gum could be a sin. That was a shocking thing to hear, and I doubted it, so I asked him where that was in Scripture. I figured he would point to Leviticus or something, but he went to James 4:7 which says that it’s sin to know to do right and then to choose not to do it. Since chewing gum was against school rules, I would be in willful rebellion knowing the rule and choosing not to obey it. That day my concept of sin changed. I had associated sin with an action of doing something that was a “thou shalt not.” My dad was teaching me that sin is often a matter of the hearts and my motivation. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.

In Numbers 22, we read the story of Balaam and his donkey riding through town. I’ve always kind of thought positively about him despite this story, but everywhere he’s mentioned in the Bible refers to him negatively. He had refused to curse Israel no matter what. They kept trying to bride him to go with them to do it, but he refused. He then told them to stay one more night to see if God would change his mind. That’s when God told him he could go with them. The next morning Balaam saddled his own donkey to go with them indicating his desire and eagerness to go with them. Verse 22 says that God got angry at Balaam because his motives were wrong in going. That’s when the donkey began to act crazy and finally spoke to him.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 says, “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts” (NLT). You and I are able to do the right things for the wrong reasons. God looks at our heart though. We might be able to fool others, but we can’t fool God. What has God asked you to do, but you’re hesitating or choosing to do something different? What have you been doing with the wrong motivation or desire in your heart? We have to be careful that we don’t become like Balaam or Jonah who said and did the right thing, but had improper motives that were hidden. God sees our heart and will use whatever He needs to in order to correct the sin hidden in our lives, including a donkey or giant fish.

Photo by Fabian Centeno on Unsplash

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May 27, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Every Day Gifts

One day as I was walking back to my car from dropping off my son at school, I heard someone calling my name. I looked over to see a friend of mine who was standing with a man I didn’t know. As I walked over, I felt the Holy Spirit say, “He needs to be encouraged.” After introductions, I began to hear the prompting of the Holy Spirit to bring up certain things. I began saying everything I was hearing to him, and he began to cry. I kept sharing these words of encouragement as long as the Holy Spirit led me. He then said, “I know we don’t know each other, but can we hug? You have no idea how much I needed to hear all that today.” After a bear hug, I told him that God sees his struggles and brought me over to tell him all those things. We’ve been friends since that moment.

When we think of spiritual gifts, we tend to think of the “big” ones listed in 1 Corinthians 12 like prophesy, words of wisdom, healing, performing miracles, discernment and interpreting tongues. Those can seem like wonderful gifts to have, but can also feel overwhelming to think about using. These gifts can be used anywhere, but are primarily seen in the church. However, there’s another set of spiritual gifts in Romans 12:6-9 that I see as every day gifts you can use at work, home, sporting events or anywhere you go. These gifts are serving, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership and kindness. The gifts are for the people you come in contact with. If you look around, you’ve been perfectly situated to use these every day gifts God has given you. Which of them has God given you?

1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other” (NLT). It may not feel like it, but you have spiritual gifts given to you by God. It’s time to unwrap them, hone them and use them. If you’re unfamiliar with what your gifts are, you can take a spiritual gifts assessment and it will show you. The transformation of the Church going from a cruise ship to a battleship begins with the believers using their gifts outside the church building. We have been equipped to change lives, to make a difference in our communities and to restore people to God. He is ready to use the gifts you’ve been given so we must stir them up, listen for the prompting of the Holy Spirit and use them in love wherever we go each day. Take some time today to read all of 1 Corinthians 12 and let it challenge you to mobilize and use your spiritual gifts to grow the Kingdom of God.

Photo by Dim Hou on Unsplash

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May 24, 2024 · 5:37 AM

Confidence On

Have you ever walked over to a light switch during a power outage and flipped the light switch on? Did you do it again a few moments later too? When the power is restored, you still flip that switch because your confidence isn’t shaken in it. There are several things that God promises that we can have confidence in. Even if they don’t activate right away, you have to keep flipping the switch on knowing that it will happen. We’re used to things proving us instant results to our actions. When they aren’t instant, we keep flipping the switch until we get the results we’re looking for. We need to have a greater confidence in God and in His Word. He never fails and He will always be true to it.

Here are some Bible verses on things we can have confidence in.

1. I have confidence in your strength; you are my refuge, O God.

Psalm 59:9 GNT

2. I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].

Philippians 1:6 AMP

3. Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9 GNT

4. So we can say with great confidence: “I know the Lord is for me and I will never be afraid of what people may do to me!”

Hebrews 13:6 TPT

5. This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us.

1 John 5:14 AMP

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May 23, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Fresh Faith

This life can get to be repetitive, and to be honest, so can our Christian life. It’s easy to settle into a groove and put ourselves on autopilot. The trouble with that is we can then fall into danger by allowing our faith the be about rituals more than relationship. Even the disciples were susceptible to this, and they physically walked with Jesus daily. Can you imagine what that must have been like? They heard the greatest teaching daily and were witnesses to countless miracles, yet they were susceptible to letting even that become old hat and ordinary. That’s when someone came up to Jesus and told Him Lazarus was gravely ill and needed healing immediately.

When Jesus didn’t go right then, I’m sure the disciples started to get shook out of their routine. They must have thought it was odd that He didn’t pack up and head to Bethany. Instead, He waited two days before beginning the 2 day journey to Him. When he decided to go, the disciples objected to Him going there because the religious leaders were ready to kill Him. Then, in John 11:14-15 Jesus said, “Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn’t there. You’re about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let’s go to him” (MSG).

Jesus knew the disciples needed new grounds for believing. If they needed it, how much more do we? I believe when there are things in our lives that don’t make sense to us, it could be God trying to give us new grounds for believing. Notice how urgently we start seeking Him when things happen out of the ordinary. Notice how much more we rely on Him. I believe God allows things to happen to us so we will break out of our rut and find fresh faith. Relationships on autopilot usually struggle. It’s the ones that keep things fresh and new that survive. God wants to have a fresh relationship with us. Don’t let whatever is going on in your life push you away from God. Let it give you fresh grounds for believing.

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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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May 22, 2024 · 5:00 AM

A Fountain Of Wisdom

One of the Bible verses my wife and I pray often is James 1:5. We are constantly asking God to give us wisdom liberally. When someone needs counseling, we pray that prayer before, and during the meeting. When we’re trying to make ends meet, we ask for wisdom. When have decisions to make, you guessed it, we pray for wisdom. We often gain knowledge about things, but we understand we don’t know all the facts and that wisdom is knowing what to do with information. We never want to do things out of our own wisdom or knowledge, so we seek God to give us His knowing that He will supply it.

Proverbs 2:6 says, “Wisdom is a gift from a generous God, and every word he speaks is full of revelation and becomes a fountain of understanding within you” (TPT). God wants to give us wisdom, but we must seek it, then listen to what He says. There’s a period a quiet after asking so that the Holy Spirit can call to remembrance verses in the Bible that may apply (John 14:26). How can we hear the Holy Spirit if we’re still talking or praying? He gives the right words at the right time. People need a word from God more than they need words from us. Listening for scriptures or Bible verses is a way to do that.

Also Proverbs 20:45 says, “A man of deep understanding will give good advice, drawing it out from the well within.” We have to dig deep for wisdom. God has put His kingdom within each of us, but it is up to us to seek it and draw it out. When we read the Bible, meditate on it and put it in our heart, we are feeding that well deep with us. The story’s and words we read become a fountain of understanding that God will use in our own lives and in the lives of others. I pray each day for God to give me a deep understanding of His Word and for Him to help me read it with fresh eyes so I can see things I’ve never seen and make connections within it that I’ve missed. I know that when God reveals His Word to me, it isn’t just for me. It’s for anyone I come across who needs a word from Him. By putting it inside of me, I can draw on it through the Holy Spirit when needed.

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May 21, 2024 · 5:36 AM

Hurricane Harbor

Have you ever wondered where a cargo ship goes when a hurricane approaches it? I read an article where they interviewed a cargo ship captain and they asked him. He said they don’t always head for the nearest port because different ports offer different levels of protection. If he had the choice and the ability, he would look for a port known as a hurricane hole. They have good holding areas where the waves rocking the boat wont damage the ship. They also have high cliffs or mountains around the port that can protect the ship from high winds. Once the storm passes they can then get the ship and it’s cargo back on course. It got me to thinking how we respond to storms in our lives. Where do we port when circumstances threaten everything we hold dear.

In Acts 16, Paul had a vision from God where a person from Macedonia called out to him to come there. He and Silas boarded a ship for there at once and began preaching the Gospel. A young slave girl,who was possessed, followed them and mocked them until Paul cast out the spirit from her. The masters of the girl realized they lost their income and turned the town against Paul and Silas. They were beaten up, whipped and thrown into a dungeon of a cell. They could have complained to God because they were following His will when it happened. They could have sought sympathy from local believers because of their treatment. They could have found any number of these harbors to hide in, but instead they decided to sing praises to God in their pain in the darkest hour. They knew the Lord was their hurricane harbor.

Psalm 32:7 says, “For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory” (NLT). Where do you go when your problems overtake you? Do you look for sympathy from friends? Do you complain about how hard things are? Instead of crying out to others in your pain, try praising the one who can hide you in the storm. In turn He will surround you with songs of victory and deliverance. You will still have to ride out the storm, but His walls of protection will hold you together. Your hope in Him will be the anchor your life needs when everything is trying to pull you away from Him. When we learn to praise in the pain and in the dark, God will deliver us. We may lose some cargo He needs us to offload. We may be sent in a different direction afterwards, but when the winds are strongest, our faith in Him will hold true as we hide ourselves in Him.

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May 20, 2024 · 5:43 AM

Faith Beyond The Moment

I’m a pretty big sports fan. Most of the time my radio is tuned to a sports station discussing my teams. I have to say though that we sports fans can be the worst when it comes to our teams. When they’re winning, everyone thinks this is their year. When they start losing, it’s the end of the world and they need to fire everyone. That’s pretty different for a coach or leader. They don’t judge the team or the players by the results. They know the players and believe in them beyond the scoreboard of a game. They know what they’re capable of, keep them in position and continue to trust them beyond the win loss column. Faith trusts the person more than the result.

In Genesis we read the story of Abraham and Sarah. God promised them a child. They were beyond child bearing years when the promise was made. However, they decided to trust God. Then a year went by, and nothing. Two. Three. Five. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty years and still no answer. They continue to believe God beyond the time gap and the barrenness. Twenty five years after the promise, God answered by giving them a son. Hebrews 11:11 reflects on the faith of Sarah by saying, “Sarah’s faith embraced God’s miracle power to conceive even though she was barren and was past the age of childbearing, for the authority of her faith rested in the One who made the promise, and she tapped into his faithfulness” (TPT). Her faith rested in God and not in the results of her present situation.

Jeremiah 17:7 says, “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence” (NLT). Is your faith in God or in His answers to your prayers? There’s a difference. One is placed in the One who is able to do exceedingly above and beyond our expectations and one is based on the results we see today. Will you continue to trust Him even if the outcome isn’t what you were praying for? Or are you like a sports fan whose faith is on,y as deep and the results? Blessed are those whose faith, hope and confidence rests in the One who is able to even when He doesn’t answer our way or is slow to make good on His promises. Faith is still trusting even when nothing is lining up the way you expect or want it to. Let your trust go beyond the moment you’re standing in and embrace God’s miracle power so you can judge Him faithful no matter what.

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