Monthly Archives: December 2024

I wonder if other cities, states and provinces joke about road construction the way we all joke about the weather where we live. There are roads here that feel like they’ve been Under construction for 20 years. We joke that even the detours are under construction. There are two routes I can use to take my son to school. Recently my wife took him and complained it took 30 minutes to get him there. I asked which route she took and it was the construction one. I asked why did she take that one and she said the GPS routed her through it. I told her I never take that route anymore because I want to avoid the construction and the delays it causes. I started thinking about how much we try to avoid construction on the roads because it’s an inconvenience and slows us down, then I wondered if we try to avoid it in our lives too.

Paul was a person on a mission. He as always on the move with places to go, people to see and a heart to share the Gospel. When he was arrested or imprisoned for causing a stir, he didn’t stop. He went to the next town or kept doing it in prison. Towards the end of his life, he knew he needed to get to Jerusalem. In Acts 21 Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. At almost ever stop along the way, people prophesied about what awaited in Jerusalem for him. They described his imprisonment and what would happen, but it did not deter or detour him. Paul told them that he was willing to die or go to jail for the sake of Jesus. He wasn’t going to let any inconvenience stop him. In fact, it was during these detours and inconveniences in his life that God wrote most of the New Testament through him. He didn’t try to avoid opportunities for construction in his life or in the lives of others.

In Philippians 3:12-14 he wrote, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on” (NLT). He understood that a life of spiritual growth is a life full of construction. He understood that the direction he was traveling was more important than the speed at which he traveled. He knew he would never not be under construction by the Holy Spirit as long as he was pressing forward. Have you been trying to avoid areas of construction in your life? God is wanting to open up greater avenues in our lives, but we must submit to the construction process. It may slow us down for a bit, but it’s the path to abundant life.

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Happy New Year!

I met with someone recently who is going through a tough season. As they were sharing what all they were going through, I had flashbacks of going through that season before. I told them about how I had felt and thoughts that had run through my head during that time in my life. They told me they were feeling the same and were experiencing the same thoughts. I reminded them that when we’re going through different seasons, our enemy lies to us in the form of thoughts. Some of the lies he uses are that we are failures because we’re going through this. He blames it on us to the point we feel shame. He’ll tell you that you’re all alone and that no one cares. He’ll also tell you that no one else can understand what you’re going through. Every one of these are lies intended to isolate you.

Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (NLT). Our enemy, who is unseen, is the father of lies. He is also our accuser. It’s important to remember that when you’re going through different seasons. Paul reminds us here that we’re in a spiritual war that takes place in the spiritual realm, but also affects the physical realm. He used the same tactics and lies to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. How did Jesus respond and overcome? By using the truth of God’s Word to combat the lies.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” We need to know what God says and use it as a weapon to fight the lies of the enemy. It is sharper than any sword and exposes the lies the enemy plants in our heads as thoughts. It helps us to take every thought captive and to bring it into obedience to what God says. This season does not define you, nor will it last forever. Put on the whole armor of God each day, pick up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God and fight back against the lies of the enemy. When you fight the lies and expose them to the truth, you will be set free.

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In the book of Exodus, Moses asked God who should he say sent him to deliver them. God responded with, “I am that I am.” Prior to that, the people had referred to God by title. Now He was giving them a name that conveyed who He is and showed His power. In the New Testament, there were several times when Jesus confirmed His identity as fully God as well as fully man. He used the same phrase of “I am” to let them know. Just as God did with Moses, Jesus used “I am” to convey that He is who you need Him to be in the moment you’re standing in. He is a shepherd who cares for us, a light in our darkest times, our path to Heaven and so much more. As you read through these, think about which facet of who He is to show up for you today.

Here are some Bible verses on Jesus being the Great I Am:

1. Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John 8:12 NLT

2. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 ESV

3. Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, relies on) Me [as Savior] will live even if he dies; and everyone who lives and believes in Me [as Savior] will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26 AMP

4. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

John 10:11 NLT

5. Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John 6:35 NLT

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The Romans began their occupation of Israel around 60 years before Jesus was born. They divided the country into administrative districts. Their intent was to overthrow the way israel had been set up since Solomon was king. This realignment was put in place to destabilize the nation and to be able to put down public resistance. They also used this system to try to instill their culture on Israel, but that was much more difficult than they realized. They then tried brut force and dominate power on the people’s day to day lives in order to change them. It’s no wonder that the people of Israel were looking for a political messiah to fight Rome and deliver them once again from oppression.

Luke starts off his Gospel with the birth of John the Baptist and then Mary’s pregnancy. In chapter two, he shifts to the north of Jesus. He tells us that there was no room in the inn and that Jesus was laying in a manger. He also tells us about how there were shepherds in a field nearby watching their flocks by night. That’s when an angel appeared, and in verses 10-11 he said, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah)” (AMP). The word for Savior here also means deliverer. The Messiah did come to deliver them (and us), but it wasn’t from Rome or a political power. He came to deliver us from the things that bind us and imprison us spiritually and emotionally.

In Luke 4, Jesus was beginning His ministry and went to the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. He stood in front of everyone, opened the scroll of Isaiah and began reading, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy), to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” His power to deliver you is still at work today. Whether it is an oppression, a sin, a habit or an addiction, He wants to release you and set you free. He is a Savior who delivers His people so that they can walk in freedom. The thing that holds you captive may have tried to destabilize your life and hold you down, but He has come to give you life and freedom.

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I don’t get frustrated often. When I do, it’s usually because my plans are being messed up. Sometimes it’s because of traffic, sometimes because others aren’t on the same page as I am and sometimes it’s because of random things happening that keep me from doing what I’ve planned to do. While I’m getting upset at the situation or other people, my wife is good about reminding me that God may be behind the scenes working. She’ll ask, “Could it be that God is protecting us from something?” That’s my gentle reminder to take a breath and quit trying to get us back on schedule or to force the plans to happen despite everything conspiring against me to prevent them.

In Matthew 1, Joseph had plans to marry Mary and for their lives. Those plans were interrupted when Mary told him she was pregnant. The Bible says Joseph always did what was right and made plans to protect Mary from public humiliation and possible stoning. While he was making these plans, he was interrupted by an angel confirming Mary’s story. The angel told him she would have a son and they were to name Him Jesus because He would save us from our sins. Then in verse 22 the angel concluded by quoting Isaiah, “A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means, “God is with us”)” (GNT). Joseph then accepted God’s plan and married her.

As I think about the phrase, “God is with us,” I think about the time the God was transitioning Joshua and the Israelites from the wilderness to the Promised Land. There was uncertainty, walled cities and giants ahead that I’m sure he didn’t feel prepared for. In Joshua 1:9 God said, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (NLT). I don’t know what plans of yours have been interrupted, changed or thwarted, but I know God is with you. Don’t be afraid or discouraged about the uncertainty of the future. God has never left you, nor will He forsake you. Though we may not understand His plan, we can know that He is with us as we navigate the changes. Be strong and courageous as you face the unknown when your plans get interrupted. You can know that He will work everything out for your good.

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One of the first changes I had to make early on when I started this site was to change my definition of success. A few months after starting I went to a writer’s conference. The number one question people asked was, “How many subscribers do you have?” I was embarrassed to tell them 35. I had heard them sharing how they had several thousand. The next question that I would get asked was, “How many clicks do you get a day?” On a good day I would get about ten. After that conference I became obsessed with the stat numbers and would allow them to ruin my day. I not only began to measure my success by the numbers, I even began to measure my worth. It wasn’t until my wife gently reminded me that it wasn’t about the numbers. If God reached one person that day, it was successful.

In 1 Samuel 14, Saul had been recently anointed king of Israel. He immediately began fighting the Philistines. The account says that his army didn’t have swords so they created makeshift weapons. It also mentions several times how many fighting men he had. At one point Saul was camped under a pomegranate tree while trying to figure out how to get through a pass that was defended by the Philistines. His son Jonathan asked his own armor bearer to walk with him. In verse 6, Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Let’s cross over to the camp of those heathen Philistines. Maybe the Lord will help us; if he does, nothing can keep him from giving us the victory, no matter how few of us there are” (GNT). Jonathan understood that success wasn’t in his hands or in numbers. It was given and determined by God. He and the armor bearer fought the Philistine army and won a great battle that day through the Lord’s help.

What’s an area of your life where you either feel like a failure or that you don’t measure up? Are you measuring that area by comparing your success to someone else’s or by God’s definition? Chances are you’re looking at some form of numbers (bank account, sales, friends, likes, followers etc..) to determine that. I once heard someone say, “We measure what’s important to us, but are we measuring what’s important to God?” How we look at things matters and the enemy will twist our definition of success to make us feel down, unworthy, unsuccessful, un-you name it. In God’s economy, things work differently. Instead of asking Him to move whatever number you’re measuring, ask Him to move your perspective to see His idea of success. Ask Him to help you to be content with how He deems it a success. Once you change that, lots of things in your life will change and you’ll be satisfied knowing what matters to Him, matters 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.

There are two stories of David that have always stood out to me. The first one is in 2 Samuel 23. David was hiding out in a cave. The Philistines had overtaken Bethlehem and were occupying it. There was also a regiment of the army between where David was and Bethlehem. David said that he craved water from Bethlehem and he wished someone would get him some. Three of his mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and went into Bethlehem to get David some of that water. They fought their way back and brought it to him. He then refused to drink. Because it was so costly by the men risking their lives for it, David poured it out as an offering to God in an act of worship.

In the next chapter is the story of David taking a census. For whatever reason it was against God’s will and David knew it, but did it anyway. The Lord gave David three choices for his punishment. David chose a three day plague from God, but knew the Lord could show mercy during it. After 3 days of the plague, David looked out and saw an angel about to attack Jerusalem. He repented as God stayed the angel’s hand. David decided to build an altar and give God an offering at the threshing floor where the angel stood. The man who owned it offered it to David for free, but David said he couldn’t give God an offering that cost him nothing. He gave the offering and God forgave him. This man after God’s own heart understood what it meant to give God an offering.

We almost always think of an offering as money, but I believe there’s more than money that God asks for as an offering from us. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (ESV). To deny yourself here means to give an offering as David did in the cave. In Romans 12:1, Paul then wrote, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” This act of worship of offering yourself up as a living sacrifice is giving God an offering that costs you everything. God gave us the offering of His son to pay for our sins. In response to this great act of mercy, our offering shouldn’t cost us nothing. How much of yourself are you truly giving Him in response? It’s time we take up our cross daily and honor Him with an offering of our life.

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