Devotions by Chris Hendrix

Every spring I like to open the windows of our house to let the wind blow through with fresh air. When my mom did it, she would say she was letting the house breathe. There’s something about the freshness of spring that I love. It’s the renewal of all the life that has been dormant. I love seeing the new buds on the trees, the flowers pop up beside the roads and the world come alive again. We all need something similar in our lives. We need renewal. We need a fresh wind to blow through our lives renewing our love for the Lord. We need a rejuvenated spirit that enjoys spending time with the Lord. Like the church at Ephesus, we need to return to our first love. God offers fresh things to keep that love alive and our spirits renewed. If you need that kind of renewal, ask Him to refresh your spirit and give you fresh love for Him.

Here are some Bible verses on fresh things God gives:

1. Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 TPT

2. Be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation].

Ephesians 4:23-24 AMP

3. Revive us again, O God! I know you will! Give us a fresh start! Then all your people will taste your joy and gladness.

Psalms 85:6 TPT

4. At the very moment I called out to you, you answered me! You strengthened me deep within my soul and breathed fresh courage into me.

Psalms 138:3 TPT

5. The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 29:19 NLT

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I like to make quick, decisive decisions when I know what we’re going to do. We were having dinner with some friends one night and we discovered we had anniversaries that were close to each other. They said, we should travel somewhere and celebrate. We kicked around some ideas and dates before deciding when and where. A few minutes later, I said, “OK, here’s the flight we are going to be on and the hotel is booked too. We can share a rental car.” They we’re a bit surprised and said, “I thought we were just talking about it.” I didn’t. We had decided when and where, what was the point in waiting? A few days later they booked their flights and hotel too. We had a great time, but anytime we discuss anything, they’re quick to say that they’re not 100% or to tell me not to book yet. I just don’t like waiting around once things have been decided.

In Genesis 15, the Lord visited with Abram and told him that his reward for obedience would be great. Abram asked what good it would be since he had no children to pass it on to. He verbalized that he would have to will everything to his highest ranking servant. Then in verse 4, it says, “And the Lord brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, ‘Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So [numerous] shall your descendants be’” (AMP). Abram and the Lord made a covenant that night. In the next chapter, he told his barren wife about it. She said that God hadn’t given them children through her and he was 75 years old. So she offered her maid to him to have a child through her. Abram didn’t question it. He acted quickly and Hagar gave birth to a son. This was not God’s plan. 24 years after the encounter that night, God told Abram his wife would give him a son. His inability to wait on God’s timing and plan created problems for them. God was true to His promise though.

Psalm 37:7 says, “Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him; Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.” Waiting is hard to do especially when you know God’s plan and promise to you. I tend to be like Abram where I try to figure out God’s plan and jump ahead in the name of obedience. However, God has His own plan and timing that each of us must wait for. When we see others prospering while we’re waiting, we get antsy. In those moments, remind yourself to be patient and to be still before the Lord without acting. Surrender to God’s plan and timing, and He will bless that. Obedience is important, but so is patience. Trust God, His plan and His timing.

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I tend to be a pretty optimistic person. Sometimes I’m overly optimistic and can’t get everything don’t that I thought I could. I’m also a person who operates in faith. I believe God for things that are out of my reach and abilities. Almost daily I pray for an impossibility to become possible. I’ve learned that it’s more important to be a person of faith than one of optimism. Faith depends on God while optimism depends on me. When my optimism is faced with reality, it can be crushing to me that I can’t do what I thought I could. When my faith faces the reality of situations, I believe and trust God to do what man can’t. Faith gives hope in the most dire situations knowing God is able.

In Numbers 13, Moses sent twelve spies into the land to see if it had everything God promised. In verses 17- 20, he told them to look at the terrain, look at the fortification of the cities, the fertility of the land and the people living there. When the spies were in the land, they saw that it was a good land. They thought of everything they could do with it. However, they saw fortified cities with giant walls and giants throughout the country. The men who had been optimistic saw that they couldn’t tear down walls nor defeat giants, so they brought back a bad report. The two who had faith knew God would show up and keep His promise. The whole congregation believed the report of the newly pessimistic over the one of faith. Everyone, but the two men of faith were kept from entering the Promised Land.

In Matthew 19:26 Jesus said, “With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (AMP). In what areas of your life have you allowed your optimism to rule instead of your faith? When optimism is faced with giants, it flees more than it fights. As you face giants in the land of God’s promises to you, remember that it is up to God to keep His promises. A quote I’ve read that has been attributed to many people says, “Pray like it depends on God, but work like it depends on you.” Caleb and Joshua had to March around Jericho and draw swords to fight. God took care of the Great Wall around the city after their obedience. As you face your giants, ask God what is His part and what is your part. Then act on your faith, not your optimism.

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I remember the first time someone told me, “Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor.” It was a gentle rebuke, but so impactful. I had been going through a hard time and I was whining about it. The heat had been turned up in my life and things were coming to the surface because of it. I wanted it to go away, but what they reminded me was that I needed it. God was using the situation in my life to build strength and endurance. He was making sure that how I lived was lining up with what I said I believed. Heat has a funny way of doing that. You can say what you believe all you want, but the truth is revealed in the fire of life’s issues. I had wanted to be a skilled sailor without going through some rough seas.

Peter is one of the people I think of when I think of someone who went through the fires of testing and became stronger and better. Jesus called him from being a fisherman to a fisher of men. He also called out the rock that was inside of him. Between reprimanding Jesus and denying Him, Peter went through some tests. Jesus prayed that he wouldn’t fail, and that after he was tested he would that he would strengthen his brothers. Peter went on to more than that. He stood up on the day of Pentecost to preach to thousands, he led the Early Church and even endured torturing for his faith. Each time he was beaten, he was counted it an honor to suffer for Christ. He saw his hard times as a means of growing closer to Jesus and encouraged the Christians of his day to remain steadfast.

James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]” (AMP). James understood that what’s inside is what’s strengthened through the fires of trials. This is the process God uses to build character and strength in us. You can’t have the promises of God without going through the processes of God. God sees what’s ahead in your life and knows what you need to face today in order to have the strength to face something else tomorrow. He has your best interest at heart. He wants you to reach your full potential and usefulness to His Kingdom. Instead of whining about the heat you’re facing, thank Him that He is making you as skilled and useful for His purposes as possible.

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I remember being in children’s church as a kid. The boys sat on one side and the girls on the other. One of my favorite songs to sing was “Praise Ye The Lord”. We sang it in the rounds, and they made it a competition which made me sing my heart out. The girls would sing, “Hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah,” then the boy side would belt out, “Praise ye the Lord!” The girls would sing out, “Hallelujah,” only louder this time. We would respond with, “Praise ye the Lord,” trying to be louder than them. They responded, we responded and then we all were yelling at this point together, “Praise ye the Lord!” Each time the children’s church pastors would pick a winner who sang the loudest, but looking back I can see we both won as we learned to praise the Lord.

Praising the Lord is one of the recurring themes throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, I think of when Israel would go to battle they would have a group of people who would sing praises go out in front of the army knowing their praise would honor God and bring victory. I also think of King Saul who was tormented by evil spirits. He would bring young David in to play praise songs, and he would get relief. In the New Testament, Paul and Silas had been thrown in prison for preaching the Gospel. In the darkest part of that prison in the darkest time of the night, they began to sing praises to God. In a moment, the ground shook and their chains fell off. Their praise brought freedom to them and salvation to another.

Genesis 2:7 tells us that in the Garden of Eden, God breathed the breath of life into man and he came alive. Psalm 150:6 says, “Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)” (AMP) As people, we’ve been given the breath by God in order to praise Him. We aren’t just supposed to praise Him on Sunday mornings though. When we’re in the thick of a difficult time where we can’t see the way out, it’s time to praise. When we’re on the edge of a breakthrough, it’s time to praise. When we need healing, it’s time to praise. When life is going great, it’s time to praise. Psalm 34:1 tells us to bless the Lord at all times and to let His praise be continually in our mouths. So right now is a great time for you to praise the Lord.

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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.

I love the painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware. He’s standing tall on the boat as they row across. You can see the determination in his face as he was about to lead his troops to victory over the Hessian forces at Trenton. He had won several battles early on in the war that gained the trust of the Continental Army. Even though they had some rough patches where they lost some battles and land, the army continued to trust in his leadership. His past successes gave them confidence in his ability to win the war. As I look at that painting, I can’t help but think of the trust those men had in him. Others had failed to cross the icy river, but his men became as determined as he was. Their continued trust through hard times ultimately helped them defeat a larger army.

In Deuteronomy, the Israelites are preparing to enter the Promised Land. Before they go, Moses took time to remind them of God’s faithfulness and provision over the previous years. The people crossing the Jordan River had not seen what God did in Egypt. There were some rough moments during their wandering, but God never abandoned them. In Deuteronomy 4:9, Moses told them, “Only pay attention and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your grandchildren [impressing these things on their mind and penetrating their heart with these truths]” (AMP). Moses understood how important it was for people to recount God’s faithfulness and to keep it fresh in their hearts and minds. There would be rough days ahead and they needed to remember what God had done to keep trusting Him.

Psalm 77:11 says, “I will [solemnly] remember the deeds of the Lord; Yes, I will [wholeheartedly] remember Your wonders of old.” In this Psalm, Asaph was feeling unloved, forgotten and rejected by God. His trust was waning because of his current situation. So he recounted the deeds of the Lord to boost his faith. He understood if he could remember what God had done in the past, he could trust God for what He would do in the future. Too often we get so caught up in the present troubles that we forget what God has done. We begin to feel rejected and forgotten. In those moments recount the deeds of God’s faithfulness to you. It’s the Faith boost you need to trust again. It will help you climb into the boat, cross the icy waters of the present and be led to victory. God has never abandoned the righteous or had their kids begging for bread (Psalm 37:25).

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