March 18, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Absurd Faith

There is a church in Cairo, Egypt I used to visit when I lived there. They told me the story of a member of their church who stood up to the Ottoman’s as they were conquering Egypt. He was a man of great faith whom they nicknamed the Blind Shoemaker. They called him that because He saw a woman and began to lusted after her. In Matthew 5:28 Jesus said, “If your right eye seduces you to fall into sin, then go blind in your right eye! For you’re better off losing sight in one eye than to have your whole body thrown into hell” (TPT). He took that Scripture quite literally and blinded himself. He didn’t just take on eye out, he took both out. I remember almost laughing at the absurdity of that story when I heard it. As I’ve grown and my faith has deepened, I admire his faith now.

I’m in Rome today as I write this. As we were walking through the streets, we began to talk about the Apostle Paul and Peter who once were here. Paul was beheaded here in this city because of his faith. Peter was crucified because he refused to quit sharing his faith. One by one, when you look up the disciples and other members of the early Church, you find that they were tortured for their faith. Being dipped in boiling oil, facing an ax, being publicly humiliated, nor crucifixion could weaken their stance. They believed in the words that Jesus taught them so much that they were willing to lay down their life for it. I’m sure the Romans and others thought it was absurd that they would rather die and go through excruciating pain rather than to recant their faith.

In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, “If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely reject and disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to my ways.” When I read this in light of the early Christians who have gone before, it causes me to ponder how deep my faith really is. Am I willing to share and experience the cross as Jesus and His disciples did? Am I truly surrendering my ways for His? The mark of a disciple is surrender. He are to submit to his way of life rather than our own. We are to follow Him in a culture that is against what we believe o matter the ridicule we might face. Are there parts of your life you’re still holding onto rather than nailing them to the cross or plucking them out? It may seem absurd at the moment, but the more of ourselves we get rid of, the more of Him and the life He give we can receive.

Photo by Jussara Romão on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 15, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Standing On The Promises

When I was growing up, we used to sing a hymn called “Standing on The Promises of God” by Russell Kelso Carter. My favorite part of the song is the second verse. It says, “Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God.” I can’t count how many time the ground I was standing on fell out from underneath me, my life got flipped upside down or my well thought out plans failed. In those times when my mind wants to go to despair, I force it to think of God’s promises that cannot fail. They give my comfort, clarity and hope. Here are some of my favorite promises in the Bible that I stand on.

1. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 NLT

2. Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 TPT

3. Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.

Matthew 11:28-30 GNT

4. Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the Lord himself, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 GNT

5. But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 GNT

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 14, 2024 · 5:30 AM

God’s Timing

We once gave my son got a 3-D puzzle of Big Ben, the famous clock at Westminster Palace. This particular puzzle had a working clock on one side. After we built the clock, he asked if we could set the clock to London time. I then moved the hour hand six hours ahead. He said, “Wow! London is six hours faster than us?” Now, whenever he goes by the clock, he announces what time it is in London so we’ll know the difference in their time and ours.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that God has a different time than I do. It’s not as simple as a six hour difference though. He doesn’t look at time by the hour like we do. He looks at circumstances and how they line up to tell time. Whenever I pray for something, I’m typically looking at my circumstances and ask God to intervene in that moment. God’s timing doesn’t just look at what I want in that moment, he looks at the ripple effect and how that affects other moments.

Like a child wanting something at the store, I often demand that God answer right now! To me, what I’m asking for is urgent, but I’m learning that God has a plan and will answer in His time and in His way. In Psalm 69, David is praying desperately for God to answer him. He felt like he was drowning in his circumstances and he cried out to God to save him. Then in verse 13, he changed his tone. He prayed, “Answer me, God, at a time you choose” (GNT). He understood that God’s time was different than His and He trusted God’s wisdom over His desires. It’s a prayer we all need to learn so we can trust His timing.

Photo credit: Chris Hendrix

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.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 13, 2024 · 5:34 AM

Asking For Understanding

One morning, as I was commuting to work, I was flipping through the stations on the radio. One of the stations caught my attention as they set up their next bit. They called it “Dumb Question Amnesty”. Listers we’re encouraged to call in anonymously with a question about something everyone seemed to know, but you didn’t. There was a promise of not laughing at you or judging you on the air. The caller that morning was a female who had a date laugh at her and never called her back after their dinner. The man had taken her to a nice restaurant and as she looked at the menu, she saw something she wasn’t sure about and asked him what it was. He never answered, but only laughed at her. She wanted to know what type of fish filet mignon was. You could hear the silence on the radio as I’m sure they had to mute their microphones before they let her know it was a cut of beef.

All throughout the Gospels we read where Jesus was teaching a parable to the crowds, then later the disciples would privately ask Him what it meant. Each time Jesus would take the time to explain it to them. There were times, like in Mark 9, where Jesus was telling them about how He would die and be raised to life. In those moments, sometimes the Gospels tell us that they didn’t understand and they tried to figure it out on their own. In this instance in Mark 9:32, it says, “But the disciples didn’t have a clue what he meant and were too embarrassed to ask him to explain it” (TPT). Because they were too embarrassed to ask for understanding, His death was a complete shock and they devastated rather than excited for the resurrection. In hindsight everything made sense, but in the moment, their embarrassment kept them from understanding.

In Proverbs 2:3-4, Solomon is writing to his son saying, “Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures” (NLT). He understood that his teachings were deep and encouraged his son to ask for understanding. Then in verse 6 his wisdom directs his son and us what to do in those moments where we don’t understand. He said, “For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” If you don’t understand something in the Bible or in life, cry out to the Lord for understanding and wisdom. There’s no embarrassment in asking and no reason to stay in the dark. God freely gives us wisdom and understanding when we ask for it as George Washington Carver once did. He said, “I asked God to tell me the mystery of the universe. But God told me that knowledge was reserved for Him alone. So I said, ‘Then tell me the mystery of the peanut.’ And he told me.” What will you ask God to help you understand today? Don’t be embarrassed to ask for understanding.

Photo by Patti Black on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

March 12, 2024 · 10:30 AM

Practicing Obedience

I was driving home late one night when I noticed a car pulled off the road. The hood was up and there was a guy standing there looking at the engine. I immediately heard the Lord tell me to pull over and help. I thought of all the reasons why I shouldn’t, told myself it wasn’t God and kept driving. As I got to a red light about a mile up the road, I kept hearing the Lord tell me to help him. Then all of a sudden his hazard lights started blinking. I knew very few people were going to come down that road that late, and I knew what God was asking, so I made a u-turn. I’ve dismissed God’s voice enough in my life to know the regret that was coming if I didn’t obey. It turns out his car broke down over an hour away from home and his phone was dying. I was able to help him get a tow truck so he didn’t have to stay stranded.

What God asks us to do doesn’t always make sense in the moment. In John 2 Jesus was at a wedding and they ran out of wine. His mother tells the attendants to do whatever He says. He looks right at them and tells them to fill the stone jars with water. That’s an easy request. So they comply. Then he told them to dip some of that water out and take it to the master of ceremonies. That one didn’t make sense. They had just filled it with water. They hadn’t run out of water. They had run out of wine. The Bible doesn’t tell us if they hesitated or pushed back, but putting myself in their shoes, I might have. Nonetheless, they obeyed and found out quickly that Jesus had turned the water into wine. Everything worked out when they moved beyond hearing the voice of Jesus and obeyed.

James 1:22 says, “Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice” (GNT). How many times have you felt you heard God ask you to do something only to dismiss it? You’re not alone. We’ve all done it. There’s a difference in listening to God’s voice and acting on it. Listening is easy. Action is hard at times. I pray every day that God would put me in someone’s path who needs a word of encouragement, hope to believe God hears their prayers or who needs to be blessed. By praying that, it causes me to listen for His voice throughout the day. When He points out a random stranger, I have to put it into practice or dismiss it. We all have that same choice daily. Will you obey that voice today or will you rationalize it away? Let’s look for ways today to practice obeying God’s voice by purposefully listening for His voice and determining to obey it no matter what.

Photo by Mor Shani on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 11, 2024 · 5:30 AM

A Season Of Restoration

Over a decade ago fires ravaged through Texas after a long summer drought. I know people who lost their houses, their cars and heirlooms. They were left with the charred remains of their property and their lives. It was devastating for so many. However, I remember driving through some of the burned areas the following spring. Trees that had been burned up had fresh shoots growing out of them. Flowers began to peek through the ashes on the ground. It was a beautiful sight to see as this new life began to spring up through all the devastation. I’ll never forget how the green was juxtaposed against the black everywhere. I immediately thought of the Scripture in Isaiah 61:3 that says God gives beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

If you don’t know, Job is the oldest book in the Bible. It’s the story of a man who lost everything in a day. His kids were killed in an accident, his livelihood was stolen by raiders and his food was destroyed in a storm. Just about everything unimaginable happened in an instant. The rest of the book is conversations between he and his friends looking for answers, looking to blame someone and questioning God. Then God shows up reminding them that we won’t always have the answers here because we don’t understand God’s ways. Then God restores what was taken from him because of his faithfulness in the time of devastation. It’s incredible that the first book written in the Bible is about pain and loss while revealing God’s restorative nature.

Job 14:7-9 says, “There is hope for a tree that has been cut down; it can come back to life and sprout. Even though its roots grow old, and its stump dies in the ground, with water it will sprout like a young plant” (GNT). You may feel like Job today as you go through an unimaginable situation, pain or loss. You may look around your life and only see the burnt remains of what was everything you held dear. I’m here today to remind you of the restorative nature of God. What looks like an end is really a beginning. What looks like devastation is actually fertile soil for new life and growth. There is hope. God can create life in areas that have lain dormant and dead for years. He will give you beauty for your ashes, joy for your mourning and a garment of praise for your spirit of heaviness. You’re entering a season of restoration.

Photo by Tugce Gungormezler on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 8, 2024 · 5:34 AM

God’s Constant Love

Psalm 107 is broken up into four parts. It tells four stories of God’s faithfulness to those who are lost, those who are sick, those who are guilty and those who are going through a difficult time. It’s a reflection of the times God intervened in the history of Israel to remind themselves that God is greater than their current circumstance. It’s easy to take our eyes off of who God is when we’re surrounded by circumstances that take our attention and energy. This psalm reminds us to put our perspective back where it belongs. Towards the end of the chapter in verse 43 it says, “May those who are wise think about these things; may they consider the Lord’s constant love” (GNT). As you read today’s verses, let them guide you back to thinking about God’s constant love for you and all He has done. Let them shift your perspective heavenward.

Here are some Bible verses on God’s constant love.

1. I said, “I am falling”; but your constant love, O Lord, held me up.

Psalm 94:18 GNT

2. Look on your servant with kindness; save me in your constant love.

Psalm 31:16 GNT

3. Your constant love is my guide; your faithfulness always leads me.

Psalm 26:3 GNT

4. Let your constant love comfort me, as you have promised me, your servant.

Psalm 119:76 GNT

5. The Lord is merciful and loving, slow to become angry and full of constant love.

Psalm 103:8 GNT

Photo by Anthony Tori on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

March 7, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Inadequate And Insecure

I’ve been on a few mission trips where we’ve done construction work. On day one, they like to go around the circle and have each person talk about their skills. One guy says he can build shelving. Another says he’s good at framing. One always says he can do it all. Inevitably it always comes around to me. I like to say, “I’m the best gopher around. If you need nails, I’ll go for them. If you need a certain tool, I’ll go for it.” My skill set makes me feel very inadequate on a construction site.

Even when it comes to ministry and my calling, I often feel inadequate. I was at a conference of ministers earlier this year. They started off with introductions and sharing all they’re doing. As they went around the table, I began to compare what I do to what they were doing. I sent my wife a text and said, “What am I doing here? I don’t belong. They’re sharing all they’re doing in ministry, and I’ve got nothing.” I was feeling very insecure.

If you look at where God has you or think of what God has called you too, you’re going to feel inadequate. It’s easy to say, “God, I’m not qualified to do this,” or “God, there are other people who are better at this.” I’m sure David, being a shepherd, felt inadequate in front of all those soldiers when Goliath came out. I’ve learned that God doesn’t always take our skill set and put us where it should fit. He looks at our heart, and puts us where He needs that most.

When I feel inadequate, I take comfort in knowing the apostle Paul felt that way too. In 1 Timothy 1:12, he wrote, “I’m so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work” (MSG). He understood what we need to learn. It’s God who makes us adequate to do what He’s called us to do. It’s not our skills or anything else. Our inadequacies cause our faith to grow and helps keep pride out. It is not we who do the work. It is Christ through us, and that makes us more than adequate to do anything God asks us to do.

Photo by Jamie Fenn 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.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 6, 2024 · 5:45 AM

The Foundation Of Cooperation

Trust is the strength of any relationship. Think of any relationship you have. It’s only as good as your ability to trust that person. Trust in a relationship is the belief that they can be relied on to do what they say, and it’s the foundation for cooperation. Without it, you don’t have much of a relationship. Some of us go into any relationship trusting the other party and for some of us, trust must be earned. The more we trust them, the more we can accomplish together. This doesn’t just apply to people. Think about your relationship with God. It’s only as strong as your ability to trust Him to guide your life. The more you trust Him, the more input and control He has in your life. The less you trust Him, the more you make the decisions and view Him as just a consultant or advice giver.

In Genesis 22:1-19, we read the story of Abraham. He trusted God to give him a son in his old age and God did it. When Isaac became a young man, God spoke to Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his only son. Abraham didn’t question God to save Isaac or to give him another son even though he was now around 120 years old. He took Isaac on the journey carrying the wood and the fire and climbed the mountain. He built the altar and bound up his son. Abraham had learned to trust God over the years. As Isaac questioned his father, Abraham simply replied that God would provide another sacrifice. It wasn’t until the knife was raised to kill his on,y son that God intervened. God knew he could trust Abraham and Abraham knew he could trust God. Because of that trust, he became the father of many nations and the spiritual father to billions.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding” (AMP). How deep is your trust in the Lord? How confident is your reliance on Him? If He asked you to sacrifice your most prized possession would you do it even if you didn’t understand? Don’t answer too quickly here. Take an honest evaluation. That last part is the hardest. You see God almost always asks for trust without our understanding. We will obey what He asks up to the level of our trust regardless of our understanding. If you want a deeper relationship with God, you’re going to have to learn to trust Him more. You’re going to have to do things that may not make sense to you or anyone else. Remember trust is the foundation for cooperation.

Photo by Joseph Chan  on Unsplash

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 5, 2024 · 5:15 AM

The Key Of Forgiveness

Have you ever been hurt by someone that it cut you to the core? You get hit with so many emotions when that happens. Anger shows up pretty early on. It wants revenge and retribution for your pain. It slowly takes over all your thoughts and playing out scenarios of payback. Resentment then shows up. It persistently reminds you of what they have done and puts that blame on them. It plants the seeds for bitterness to take root and grow. It reminds you that you’re the victim and builds up more anger. I draws lines in the sand that keeps you from healing by helping you to hold a grudge. In the end, you’re held in a prison of pain that your mind has put you in, and you don’t realize it until it’s too late. To get free, you’ll have to forgive. To keep from going back to that prison, you’ll have to learn to stop this process early on.

Joseph was just 17 years old and next to the youngest of 12 sons. He was his father’s favorite and all his brothers knew it. They allowed the process of anger play out in their minds and began to hate him. They complained about him and played out scenarios in their minds of what they would do to him. Then one day the opportunity arose and they decided to act on their anger and resentment. They planned to kill him, but one brother stopped them. Instead they beat him up, took his belongings and sold him into slavery. Their bitterness had gotten the best of them. However, Joseph didn’t return the favor. He stopped anger, resentment and bitterness before they could take root. He led with forgiveness even though he had every reason to hate them. Though he was in a physical prison, he never was in a mental one. In the end, God used him to save his family.

Ephesians 4:27 says, “And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness]” (AMP). More often than not, we find ourselves on the brothers’ side of the story than Joseph’s when it comes to anger and resentment. We justify our actions because of what they did, but that’s not God’s way. The devil leads us into sin and personal prison by helping us cultivate unhealthy thoughts. The roots from those thoughts can permeate every aspect of our lives before we know it if we allow them to continue. However, you don’t have to stay in that prison. Ask God to help you break the thoughts that have placed and kept you there. Ask Him to help you unlock the prison with the key of forgiveness. Then ask Him to help you guard your mind and to control your thoughts so you don’t get locked up again.

Photo by Silas Köhler on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,