Tag Archives: christian living

January 21, 2019 · 5:43 AM

Passing The Test

Whenever I was in school, I remember one teacher who enjoyed giving tests. He would wear a “test tie” on the days he was giving a test, which was really an uncoordinated, loud tie. Some he would wear a red contact lens. Once he opened a bag of chips and started eating them and crinkling the bag during the test. Whenever he gave tests, I made sure I studied because I knew there would be distractions and the test would be more difficult than the other classes. I used flash cards and met with other students to prepare to make sure we passed.

It’s funny that we spend so much time preparing for school tests, but very little time preparing for life’s test. God had so much faith in Job’s ability to pass any test that Satan could give him that he agreed to allow him to be sent through the wringer. Satan even tried to get in his head to distract him with his wife and friends who constantly accused him of wrongdoing. However, Job was prepped for the test, In Job 23:10-11 he says, “But he (God) knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside.”

Job put something inside of him that was greater than any test he would face: God’s Word and a determination to stay on God’s Paths. When life tests us and we aren’t prepared, we may be like Job’s wife and friends who wanted to curse God and die. But if we will determine in our hearts to stick with God and trust what He’s doing in our life, we will pass any test that comes our way no matter how many distractions there are. God has enough faith in you to allow you to be tested. It’s time you trusted your faith in what you’ve been taught and pass.

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January 18, 2019 · 5:55 AM

Changing Your Desires

We’ve all heard stories, and maybe some of you have experienced it, where a pregnant woman gets an intense craving for a food. No matter what time it is, she or her husband have to go out and get it to satisfy that craving. There are other times when you’re sitting there and think, “It’d be nice if I had ice cream,” but you don’t go out and get it because you simply would like to have some. That’s the difference between desire and want. Desire is this deep inner craving that won’t go away until you do something to satisfy it.

It’s important to understand the two because the Bible has a lot to say about desire. Our flesh certainly desires things that are often contrary to what God wants. Then there’s God’s spirit living in us that desires things opposite of our flesh. There is a constant war within us over which desires we should satisfy. Fasting is a great way to learn to tell the desires of your flesh, “No!” Through discipline, reading God’s Word and prayer, you can make God’s desires your desires and learn to fight back against those desires that still exist, but are contrary to what He wants for you.

Here are some Bible Verses on desire.

1. When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

Romans 7:5-6 NLT

2. The desires of good people lead straight to the best, but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.

Proverbs 11:23 MSG

3. Create a new, clean heart within me. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please you.

Psalms 51:10 TPT

4. I always do what God commands; I follow his will, not my own desires.

Job 23:12 GNT

5. Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and he will provide for you what you desire the most.

Psalms 37:4 TPT

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January 17, 2019 · 5:27 AM

Hidden Paths

Whenever I think about the plans God has for me and where I am, I don’t see how I can get there from here. I can see how the things I’m doing now are preparing me for that calling, but I can’t find the way to get there. I’m constantly looking for the path that takes me from this road to that one. I know I’m not alone in this. I talk to many people who tell me the plans that God has shown them scares them. Those plans are too big for them or me to accomplish on our own. So how do we get there from here?

As I was reading in Psalms recently, I came across a verse that helped me. David was faced with a similar situation and he couldn’t find the way out. He remembered how the Israelites were trapped at the Red Sea and had no way to get to where God was calling them to. They had Pharaoh bearing down on them, they were at a dead end, and had no where else to go. In that moment, God parted the sea and showed them the path.

Psalm 77:19 says, “Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters— a pathway no one knew was there!” (NLT) The path God has for you to get to your calling maybe hidden in a sea. You may not know where it is, but God does. You can rest assured that when the time comes, God will part the waters and show you the path. Until that time, stay faithful where He has you. What you’re doing now is preparation for what’s to come.

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Throwback Thursday is a new feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other writing 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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January 16, 2019 · 5:44 AM

Changing Your Perspective

I have a friend who gives a cool presentation. He starts with a picture of a house and tells you to imagine that’s your house in your neighborhood. He then zooms out and you see a statewide view. Then he zooms out more and you see half the world. Further out shows earth, then it shows how big earth is next to the other planets. Then he brings in the sun and you can barely see the earth. He then shows the sun compared to other stars until you can’t see the sun because the other stars are so big. Finally he shows a picture from the Hubble telescope of thousands of galaxies and says, “Don’t sweat the small stuff because you are the small stuff.”

Looking at how small we are in comparison to other parts of creation can make us feel insignificant. When you look at the vastness of the universe God created, it’s easy to wonder how God could care anything about us. Even David, who had no clue how small we really are wondered the same thing. Psalm 8:4 says, “Compared to all this cosmic glory, why would you bother with puny, mortal man or be infatuated with Adam’s sons?” (TPT) Like David, we can feel insignificant even in God’s eyes, but that’s not the truth.

Your life matters to God so much that He sent His son to die for you so you could spend eternity with Him. He created you with a purpose only you can fulfill. You are uniquely gifted in such a way that if you don’t do what God created you to do, it won’t get done. He takes great pleasure in you and knows the number of hairs on your head. If you’re feeling insignificant today or that God doesn’t care, take some time to think of the things God has trusted you with. When you begin to thank God today for the small things and large things He’s given you, your perspective changes.

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

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January 11, 2019 · 5:58 AM

When Opportunity Knocks

When I was in my early twenties, one of my customers told me, “Chris, you need to get some money together and buy these waterfront lots. They’re only $10,000 each. Opportunities like this don’t come around very often.” Today, there are houses on those lots that cost over a half million dollars. I wish I could say I bought some of those lots, but the idea of $10,000 was insurmountable. I missed that opportunity because I thought the initial cost was out of reach. Opportunity knocks on all of our doors throughout our lives, but too often we don’t answer because of the upfront cost.

I believe different types of opportunities come from God. There are opportunities He gives to bless us, to grow our faith, to share our faith and to do the right thing when no ones watching. Faith is about stepping out when God brings opportunity to our door. It’s about recognizing when opportunities are from Him and seizing them. Yes, there is often an upfront cost associated with opportunities, but the reward on the back end is amazing. It’s time to take a leap of faith and to quit passing up opportunities that God gives us.

Here are some Bible Verses on opportunity.

1. So if you know of an opportunity to do the right thing today, yet you refrain from doing it, you’re guilty of sin.

James 4:17 TPT

2. Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

Colossians 4:5-6 MSG

3. Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days.

Ephesians 5:16 GNT

4. The lazy man does not catch and roast his prey, But the precious possession of a [wise] man is diligence [because he recognizes opportunities and seizes them].

PROVERBS 12:27 AMP

5. Know the importance of the season you’re in and a wise son you will be. But what a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity!

Proverbs 10:5 TPT

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January 10, 2019 · 5:47 AM

Standing In The Struggle

On a trip to California, I went to Napa Valley because I had been told that it was beautiful. As I drove through it, I was mesmerized by the straight rows of vines going for miles. I decided to pull into a winery and take a tour to learn of their process. One of the things they shared was how good seasons don’t produce good wine. The good wine comes from the years when the vines struggle. There’s something about the fight for water, the digging into the soil and the struggle to stay alive that produces a complex flavor in the grapes, which in turn, makes for a “good year”.

As they spoke, I couldn’t help but correlate that to life. There are good seasons we go through and there are bad seasons. When we look back on our life, it’s the “bad seasons” that produce the most growth in us. That’s when we learn what we’re made of and how strong our faith is. It reminds me of Romans 8:28 that says how God works together all things for our good. The good that He works is often in our life for the long term even though that season is very painful.

In Genesis 37- 41, we read of a 17 year stretch where Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused of rape, thrown into prison and was forgotten. After he was restored, he married and had kids. Genesis 42:52 says, “Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, ‘God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief’”. God is able to make you fruitful in the most painful times and places of your life. You must hold onto to His promises, stand strong in your faith and keep believing that He’s working things out for your good.

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January 8, 2019 · 5:43 AM

Breaking Free

If you’ve interacted with people in your life, you’ve been hurt by someone at some point. The people closest to us seem to hurt us the most. When we get hurt, the easiest thing to do is let that pain turn into hate and bitterness. We want to hurt them back worse than they hurt us. If we’re not careful, the pain inside of us can consume us. I read a story this week of a 73 year old who found a high school classmate and killed him because of how he hurt him over 50 years ago. He lived his whole life wanting revenge for the pain this person caused him.

In Genesis, Abraham’s son Isaac had twins, Jacob and Esau. Esau was very hungry one day and Jacob had prepared a meal. He asked for some of it, but Jacob made him pay for it with the birthright which meant he would inherit his father’s wealth. Later, when Isaac was about to die, he summoned his firstborn Esau to bless him. He sent him out to kill something wild and cook it first. Jacob found out, and beat him to it. Esau hated Jacob for it and wanted to kill him. He let the anger consume him and the only way to console himself was to plot revenge.

In Genesis 27:40, Isaac told Esau, “You shall live by your sword, And serve your brother; However it shall come to pass when you break loose [from your anger and hatred], That you will tear his yoke off your neck [and you will be free of him]” (AMP). If you’re still carrying the pain from someone hurting you, it’s time to break loose from it. Get their yoke off your neck. Forgiving them is the way to do that. Ask the Lord to help you. I know personally this is easier said than done. It’s a process that starts with you forgiving in your heart first. The pain will go away and a scar will remain, but you will be free.

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January 7, 2019 · 5:48 AM

Just Do It…Again

Have you ever had to start over at square one? It’s one of the most frustrating things there are. After you’ve done the work and made progress, something happens and you have to start over. I’ve had to do that in life, with dreams God has given me, with work and in relationships. I don’t have many pet peeves, but doing work I’ve already done is one of mine. It’s redundant, but I’ve learned to not look at what I’m having to do over. Instead I focus on the outcome. The work is worth the payoff in the end.

After Isaac inherited all of Abraham’s wealth and land, people became jealous and didn’t like him. They poured dirt into the wells that Abraham had dug and forced him to leave that area. Genesis 26:17-18 says, “So Isaac left. He camped in the valley of Gerar and settled down there. Isaac dug again the wells which were dug in the days of his father Abraham but had been clogged up by the Philistines after Abraham’s death. And he renamed them, using the original names his father had given them” (MSG).

I’m sure Isaac was frustrated, but he did the work anyway. I believe that’s what you and I need to think about today. You may be frustrated at how clogged up life is at the moment. You may feel like you’re at square one with the dreams God planted in you. Don’t quit or give up. Do the work with gladness and push forward. There is a reward and times of refreshing coming, but you’re going to have to do the work. It may require sacrificing other things, spending more time in prayer, reading the Bible or fasting, but God’s rewards for you are on the other side of your obedience. Pick up a shovel and start digging.

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January 4, 2019 · 5:43 AM

God’s Rewards For You

Years ago I owned a childcare center. There were times when the classes would get chaotic (keeping 20 two year olds behaving all day is hard work). The most effective way to quiet them and get them todo what you wanted was through positive reinforcement. The teacher would find someone doing what they wanted and say, “Oh I love how Tarissa is sitting!” Suddenly another kid would do what she was doing in order to be recognized. If you really wanted results, you’d praise her with words and give her a reward for obeying. In no time flat, all the kids would start mimicking her behavior so they could be recognized and receive a reward.

So many times, we think of God as someone who is up there waiting to punish us for doing wrong. I believe He’s more like a patient teacher who uses positive reinforcement to help us down the paths He has for us. There are rewards and blessings that He has for those who obey His Word. Yes, there are consequences for disobedience, but God motivates us through rewards. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t appreciate being rewarded for doing what’s expected.

Here are some Bible verses on the rewards God has for us.

1. And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 TPT

2. For God will reward each of us according to what we have done.

Romans 2:6 GNT

3. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:9 NLT

4. Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have accomplished together, but that you may receive a full and perfect reward [when He grants rewards to faithful believers].

2 JOHN 1:8 AMP

5. Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

James 1:12 MSG

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January 3, 2019 · 5:42 AM

An Open Hand

To me, one of the most challenging things God has spoken to anyone in Scripture is in Genesis 12:1. “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you’” (NLT). He was 75 years old at the time. He was well established, and yet God asked him to pack everything up and go to a destination that would be shown to him at a later time. His faith in action is inspiring to me. The Bible later says that his faith was counted at righteousness. That’s a faith we should all aspire to have.

Fast forward to the New Testament and Jesus spoke something very similar to all of us. In Luke 14:31 Jesus said, “So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” Every one of us who follows Christ is given the same call that went out to Abram. I believe it’s God’s reminder to us that this place is not our home. Everything we have here is temporary and we can’t take it with us. We must be willing to let go of earthly things so we can receive from God the spiritual things that matter for eternity.

My wife and i try to keep an open hand for the things we have. When your hands are open to God, He can place things in them and take things out of them whenever He wants. Faith is trusting God with all you have and with the direction of your life. You may not get to know the destination. You may he asked to walk away from everything that’s familiar to you. God’s greatest blessings are stored up for those who are willing to give God whatever He asks for and for those who follow Him wherever He leads. What are you willing to let go of should God ask for it? Pray that God would help you keep an open hand and heart.

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