Tag Archives: christian living

November 25, 2024 · 5:48 AM

The Weapon Of Thanksgiving

There are many times in our life when we’re thrust into a spiritual battle. Things can be going well, and then all of a sudden m we find ourselves being shell shocked by a bombardment of attacks. It can sometimes take me some time before I realize what’s truly going on. I then start reaching for my weapons of praise music, prayer and fasting to start fighting back. I’ve found that there’s another weapon we hard,y use. It’s the weapon of thanksgiving. When we start giving thanks to God, we create an atmosphere where faith can grow. We shift our perspective from shock and awe of what’s happening to us to our Father in Heaven who can give us the victory. When we use the weapons of thanksgiving, we stop our complaining, which invites fear and worry. Thanksgiving begins to shift the outcome of the war.

In 2 Chronicles 20, word came to King Jehoshaphat that vast army had entered their land and was headed for them. He immediately was afraid and turned his attention toward Heaven and began to pray. He asked the rest of the people to join him in prayer too. In verse 12 he prayed, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless against this great multitude which is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (AMP). Then the Spirit of the Lord came on someone and God began speaking to them to go into battle. When the marched towards the enemy, Jehoshaphat sent singers out in front of them and they began to sing, “Praise and give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever.” When they sang this song of thanksgiving, God moved and destroyed their enemy.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.” Too often our prayers are formed from words of anxiousness, fear and worry. Here Paul reminds us to remove those things and to replace them with thanksgiving. He understood that we must Include thanksgiving in our prayers when we are under attack. A grateful heart activates the power of God on our behalf and He begins to fight our battle for us. Thanksgiving shifts our speech, our prayers and perspective. When you’re overwhelmed, begin to thank God for what He has done and is doing. The battle will shift and God will give you the victory.

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November 21, 2024 · 5:30 AM

The Secret Of Satisfaction

Growing up, my parents would let me have any shoe I wanted as long as it was less than $25. That was fine for a while, but then I arrived in junior high and Nike introduced the Air Jordan line up. My friends and neighbors got them, but I couldn’t. They were $100, which was considerably more than my $25 limit. I wanted them so badly that I began to put pictures of them in my binders, drew them in my books and had posters on my wall. I thought they were the coolest shoe ever. My parents were teaching me a couple of lessons. The first was to be thankful for what you have even if it’s not what you want. The second was that if you want something more than what you have, save up your money to get it. That created more value in those shoes than if they had been given to me.

In Philippians 4:11, Paul wrote, “For I have learned to be satisfied with what I have” (GNT). That’s a lesson we could all learn. He’s not saying that we shouldn’t ever want more than we have. It’s that we need to learn to be satisfied with what we do have. If we’re constantly looking for something else or wanting more, we will miss the lesson of contentment and fail to be appreciative of what God has given us. When we don’t appreciate something, we don’t value it. If we don’t value it, we take it for granted. God blesses us daily with good things that we look right past because we already want more than the daily bread He’s given us. Paul’s next verse said that whether he had a little or a lot, the secret to life was learning to be content and satisfied.

Ecclesiastes 6:9 put it this way, “It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.” What blessings have you been overlooking? What are some things you get, but are never enough? A lack of satisfaction or contentment can be an outward expression of an inward brokenness. Once you’ve identified the outward expression, trace it to its roots. Ask God to bring healing to that area and to help you learn to be content with the things you have, whether a little or a lot. Once that change happens in you, the lens that you look at life through will change, and your prayers will too. Start changing them today by thanking Him for the many things He’s already blessed you with instead of asking Him for all the things you don’t have.

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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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November 19, 2024 · 5:31 AM

No Shortcuts

Several years ago there was a college admissions scandal. Several rich, prominent families were paying people off in order to give their kids an unfair advantage in getting into colleges. A lot of famous people committed fraud doing this while paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribe money. What they didn’t understand was how they were setting their kids up for failure in life. By contrast, people like Kevin O’Leary and Warren Buffet have given their kids very little to help them in life. They have said that they don’t necessarily want their kids to inherit their wealth because they won’t have struggled to gain it. The struggle is where they learn to appreciate it and value it. They believe that taking financial struggles away from their kids will cripple them in the long run and destroy their character.

In the Bible, God used struggle and hardship as part of His process to strengthen people, develop character and to get people ready to lead. Joseph stands chief among them. When he was a teenager, God gave him dreams of what his future would hold. He shared them with his family and was a punk to his brothers. They resented him for his behavior and dreams, so they grabbed him, stripped him, and sold him as a slave. His favored status was gone and years of struggling ensued as he worked in Potiphar’s house and went to prison. While he was in prison and forgotten, God worked on his character. When he was ready, God redeemed him from the pit and placed him second in command to Pharaoh. When his brothers came seeking help, he didn’t take revenge. He recognized God’s hand in the struggle.

James 1:3-4 says, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (NLT). God has a process to grow you and place you. It isn’t an easy one. Don’t have the mindset of the people above who tried to shortcut the process. That ultimately affects your development and character. Trials and tests are part of the growth process. If you want to be complete, lacking nothing, you must submit to the process. It won’t be easy, but the strength you will gain will maximize your ability to reach the potential God placed in you. Instead of trying to use a shortcut, ask God for strength, wisdom and courage to endure. You can become the person God sees in you and be used for greater things.

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November 14, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Momentary Prayers

I’ve always had a heart for missions and missionaries. I love when they visit our church and share their stories. The church organization I grew up in would have missionaries return to The States every few years to share what they were doing with the sending churches and to raise more funds. They would pass out these business cards that usually had their picture on it and the words, “Pray for us.” I remember hearing several tell stories of when they were in certain situations and they could feel the prayers of someone on the other side of the world. I knew then how important it was to pray for missionaries and others whom God put on my heart. I decided at a young age to make it a point to pray for someone at the moment they asked or in the moment God brought them to mind.

Paul started off in 2 Corinthians 1 reminding Christians that when we go through painful times, God is right there with us giving us comfort. He does that so that we can come alongside others who are going through difficult times to bring comfort to them. He reminds us that he experienced a lot of suffering for Christ and therefore had lots of comfort to offer others. When we go through a season of difficult times, it’s often an opportunity for God to fill us up with empathy that others will need. It also shapes how we pray for someone. When we’ve gone through something painful or traumatic, it shapes how we pray and what we pray for. Those prayers are felt by those whom we pray for because they’re born out of the comfort we’ve received from God in our time of need.

In verse 11, Paul writes, “Because there are so many interceding for us, our deliverance will cause even more people to give thanks to God. What a gracious gift of mercy surrounds us because of your prayers!” (TPT) Your prayers surround others with gifts of mercy. Who has God laid on your heart to pray for? Don’t pass up the moment to pray for them or try to dismiss what God is asking you to do. Your prayers matter and have a powerful effect (James 5:16). Whether it’s a missionary in another country, a friend or family member, when God asks you to pray, do it. Just like there are moments when you need someone to be praying for you, others need you to pray for them. Sometimes it’s the difference between life and death. Don’t discount your prayers and the effect they can have.

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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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November 13, 2024 · 5:29 AM

Destroying False Arguments

I’ve always loved court shows on TV like Law and Order. The writing combined with the drama and actors makes for a great show. Because of that, I’m also a person who has wanted to be on a jury. I want to see the arguments up close and to be able to decide. When you think about that word argument in this context, that’s what these persuasive speeches by lawyers is called. Their job is to take the same set of facts and argue what the truth is from them. They want to persuade the jurors to their side of the truth. They both will tell compelling arguments in order to sway the jury to either act or decline judgment.

In 1 Kings 12, Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, had just taken over as king. In verse 4 the people said, “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you” (ESV). He sent them away for three days while he decided on what to do. He brought in the elders who had advised his father to hear the argument they would make on what he should do. They felt like he should ease the load on the people. The. He brought in his friends who were young and inexperienced to hear their arguments. They thought he should be harder than his father and rule with an iron fist. He was persuaded by their arguments. When he told the people what he decided, they were angry and the kingdom split.

Each of us face similar arguments all day every day. We have the voice of the Holy Spirit making an argument for how we should live and make decisions. We also have our sinful nature making arguments against the desires of the Holy Spirit. No wonder Paul gave us instructions in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that says, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” We are constantly hearing arguments from two skilled lawyers on what actions to take. It’s important that we destroy the arguments that go against God’s design for our lives. We must learn to bring them captive or we’ll live divided lives, which are unstable. God has give us the choice, and also the power, to destroy false arguments. Seek Him for wisdom and courage to listen and obey the Holy Spirit.

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November 11, 2024 · 5:31 AM

A Peaceful Mind

It can be hard to have peace when we’re surrounded by chaos, but it’s not impossible. Remember that peace is a fruit of the Spirit that we can cultivate in our lives. When your world seems to be falling apart, or when you’re worried about something, where do your mind go? My mind races constantly trying to find the solution. That kind of stress tends to rob us of sleep, concentration and peace. In times like that, I remind myself that Jesus had the ability to sleep in a boat that was being rocked by a storm. They woke Him up screaming, “Don’t you care that we’re about to die?” Jesus immediately asked, “Where is your faith?” His faith was in His Father and the storm around Him didn’t rob Him of peace.

Paul and Silas were able to experience that same peace in their lives. In Acts 16, they were being harassed by a demoniac day after day. When Paul had enough, he cast the demon out. The person’s owners weren’t happy about it so they stirred up a mob against them with false claims. They were beaten and thrown in the deepest, darkest part of the local prison. Verse 25 says, “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening” (NLT). I’m sure the other prisoners were wondering how they could have peace after the beating they had received and while they were bound up in a stockade. It was because they had learned to keep their faith in God and to keep their mind on Him. Their darkest moment brought out praise instead of worry.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” When we can control our thoughts, we can protect our peace. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” The very next verse tells us to fix our minds on what’s true. If you want the peace that passes understanding, you must keep your faith in God no matter how badly the storm around you is raging. You must continue to let those issues shape your prayers as you trust God with the outcome. Peace is possible in any situation when our faith and minds are fixed on Him.

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November 7, 2024 · 7:02 AM

Priceless

Have you ever felt like you were valued at work, home or church? It’s a great feeling to know that people see your worth. It gives you a pep in your step and makes you feel ten feet tall. Conversely, when you are undervalued, it can be demoralizing. It’s like you’re invisible and that no one cares. That’s a dangerous place to be. You feel like you could quit, give up or walk away and no one would care or notice. When you’re undervalued, you feel like your contributions don’t matter.

As Christians, we’re commanded to value everyone because every person is made in the image of God. 1 Peter 2:17 says, “Recognize the value of every person and continually show love to every believer” (TPT). That means that every person we come across has value whether we like them or not. If we can’t value them enough to share the Gospel with them, what hope do they have? Romans said that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. That means that even when our lives were an offense to Him, He valued each one of us enough to give all of Himself for our benefit.

You don’t value someone by what they can give you. Valuing someone starts with understanding that Jesus died for them as much as He did for you. When we begin to look at people the way God does, we immediately begin to see their worth. Once we have those eyes, we should be ambassadors of hope going around showing people their worth. There are plenty of people in this world who feel they have no value Because of what people have told them or how they’ve been treated. Look around today and see who needs you to show them value. It could be the person in the mirror, across the room, down the hall or on the street. Whoever it is, recognize their worth and do something or say something to let them know they’re priceless.

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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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November 6, 2024 · 5:39 AM

Pushing Past Fear

Have you ever been afraid to do what God asked you to do? I have. When God asks you to speak to someone, speak to a group, give something away or whatever, it can make you feel uneasy. I usually question if I’m hearing Him. I woke up in the middle of the night once and felt the need to reach out to a person I barely knew. The message was a hard one calling them out on sin. I brushed it off and tried to go back to sleep. I wrestled with it all night, but couldn’t shake it. Finally at 6:00 AM, I gave in and sent the message. Immediately they replied asking how I knew. After explaining my night, they had a choice to make: they could stay in sin or repent. They chose the latter which caused them to uproot their family and move. Even though I was afraid to deliver the message, I trusted the voice of God.

In Judges 7, God had told Gideon to build an army to fight the Midianites. His army was just over 30,000 and going up against one over 100,000 strong. He was leading them to the battlefield when God Told him he had too many warriors. He let all who were afraid leave, and 22,000 headed home. Then God told him he still had too many and needed to weed out some more. At the brook, God had him separate the men who cupped their hands and drank and sent the rest home. He now only had 300 men, and a mind full of doubt and fear. God told him if he was afraid to go to the enemy’s camp and listen, which he did. He heard two men share dreams which confirmed the Lord was with him. He trusted the Lord, attacked and won a great victory.

Psalm 56:3 says, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you” (AMP). Do you trust what you’re hearing from the Lord or what you can see with your eyes? Often what God asks us to do either doesn’t make sense in the moment or moves us from our comfort zone. God understands that to get growth out of us, we must be moved from where we try to stop on our journey. He also is looking for people to give His message to someone or to share His love with them. You and I are often that vehicle and it can be scary to think about. If you’re standing in that moment now, don’t let fear win. Trust in God no matter what you feel. You can also be like Gideon and ask God for confirmation that you’re hearing Him. It’s time to step out in faith. Victory is on the other side of obedience.

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November 4, 2024 · 5:29 AM

Your Greatest Need

When someone experiences an emergency situation or loses a family member, people show up. Before they leave, they almost always tell the affected person to call them or let them know what they need. They never get called and things go undone because they honestly don’t know what they truly need. I’ve also seen people ask that question, and when they get the same answer, they look around and start what needs to be done. They clean the house, straighten up, organize food, help them make decisions and anything else they see to do. The affected person needs help, but they don’t know what to ask for or ask for something that isn’t at the top of the list.

In Mark 2, we read the story of four friends who are doing their best to meet the need of their paralyzed friend. They took him to see Jesus to be healed, but when they showed up, they couldn’t get to Him. The house was full of people and it spilled out into the streets. Undaunted by this set back, they carried their friend onto the roof and began to break it open. Once they found Jesus in the house, they lowered their friend down in front of Him. Verse 5 says, “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven’” (NLT). They had brought their friend for healing, yet Jesus forgave his sins instead. Why? Because Jesus knew his greatest need was eternal life rather than the healing of a temporary body.

Philippians 4:19 says, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” We often go to God taking Him our needs, but He doesn’t always start by answering what we think He should. God knows your every need. He also knows what your greatest need is, even if you don’t. After forgiving the man’s sins, He turned around and healed him. God will always meet our deepest needs first. He’s not looking at the situation the same way we are. He has an eternal perspective. Have you thought about your greatest need? If you’re unsure what it is, ask God to meet it from His glorious riches.

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October 31, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Your Inner Circle

When I was a kid, I began to hear my parents tell me, “You become like those you run with. Choose wisely.” Those were wise words to a child, but they’re also wise words to you as an adult. We like to think that people don’t change us, but the truth of the matter is that each of us are being sharpened and shaped by the people closest to us. They’re the ones whom we let down our facade the most with to show who we really are. Because of that vulnerability, they become the people who shape our decisions, our interests and even direction of our life. Your innermost circle of friends even determine the level of success you’ll have in life. You can’t soar with eagles if you’re scratching around with turkeys all the time.

The Bible has a lot to say about friendships. It gives examples of people like David and Jonathon who were willing to sacrifice everything for each other. There’s also Paul and Timothy whose friendship was one where Paul was a mentor as he shaped this young pastor. However, Job had some friends that gave him bad advice and weren’t able to endure the suffering with their friend. They used their influence in his life to try to misrepresent God and affect his relationship with Him. The people we let in our innermost circle of friends shape even our relationship with God, so it’s eternally important to choose wisely.

In Psalm 101:6 David says, “My innermost circle will only be those whom I know are pure and godly. They will be the only ones I allow to minister to me” (TPT). He understood the importance of that group on his relationship with God and wanted to protect it most. Who are you allowing to minister to you and to shape your relationship with God? Are they pushing you closer to Him or are they misrepresenting God to you? If they’re not making you sharper, challenging you to grow more or improving your relationship with God, they’re holding you back. David was selective about who he let into that group, and we should be too. God is calling us to greater maturity, faith and relationship with Him. Are the people closest to you influencing you in that direction?

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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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