Tag Archives: christian living

June 13, 2024 · 5:02 AM

Listening To His Voice

Several years ago I read a book called “While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks” by Dr. Timothy Laniak. The author lived with nomadic shepherds in the Middle East in order to gain a greater understanding of what Biblical shepherding was all about. In one chapter he discussed the position of the shepherd in relation to the sheep. There are times when the shepherd is out front leading them, and other times when he’s behind them pushing them forward. When the sheep are an open area, the shepherd is out front. The sheep follow for protection and provision. When they’re traveling through a low visibility area, the shepherd will go behind the sheep to keep them moving. The ones in front feel the pressure of the movement to move forward.

In John 10, Jesus was using shepherds to teach the people about Himself in a manner they could relate to. He called Himself the Good Shepherd. He talked about being the gate as the shepherd. They would have understood the shepherds put the sheep in a pin at night and the shepherd sleeps in the doorway to protect them. He talked about how when dangers come, hired hands run, but the shepherd stays. He then discussed how the sheep know His voice and listen when it’s time to leave the pen. Verse 4 says, “When he has brought all his own sheep outside, he walks on ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice and recognize his call” (AMP).

Is Jesus out front leading you or is He pushing you from behind right now? Are you listening to His voice as He guides you? There are a lot of competing voices out there trying to get your attention. Jesus said His sheep know His voice and listen to Him. They know Him and He knows them (verse 27). We must be tuned into His voice each day in order to go where He leads. Whether you have low or high visibility right now for your direction, take time each day to be still and quiet your mind. Pray, “Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.” Then wait in silence until you hear Him. He’s speaking to you constantly, trying to lead you, but you must listen for His voice and recognize His call. The more you sit quietly in His presence, the more you will hear Him speak to you.

Photo by Peyman TDR 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 , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 12, 2024 · 5:43 AM

Remain Faithful

After having gone through a difficult season, I asked my son how he was feeling and what was he thinking about it. He immediately said he didn’t understand why things happened as they did because we had fasted and prayed for a different outcome. He then said, “It makes me question if God really exists.” I began to explain how trials and tests can cause us to question His existence at times because we don’t understand. It can also cause us to question if our prayers are heard and other things as well. What matters is we push through our feeling of the moment and grab onto the reality of who He is. I reminded him of the time God supernaturally answered our prayers and times He’s specifically showed up. I let him know we all go through moments like that at times when we’re going through trials. It’s important to refocus on what God has done so we can remain faithful.

In Luke 22:31, Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Listen! Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff” (GNT). What Peter didn’t know was his world was going to crumble that night. He would also deny knowing Jesus three times. Jesus then said, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me, you must strengthen your brothers.” Jesus prayed for Peter, and He also intercedes for us in our moments of testing. Peter beat himself up pretty badly for failing in the test the way he did, but that wasn’t the end. He did turn back and remained faithful and led the Early Church. His failure in the test, like ours, is not the end.

James 1:12 says, “Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.” Everyone will face tests because Satan wants to sift us and cause us to doubt our faith making us ineffective. He wants us to return to our old life, but Jesus is praying for you that your faith won’t fail. He’s waiting to restore you and strengthen you. It’s in times of testing we find out where we truly stand. Sometimes we pass with flying colors and other times we’re left questioning everything. It’s good to keep a journal of what all God has done so you can remind yourself of the faithfulness of God in those moments. When we remain faithful and make it through the trial, God will give us more of His abundant life He promised us and we will receive the crown of life.

Photo by Colton Sturgeon on Unsplash

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

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

June 11, 2024 · 5:36 AM

The Way

Have you ever heard someone say, “That’s their way of life”? When we say something like that, we’re referring to their culture, which encapsulates their lifestyle, Think about the different ways of life for people groups. The Amish way of life is without modern conveniences. There are still shepherds in the Middle East who live a nomadic lifestyle roaming between countries. Some cultures elevate social harmony, whereas other celebrate an individualistic approach. When we talk about the culture of a group, we’re usually referring to a way of living that defines them. It’s no coincidence that in Acts 9, before followers of Jesus were called “Christians”, they were called “followers of The Way.” The Early Church didn’t just accept Jesus into their heart. Their entire lifestyle and way of living was changed when they did so much so that people recognized it.

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate because the wide gate and broad path is the way that leads to destruction—nearly everyone chooses that crowded road! The narrow gate and the difficult way leads to eternal life—so few even find it!” (TPT) Notice how there are two ways to live or choose from. Most people choose the broad way of living that goes along with the culture of the world. However, He started off by telling us to choose the narrow way that leads to life. He goes on to say that not everyone who says to Him “Lord, Lord” will enter Heaven. There will be those who took His name, but didn’t live the way He called us to. They never left the broad way and applied His teachings to their life. It’s a narrow way we must live that is often in contradiction to our culture.

Isaiah 35:8 says, “There will be a highway of holiness called the Sacred Way. The impure will not be permitted on this road, but it will be accessible to God’s people. And not even fools will lose their way.” When we accept Jesus, we’re invited to this highway of holiness. We put on the righteousness of Jesus that changes how we think and live from the inside out. For some, it’s an instantaneous change. For others, we go through a process of sanctification as we change. When the Holy Spirit enters our life,what was once acceptable to us on the broad way, will no longer be acceptable. How we live, how we think and how we talk begins to be noticeably different by others. This Sacred Way is what you and I are called to walk on throughout this life and to help others find it. Are you walking on the narrow way or the broad way?

Photo by Lili Popper on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

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

June 10, 2024 · 5:44 AM

Created To Do

I used to travel a lot for work. I often ate at the same restaurants in the cities I visited where I got to know servers and owners. At a restaurant in New Orleans, I came across a server named Ike. He wasn’t like any server I ever had before. He loved waiting on tables and it showed. It wasn’t long before he served some Hollywood casting agents filming there. They cast him in several shows over time. We were laughing about it one day and I told him that one day they were going to take him away to Hollywood. Suddenly his face got serious and he said, “That’s not going to happen. God made me to wait tables! Acting is fun, but this is why I’m here.” It struck me that night how important it is to find what we were created to do.

In 2 Chronicles 2, Solomon began to build the Temple. He got about 160,000 people to work on it. He hired Hiram, king of Tyre, to send cedar because people there were excellent at cutting wood. He hired Hiram-Abi who was created to work with good, silver and other metals. He could make any design Solomon thought of. This man made it into the Bible because he found what he was created to do, and God used his skills to create all the holy objects that were in the Temple. Throughout the first few chapters of 2 Chronicles, you’ll find his name over and over in relation to his skill. God doesn’t just need ministers to build His Church, He needs all of us doing our part using the talents and skills He’s given us.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (NIV). You are God’s handiwork and you were created to do specific things for the Kingdom. Don’t look down on your skills and think they’re not as important as someone else’s. Nehemiah’s skill built a wall. David’s let him play the harp for the king. Paul made tents to earn money while being one of the most prolific missionaries. God can use whatever skill He’s given you to do good works and make a difference. He’s got work that you were created to do. Quit making excuses or demeaning your skill. Home it, find where you are to use it and get busy!

Photo by Razvan Chisu on Unsplash

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

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

June 6, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Stop And Look

Have you ever been sitting at a red light, or in traffic, and looked over and thought, “When did they build that?” It happens to me all the time. I take the same route to work each day, but sometimes the traffic patterns change. I’ll look over and see a building or something else and wonder how I missed it before. I’d driven by it a 100 times before, but somehow I’d never seen it. Was I too tired every other time? No. The difference is that this time I stopped and then looked around.

It makes me wonder how much of who God is, and what He says, that we miss because our prayer is just us talking. I wonder how much He’s trying to show us, but our lives are too busy. He created us to be industrious. That’s a great trait that He put in us, but He also knew that it would mean we need to be reminded to stop and breathe every once in a while or we’d miss Him. I believe it’s part of why He instituted the day of rest. We are so busy and have a tendency to make everything about us, that we lose sight of our creator. Stopping helps us focus on what matters.

In Psalm 46:10 God said, “Be still, and know that I am God!” (NLT) When we learn to be still in His presence, in prayer and in life, we begin to notice things about Him that we’ve never seen. Society has taught us that growth and advancement come from being busy, but God teaches us that they come from being still. Today, make time to stop and be still so you can see things you’ve never seen. God is waiting and wanting to reveal Himself to you. Are you willing to slow down and notice?

Photo by Edewaa Foster 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 , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 5, 2024 · 5:28 AM

The Power Of Encouragement

One of the things we have to be aware of are people who will deter us from accomplishing our God given dreams and calling. When you share the vision God has given you, there will be those who tell you that you aren’t qualified, you misheard God or will try to talk you out of it. You must protect the seed from people like this. Their words often sink in and echo in our minds causing doubt and inactivity. It’s important to keep moving beyond their discouragement so that you do what God called you to. On the other side of the coin, we must make sure we aren’t discouraging others from their God given plans. We must use discernment and wisdom in both scenarios.

In 1 Samuel 16, David was anointed to be the next king in front of his dad and brothers. In the next chapter, he was watching sheep while his older brothers were off to war. His dad gave him some food to take to them. When he showed up, God stirred something in him regarding Goliath. Verse 28 says, “But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. ‘What are you doing around here anyway?’ he demanded. ‘What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!’” (NLT) His own brother, who knew his calling as king, stood in the way of his destiny and discouraged him. However, David persisted and continued despite it. He led Israel to a great victory that day because he gave more weight to God’s words than someone else’s.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” Be an encourager when someone shares what God has called them to do. Build them up instead of trying to tear them down. Be a person who helps them on their way rather than the person who stand in their way. Also, look for people who will encourage you on your mission. Find people who will pray for you and lift you up. If you don’t find them right away, be like David and keep looking around until you do. Not everyone needs to know what God has planted in your heart. The encouragement you find from other believers will be like water for the seed. Be a person who waters the seeds in others and find those who will water yours with their words. If you’ve been discouraged and quit moving towards it, make today the day you decide to move past the discouragement and begin moving forward again.

Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

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

June 4, 2024 · 5:42 AM

Minimizing Distractions

Stephen Covey developed and taught his four quadrants model to show how we spend our time. Quadrant one is on things that are urgent and important. It includes pressing problems, crisis and things with deadlines approaching. Quadrant two is on things are important but not urgent. It includes things like personal growth, long term planning and relationship building. Three is on things that are not urgent but important. It includes interruptions, handling other people’s issues and emails. Finally four is on things that are not important and are not urgent. This includes watching TV, social media and down time activities. These are all things we spend time on, but three quadrants are full of distractions while one invests in your future. Quadrant two gives us the greatest impact to our lives, but we spend most of our time in the other three because we’re easily distracted.

We all heard of Samson and how strong he was. From a child, God gave him a set of rules to live by that would set him apart and give him supernatural strength. Over time, he quit living in the area God told him to and started getting distracted. In Judges 14, a woman from an enemy country caught his eye and he wanted to marry her against his parent’s wishes. The Lord used it though. Then he killed a lion which later he ate honey out of going against God’s Laws. In chapter 16 he met Delilah who distracted him and cut off his hair removing his strength. In the end, he prayed and killed more of his enemies on his last day than on all his other days. He was a man whom God could have done so much more with, but he lived a distracted life that minimized the impact he could have had.

In Psalm 119:37 David prayed, “Turn my eyes away from vanity [all those worldly, meaningless things that distract—let Your priorities be mine], And restore me [with renewed energy] in Your ways” (AMP). This is a prayer we all need to pray. Our lives are filled with distractions (some necessary and some unnecessary) that keep us from our purpose. Our eyes and hearts are like Samson’s at times drawing us away from the things God has called us to. We can spend all day doing things, but are simply spinning our tires going nowhere with no impact. We must take time each day to focus on God’s priorities for our life and ask Him for renewed energy like Samson did so we can accomplish all He’s created us to do. Take some time to think about your distractions and then find a way to create some space where you minimize them or remove them from your life so you can spend energy and time on God’s priorities for your future.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

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

June 3, 2024 · 5:33 AM

Learning To Surrender

Our minds are powerful. They like to control everything we come in contact with. They change how we see life. That’s how so many people can witness the same thing and all of them see something different. Our minds fight against anything we don’t want, reject things that are different, resist change and manipulate us to keep things the way they are. It’s important to understand that’s how they work because God calls us to grow which invokes change. Our minds will try to keep us where we are instead of where He’s leading us. It’s a battle we have to fight against ourselves every time we try to do what He asks. Surrendering to His will is key. We must relinquish the plans, ideas and thoughts our brains want for what he wants. It’s a fight we are all in, and will continue to be in, so learning to surrender is key.

After Israel left Egypt, they had to fight some battles in the Sinai. Joshua, one of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the Promised Land and said they could take it, became their military leader. He led this wandering nation to victory several times with God’s help. When they entered the Promised Land he became their leader and led them to Jericho. After sending in spies, I’m sure he was forming a plan to take when he encountered God’s commander carrying a sword. Joshua 5 says he asked him if he was for them or against them. Verse 14 says, “‘Neither one,’ he replied. ‘I am the commander of the Lord’s army.’ At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. ‘I am at your command,’ Joshua said. ‘What do you want your servant to do?’” (NLT) Immediately Joshua surrendered to the Lord and His plan.

In Luke 9:23 Jesus said, “If you truly desire to be my disciple, you must disown your life completely, embrace my ‘cross’ as your own, and surrender to my ways” (TPT). Following Jesus requires surrendering on our part. We think of surrendering as bad because it means losing or giving up, but that’s what we must do with our own plans and desires. We must be willing to surrender the, for His plans and ways. Romans 8 reminds us there’s a battle going on in all of us between our flash and the Spirit. It’s up to us to resist our brain’s wiring and our fleshly desires, force them to surrender and ask the Lord what He wants us to do. We must disown our desires, embrace His cross and surrender our ways to receive the victory in His Promised Land for our lives.

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

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

May 30, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Miracles In The Wilderness

There were two instances where Jesus wanted to feed a large crowd. One was a crowd of 5,000 and the other was of 4,000. In both instances, they were away from the city with nowhere to buy food. In Mark 8, we find the story of the 4,000 people who were following Jesus and it says they ran out of food. Jesus had compassion on them and indicated he wanted to feed the mass of people. The disciples were incredulous and asked, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?” (NLT)

They knew that Jesus was looking to them to feed the people. I’m sure the “we” in that sentence had some inflection in it indicating they thought He should be the one finding the food. He was the Son of God after all. But Jesus didn’t waiver. He stayed true to who He has been since the beginning of time. He looked to them for an act of faith. He wanted them to be the ones who looked at an impossible situation and to offer Him something to multiply. If you remember your multiplication tables, anything multiplied by zero is zero.

When their faith saw only the impossibility, He threw them a hint. In verse 5 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?” He was looking for them to trust Him with their own bread so He could do what only He could do. He wanted them to see He could perform miracles in the wilderness. He didn’t have to be in a lush environment or around a lot of people in a city. He just needed to be by a few people with enough faith to trust Him with what they had.

You may be in a wilderness right now wondering what God is doing. You may look around you and think you don’t have anything to offer God to take care of the mass of problems in your life. I believe God would say to you what He said to them, “How much bread do you have?” What is your bread that God could multiply? What is it that you can offer Him in the wilderness that you need Him to multiply? If your faith can’t see what your bread is, ask God to point it out to you like He did with the disciples. When you put it in His hands, He’ll perform miracles in your wilderness.

Photo by Ales Krivec 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.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

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

May 29, 2024 · 5:41 AM

Affirmation From God

When I’m working with a leader and teaching them how to coach an employee, I tell them that the last step is the most important. After creating a collaborative action plan for future behaviors, they must end with an affirmation of belief in the employee. It’s critical for the leader to say, “I know you can make this change and it will change your results.” When we haven’t met expectations or have fallen short in an area repeatedly, our negative self talk can keep us in a cycle of failure. Affirmations of belief from a superior resonate in a person and can replace that self talk. There’s something to having someone believe in you that encourages you and gives you the will to face a battle you’ve lost before.

In Judges 6, israel was being bullied by the Midianites. The Israelites would often hide from them in caves and other places where they wouldn’t be seen. The Midianites would destroy their crops, take their livestock and make life unbearable for the Israelites. That’s when we’re introduced to Gideon. He had managed to grow some grain without them destroying it and was hiding while threshing it. Suddenly God visited him in the form of an angel and spoke to him. He said, “The Lord is with you, brave and mighty man!” (GNT) Gideon didn’t see himself that way in the moment and asked why God hadn’t delivered them. That’s when God told him to go in the strength he had to deliver Israel. God believed in Gideon and affirmed something in him that he didn’t see in himself. He went on to defeat the Midianite army and become the leader of Israel.

Galatians 1:21-22 says, “God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete” (MSG). God has put His Spirit in you as a believer affirming your calling and giving you strength to accomplish His will for your life. He sees you as a mighty warrior who is able to defeat the thing standing in your way. He’s given you strength to complete what you haven’t been able to do on your own. He calls out of us abilities and strengths we didn’t know we had. We access those by stepping onto the battlefield in faith the way Gideon did. When God calls you to something, He equips you and strengthens you when you step out in faith. Gideon had to step onto the battlefield with 300 men to face 130,000. He didn’t feel qualified and he didn’t feel prepared, but when he stepped out in faith, God showed up. The same is true for us. God affirms who we are in Christ and gives us strength in our weaknesses.

Photo by Jordan Donaldson | @jordi.d on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

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