Tag Archives: christian living

November 28, 2023 · 5:46 AM

The Good Trail

Over the weekend we found some old home videos and started watching them. In one of them we filmed in the woods near the house where I grew up. Suddenly I could see the trail we made through them. I remembered clearly how that trail was. About a quarter mile back it split into two directions. To the left, it went back about another half mile and dead ended into a barbed wire fence with a no trespassing sign. To the right, we could go almost a mile back around the neighborhood. If you followed it far enough, there was a creek that led to an old fishing hole my buddy and I loved to go to. Whoever we veered off the trail, it was easy to get lost, but all we had to do was find the trail and we could get back home.

Proverbs 2 talks about two trails we come across in life. One path, which is a way taken so much it becomes a rut like a trail, leads to life and away from the path that leads to evil. Verses 12 – 19 describe the path God is trying to keep us from going down. It describes it as dark, evil and crooked. It is lined with temptation to lead you to death. Verse 20 says, “So you will walk in the way of good men [that is, those of personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character], And keep to the paths of the righteous” (AMP). It’s great advice for all of us to stay on the trail that is full of integrity, courage and honorable character because the other trail is always beckoning us to go down it.

Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the roads and look; ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is; then walk in it, And you will find rest for your souls.’” We’re all constantly faced with this choice. Should we go down a trail that leads to a dead end or down one that leads to life? God has always given us the choice, but He also tells us to choose life and to take the trail that is good. If you’ve wandered off the trail or have meandered down the wrong one, God’s offer still stands. It’s a matter of repentance, turning around, to get back on the trail that leads to His blessings. Use His Word as a lamp for your feet and a light to your trail and take it one step at a time.

Photo by Johannes Andersson on Unsplash

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November 23, 2023 · 5:30 AM

A Thankful Mindset

Several years ago, I taught a sales psychology class. It was designed to help salespeople stay mentally tough because they’re rejected so often. One of the things I taught in it was the Law of Thanksgiving. It stated that the more we give thanks, the more we have to be thankful for. It was all about counting your blessings and then giving thanks for every one of them. It really is an attitude changer when you decide to be thankful each day and to find something in your life to be thankful for. The first couple of weeks are pretty easy, but after that, your mind starts to get stretched and gets creative in looking for things to be thankful for. It ultimately changes your perspective on your life and changes how you look at the world.

In a time where the news is dominated by statistics of people getting sick and dying, it’s a great time to reprogram your mind to looking for things to be grateful for. Matthew Henry, a Welsh minister in the 1600’s, demonstrated this line of thinking when his wallet was stolen. He said, “I am thankful that he never robbed me before. I am thankful that although he took my wallet, he didn’t take my life. Although he took all I had, it wasn’t much. I am glad that it was I who was robbed, and not I who did the robbing.” He had adopted a mindset of being thankful and it changed his perspective on things that happened to him. It’s a mindset that we all should have, and I believe it starts with reminding ourselves that all we have has been given to us by God. He is who we need to be thankful to.

Psalm 16:5 says, “You, Lord, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands” (GNT). It’s important that we start with the thought that God is your source of everything and and that everything you have belongs to Him. “The Lord gives and the Lord takes,” is how Job put it. Being mindful of this helps keep our minds right when the future is uncertain and fear wants to creep in. He has and will continue to give you all you need. Your future is in His hands, not yours. Following the Law of Thanksgiving is a great way to remember that and to give thanks where it’s due. It will allow you to worship during calamity and to be content whether you have a little or a lot. It’s the mindset I believe God is calling us all back to.

Photo by Marion Botella 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.

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November 22, 2023 · 5:43 AM

Soul Cravings

Years ago I owned a childcare facility. In my years there I encountered a lot of pregnant women. One of the interesting aspects of pregnancy to me was their cravings. Some craved ice, while others ice cream. Some wanted pickles, others craved peanut butter and others wanted them together. While doctors don’t know exactly what’s behind all the cravings, they’ve observed that in some cases it’s due to lack of vitamins. They also have noticed that the cravings are stronger in people who are not well nourished. Similarly, women who don’t have a balanced diet typically crave junk food. In any case, the body knows what it needs to care for and nourish the baby inside. It will do whatever it takes to get the mom to consume those nutrients.

In the Old Testament, the main way to experience God’s presence was in the Tabernacle or the Temple once it was built. People had to travel to it. That’s why David hated being on the run and away from God’s presence. He longed for the courts of the Lord and would rather have been a door keep in the house of God. On one occasion, he fled from Saul to the Negev and penned Psalm 63. While hiding out in the desert, he began to crave God’s presence. As he looked at his surroundings, he began to compare what his spirit was going through to what the land was experiencing. He wanted to be in God’s presence as much as the land in the desert wanted water.

Verse 1 says, “O God, You are my God; with deepest longing I will seek You; My soul [my life, my very self] thirsts for You, my flesh longs and sighs for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water” (AMP). Can you sense how strong his craving for God’s presence was? If you listen to your soul, it’s crying out for that very thing. We’re all longing to be with our creator. The good news is that we no longer have to travel to Jerusalem to experience it. The problem is that when we experience this craving, we don’t always recognize it for what it is and we try to satisfy it with other things. No matter what we do though, we can’t satisfy this craving until we enter God’s presence. When is the last time you simply sat still in God’s presence without distractions? How long has it been since you satisfied your soul’s longing? Take time today to give your soul what it really craves. It is your greatest need, yet often goes unfulfilled. Don’t deprive it any longer.

Photo by NEOM on Unsplash

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November 21, 2023 · 5:43 AM

Showing God’s Goodness

In the days of the Early Church there were a couple of global plagues that went through the Roman Empire. The second one came around the year 251. Historical records from the time shared how hopeless it was when someone got it. Family members and friends were so scared too the death sentence that the plague brought, that when someone got their first symptoms, they set them in the street. They didn’t know how to treat them, nor did they try, so they simply abandoned them. However, Christians began to care for the sick despite the risk. Their act of kindness not only reduced the mortality rate by nearly two thirds, it also showed others the goodness of God. Many converted to Christianity because of their kindness and charity..

In 2 Kings 6, an army was attacking Israel. However, every time they planned an attack, israel was one step ahead of them. After trying several times, the attacking king thought there was a spy among his troops. Someone told him how the prophet Elisha was giving away their plans, so he decided to attack Elisha with his entire army. Elisha didn’t flinch though when he woke up to being surrounded. In fact, he struck them with blindness and then led them to a nearby city where the Israeli army was. When their eyes were opened, they were surrounded with no escape. However, instead of killing them, the Israelites showed them mercy by feeding them and sending them home. They no longer tried to attack Israel after that.

1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (NLT). You and I are God’s chosen people in the world today. We are called to show others God’s goodness so they can know Him. Our first instinct shouldn’t be to abandon people in need or who are against us. We are to be known by our love as God’s royal priests. Who around you feels hopeless and abandoned by everyone? What can you do to show them the goodness of God. Who knows whether or not He put them in your life or in your path so that you could be the one to reach them.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

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November 20, 2023 · 5:52 AM

Finding Happiness

I saw an article in Psychology Today called “10 Simple Ways To Finding Happiness”. In it they told people to be around people you likes, find your true purpose and to do things you love. I’m sure it’s a lot of great advice, but it was all very self centered information. I then decided to Google “happiness definition”. It came up with lots of opinions, but the different dictionaries all had something very similar. They basically said that happiness is finding contentment with your current situation. It’s hard to find contentment when you’re current situation keeps going from bad to worse or if you’re constantly trying to find the silver lining. Our circumstances aren’t really a great place to look for contentment and happiness because they’re always changing.

Think of Joseph who had the coat of many colors. While he was at home as dad’s favorite, he found happiness despite what his brothers thought. Then they tried to kills him, but decided to throw him in a pit and rob him of his coat. From there, they sold him into slavery where he was taken to a foreign country. He worked hard for a wealthy man and life was good for a slave until he was accused of rape. Looking for contentment in those circumstances must have been difficult as he was thrown in prison where he sat for years. Somewhere in there he found his happiness in God and waited for God to intervene. In one day he went from prisoner to being second in command of Egypt. When his brothers arrived, he wasn’t mad or bitter because finally he understood God’s plan.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desire” (GNT). Where have you been seeking your happiness? If it’s in circumstances, you probably feel like you’ve been on a roller coaster of emotions. Instead we need to find contentment and happiness in God and in how He’s using our circumstances to shape us and place us. The character of God is love. That’s why He works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). God has a plan and your current situation is part of it. He uses difficult times to shape us and to grow our faith. In the moment it can feel like you’re forgotten as Joseph, but God has never lost sight of you, nor has He forgotten you. Find your happiness and contentment in Him rather than your circumstances.

Photo by Edu Lauton on Unsplash

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November 16, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Living Stones

There’s a scripture I’ve read over many times and haven’t given much thought to until today. It’s 1 Peter 2:5 that says, “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple” (NLT). If you think about what stones are and how they are used, a lot jumps out at you. Stones are movable, shapable, polishable and usable. These are all things God wants to do in our lives so that He can use us for His purposes. We all have a role to play in building His church of living stones. I don’t think it was by accident Peter used the term stone here. In fact, it was divinely inspired.

Think about what David picked up and used to slay the giant. It was a stone, five smooth ones to be exact. What did the Israelites take out of the Jordan river to build an altar to God so people would remember what He did? Stones. What was the Temple in the Old Testament built out of? You guessed it, stones. The Bible uses stones for many things. If you think about them as people, we’ll that’s the same things God wants to do with us as living stones. We are to be giant slayers, reminding people of all God has done and we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

The thing that all these stones had in common is that they were able to be used and given a purpose. Sometimes God has to shape us before He can place us exactly where we’ll be the most effective. Sometimes that means parts of our lives will be knocked off so we’ll fit. Sometimes we will have our rough edges sanded off so we’re smooth. No matter what, we must submit to God and His purposes so we can reach our potential. Otherwise we will be stuck in the ground going nowhere. Today, ask God how He wants to use you as a living stone and see what He does.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart 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.

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November 14, 2023 · 5:37 AM

Turning North

One of my favorite visual lessons to use in a group is to have everyone close their eyes and to then point north. What usually happens is you will have a room full of people pointing just about every direction including up. I then have them open their eyes to see where everyone is pointing. Immediately some start laughing, but others start trying to convince others they’re right. I then pull a compass out of my pocket and show them which way is north. I’ll ask them to again close their eyes and point to north. Most will point in the direction the compass did, but there will still be some who point in other directions. I tell them that if they don’t know which way north is, and you’re lost, it’s hard to get where you’re going.

All throughout the book of Jeremiah, Israel was lost. Each person was doing what was right in their own eyes and doing what they wanted. Even though they had the compass of The Law, they chose to go in different directions. In Jeremiah 18, God had Jeremiah watch a potter work with some clay. After making a piece of pottery, the potter didn’t like it, then crushed it and started over. Then, in verse 11, God said, “Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds” (ESV). He was telling them to repent, which means to change directions. He wanted them to turn north towards Him.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path” (GNT). God has given us the compass to this life through His Word. It will guide us in the direction of our life and in the choices we make. However, just like in the room full of people knowing which way north is, we still have to make the choice each day to point north or in a different direction. God always gives us a choice. If we head any direction but north, we risk facing the consequences of our actions. His way is the only right way to get north. His word lights the path so we can see where we’re going and also guides us in the paths of righteousness. It’s up to me and you to continually turn north when everything else is trying to get us to turn in different directions.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

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November 13, 2023 · 5:54 AM

Life Transformation

One of our favorite types of shows to watch on TV are home renovations. There’s something beautiful and hopeful when you see these amazing professionals take a drab house no one wants and turn it into someone’s dream home. There are also shows where the home owner tries their own renovation. It’s usually a disaster. They had watched these shows where the professionals renovated and then tried to do it themselves. The house is in shambles, they’re over budget, over extended and ready to give up. Shows like that remind me that I can make small changes to the house, but I’m not qualified to take on an e tire renovation myself. It’s best to leave that to the ones who understand how houses are built and do it all the time.

Paul wrote about half of the New Testament, but before he became Paul, he was Saul. Saul was a person who hated Christians. In fact, he hunted them down and killed them in public. He was on a mission to destroy Christianity anywhere it spread. After he chased Christians out of Jerusalem, he was headed to Damascus to kill them. While on his way in Acts 9, he was met and blinded by Jesus. His life was completely transformed. The believers and Jews alike were perplexed by such a radical transformation in him. They couldn’t believe it was the same person. He went on to preach and share his story across the world of what God can do with a life that submits to its creator.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (ESV). When we give ourselves fully to Christ, He takes our old life and renovates it into something new. The old person we once were no longer exists. Our spirit is reborn and a transformation takes place. It’s not something we can do ourselves though. Only Christ who lives in us can transform us. We are no longer bound to our old life, it’s desires or it’s fate. I’ve seen several people whom God delivered and transformed instantly. I’ve also seen people who spend the rest of their life struggling to not go back to who they once were. I don’t know the difference, but I do know that the Creator knows what He’s doing, loves them both and has given them new life. Every renovation is different, yet each one starts with us submitting to the transformation.

Photo by Anuj Yadav on Unsplash

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November 9, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Productive Planting

Every spring there are big displays in home improvement stores selling seeds. I like to look through them to see if there’s anything we would like to try to grow. One one side of the packet you have a picture of what the seeds inside will produce. On the other side you have a color coded map that tells you where these seeds grow the best and then some instructions that tell you how deep to plant them, how far apart, when the best time of year to plant them is and how long it will take them to produce. The more closely you follow those directions, the more likely that your garden will produce something from the packet.

Most of the seeds we plant in life can’t be seen and aren’t physically put in the ground. There’s no packet that you can read to tell you where they will grow best, how long until they produce or when the best time to plant them is. When I was a kid, a popular saying in the church world was, “You’ll reap what you sow.” To me, it always seemed to have a negative connotation. They only brought it up when you weren’t doing the right thing. While it’s true that it works for those behaviors, it also works for the behaviors God wants to reinforce in our lives. The law of sowing and reaping was instituted in during creation when the Bible tells us that God planted a garden in the east. He didn’t speak the Garden of Eden into existence like most everything else.

As Christians, we need to pay attention to the things we are planting in our lives, the lives of others and into the world. We don’t have to worry about timing, location or season. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “We know that we prosper and excel in every season by serving the Lord, because we are assured that our union with the Lord makes our labor productive with fruit that endures” (TPT). The seeds you’re sowing today are not in vain. They will produce whether you think it’s the right season to plant them or not. The law of sowing and reaping can only come into affect when you plan seeds. God is the one who makes them grow, not you. Don’t hold back in planting where God tells you to or when. Your planting will be productive through Him.

Photo by Ricardo IV Tamayo 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.

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