Tag Archives: christian living

July 11, 2023 · 5:43 AM

Water In The Wilderness

When I was young, I loved the poem “Footprints In The Sand”. It tells of a person looking back on their life and seeing two sets of footprints. In the hardest times, there was only one set in the sand. They questioned why the Lord would leave them during the hardest times, but He replied that there was one because He carried them. Having been through some difficult times, I’ve learned that God doesn’t carry us in those times. I’ve also learned that it is normal to feel alone and even abandoned by God when we’re in the wilderness. What I do like in the poem is the idea of reflecting on the past. When we look back at the hardest times, we can see we were never abandoned by God, nor were we alone. He often uses those times to draw us close and even shows up in unexpected ways to meet our needs. The wilderness is often the path to growth.

In 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah had literally had a mountain top experience. God had met him on Mount Carmel and sent fire from Heaven to burn his sacrifice. Israel began to turn from their false gods to serve the Lord. However, Jezebel wasn’t happy and wanted to kill him for it. His fear led him into the wilderness where depression took over. He wanted to die and felt alone. While he was sleeping an angel brought him food and water. He rested and the angel brought more. From there, he continued deeper into the wilderness and stayed in a cave where it was dark. Again God called to him and asked him what he was doing. He gave God a sob story about how bad his life was. God then called him out of the cave in the wilderness where he saw an mighty wind, an earthquake and a fire. All great signs, but God wasn’t in them. Then there was a still, small voice that God was in. Elijah found God in the smallest of moments in the wilderness rather than in big ones.

Isaiah 35:4-6 says, “Tell everyone who is discouraged, ‘Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue, coming to punish your enemies.’ The blind will be able to see, and the deaf will hear. The lame will leap and dance, and those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Streams of water will flow through the desert” (GNT). If you’re in the wilderness right now wondering where God is, He is on the way to rescue you! He will cause stress to flow in your difficult time and make it a place of growth. You may be struggling to see Him now or even feel Him, but He is there caring for you and leading you through this time. When you look back at this period you will see how the still, small voice led you to a place of abundance. You are not forgotten. You are not forsaken. You are not alone. There is water in your wilderness.

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July 10, 2023 · 5:47 AM

Peer Pressure

We’ve been talking to our Sunday School class about peer pressure. They’re a bunch of middle school kids, but I told them that peer pressure never goes away. Even as adults were constantly pulled to worry about what others think and to do things that please the crowd. We also discussed how the longer it takes you to do something that God asks you to, the harder it is to overcome peer pressure that wants you to do something else. I don’t know why there’s this thing in us that wants to go along with the crowd, but it’s in there for most people. There’s a fear that people will make fun of us or reject us if we don’t go along. However, the road to Heaven is straight and narrow with only a few who are willing to not go with the crowd down the broad and wide path to destruction. We must learn to obey God no matter what the crowd thinks.

In Mark 14, Jesus was about two days away from being crucified. He was having dinner at someone’s house when a woman came into the room. She had an alabaster jar full of expensive perfume with her. Quickly she broke open the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head. The disciples and those at the table began to pressure her and scold her saying she just wasted that bottle. They told her she should have sold it and helped the poor. She didn’t try to defend herself as the crowd attacked her for her act of obedience. That’s when Jesus stepped in and spoke up. He rebuked them for shaming her and said that she had done what she could and had pre-anointed Him for burial. Then He said that wherever the Gospel would be preached throughout the world, her act of obedience would be remembered and discussed.

In Acts 5:29 Peter told the leaders, “We must obey God rather than men” (ESV). They were trying to pressure him to quit preaching in Jesus name. You may not be brought before a court like Peter, but you will be asked to obey God in front of other people. They may try to convince you that what you’re doing is a waste or try to shame you, but we must remember that it’s more important to do what God asks. At the end of your life, you will stand before God and give account. I think of that when I’m struggling between obeying and worrying about what others think. It’s more important to please God instead of others. I don’t know what God is asking you to do. I don’t know what forms fear and rejection will take to try to stop you. However, we must push past that fear and act quickly like the woman with the perfume. When we do, it will release a beautiful smell to Heaven that God will breathe in and He will defend us from the peer pressure.

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July 6, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Equipped And Ready

Gideon is one of those stories in the Bible that I go back to over and over again. He was scared of his enemies, so he was hiding when the angel appeared to him. The angel then greets him with, “Mighty Hero! The Lord is with you” (NLT). I’m sure Gideon had a confused look on his face and then looked around for the hero. He then asked a great question any of us would have asked. If the Lord is with me, why are things so bad? He didn’t get an answer though. Instead, the angel calls on him to save Israel from the very enemy he’s hiding from.

In Judges 6:14 the angel of the Lord said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” I love this response because it is a great picture of who God is. He calls us to do things in our own strength and giftings. When we see ourselves in the mirror, we think who we are and what we have is not enough. God sees beyond our fears and insecurities though. He sees who we can become if we would trust that He’s with us and will pick up the slack for the things we lack if we will simply step out with what we have already been given.

I believe every one of us are called to do something. There is a purpose and a plan that God has for each of our lives. It’s up to us to trust Him to be with us, and to walk in that calling. It’s time for us to quit looking at ourselves with these human eyes so we can trust what God sees in us with His eyes. It’s in our weaknesses and inabilities that His strength is made perfect. He only asks that we trust Him enough to do the things He called us to. If God has confidence in you, I think it’s time you had it too. Through Jesus, you are more than a conqueror. You are a mighty, valiant hero ready and equipped to do what He called you to.

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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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July 4, 2023 · 5:38 AM

Partnering In Prayer

I’ve had friends reach out for prayer for things because they know I’ll agree with them in that moment. I’ve also had friends reach out and ask for prayer saying, “The last time you prayed, God answered.” I’ve seen people healed, loved ones come to the Lord, children get adopted and more. I’ve also seen my prayers feel like they’ve fallen flat without an answer. I’ve fasted and prayed and have seen God move in what seemed like an unmovable situation. I wish I knew why some prayers go unanswered while others seem to be answered right away. No matter what they outcome, I still make my requests known to God. I still partner with others in prayer.

In Mark 9, a father brought his child to the disciples for prayer. After praying for him in front of the crowd, nothing happened. Arguing began to break out over it. Jesus walked up and asked what was going on. They explained the situation and brought the boy to Jesus. The father asked Jesus to help the boy if He could. Jesus then said that anything was possible for those who believed. He then asked, if the father believed. The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (NLT) Jesus then brought relief to the boy and his father. When the disciples asked why they couldn’t do it, Jesus replied that some things happen only through prayer and fasting.

In Matthew 18:19-20 Jesus said, “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” There’s power in the prayer of agreement. There’s power in fasting. There’s power in your faith. If you’ve been seeking an answer to prayer, don’t just keep repeating it. Ask God to help your unbelief no matter how strong you feel your faith is. Spend some time fasting and praying over it. Most importantly, partner in prayer with other people of faith. I believe faith gets multiplied when we pray together and invite God’s presence into the room. I believe God answers prayer today. Whatever you have need of, don’t stop asking. Don’t stop seeking. Don’t stop knocking. The effectual, fervent prayer avails much.

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July 3, 2023 · 5:43 AM

Occupational Ministry

There are times when we all forget that our occupation is often a call from God. We look at pastors, missionaries and the like and think that they’re fulfilling their calling, but miss the fact that God has wired each of us differently for different occupations. When I feel this way, I thunk of Casper Ten Boom, Corrie’s father. He was a watch maker in Holland. He worked all the time, but didn’t have a lot of money because he didn’t charge the poor for his services, gave money to those who needed it and took in foster children. His occupation provided means to share the Gospel. So when the Nazis invaded, his watch shop was used as the front door to the Underground Railroad to move Jews to safety. God used him to save hundreds because he was willing to save a few before there ever was a war.

When Jesus called the disciples, there were at their jobs. Several were fisherman who were cleaning their nets when He called them to follow Him. Dorcas was a seamstress in the New Testament who used her skills to make winter clothing for the poor. Pricilla and Aquila were tent makers who heard the good news about Jesus and gave their hearts to him. They continued making tents. Paul even joined them in making tents as he preached. When the Jews were expelled from Rome, Paul took them to Corinth to use their skills as tent makers and teachers. They trained Apollos, another mighty preacher who won the lost. The Bible is full of people whom God used in their occupation to share His love with others. Do you see your occupation as an opportunity for ministry or just a means to an end?

In Mark 16:10 Jesus says, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities” (NLT). He shared this after telling a parable about a worker. Many of us want greater responsibilities and greater resources, but what are you doing with what you have right now? If you’re not using what you have now for His purposes, you won’t do it later. What is God asking you to do today in your occupation or with your current income? How you can benefit His kingdom with what you have and where you are? Start doing that, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem to you. Then God will open up greater doors of opportunity for you. Most of the people God uses have non-ministry occupations. Your job is not just a paycheck. It’s an opportunity to make a difference.

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June 28, 2023 · 5:39 AM

The King’s Table

In 2012, I had just started writing. In order to learn more, I signed up for a writer’s conference in San Diego. When I checked in at registration, the lady opened my packet and said, “Here’s your invitation to breakfast with author of “The Shack” William Paul Young. Here is your ticket to meet with the most connected man in America, Peter Strople. And here is your invitation to breakfast with church statistician George Barna.” Confused, I told her I didn’t pay for those. She replied,Lowell, they’re in here. Enjoy the blessing.” I honestly felt unworthy of it and tried to reject the offers. There were better writers there, people with thousands more readers and those who would have given anything to sit down with these people. In the end, I accepted the blessing and those meeting changed my life because I sat down at the table with them.

In 2 Samuel 9, King David remembered his promise to Jonathan to take care of his descendants. When he found out Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth was still alive, he sent for him. Mephibosheth was scared because normally kings killed the descendants of other kings, but David assured him he was safe. He had been living in the land of Lo Debar which means “the land of nothing”. Now, David was inviting him to eat at the king’s table. Mephibosheth refused and referred to himself as a dead dog, but David insisted. He then blessed Mephibosheth by giving him all of King Saul’s property and servants to work the fields. Verse 13 says, “So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the king’s table. And he was lame in both feet” (AMP). Instead of disqualifying himself, he accepted the blessing of eating at the king’s table.

Psalm 23:5 says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; My cup overflows.” God has prepared a table full of blessings for you. Have you been disqualifying yourself and missing out on the blessing? We can easily see why others deserve a seat, but we find reasons why we’re not worthy or able to sit at the king’s table. God is bidding you to come and dine. Don’t dismiss the blessings He’s trying to give you. There’s a seat for you that He has prepared. He wants to anoint you, refresh you and cause your cup to overflow. Quit finding reasons to not sit down. It will change your life. Accept the blessings God has for you by telling Him that you want to sit and dine with Him always. He will take you from the land of nothing into a land of abundance when you quit disqualifying yourself and sit at His table.

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June 27, 2023 · 5:43 AM

Heart Soil

Micro-farming has become a thing in recent years. People are buying a lot in a neighborhood and turning it into a small farm. Whether you’re building a huge farm or a micro farm, you success depends on prepping the soil. Depending on the crop you want to grow, you’re going to have to start with fertilizing it. Your soil needs the proper nutrients if you’re going to have abundant crops. Next, you’ll need to till up the ground. This will soften the dirt so seeds can grow and help you get out any rocks or items that would prevent seeds from taking root. Finally, you’ll need a fence to keep out people and animals that would try to rob you of your fruit.

In Mark 4, Jesus told a parable about a farmer. This person scattered seed all over his lot. Some fell on the footpath, some fell on soil with rocks underneath, some fell where there were weeds and some fell on good soil. Birds came and ate the seeds on the footpath which prevented a harvest there. The ones that fell on the soil with rocks underneath couldn’t take root and dried up in the heat. The ones that fell among the weeds fought for nutrients with them, but were soon chocked out. Only the ones that fell on fertile soil produced good crops. As Jesus told this, He was illustrating how our hearts receive the Word of God. We can go to church all we want, but the condition of the soil of our heart will determine our growth, not how good the preacher is.

Hosea 10:12 says, “Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you” (NLT). Notice how the responsibility of plowing the soil of our own heart belongs to us. It’s not someone else’s responsibility. We must fertilize the soil of our heart to make sure it has the right nutrients. Think about what you’re putting in your heart and mind daily. Then we must break up the hardness we’ve allowed to accumulate under our soil by letting God heal our past. Then we need to build a fence to guard our heart and mind from the enemy who wants to prevent the seeds from taking root. We do this by building relationships with godly people whom we’re able to confess our sins to. Don’t let another day go by without taking responsibility for the soil of your heart. If you’re not producing the Fruits of the Spirit like you want, work on your soil.

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June 15, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Expect Great Things

A few years ago, a video went viral of a man who was terrified to touch a teddy bear. They had blindfolded him and made him think he was on a show like Fear Factor. When he got the courage to put his hand in the plexiglass box, his fingers brushed up against the teddy bear. He squealed and yanked his hand out. For about two minutes he kept trying to reach in, but his fear was overwhelming. When he finally takes the blindfold off, he realizes it’s just a teddy bear, laughed, then grabbed it and spiked it on the ground. Everyone around him was laughing because he was too afraid to pick up a teddy bear.

It was easy for us to laugh at that because we weren’t the one blindfolded. Everyone else could see and knew he wasn’t in any danger. That’s kind of how Faith works. We’re blindfolded and can’t see. God is asking us to trust Him, but too often we are terrified. Our minds psych us out and we start freaking out. When we take a tiny step of faith and we experience something we aren’t anticipating, we squeal and pull back. All the while, God is saying, “Would you just trust me?”

In Matthew 9, two blind men were following Jesus calling out to Him for healing. Jesus asked if they believed He could heal blind eyes, and they said yes. Verse 29 says, “Then Jesus put His hands over their eyes and said, ‘You will have what your faith expects!’” (TPT) I believe He is still saying that to us today. Don’t let your mind expect the worse and create fear of what God is going to do. Expect God, who is good, to give you what you need. You don’t have to be terrified of what He has for you. Expect great things from Him because He gives good gifts.

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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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June 12, 2023 · 5:26 AM

Waiting Before God

If you didn’t know, I’m Gen X. Our motto is, “If it is to be, it’s up to me.” With that kind of mentality, I find it hard to wait. I like to make decisions and move into action. Sitting around having endless discussions drives me nuts. Would someone just make a decision and let’s go? That kind of thinking can be good in certain scenarios, but it can also be dangerous when God says to wait. I’m not sure why He likes to wait or take His time on things, but sitting around waiting on Him is difficult for me. It’s something we all must learn to do. God is rarely in a hurry, and almost never operates on our time table. When situations worsen, that’s when He seems to take the longest and the temptation to move becomes strongest.

King Saul was also a person who struggled to wait. In 1 Samuel 13, Samuel had told Saul to wait seven days, then he would show up to make the sacrifice for the battle. When seven days had passed, Saul looked at his situation instead of his instructions. His mean were fearful and deserting while the enemy was amassing in numbers. He went ahead and did the sacrifice himself without waiting for Samuel. It cost him the kingdom. David, who replaced him, was pretty good at waiting however. A few times, he was given the opportunity to kill Saul and become king, but he waited. He knew God would make a way. It wasn’t up to him to remove Saul. He was simply to replace him, so he waited. Because of his patience, God made him victorious and gave him a lasting legacy.

In Psalm 62:1 David wrote, “I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him” (NLT). When was the last time you simply waited before God? When is the last time you put away all your distractions, stopped thinking about everything that needed to be done in that moment and just waited? We forget that God is the one who gives victory. He is the one who gives success. We’re so busy trying to do it ourselves that we forget He is our supplier. He is our source. We, like Saul, think everything has to be done right now, and we try to do both our part and God’s. However, He is calling you and me to sit at His feet and wait. We must be more like David and less like Saul. Our human nature pressures us to be like Saul, but His Spirit in us beckons us to wait. What will you choose today?

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June 8, 2023 · 5:30 AM

God Likes You

Some verses in the Bible have so much packed into them that you just have to stop and chew on them for a while. Zephaniah 3:17 is one of those verses. It says, “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (NLT). Think about that verse for a minute. Some versions say, “God is present with you” (MSG) or “God is with you” (GNT). No matter what version, it’s important to know that wherever you go, whatever you do, God is there, present with you in each situation. We just need to learn to be more aware of His presence in our day.

From John 3:16, we know that God loves us. We’re taught that as a kid, but do you ever stop to think that more than that, God likes you too? He really does. He takes delight in us with gladness it says. He sees the deep, dark places of our heart that we keep hidden, and He still likes us and wants to be around us. So many of us keep those parts hidden from others because we think, “If they knew this about me, they wouldn’t like me.” God knows you and I are broken and have sin nature lurking inside. He wants to bring healing to those places, and calm our fears about them. Fear does not come from Him. It comes from not understanding who we are in Him and who He wants to be in our lives.

This verse then ends with a bang! God rejoices over you and sings joyful songs over you. Psalm 32:7 says that the songs God sings are to deliver us and to bring us victory. Just like a parent sings songs to their kids, God sings to us. He knows that wherever we go or whatever we do, we need His comfort, His protection and His victory. Today, God is present with you. He is mighty enough to save you from whatever you’re facing. Listen for His voice that will calm your fears as He sings over you. Because of this, every day has the potential to be a great day. We just need to keep this verse in mind so we can understand how God sees us and know that He both loves us and likes us.

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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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