Tag Archives: christian living

January 3, 2023 · 5:41 AM

Overwhelming Results

Have you ever walked into a restaurant just before they close? You know they’ve been working their whole shift and are looking forward to going home, but you’re hungry and they’re open. I’ve had them tell me the kitchen was closed and turn me away. I’ve also had those who reluctantly let me in. I feel bad, but I’m only there because I’ve had a long day too and I’m hungry. On nights like this I make sure I tip exceptionally well, especially if I’m the on,y one in the restaurant. Sometimes I tip more than the meal and even 3 figures depending on the situation. I want the server to know that I appreciate their effort even when they were tired and ready to go home.

In Luke 5, Jesus was teaching by the Sea of Galilee. So many people were showing up to hear Him that they had Him backed up to the water. Jesus saw Peter and some other fishermen cleaning their nets after a long night of working. He asked Peter if he could use his boat to preach from. When He was finished teaching, He asked Peter to take Him out to deeper water. There He asked Peter to put his nets in the water to fish. Peter explained it was the end of his shift, the nets were nearly cleaned and he was ready to go home, but then he said he would do it at Jesus’ word. The net was filled with so many fish that he needed help to pull it in and store them. The Bible says that both boats were so full of fish that they began to sink.

Jesus didn’t ask Peter to do anything different than he had already been doing, yet the results were different this time. The difference was that this time it was out of obedience and not routine. One yielded overwhelming results and the other resulted in nothing. Jesus has called us to a life of obedience, not routine. At times, we can get caught up in the motions of Christianity, but our heart isn’t in it. When God asks us to do something that seems like routine Christianity, we can either push back telling Him we’ve done that with no results, or we can obey. God is calling you to deeper water. What will you answer? Don’t let your past results keep you from the blessings of obedience.

Photo by Lance Anderson on Unsplash

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December 21, 2022 · 5:40 AM

Restoring Your Sight

I was talking with a man I met this week over lunch. At one point during the lunch I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to quote a Bible verse to him and explain it. His eyes got really big and excited. He said, “I’ve been reading the Bible!” He went on to explain his eyesight had deteriorated to the point he couldn’t drive anymore. It was then that he asked God to restore his sight. He also promised God that if his sight was restored, he would read the Bible every day. I was excited for him because his eyesight had returned and he was making good on his promise. After sharing a few more verses with him, I said, “Maybe God restored your physical eyesight so that He could use His Word to restore your spiritual eyesight as well.”

Most of us know about the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, but that’s not the first sermon Jesus gave. In fact, the first one I read took place in his hometown of Nazareth. In Luke 4, Jesus had just finished being tempted by the devil when He went to the synagogue He’d probably gone to His whole life. He stood up and read Isaiah 61:1-2. It says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people” (GNT). One of the things Jesus came to do was to recover sight to physically and spiritually blind eyes. Many of us, like my new friend, have physical sight, but are nearly blind with our spiritual eyes.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.” One of the ways God restores our spiritual eyesight is through His Word. Without it in our lives, we can’t see the next step in front of us or the path before us. His Word illuminates both giving us sight so we can know what decisions to make and where He is leading us. It’s great to have physical sight, but how much greater to have spiritual sight! If you’ve noticed your vision getting worse or feel like you can’t see your next step, ask God to restore your spiritual eyesight. Then get into His Word as often as you can, nit just to read it, but to understand it and to hide it in your heart. When you do, you’ll find your real sight restored.

Thanks to Timothy Eberly @timothyeberly for making this photo available on Unsplash 🎁

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December 20, 2022 · 5:43 AM

Reviving Your Future

I shared with a friend recently about a time in my life when I had lost all hope. My dreams were over, my future was shot and anything that was important to me seemed to be leaving my life. It was a dangerous place to be. With no hope and dead dreams, my mind began to devise plans that were no good and would put me in prison the rest of my life. I remember thinking, “What does it matter if I go to prison? I have nothing to live for outside of it.” Fortunately God broke through in that time. He sent word to me from someone I didn’t know. He said, “What looks like an end is really a beginning. You are not alone. I’m with you. Where I am taking you, you will experience more joy than you’ve ever known.” In that moment, hope returned and my future was revived.

In Ezekiel 37, Israel had been captives in Babylon for a long time. They had given up hope of returning to their homeland. Their future seemed dead as they looked at their current situation. That’s when God took Ezekiel to a valley of dry bones. God asked him if the bones could live again. I’m sure in his mind, he was thinking there was no way, but he responded that only God knows. God had him prophesy and speak life into these dry bones that represented Israel’s future. Suddenly the bones started rattling and coming together. Sinew and muscles wrapped around the bones and then flesh. An entire army of people stood before him that came to life when he spoke to the four winds to breathe into them. Then in verse 11 God said, “Mortal man, the people of Israel are like these bones. They say that they are dried up, without any hope and with no future” (GNT). He then revived their future by promising to take them out of captivity and back home.

Lamentations 3:21-26 says, “Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope. The Lord is good to everyone who trusts in him, So it is best for us to wait in patience—to wait for him to save us.” If you’re feeling hopeless today, hope can and will return when you remember that God sees you and will move on your behalf. Your future is in His hands, not yours or anyone else’s. He take ends and makes beginnings. He make rivers in the desert. Begin speaking to your dry bones and ask God to bring your future back to life. Dreams you thought were dead can live again. A hopeless future can be full of life again. You may not think it now, but God knows it. Wait with patience and trust in Him, then the future He has for you will revive.

Photo by Marta S. on Unsplash

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December 14, 2022 · 5:47 AM

Perfectly Seasoned

Two of my favorite activities are cooking and eating. If I’m not eating, I’m thinking about what I’m eating next. When I’m cooking, I do my best to make sure the food is well seasoned so that it is enjoyed by everyone who eats it. I’ve had my fair share of food that wasn’t seasoned well. Have you ever been served a steak with no seasoning or salt on it? Plain meat is not very good on its own. I’ve also had food that was too salty. It’s difficult to eat. It takes knowing your audience and the food you’re serving to know how much seasoning to put. It also takes a lot of practice. I’ve over and under salted before myself. As the person serving the food, it’s worrisome to see when people aren’t enjoying what I’m serving.

In John 8, Jesus was teaching in the Temple when a group of men brought a woman to Him. “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” (NLT) They thought they had the right amount of seasoning in their words because they were quoting God’s Word, but Jesus showed them it was too salty. Jesus replied “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” The men standing there tasted the right amount of seasoning (grace), and they knew it. One by one, they put down their salt shakers and walked away. Jesus then offered that same seasoning of grace to the woman and she walked away changed.

Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive (seasoned with salt) so that you will have the right response for everyone.” You and I can be Biblically right and over seasoned like the men who brought the woman to Jesus. If we’re not careful, we can leave the truth out and be unseasoned as well. In either case, our conversation isn’t attractive or gracious to the one who needs it to be. Finding the balance between grace and truth is hard, but necessary as believers. How we season the spiritual food we present to others can make an eternal difference. Before over, or under salting your conversation, seek guidance from the Holy Spirit. He always knows the right amount of salt we need to season our conversations with.

Photo by Edson Saldaña on Unsplash

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December 13, 2022 · 5:50 AM

Enduring Faith

Part off growing up in the south means going through some crazy storms and hurricanes. Anytime one is on the way, you begin to look at the trees around your house to see which way they’re leaning. Most trees have some pretty deep roots. You don’t have to worry about them. It’s the Oak trees you worry about. These massive trees can be several feet around and 40 feet high. They have long branches too. The problem with them is that their roots grow outward instead of down. They look strong, but any major gust of wind has the ability to knock it over and uproot it. If their roots were deep, we wouldn’t have to worry about how they weather storms.

Jesus liked to tell stories to illustrate His point. He also liked to compare two types of people to show us the differences our choices make. In Matthew 7:24-27 he told the story about two different builders in order to show the difference between those who just listen to God’s Word and those who obey it. The first built his house without a foundation. The walls were simply sitting on the ground. So when a huge storm same, the house fell apart. However, the other builder who applied God’s Word built his house on a firm foundation. When the gusts of wind came from the storm, it was able to withstand them. This story was short, but it tells a great truth about the importance of how we live.

Colossians 2:7 says, “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (NLT). Each of us determine how deep we allow our roots to grow down into Christ by how much of God’s Word we choose to live out. All of us will go through life altering storms at some point. What you’ve built your life on will determine how much they shake you. Jesus called the builder wise who applied God’s Word to their life. Wisdom is knowledge in action in the right direction. Don’t just know or hear God’s Word cherry-picking what you want to follow. Trust what God says and let your faith grow stronger to help you whether any storm.

Photo by chutipon Pattanatitinon on Unsplash

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December 12, 2022 · 5:43 AM

The Blessings Of Obedience

Several years ago I was managing a store. My sales team was doing ok, but not great. I found the person in the district who was making the most money month after month and asked him what his secret was. He told me the mix of products he sells that yielded him double what my team made. I was so excited to share this formula with my team. I wrote it all down and walked them through it. I then said that they would have to trust me for two months before they would see the results. Only one person on my team followed my instructions. Sure enough, two months later his check doubled. After sharing his success, only one other person cared to do the steps necessary even though they knew what it would do for them.

In Daniel 1, the Babylonians had invaded Israel and taken several promising youth captive back to Babylon to serve the king. They devised an eating and learning regime to yield high results in education. The only problem was the eating regime went against the Law God had given them as Jews. Verse 8 says that Daniel made up his mind to follow God’s law over the king’s. This put his life in peril, so he made a deal with the guard to observe him for 10 days. At the end of those days, he looked better than the others who knew God’s laws and chose not to follow them. Then verse 17 says God blessed Daniel by giving him wisdom in literature, philosophy and interpreting visions and dreams.

James 1:25 says, “But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice—you will be blessed by God in what you do” (GNT). There are many blessings God holds for believers who don’t just go to church and hear what the Bible says, but apply it in their lives. Unfortunately so many of us miss out on many of God’s blessings because we aren’t following His laws. Just like in Daniel, they often contradict societal norms. When we choose to follow God’s ways over the world’s and live the way He asks, we open up the pathways to His blessings. Don’t just listen to what the Bible says. Put it into practice in your life. God has so much more for you.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

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December 9, 2022 · 5:40 AM

Using Your Light

In the beginning, things were dark and the world was without form. Then God said, “Let there be light!” He created the light to dispel the darkness and to bring life. He still uses it for those purposes. When Jesus came, He carried that light with Him. He then said that you and I were the light and we were to let it shine. God gave us His light to dispel darkness in this fallen world. We’re to bring light and life wherever we go. Many times God takes us through some of the darkest times so that our light can shine even brighter. Don’t hide your light. This world needs that light as much as it did in the beginning. Use your light to give life to someone today.

Here are some Bible verses on using your light.

1. Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 ESV

2. For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light].

Ephesians 5:8 AMP

3. The righteous are like a light shining brightly; the wicked are like a lamp flickering out.

Proverbs 13:9 GNT

4. The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.

Psalms 119:130 NLT

5. So don’t hide your light! Let it shine brightly before others, so that your commendable works will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 TPT

Photo by Isaac Davis on Unsplash

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December 8, 2022 · 5:30 AM

The Tension Of Today

You and I are constantly living between the tension of our well known past and our unknown future. When we look at our past, we often see the things that can discredit us and prevent us from having a promising future. When we look to the future, it can be overwhelming. There are so many possibilities that many times we experience paralysis through analysis. We don’t always know where that next step is or how to take it. We often get stuck here worried that our past will weigh us down, and fearing that we’re not prepared for the future. It’s a constant struggle that so many of us live with.

The good news is that your past doesn’t change God’s future for you. God has a plan and a purpose for your life. The tension you feel is designed to draw you closer to Him. No matter how close you get to God, that tension will always be there because there’s always another level of faith you can grow into. The deeper your faith and trust in God gets, the more He trusts you with. Jesus Himself told us that when we learn to be faithful in the little things, He will trust us with the bigger things.

Psalm 139:5 says, “You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. With your hand of love upon my life, you impart a blessing to me” (TPT). God has His hand on your life. He has already prepared the path for you to walk down. It’s up to you to step out in faith and trust Him. I love that this verse shows He’s also going behind you to make sure your past decisions that weren’t so great won’t harm you. You can keep moving forward knowing He has your future in His hands. Don’t be afraid of the unknown. Corrie Ten Boom reminds us to never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

Photo by Joshua Woroniecki 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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December 7, 2022 · 5:37 AM

Exposing Your Chains

This past summer, I helped drive our church’s youth to their summer conference. Being a conference junkie, I made sure to sit in on the different sessions. I was shocked when almost every session had to do with mental health and suicide prevention. We never had anything like that, but the kids today are being brought up under different pressures. Social media, texting, internet with access to every piece of information and music apps that let them listen to anything have changed life. Their insecurities and weaknesses are exposed on a worldwide scale rather than in their neighborhood. Bullying isn’t done to their face, it’s done on a keyboard. For the most part, they’ve become afraid to be who they are and live under the pressure of being perfect.

I love the people God used in the Bible. All of them were flawed and God still used them despite their insecurities. Moses had a speech impediment, yet God used him to speak to Pharaoh and set an entire nation free. Elijah suffered from bouts of depression and God used him to perform incredible miracles and draw a nation out of idolatry. Gideon was insecure about who he was, but God called a mighty warrior out of him. I could go on, but none of us are perfect. All of us are human making us flawed. God can use us despite our weaknesses. My pastor likes to say that people are drawn to our strengths, but they connect to us through our weaknesses.

Paul was a person who killed or imprisoned Christians. After becoming a Christian, he suffered the same fate. Philippians 1:14 says, “Because of my chains, most of the brothers have renewed confidence in the Lord, and have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear [of the consequences, seeing that God can work His good in all circumstances]” (AMP). His chains emboldened others to share their faith. The weaknesses that seem to bind you will help encourage others who are going through the same thing. Paul learned to celebrate his weaknesses and insecurities for the sake of the Gospel. He didn’t hide who he was or project an image of perfection. God isn’t looking for perfection from you. He’s looking for you to be who He created, flaws and all, so He can use you to connect with others and encourage them on their way. When you expose the chains of your weaknesses, it sets you and others free.

Photo by Joey Kyber:

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December 6, 2022 · 5:44 AM

A Good Reputation

I was 12 years old when I first read Proverbs 22:1. In the King James it says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” At first I thought it was talking about my actual name, but then I found out it was talking about my reputation. I remember spending a lot of time thinking about this verse. I decided then that not only did I want a good name, I wanted my name associated with the word “excellence”. As I imagined what that would look like and require, I began to think about how I needed to be intentional about my actions in every area of my life. In serving God, I needed to make sure I lived my life the way Paul described in the New Testament. I needed to follow whatever God said. I knew everything about my reputation would begin right there. I needed to live up to the name “Chris” which means, “bearer of Christ.”

In 1 Samuel 13, Saul was the king of Israel. He quickly gained a reputation as a warrior when he attacked a garrison of Philistines who were oppressing Israel. The people quickly lined up to fight with him and revolt against their oppressors. However, they weren’t going to just walk away without a fight. They mustered their whole army to attack, and Saul began to panic. Samuel, who must have had a reputation for being late, had told Saul to wait seven days and he would sacrifice to God for victory. When he was later, Saul began to worry about what others thought and he offered the sacrifice exposing who he really was. He wanted to have man think more highly of him than God. It wasn’t long before God decided to take the kingdom away from him. He couldn’t be trusted with it in God’s eyes.

Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do” (NLT). God has entrusted the Kingdom of Heaven to us. We need to be intentional in how we live and represent it. Ask God what He wants you to do, how to live and to help you make the most of each opportunity He gives you. Understand that God looks at the heart while people look at behaviors. God doesn’t hold our past against us when we seek forgiveness while people hold it over our heads. Because Jesus has given you a Robe of Righteousness, you have the name above every name attached to you in God’s eyes. People see that too. Seek God’s plan for your life, then be intentional with your decisions and you will bear His name well.

Photo by Samsung UK on Unsplash

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