Tag Archives: Christianity

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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November 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.

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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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November 7, 2023 · 5:43 AM

Opportunities To Grow

Every winter I prune back my crepe myrtle trees so they will grow tall and bloom in the spring. While I’m cutting back the branches, I wonder if they think I’m not a good caretaker because of the pain they’re going through. I wonder if they think that I don’t care what happens to them because they’re going through so much loss. Then I start to wonder why we do that to God. When things aren’t going right, when things cause us pain and when we suffer loss we wonder if God is good. We wonder if He even cares about us or sees the pain we’re experiencing. I’ve laid on the floor weeping in my most painful moments asking God to intervene when in fact He was. I couldn’t see it at the time, but He was pruning my life so I could grow and bloom like never before.

There are two stories in Mark that always get my attention. In Mark 4, Jesus and the disciples get in a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. A crazy storm erupts and the boat starts to sink. They realize Jesus is sleeping in the hull and wake Him. They said, “Don’t you care that we are about to die?” (GNT) Jesus, knowing they weren’t in real danger called the storm. Then a couple chapters Jesus told the disciples to cross the sea and He’d meet them. Another storm arose and threatened to sink the boat. Jesus then walked on the water. Mark 6:48 said it looked like He was going to pass them by. They were afraid and called out to Him. When He entered the boat, the storm stopped. In both of these instances, in both instances He tested their faith and used the opportunities to grow their trust in Him.

Psalm 23:4 says, “Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are with me. Your shepherd’s rod and staff protect me.” Just be a you’re a Christian m it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to walk through dark valleys. It doesn’t mean you aren’t going to experience loss or pain. What it does mean is that you will get to experience the grace of God when you need it most. He will be there with you in the darkness with His rod and staff even when you can’t see Him or feel Him. He works everything (every situation) out for your good. He is for you and will use every situation and opportunity to grow you. What the enemy intends for evil and destruction in your life, God uses as a place of growth. When the enemy tries to close the book on you, God starts a new chapter of hope. Don’t give up in the darkest of valleys. Let your faith arise because God is there and is doing something for your good giving you opportunities to grow.

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October 31, 2023 · 5:46 AM

An Abundant Mindset

If you’ve ever been around someone from the depression era, you’ve seen what a scarcity mindset looks like. Very little is thrown away. They utilize everything to its limit and they’re very frugal. They probably still have their lunch money from the third grade. They never feel like they have enough and it can affect their generosity. By contrast, if you’ve been around anyone born in the last forty years,you’ve seen someone with an abundance mindset. They seem to place little value on what they own because they can just get another one. They’re very free with their money and live in the moment. To them there will always be more than enough. It’s amazing how these mindsets affect every area of life, including generosity, contentment and gratitude.

The disciples had a scarcity mindset. They blocked the little children from coming to Jesus because there wasn’t enough of Him to go around. When they told Jesus to send the people away to eat and He told them to feed them, they looked at how much money it would take and it wasn’t enough. When they had five loaves and two fish, it wasn’t enough. However, Jesus had an abundance mindset and He wanted to teach them a lesson. He took what little they had to show them if they were generous and if they trusted Him, they would have more than enough. After feeding the five thousand, He sent them out with baskets to gather the leftovers. Each disciple had a basket full. It was enough for them to keep giving. He was trying to change their mindset to one of trust and abundance.

In Luke 6:38 Jesus said, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (NLT). Again He was teaching us that we have to get past our scarcity mindset to receive the blessings He has for us. The measure we give is the same measure He uses to bless us with. If we have a scarcity mindset in giving, we will miss out on the abundance of God. If we never feel like we have enough and hold tight to everything entrusted to us, we’re like the guy who buried His talent in the sand. That’s what a scarcity mindset looks like. God will supply all YOUR needs according to HIS riches. It’s not about how much you have. It’s about how much do you trust Him with what you have. When you take what little you have and put it in His hands, it becomes more than enough. Pray about what that looks like for you and ask Him for an abundant mindset so you can experience the overflow.

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October 30, 2023 · 5:48 AM

Filling Gaps

If I asked you what your worst subject in school was, what would you say? Now if I asked you why it was your worst, you’d probably think of some reasons. It could be you didn’t like the teacher. That could be the class that had the most homework in it. Maybe you never did quite understand it and once you got behind, you could never catch up again. When we have a learning gap in a subject, it can create tension, especially if you struggle to fill that gap. Some parents get their kids a tutor to fill the learning gap. Some spend some extra time trying to help their kids. Then there are those who say, “I didn’t like it either. You’re just going to have to live with it.” That person lives with that gap and has a mental block that they may never get past.

Let’s take that same concept and apply it to our faith. There are people in the Bible who had some gaps. In Mark 9 we read the story of a man who had a son that was possessed by a demon. The disciples had a gap in their faith and couldn’t cast it out. When they approached Jesus, the boy went into convulsions and Jesus asked how long had he suffered like that. He told him it had been happening since childhood and asked if Jesus could do anything to help. Jesus said, “What do you mean ‘if’?” He then flipped it on him and said, “If you are able to believe, all things are possible to the believer” (TPT). The man recognized his gap and said, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (NLT)

I Thessalonians 3:10 says, “Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.” Where are your gaps in your faith that you need filled? What are the areas you struggle to understand or grow in? We all have them, but not all of us are doing something to fill them. We become like the student who just lives with the gap and struggles with it their whole life. Once you’ve identified your gap, join a life group that covers that subject, ask your pastor to recommend a book on the subject and seek God for understanding and help like the man in Mark 9. There are lots of ways to grow in the different areas of our faith. You don’t have to live with the gaps. We should be constantly growing and learning in our faith to fill the gaps so we can be have strong roots that grow down deep into Jesus.

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