Tag Archives: daily devotional

April 22, 2014 · 7:47 AM

Nothing Is Too Hard For God

A friend of mine asked me to pray for his brother who was sick and being taken to the hospital. When he told me the diagnosis, I replied, “That’s not too hard for God.” The truth is that there is nothing too hard for Him. When we hear a diagnosis, run out of money, get our hearts broken, lose our job or anything else that affects the way we live, we tend to look at it with our human eyes. We see the impossibility of recovery instead of the God who makes all things possible. We see the negative instead of the positive.

We get so used to walking by sight that we box God in. We tell Him what He can do and can’t do. We limit His ability to make a way where there seems to be no way. We look at the situation we are trapped in and desperately try to find a way out, but all we see are blocked paths. Sometimes that’s the way it is. There’s no way out. “When God closes a door, look for a window” is not in the Bible. God allows us to be in those moments where there’s no way out so that He can show us that He’s still in charge. He wants to remind us that He is able. He wants to grow our faith.

Nothing drives us to our knees faster than being in a no way out situation. Nothing makes us depend on God more than to have no power over a situation. The Israelites were up against the Red Sea when they were leaving captivity in Egypt. Pharaoh and his army were closing in fast. There was no where to turn, no weapons to fight with and panic was setting in. They were exactly where God led them, yet they were cornered into a desperate situation. Instead of crying out to God, they complained and said they would have rather died as slaves than to be killed in the wilderness. They would have rather gone back to a life of sight than a life of faith.

In Exodus 14:13-14, Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent (ESV).” Think about that in the situation you are in today. Don’t fear. Don’t panic. Stay calm and trust God. He will work for you today. Then it says that The Lord will fight for you. He will fight your battle so you don’t have to. You only have to be silent. Just stand back and watch God work.

He sees your situation. In fact, it’s part of His plan for your life. He’s growing you through the tough times. When your back is against the wall and there’s no way out, that’s when God does the most amazing things. It takes us not acting in fear in those times to see the victory. It takes us holding on to God’s Word to get us through. The outcome may not be the way we thought it should have happened, but it will happen the way God intended it to. No one in Israel thought The Lord would part the Red Sea. His answer may not come in the way you think it will, but it will come right on time. Remember, there is nothing too hard for God.

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27 ESV)

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April 18, 2014 · 7:03 AM

Holy Week: Day 6

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Jesus didn’t get to sleep on His final night. The mob had taken Him to Pilate after the Sanhedrin held a mock of a trial and convicted Him. Pilate was wise, but he was also a people pleaser. I learned a lot about him last year and wrote “Playing Pilate”. After He found out that Jesus was from Galilee and not being a person who wanted to condemn an innocent man, he sent Him to Herod who was over Galilee. Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time. Many people think of Jesus as a good man, a prophet or just a good teacher. When we don’t see Him as God’s Son, we dismiss Him so we won’t have to deal with the consequences of condemning Him.

Herod was excited to see Jesus. He had heard about the miracles and demanded to see one. He treated Jesus like a court jester or magician. Jesus only had entertainment value to him. Jesus didn’t say a word even as they mocked Him. The dressed Him as a king to make fun of Him and sent Him back to Pilate. He tried again to release Jesus finding no guilt in Him. The crowd yelled out, “Crucify Him!” Pilate decided to flog Jesus and release Him, but the crowd went nuts. They cried out for Barabbas, the worst criminal they had, to be released instead of Jesus. Pilate argued with them, but to no avail. He released Barabbas and sentenced Jesus to die. Just like the crowd traded the murderer Barabbas for Jesus, we can trade our worst sins in for the work He did on the cross.

Luke 23:26 says, “As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the country side. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. He was taken away from his two sons and led up To the top of Golgotha along with Jesus. You and I are modern day Simons. We are to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus just as he did. We need to crucify our flesh and its desires so that we will do what God’s Spirit wants us to. That cross may lead us away from the ones we love, but we must follow Jesus wherever He leads us.

Verse 32 says that there were two thieves who were led out to be executed with Him. After nailing all three to their crosses, the crowd started scoffing and making fun of Jesus. “He saved others, let Him save Himself if He is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldier joined in and messed with Him. One of thieves called over to Him, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself – and us, too, while you’re at it!” The other criminal protested and said, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes.” He then looked at Jesus with repentance in his voice and said, “Remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” Which thief are you? We are all hanging on a cross. Either we have no fear of God and treat the crucifixion as ordinary or we realize our sins will cause us to miss Paradise and we ask Jesus to let us into Heaven.

At noon, the whole earth was covered in darkness for three hours. Jesus cried out, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands.” He then said, “It is finished!” He gave out His last breath and died. The curtain in the Temple that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The captain of the guard at the cross knelt down and said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” After piercing His side to ensure He was dead, they released His body to Joseph of Arimathea to have it buried before the Sabbath began at sundown.

Just as the Israelites leaving Egypt were backed into a corner at the Red Sea, Jesus, who was leading us to freedom, was cornered. Things weren’t happening in either case the way the people thought. The Israelites thought they were just going to March away free with no problems and the disciples thought Jesus was going to set up an earthly kingdom. There was a barrier to freedom in both cases: the Red Sea. For Israel, He parted it so they could walk through it to freedom and closed it on their pursuer. For us, we have to walk through the Red Sea of Jesus’ blood. It will cover out sins and set us free. We just have to walk through it to get our freedom from our past. God will enclose our sins in His blood, no matter how bad they are. If you have not walked through His Red Sea, all you have to do is pray. Tell Him you recognize what He went through and that it was for your sins. You will be set free from the burdens you are carrying.

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April 17, 2014 · 7:09 AM

Holy Week: Day 5

John 13 – 18 tells us what all happened on Thursday during Jesus’ final week before the crucifixion. It starts at the Last Supper. I think we forget sometimes that this was the Passover Meal. Many Christians don’t understand what all this meal entails because we don’t celebrate it like a Jew would. It is a meal that is eaten in order telling a story taking you from slavery to freedom. I find that interesting since that is what Jesus was doing for us during that particular Passover. He was taking us, who were slaves to sin, to a life of freedom in Him. Because of what He was about to endure, you and I could be set free spiritually.

Jesus also washed His disciple’s feet that evening. If you’ve ever been to a foot washing service, you know how humbling this is. Peter wouldn’t let a Him do it. He pushed back, but Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” Peter then popped back, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” We act like Peter a lot when Jesus tries to do something truly great for us. We resist Him. We resist the work He’s trying to do in our life. We resist when He tries to cleanse us of a sin. We resist when He tries to put us in position to do ministry. Jesus is patient with us though our resistance.

Jesus then instituted the Lord’s Supper, communion or the sacraments depending on how you refer to it. Matthew 26:26-28 tells us that He took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to His disciples. He said, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body which is given for you.” Then He took a cup of wine and gave thanks for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.” Each time you and I partake in this, we are to remember what He did for us on the cross. The price He paid for our freedom was His life. You are worth more than you can imagine.

They then went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives to pray and reflect on the evening. Jesus went to pray by Himself. He asked God if it there was another way to do this. He said, “If it’s possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet, I want your will to be done not mine.” Jesus struggled with the thought of being beaten, being whipped, being hung on a cross, bearing the sins of the world and being separated from the Father. His human nature was trying to walk away from the cross, but He submitted to the Father’s will. He understood that to follow God’s will means we’ll have to give up our will. Through prayer, we can overcome the doubt and thoughts that try to stop us from fulfilling our calling.

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April 16, 2014 · 6:45 AM

Holy Week: Day 4

The Bible doesn’t record any activity for Wednesday during Jesus’ final week. It is silent. We can assume a lot of things, but the truth is that we don’t know what went on. I think it was the calm before the storm. It was that moment of silence before it all broke loose. We assume Jesus was in Bethany where He finished up Tuesday. He could have spent the day preparing for the Passover since it was going to begin shortly. He knew what was coming even though the others didn’t.

I recently watched an interview with Jesse Martin who was the youngest person to sail around the world solo and unassisted. He was 17 years old when he set sail. During the interview, they showed some footage from the documentary “Lionheart” that was made from his trip. In one of those clips, he looks at the camera and says, “Something’s wrong. It’s too quiet. I’ve been watching the barometer and it just keeps falling. It’s eerily quiet out here. I’m going to prepare the boat for the worst and get ready for anything.” He started tying up all loose ends, putting things where they went, securing anything that might be lost as it was tossed about. His instincts were right and his preparations weren’t in vain.

A bad storm came that night and flipped his tiny ship on its side several times. Winds reached 80 miles per hour, the boat was damaged, he lost a couple of things too, but he survived. When asked about how that affected him, he said, “The day after the storm was over was one of my happiest days. I knew that I had survived and was going to make it.” He felt a sense of accomplishment because his losses were minimal and because he recognized that something was wrong and did something about it.

Jesus knew that this was His final week. The barometer was falling and there was a sense that something was wrong. This week was all about Jesus preparing for the storm that was coming. Even though He knew it was coming, His flesh was still very much alive and active. He spent all day tuesday battening down the hatches in the temple. He gave many parables and answered lots of questions to get everyone else prepared for what was coming. On Wednesday, I believe He was finished getting ready for the storm and just spent time with His disciples savoring every moment. He was all about relationships and He knew what Thursday evening would bring.

God is not afraid of silence and neither should we. If you’re in that moment before a storm in your life, make preparations now. If you feel a storm brewing and it’s eerily calm, trust in God to get you through. The storm is on His radar and He’s given you insight so that you can prepare. If you aren’t sure how to prepare, spend time in prayer. Read the Bible and put God’s Word in you. It will act as an anchor to hold you through the storm. You may get knocked over, the winds may beat against you, and you might even sustain some damage. Storms don’t last forever though. You will emerge stronger and happier because you will know that through Him, you can survive anything.

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April 14, 2014 · 6:48 AM

Holy Week: Day 1

This week I’m going to follow the last week of Jesus before His crucifixion. I believe there are some important things that we can find when we trace His final steps. It started and ended on a Sunday and that’s what I’ll be covering. Yesterday was Palm Sunday. We also know it as the triumphal entry. Jesus was coming from Bethphage and He sent a couple of disciples over to a nearby village. He told them there would be a donkey and her colt, and then He asked them to bring them to Him. He said to tell anyone that asks, “The Master needs them.”

I think the donkeys represent you and I. We are stubborn at times. We don’t always want to do what God asks us to do when He asks us. We are tied up with things that prevent us from doing everything we could do for God. It takes one word from Jesus to set us free. Others may try to stop us and keep us from serving the Master, but He needs us. We’ve got to learn to be obedient when He asks and live our lives so that we won’t get entangled by the things of this world.

The next thing Jesus did was to ride the colt into Jerusalem. As He did, people began to take off their cloaks and lay them on the street in front of Him. Other climbed trees and cut down Palm leaves to lay in His path. As He rode through the city, they cried out, “Hosannah to the son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of The Lord.” As I think about the clothing being laid in the streets, I think of God’s provision. In Matthew 6, Jesus said, “If God clothes the grass of the field, will He not much more surely clothe you?” We have to learn to recognize that what we have has been given to us by God and we need to lay it at His feet to give back to Him.

Jesus then rode the colt all the way to the temple. When He went in, He became angry and drove out “all who bought and sold in the sacred place.” He said to them, “The Scripture says, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer.'” In the New Testament, our bodies are the temple. They are sacred and should be treated as such. We should think of the things we allow in them that would upset Jesus. What do we put in our minds, our hearts or our souls that keep us from being houses of prayer? What are the things that distract us from communing with God. We’ve got to chase those things out of our lives and return to prayer.

In Jesus’ final week before the crucifixion, He started setting the donkey free to use it. He then accepted the praise of His people as He rode through. From there, He cleansed the temple setting the stage for the week that was to come. For us, we can reflect on that to see how God wants to use us. We can look into our lives for the things that tie us up. We can look at all we have and offer it back to Him as a praise offering. Finally, we need to let Him cleanse our temples. Ask Him to show you things in your life that need to be cleansed. There is so much God wants to do for us and through us, but we’ve got to be free and ready when He comes.

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April 9, 2014 · 7:53 AM

Calling Me Out Of Darkness

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Lord,

I want to say, “Thank you,” because you’ve given me another day to walk this earth. It’s not something I take lightly or for granted. Because of what you set in motion so long ago, the sun came up this morning. Sometimes it reminds me that I have so much to do. Sometimes it reminds me of the problems I have to face. Sometimes it’s an unwelcome light because the night was too short. Each time it rises though, it reminds me that you are in control of everything that goes on in my life and in this world.

I know that because you live in me, there is nothing I will face today or any day that is stronger than me. There is nothing that is able to defeat me because you are greater than anything that will ever come against me. Sometimes I lose sight of that and start to feel defeated. Sometimes I think that the whole world is crashing down and it will take me down with it. In those times, I ask that you would remind me of your promise to never leave me nor forsake me. Remind me of who I am in you. Remind me that I am more than a conqueror through you.

When I think of the story of my life, I think of all the ups and downs, the good times and the bad times. Through it all, you have constantly been by my side. At times I couldn’t see your hand at work. All I could see were the problems that had me closed in on every side. Looking back, I can see your hand on me even in the darkest of nights. I can see that you were developing me and pushing me to grow closer to you. Like a seed under ground struggling to break through the dark, dirty soil trying to get to the light, you were using the dark times to strengthen me and to push me toward your light.

I have always grown the most when I couldn’t see the light. It was hope that helped me push through the hard places. At times it seemed like I would never come out of the darkness, but you were there with me, encouraging me, pushing me and calling me into your marvelous light. You weren’t content to leave me as a seed sown in soil laying dormant. Your plan for my life is to use the dark places to grow my roots in you. To make me stronger once I reach the light. To have me firmly planted so that when the winds of life blow and the rain beats down on me, I’ll look back, remember what you’ve done in my past and my roots will hold strong.

I don’t know what the future of my story looks like, but with each sunrise, you give me one more day to live it out. You give me one more chance to trust you, to open up and share your beauty. Keep writing my story as you always have. Keep giving me opportunities to grow and to trust in you more. Let the water of your word feed me and strengthen my roots. Let your face shine on me and draw me closer to you. Let the story of my life show that you are a faithful God who never abandons His children and calls them out of darkness into light. I love you with everything in me.

Thank you for all you have done and are going to do in this story.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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April 8, 2014 · 7:52 AM

Wreck Me, Jesus

I was touched this week when I watched a video of Carlos Whittaker trying to make a music video. The video shows them setting up to shoot his video and the beginning of him singing his song “God of Second Chances”. Not long after he started singing, a homeless man walks onto the set in front of the cameras to listen. Instead of stopping the song and asking him to leave because he’s messing up the shoot, Carlos sings to the man. After a few seconds, the man kneels and begins to cry. Not long after that, he joins in on the song and freestyles a new verse.

It’s a beautiful video to watch, but it challenged me as a Christian and a person. I’m a perfectionist and want things to happen the way I imagine them. I’m quick to bulldoze people that get in the way of what I’m trying to do or who mess it up. I rarely look at them the way Carlos looked at this man. He didn’t quit playing and ask him to get off the set. He didn’t pout and say, “Dude, you’re ruining this.” Instead, he turned away from the camera and played for an audience of one. He was sensitive enough to God’s spirit to recognize this man needed the song more than he needed to record it.

I’m sure you’ve read similar circumstances of a homeless man walking into a church and sitting in the aisle. People started to murmur and complain. Finally one went to a deacon and asked him to do something. The deacon walked up to the man and sat beside him for the rest of the sermon. Another story I heard of was how a prostitute in Vegas went into a church and got saved. She was so excited, she brought several other prostitutes the next week. The people in the church were worried about their teenage boys and husbands. They told the pastor, “Do something or they’re going to wreck what we’ve got here. They’re going to mess things up.” The preacher said, “I hope they wreck us.”

You see, hearing these stories and watching this video are reminders to me that I’m not that different from the Pharisees. I like to think I am, but in these situations, I would have acted just like them. I wouldn’t have had the patience of Carlos, the sincerity of the deacon or the audacity of that pastor to look beyond the physical to see the spiritual needs. I let my schedule, my dreams, my ideas, my visions and my preconceived notions override the spirit of God in me. I get caught up in trying to do everything right for God, that I forget to do what’s right for God. Jesus spent a lot of His time doing things that upset people with my mindset trying to show them another way.

My prayer today is that God would wreck me and you. May He blast through the things that keep us from really seeing what He’s called us to do. May He tear down our dreams of perfectionism. And may He open our eyes to the lost who need us to be Jesus to them. I hope that each of us will look past the religious ways to do things and start meeting the needs of those that walk onto our set, sit in our aisles and bring their out of place friends into our lives. I don’t want to do things the way I want to do them anymore. I want to do them the way God wants to do them. I want to be more like Jesus in meeting the needs of others and less like the Pharisees. Thankfully, we serve the God of Second Chances and He will help me.

Click here to watch the video I’m talking about.

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April 7, 2014 · 7:43 AM

Afraid Of Silence

One of the things I’ve had to learn to be ok with is silence. At work, when I ask a question, there is often a moment of silence before someone answers. I usually count to 10 in my head before rephrasing the question. Silence either means they’re thinking or I asked in such a manner that no one is clear. Those moments when there isn’t a response are tough. The silence is deafening. It’s as if you can hear each heartbeat pounding in my chest echoing throughout the room. It can be uncomfortable too. That’s why so many people break the silence in rooms.

Sometimes when I pray, God is silent. I ask God a question and all I hear are crickets. That always scares me. I wonder if I have hidden sin or maybe too many distractions in my mind. I wait, but no reply. I wonder if I asked it the wrong way so I’ll try a different way. Still no answer. I’m learning that it’s ok when He doesn’t respond. Being in His presence is enough. He doesn’t have to give an answer to all of my questions. Just because He doesn’t respond, it doesn’t mean He isn’t there.

There are so many times when I desperately need an answer. I cry out to Him, beg for Him to hear me and wait for a response. As time goes by, I become more desperate in my cries for help. I doubt that He hears me or is even with me. It’s like the time in Mark 4:35-41 when the disciples were trying to cross the Sea of Galilee and a storm came up. The disciples cried out for Jesus to help them. They were greeted with silence from Him. Wasn’t He on board? Wasn’t it His idea to cross the sea at that time? Didn’t He care that they were about to die? Didn’t He hear their desperate pleas? Yet all they got in return was silence.

The storm raged on. The waves got higher. The wind became more fierce. Their cries for help grew louder, but Jesus was there with them. He was sleeping in the stern of the ship. His presence should have been enough to give peace in the storm, but they couldn’t find peace in the silence. They went down into the ship and woke Him up. They asked Him, “Don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” We think the same thing when we’re greeted with silence. We think God doesn’t care. In reality, He does. He expects us to trust His presence in storms even when He’s silent.

When Jesus got to the deck of the boat, what was the first word He used? He said, “Silence! Be still!” Jesus called for silence. He wanted it from the wind, the waves and the disciples. He asked them a couple of rhetorical questions. “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” I think He asks us the same questions when we panic at his silence in our storms. I think He wants us to trust in His presence as much as His word. We shouldn’t be afraid of the silence. We shouldn’t let doubt creep in when we don’t hear from Him. His presence speaks volumes. His presence is enough to protect us. His presence is enough to meet our needs. We just have to have more faith in Him.

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April 4, 2014 · 7:44 AM

Choosing Words Of Life

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It’s Free Friday! Today is the day you let go of the things in your life that keep you down or hold you back from all God has for you. To celebrate, I’m giving away a copy of “Epic Grace: Chronicles of a Recovering Idiot” by Kurt Bubna. Keep reading to find out how to enter.

My friend, who is a missionary in Haiti, was talking to me about the orphans he’s helped rescue. He was telling me about one of the new children who was abandoned along with her siblings and left in their home to fend for themselves. She is paralyzed and was lying in her own filth naked when they rescued her. When they got her to the orphanage, the ladies and children referred to her as the crippled girl. They would ask, “Can you bring the cripple over here so we can feed her?” They would say, “Take the cripple outside so she can watch the other kids play.”

He told them, “Her name is Cassandra. Call her by her name, not her disability.” He was met with some resistance because it’s their culture to call people by their disability. Before you get all upset, it’s in our culture too. When we look in the mirror, we don’t always see a child of God. We see someone who is too fat, not good enough or a failure. When we look at our reflection, our mind says, “You need to lose weight. You won’t get the job. You will never amount to anything.” We sit in judgement of ourselves and affect our own attitude about life and God.

We also label other people. “He’s such a liar. Why is she such a drama queen?” We talk about them to other people and tear them down. It’s not just our culture, it’s our sinful nature. It’s bred into us. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit – you choose.” There is great power in the words we speak towards ourselves or towards others. We don’t always think of them as bringing life or death, but that’s what this proverb tells us. It concludes with, “You choose.” We have the power to speak life into the person in the mirror and to others.

One day, Jesus was teaching in the temple and a group of Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus. “Adulterer!”, they screamed out. They looked at Jesus and said, “Moses and the law give us the right to stone this woman to death. What do you say?” Jesus looked down and began to draw in the dirt. They insisted on an answer from Him. After all, she was labeled as an adulterer. Jesus looked past her failure and up at them. He said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.” With that, He began to draw in the dirt again. When He looked back up, it was just the woman standing there. He asked where the people who had labeled her were. Jesus smiled and said, “Didn’t even one of them condemn you? Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

We don’t know what Jesus was drawing on the ground. Was He drawing out the sins of the men wanting to stone her? Was He writing out the positive things about this woman where only she could read them? What we do know is that He didn’t let sin, failure or labels to define this woman. He didn’t let others define her that way either. We need to follow that example. When you see that person staring at you in the mirror, speak positive things about them. “There stand a princess of the King of Kings. There is someone who is the temple of God. There is someone who is just the way God made them.” Change the words you use about yourself and others and you will change everything. You can choose to speak life.

You set yourselves up to judge according to the flesh by what you see. You condemn by external, human standards. I do not set Myself up to judge or condemn or sentence anyone. (John 8:15 AMP)

If you would like to win “Epic Grace” by Kurt Bubna, all you have to do is go to my Facebook page here and “like” it. I will randomly pick one person tomorrow (April 5, 2014) who has liked my page. If you have already liked my page and enjoy reading these daily devotionals, you are already entered. Please invite your friends to like my page so they can receive encouragement from God’s Word too.

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April 1, 2014 · 6:29 AM

Climbing The Mountain

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As I hiked up a small mountain with a group of people recently, I began to see a lot of parallels spiritually. It wasn’t long before others in the group had moved quickly enough up the mountain side and left a few of us behind. We called out to them to wait until we caught up. We wanted to go up the mountain as a group. Every so often they would get pretty far ahead and then wait for us to catch up. It’s the same in this Christian life. For some, it’s easier than others to live. Some people struggle their whole lives trying to live according to God’s ways. It’s important to stop and help others along the way.

There were times along the path where the rocks were loose and slippery. One wrong move and you would slide backwards, fall down or something worse could happen. As we went through these parts, we talked to each other, encouraged each other and showed them which rocks they needed to avoid. At times the person in front, who had a more sure footed place, would turn around and pull the other person up. In this spiritual journey, there are places where our feet slip and we fall backwards. It’s up to us who are behind them to catch them. It’s also important for those who have been through there to offer advice and a helping hand.

As we got closer to the mountain top, it got harder to climb. We needed breaks more frequently. One person in our group said, “Just go on without me. I’ll stay here for a while.” Too many times in life we give up just before our break through. We quit when things get the hardest. Yet in those times, we don’t realize how close we are to experiencing pure joy. We pushed through the desire to quit. We decided that we weren’t going to stop when we were so close to victory. We pushed through the desire to quit and it was worth it. We have to do the same thing in life. Don’t let others quit when they’re so close to victory.

As we hiked the final bit, there was a church being built up there. Members had hiked up too and were praying over the land, the city and the community around there. They were hungry and thirsty for God to move. They made the journey up in order to pray and sing praises. It was beautiful to stand there and listen to them. I have no idea what they were praying or singing, but I recognized the presence right away. God is calling us to pray over our family, friends, neighborhood, community, city, county, state, nation and world. God desires that none would perish. We need to be praying for others who are looking at the mountain of Christianity and choosing whether to climb it or to stay in bed asleep.

While we made it to the top of that mountain, we have not yet arrived spiritually. There are still twists and turns ahead. There are still difficult paths each of us will have to walk down. There will be times of rest and times of pushing forward. We cannot forget why we are climbing this mountain so that we never become content with how far we’ve come. We must keep climbing, keep helping others who are behind us and keep listening to those ahead. Our journey continues. Victory is close. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. The mountain top will be worth the climb.

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