Tag Archives: Devotion

June 8, 2016 · 5:00 AM

A Dull Ax


I’ve only been burned out a couple of times in my life. The times that I’ve experienced that have come after I’ve done too much for too long by myself. I’m not the type of person who likes to ask for help. My mentality has always been, “If it’s going to be done right, I might as well do it myself.” I get tired of waiting for other people to see the need and pick up the slack, so I jump in and do it. I don’t ask for help because I think people should know help is needed and offer theirs.

Maybe you can relate with that line of thinking. You’ve probably burned yourself out a time or two as well. It could be pride, or it could be stubbornness that keeps us from asking for help. Whatever it is, it costs us too much in the long run. After doing so much, we become like a dull ax. We work harder and harder, but don’t get some as much as we used to when we were sharp. We wear ourselves out exerting too much effort on our own.

Ecclesiastes 10:10 says, “Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed” (NLT). We need to resharpen ourselves from time to time so we can continue to be effective at what we are called to do. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” If you’re feeling like a dull as blade, you need to be sharpened. To do that, you need a friend capable of keeping you sharp.

In order to succeed at anything God calls us to, we can’t do it by ourselves. We are laborers together. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others. Many times people are wanting to be asked instead of feeling like they’re intruding on your work. When we share the load, we halve the burden. When we halve the burden, we stay sharp longer. If you’re getting dull, reach out to someone today and ask them to work with you. You’ll be a lot more successful and stronger.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 7, 2016 · 5:00 AM

Falling Short


Steve Urkel, from Family Matters, famously coined the phrase, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” As I think of the hilarity of that character doing that, I can’t help but think how true that phrase is for so many of us. There’s not a single person on the planet who doesn’t fail or fall. Romans 3:23 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (NLT). No matter how hard we try or what we do, we fall short of the standards God has set for us.

Does that mean we shouldn’t try? Of course not! No matter how many times we fall, God’s grace is there to catch us. However, there are times we fall when we think it’s so bad that God’s grace won’t catch us. We feel ashamed and are unwilling to seek forgiveness because we knew what we were doing was wrong, and we did it anyway. We feel the guilt of letting down God, others, and ourselves. We are afraid to ask for help, and feel like we can’t get back up.

I believe that’s why it’s so important for us to have a Christian friend who can help is in those times. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” We need another believer to help us get back up when we’ve fallen. If we don’t have that, we’ll be like Steve Urkel, but without the hilarity.

We need other people in our life to help us succeed in living the way we are commanded to live. We need them to hold us accountable, to encourage us, and to pray for us. There’s not one of us who doesn’t need someone like that in their life. If you don’t have someone like that in your life, let me encourage you to reach out to someone you know, and can trust, to ask them to be your partner in success. I know it will be mutually beneficial, and you’ll have help to get you back up the next time you fall..

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 3, 2016 · 6:06 AM

Your Reputation


What takes a lifetime to build, but can be destroyed in seconds? Your reputation. As Christians, we should be concerned about our reputation. When people think about you, is “Christ-like” a word they would use to describe you? You and I are called to be salt and light. When I cook, I use salt because it never takes on the flavor of the food. Instead it interacts with the food it’s with and enhances the favors already there. Salt that’s still in the shaker only has the potential to affect flavors.

When people think of you, would they say you enhance their life? Do you bring flavor? We are all known for something by those around us. It’s time we thought of what that is and asked God to help us be more Christ-like. Of course, God’s idea of who we are should be more important to us than man’s. However, you and I have a mission to seek and save the lost. If we have a poor reputation, how will anyone listen to our message. I once heard someone say, “I can’t hear what you’re saying because you’re actions are so loud.”

God is concerned about how we bear His name. Here are some verses that talk about reputation.

1. So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him.

1 Timothy 3:2-4 NLT

2. Conduct yourselves properly (honorably, righteously) among the Gentiles, so that, although they may slander you as evildoers, [yet] they may by witnessing your good deeds [come to] glorify God in the day of inspection [when God shall look upon you wanderers as a pastor or shepherd looks over his flock].

1 Peter 2:12 AMP

3. A wise person gets known for insight; gracious words add to one’s reputation.

Proverbs 16:21 MSG

4. If you are always planning evil, you will earn a reputation as a troublemaker.

Proverbs 24:8 GNT

5. An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.

Titus 1:6 NLT

6. Furthermore, he must have a good reputation and be well thought of by those outside [the church], lest he become involved in slander and incur reproach and fall into the devil’s trap.

1 Timothy 3:7 AMP

7. Practice God’s law—get a reputation for wisdom; hang out with a loose crowd—embarrass your family.

Proverbs 28:7 MSG

8. Fire tests gold and silver; a person’s reputation can also be tested.

Proverbs 27:21 GNT

9. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.

Proverbs 3:3-4 NLT

10. A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank.

Proverbs 22:1 MSG

5 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 2, 2016 · 5:26 AM

World Changing Prayer


In I Timothy 2:1, Paul says, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them” (NLT).When I read those words, I wonder if they challenged Timothy as much as they do me. Paul didn’t tell him to just pray for people he liked. He didn’t tell him to just pray for Christians. He told him to pray for all people and to ask God to help them.

To me, that’s hard to do. Selfishly, there are people that I don’t want God to help. I’m like Jonah a lot of times. I know God’s desire is to bring others to repentance, but I don’t always act in accordance with that. When God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, he disobeyed because he didn’t like them. We know that because later, when God spared the city, Jonah threw a hissy fit. He said, “I knew you were a merciful God. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.”

I wonder if Timothy was beginning to show the same signs. I wonder if he was being selective in who he shared the Gospel with. It’s not up to us to be selective with it or with our prayers. God doesn’t want anyone to perish. When we truly get that, we will start praying for others. We will intercede on their behalf. We won’t hold back from sharing the Gospel because we know that’s what God’s heart is.

God knows we let our human emotions get in the way of His will at times. We let how we feel about someone override how He feels for them. Paul knew the remedy for the situation is to pray for them and to give thanks for them. When we begin to pray blessings on people we don’t like and thank God for them, our vision of them changes. We stop seeing them as humans and start seeing them as souls. We quit looking at their value to us, and see the value God places on them.

I’ve always heard that prayer changes things. One of the biggest things it changes is us. That’s why Paul urges Timothy to pray. He knew as a young minister, he could fall into the trap of being selective with the Gospel. He knew that Timothy needed a greater vision. One that included all men, not just a few. It’s a vision that you and I need today. The way we get it is to begin praying for all and asking God to help them. If we truly want to see the world changed, we have to get on our knees and spend some time interceding. 

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

June 1, 2016 · 5:00 AM

You Are Not Forgotten


Despite what some people would have you believe, being a Christian doesn’t mean everything in your life will be fixed. You won’t win every battle, get every promotion, get rich, be the most attractive, be admired by everyone, or be free from problems and stress. Those are not promised to us for being a Christian. In fact, Jesus put it this way in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (NIV).

In my life, I’ve been defeated, hurt, abandoned, broke, and sucker punched. Those things didn’t make me less of a Christian. Instead they revealed how deep God’s grace is. When I’ve lost battles I desperately wanted to win, I found the peace that passes understanding. When I hit rock bottom and all my hope was gone, I found a firm foundation on which I could rebuild. The hardest times in my life didn’t make me less of a Christian. I would argue they made me more of one.

No matter how defeated I’ve been or how hopeless I’ve felt, God has used the struggle to strengthen me and my faith. He has brought healing to my deepest wounds and restored what the locust had stolen. His grace has been sufficient when my strength was gone. His love has endured through every trial and test. When my faith has failed, He was graciously patient with me and restored it. When I’ve lost battles I should have won, He gave me the strength to fight again.

Psalm 136:23 says, “He did not forget us when we were defeated; his love is eternal” (GNT). Of all the promises in God’s Word, this is one I hang on to. When I’m defeated, He will not forget me. He won’t abandon me and leave me to drown in self pity. His eternal love will restore my soul, fit the broken pieces back together again, and be able to use me no matter how badly I’ve failed. In my weakness, I’ve found that He is strongest in my life. No matter what you face or are going through, God will not forget you. That’s a promise you can hold on to. 

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 31, 2016 · 5:53 AM

Motivated To Change


What do you think is a more powerful motivator, pain or pleasure? If you think pleasure, let me ask you why you’re going to work today instead of going on vacation? It’s because the threat of the pain of losing your house, car, and belongings. The thought of that pain will motivate you to go to work instead of going to the beach. Pain has been proven to be a powerful motivator in humans, and it often causes us to do things differently.

At one point in my life, I wasn’t living how I knew God wanted me to. I did things that He considers evil, and I lived my way on my terms. I received several messages from God through scripture and from others, but I ignored them. I knew the things I was doing were wrong, but lacked the will power to stop. I kept pressing forward against God disregarding the consequences of my actions.

Then, one day, everything in my life started to crash down and implode. God started removing the things in my life to get my attention. If you don’t know, I’m a pretty stubborn person. I was a lot like Jonah. I kept going in the wrong direction despite the raging storm. I waited until all was lost before I decided to toss my selfishness overboard, admit I was wrong, and ask for forgiveness. It’s was very humbling, but effective in getting me to turn my life around.

Proverbs 20:30 says, “Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways” (GNT). For me, that’s what it took. God broke me by sending me through so much pain I wanted to end it all. In the end though, I changed paths and now listen when He speaks. I don’t wait for the painful experiences to change the parts of my life He wants changed. Each of us have a choice when God speaks. We can change or we can keep on doing what we are doing. Like a good parent though, He will use whatever is necessary to get us to change our ways depending on how much motivation we need.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 30, 2016 · 5:00 AM

Memorial Day Prayer


I heard a statistic that one third of all Americans don’t know that Memorial Day is the day we stop to remember those who gave their life in the line of duty. It was frustrating to hear that. If you have a loved one who died in service to this country, I say, “Thank you.” I may never understand the sacrifice they made for me and my family, but I’m eternally grateful.

Here is a Memorial Day prayer offered by my friend Michael Moak. You can follow him on twitter here.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to you this morning to invite your blessings, love, power, and presence to inhabit my home, my family, and my choices today.

However, before I continue I would like to take a moment to express the deep gratitude, humility and thankfulness that we feel for your many blessings upon this great nation.

Thank you for allowing we, the citizens of the United States of America, the privilege of living in the greatest nation on Earth. Thank you for empowering us with the knowledge and resources to build the most powerful democracy in the world and greatest military force on the face of the planet. As we celebrate Memorial Day, we pause to thank you for the brave and courageous men and women that have gone before us and laid down their lives as the foundational stones that support the freedom that we now enjoy!

We thank you for the committed men and women that currently serve with faithful and tireless dedication to uphold the liberty, justice and freedom for all that we call the “American dream” and ask you to be with them and their families today. And we thank you for the generation ahead of us that will heed the call and take up their duty to defend and serve the constitution of the United States of America!

It is those freedoms and privileges that allow us to worship in powerful religious expression. The Bible tells us in…(Psalm 37:23 NKJV) “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.”

Therefore, I know that you have ordered my steps and the steps of every other follower of Christ across planet Earth. I ask that you would grant your people favor in the areas of government offices, school campuses, and community events. Raise up a remnant that will continue to honor and proclaim your name and bring glory to your kingdom through powerful acts of service to those who need your love the most. Help us to not forget the widows, the poor, the orphans and the homeless as they are dear to your heart. Help us to raise this generation of children to love and obey your Word so they might fulfill your will for their lives!

So, once again I invite you to help me as a father to my children, a husband to my wife, and a pastor to represent your name with honor, integrity, and love. May this day be full of joy and laughter. We ask all these things in the mighty name of your son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

May 27, 2016 · 12:14 AM

Being Dedicated


“Dedicated” is a word we use a lot in Christianity. We dedicate our lives to God. We dedicate our children to the Lord. We dedicate songs, work, and other things to Him as well. I often think of it is giving something to Him, but it’s deeper than that. To dedicate our life to Him is to have a single-minded loyalty to Him. We can’t say we’ve truly dedicated our life to Him when we split our loyalty between what He wants and what we want.

James 1:8 put it like this, “Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do” (NLT). Either we are dedicated to Him singular in purpose, or we live lives that are unstable. God’s desire is that we live our lives dedicated to Him with a single-minded mentality. He wants us to trust His plan for our lives and His way of living. Anything less allows instability and chaos.

I have been hearing God’s call to us as believers to truly dedicate our lives to Him. This week, I’m sharing scriptures on being dedicated.

1. Those who make themselves clean from all those evil things, will be used for special purposes, because they are dedicated and useful to their Master, ready to be used for every good deed.

2 Timothy 2:21 GNT

2. [Come] and, like living stones, be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood, to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:5 AMP

3. Think carefully before you promise an offering to God. You might regret it later.

Proverbs 20:25 GNT

4. One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.

Acts of the Apostles 13:2-3 NLT

5. Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth. I sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. And for their sake I dedicate myself to you, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to you.

John 17:17-19 GNT

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

May 25, 2016 · 12:06 AM

Putting Out The Fire Of Anger


One of my favorite activities is camping, and one of the first things you have to know when camping is how to build a fire. Equally important is how to put out a fire. There are two ways to do that: quit putting logs on it or add water. By not putting logs on it, you let the fire burn to a slow death. Ive learned that even though there’s not a fire present, there are still embers below the ashes that can easily be ignited into a fire. To prove it, I like to go out in the morning, grab some small wood pieces, and start a fire with no matches. The “don’t feed the fire any logs” method isn’t the best way to put it out.

The best way is to apply water. Even though you add water and the flames die down, the same thing happens here as when you withhold logs. There are still embers beneath the surface that can be ignited. You must pour some water, stir the ashes, and pour more water until the fire is out. Putting out fires is a skill that we should learn. If you don’t do it right, you run the risk of starting a new fire and creating a lot of damage. Many of the most damaging forest fires were started by a small ember campers thought were put out.

The same way you put out a fire is the same way you help get rid of anger. You can choose to hide from the person who’s angry or you can calm the anger with words. Avoiding a person who is angry simply lets their anger boil under the surface. It can easily be reignited with the smallest things. All may look well on the surface, but underneath the ashes of the aftermath are embers waiting to be given fuel to grow. Yes, you may need to step away from the situation to allow both sides to cool down, but I don’t recommend this method for resolving situations.

Proverbs 15:1 gives us the real answer. It says, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare” (NLT). Your response to someone’s anger determines whether the situation escalates or is put out. Arguing back is like putting another log on the fire. Offering a gentle response is like adding water to a fire. You’ll have to keep your composure and continue offering soft answers until it is resolved. One answer won’t repair the situation immediately. It requires continued patience, understanding, and gentleness to help calm the anger in others. If you leave it unresolved, you may create a fire that gets out of control and causes irreparable damage. 

4 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 24, 2016 · 12:01 AM

Run To The Poor


One of the most well known parables of Jesus comes from Luke 15:11-32. It’s the story of the Prodigal Son. Before you quit reading, I want to look at this story a little differently than before. As you know, he took his inheritance early, moved away, and wasted it on wild living and prostitutes. In verse 16, he was so broke and hungry that he had to feed pigs and even their slop looked appealing to him. The end of that verse tells us everything: “But no one gave him anything” (NLT).

Here’s a guy, who when he had money, was throwing it around. He was surrounded by people who enjoyed him buying their drinks, paying for their meals, and throwing parties they would attend. When he was broke, hungry, and homeless, those people were nowhere to be found. Why? Because we despise people who are poor. We enjoy being around people who have money and are generous with it, but we tend to hide from the poor, especially if we know them.

Think about it. Even his own brother despised him because he was poor. In verse 28, it says, “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in.” When his father asked why, part of his excuse was that his brother had squandered his money. When the chips are down, sometimes even your family avoids you. Most of us have been at this point in our lives. Broke. Hungry. Hurting. What happened? As the country song by Tracy Lawrence goes, “You find out who your friends are.”

Proverbs 14:20-21 rejects the kind of behavior that runs to the rich and hides from the poor. It says, “The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many ‘friends.’ It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor; blessed are those who help the poor.” To me, the parable of the Prodigal Son is as much about us running to the poor as it is about our Father running to us when we confess our sins. If you know someone who’s had a bad turn of events, quit avoiding them, and find a way to run to them in their time of need.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,