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May 20, 2025 · 5:35 AM

God’s Training Ground

One of the things God does is shape us in unseen moments. I talk to so many people who share wisdom with me that fought battles in obscurity. One person recently shared how her mom abandoned she and her brother when she was a teen. She raised him like she was a single mom as she put herself through college and taught Sunday school. Her husband told me that he found out about that while dating her. He realized the character she had because she had and knew that was shaping her to be a great mother and wife. She had men who wouldn’t date her because she was raising her brother. Now they have grown children of their own and decades of marriage behind them.

In 1 Samuel 17, Goliath was taunting the army of Israel and defying God. All of their untested and untrained warriors fled in fear. For forty days he came out twice a day challenging them, but no one rose to the occasion until David showed up. In verses 34-36 David told Saul, “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!” (NLT) David’s confidence came from private victories in battles where he learned to trust God. He knew God would show up and defeat the giant.

1 Peter 5:6 says, “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” We often want greater exposure without having through God’s training ground of obscurity. We want public victories without winning private battles. However, we must remain humble and learn to trust God in the dark before He shines the light on us. Obscurity is not abandonment. David’s years of watching sheep even after he had been anointed king, were used to grow and prepare him. He had more private battles to face before he could lead the nation’s army. God will lift you up at the right time. Until then, learn and grow as much as you can in God’s training ground.

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May 19, 2025 · 5:55 AM

Having Self Control

When you hear “self control”, do you think if it being will power? I’ve been in trainings where we were taught to wear a rubber band around our wrist. Each time we exhibited a negative behavior, we were to pull it back and snap it. The pain was to tell our brain to associate that behavior with pain and thereby help our self control in that area. However, Biblically self control isn’t about our willpower alone. It’s about being empowered by the Spirit of God within us to deny our flesh and to say yes to what God is asking of us. Jesus warned us that the flesh is weak, but the Spirit is willing. Self control helps us live by the Spirit.

Saul, Israel’s first king, was a person who lacked self control. In 1 Samuel 13, he was waiting for Samuel to show up and sacrifice to God for victory over the Philistines. The longer Samuel took, the more the opposing army grew. His men began to get disheartened and started leaving. Finally he offered the sacrifices himself. As he finished, Samuel showed up and pronounced judgement on him. Then his lack of self control got him further in trouble when he didn’t kill all the animals, nor King Agag of the Amalekites. He was more worried about what people thought than what God said. He followed his flesh rather than having the self control to trust God. Because of that, the kingdom was torn from him and given to David.

Proverbs 16:32 says, “Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city” (NLT). I’m sure King David taught this lesson to Solomon. We can’t prioritize public success over private discipline. We must learn to produce the Fruits of the Spirit in our life, including self control. In fact, self control is what enables us to produce the other fruits mentioned. Without it, we can’t consistently produce the other fruits. We must be willing to obey God’s voice over our flesh. We must be led by the Holy Spirit in our lives. Our flesh truly is weak, but it’s better to have self control and listen to Him. True success comes from that.

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May 16, 2025 · 6:04 AM

Bringing Peace

In a world full of chaos, restlessness and division, we can choose to stir up those things or we can choose to bring peace. The easier choice is to let our emotions control us and match the emotions of others. However, when we have the Holy Spirit in us, one of the fruits that we are to have evident in our life is peace, not strife. The words we choose, the attitude we have and the posture we take in situations should be one of peace. There is enough chaos in this world. What we need more of is the peace that only Jesus can give. Our lives should bring His peace into every situation.

Here are some Bible verses on bringing peace:

1. How joyful you are when you make peace! For then you will be recognized as a true child of God.

Matthew 5:9 TPT

2. Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that are planning peace!

Proverbs 12:20 NLT

3. When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Proverbs 16:7 AMP

4. Hot tempers cause arguments, but patience brings peace.

Proverbs 15:18 GNT

5. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James 3:18 NKJV

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May 15, 2025 · 5:30 AM

A Conditional Mindset

Have you ever told God, “I’ll go wherever you want me to go, except…”? Or you might have said, “I’ll do anything you want me to, except…” it’s crazy how we sometimes put conditions on our obedience. The truth is that we’ve got a mindset that we’ve adopted on earth that makes us think we can do that. For some reason we’ve bought the lie that we get to pick and choose what we want to obey. You can’t say, “God, I’ll honor you, but I’m not going to honor my spouse or my parents.” To dishonor them is to dishonor God and the commandment He’s given. The mindset that tells God what we are and are not going to do is wrong.

Take Jonah for example. God told him where to go and what to say. He didn’t say anything back to God. He went down to the shore, bought a ticket like he was going and boarded a ship in the opposite direction. His mindset was the kind that said, “I’ll go wherever you want except Nineveh.” God wasn’t pleased with Jonah, nor is He pleased with us when we adopt the same mindset. He might not send a great fish to swallow you so you’ll get an attitude adjustment and a mindset change, but He will try to get your attention so you’ll follow and say what the Spirit leads you to do and say. We can’t forget that He is the potter and we are the clay.

Romans 8:7 puts it plainly what’s happening when we do this to God. It says, “In fact, the mind-set focused on the flesh fights God’s plan and refuses to submit to his direction, because it cannot!” (TPT) When we refuse to submit to God’s direction for our lives, we’ve adopted a flesh driven mindset rather than a Spirit led one. It’s a visible sign of rebellion because of a lack of submission to God. To live by the Spirit is to live in obedience and without conditions to what God says on how to live, where to go and what to say. It’s the way God has asked you and I to live. The next time you find yourself putting conditions on obeying, stop the sentence, repent and say, “I’m your servant. I’ll do whatever you want.” It may not be easy, but that’s what a Spirit led life looks like.

Photo by Aravind Vijayan 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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May 14, 2025 · 5:26 AM

Extraordinary Destiny

Christine Caine was living a normal life in Australia as a youth leader in her church. One year she took her youth group on a mission trip to Greece. While there, they stopped at a store to buy snacks and necessities. It was in that ordinary moment that everything changed. As she was in line to pay, she saw some missing persons posters for kids. God lit a fire in her heart for people who are being trafficked. She started A21, an international anti human trafficking organization that has brought the issue to light, saved countless people and become a well known Bible teacher.

In 1 Samuel 8, the people of Israel rebelled against God and Samuel by asking for a king. Samuel warned them what that would do, but they insisted. In 1 Samuel 9, some donkeys belonging to man named Kish escaped and ran away. He sent his son Saul after them. As he was searching for them, doing an ordinary and mundane task, he encountered Samuel. Before they even met, God had told Samuel that the first king of Israel was coming. Saul’s life changed in a moment while doing a chore for his dad. He was unaware that God was using an ordinary circumstance for divine purposes.

Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them” (AMP). You never know when God is going to show up and change everything in your life. We often look for big moments where the sky opens up and a voice calls down to us, but more often than not, God uses the ordinary to do something extraordinary. He uses a still small voice in the middle of the mundane to touch our heart and reveal our destiny. As you make your way through life today, doing everything on your to do list, be listening for His voice. You never know when God will change your direction and reveal the steps you’re to take.

Photo by Bob Price on Pexels.

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May 13, 2025 · 5:35 AM

The Stone Of Help

Whenever I visit Washington D.C., I make time to stop in at Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse. It’s a few blocks from the Capitol building. Several years ago I read the story of how a church was looking for ways to intersect with the world. There was an abandoned building turned crack house that they wanted to buy. They didn’t have a lot of money and others were bidding on it. After several big prayers and trusting God, they were awarded the building. They created Ebenezer’s. On the coffee sleeves, you’ll find, “SFSG.” It stands for, “So far, so God.” God has helped them along the way, and they keep trusting Him. I go there as a reminder that God answers big prayers and needs.

In 1 Samuel 7, we read the story of when the Philistines returned the Ark to Israel after having taken it in battle. Samuel called all of Israel together to call them to repentance in front of the Ark. the Philistines thought they were gearing up for war and showed up to attack them. They called on God for help and He fought their battle for them. Verse 12 says, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and he named it Ebenezer (stone of help), saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us’” (AMP). That stone became a reminder to the people of Israel that God shows up and helps.

Isaiah 50:7 says, “For the Lord God helps Me, Therefore, I have not been ashamed or humiliated. Therefore, I have made My face like flint, And I know that I shall not be put to shame.” We all need markers in our lives to remind us of times when God showed up and answered a big prayer. Our memories are short and we forget the next time we’re faced with an impossibly. It’s important that we appreciate previous victories from God and also learn to stay dependent on Him for future ones. So far God has helped you. He is an ever present help in our time of need (Psalm 46:1). Revisit the Ebenezers of your life often and keep trusting God to help you.

Photo by Jacob Amson on Unsplash

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May 12, 2025 · 5:35 AM

Seasonal Opportunities

Life is full of seasons. Some only last for a short time, while others seems to go on for years. The writer of Ecclesiastes said there is a time and season for everything. There’s a season to plant, and one to harvest. There’s a season to build and one for tearing down. There’s are seasons of plenty of, and some of scarcity. The writer lists several verses of these seasons in chapter 3. Too many times though, we’re looking to get out of the season we’re in, or we’re simply looking ahead to what’s next. What happens in those cases is that we miss the opportunities God had for us in our current season.

The life of Joseph, found in Genesis 37-50, goes through many seasons in his life. He messed up during the season of being favored by his father. However, he made the most of his season of being a slave in Potiphar’s house. He was promoted because he worked hard during that period. When he was falsely accused and sent to prison for years, he took advantage of that opportunity. He even continued to be faithful after he was forgotten. Eventually the seasons of plenty and famine came. During that time, he took every opportunity available and was reunited with his family.

Proverbs 10:5 says, “He who gathers during summer and takes advantage of his opportunities is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps during harvest and ignores the moment of opportunity is a son who acts shamefully” (AMP). I don’t know what season you’re in right now, but I know God has opportunities for you in it. Don’t be so dismayed or in a hurry to get out of it. You may miss what God has for you. Joseph was able to be blessed and promoted in each season he was in because he acted wisely. We never read of him complaining about the seasons he went through. Instead, we can see how God was with him, even in his season of being forgotten. Today, ask God to show you what opportunities He has for you in this season, and ask Him to help you to take advantage of them.

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May 9, 2025 · 5:56 AM

Life Giving Words

One of the things I try to do is to stop negative words from coming out of my mouth. Our words have a profound influence on our lives and on those we speak to. They have the power of life or death in them, so it’s important to be careful with them. Jesus said He came to give life to us. As a follower of Him, it’s critical that we do the same. We must ask ourselves if the words we’re using are life giving or not. They act as seeds in our mind. They take root, grow and produce fruit in the lives of those who hear what we speak, including ourselves. The book of Proverbs has a lot to say on how important our choice of words is. Take time to ask the Holy Spirit to help you speak life giving words. It will change your life and those you speak to.

Here are some Bible verses on speaking life giving words:

1. Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken at the right time.

Proverbs 25:11 AMP

2. A person’s words can be a source of wisdom, deep as the ocean, fresh as a flowing stream.

Proverbs 18:4 GNT

3. Winsome words pour from a heart of wisdom, adding value to all you teach.

Proverbs 16:23 TPT

4. Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things.

Proverbs 8:6 NKJV

5. The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

Proverbs 18:21 NLT

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May 6, 2025 · 5:33 AM

Bitter To Better

In the book of Ruth, Naomi thought her story was over. She was forced to leave her home due to a famine. While living in a foreign land, her husband died. Some time later both of her sons died leaving her without a way to provide for herself. She tried sending both her daughters in law back to their parents so she could return home, but Ruth famously stuck with her. When they arrived in Bethlehem, people recognized her and couldn’t believe it was Naomi. She replied, “She said to them, ‘Do not call me Naomi (sweetness); call me Mara (bitter), for the Almighty has caused me great grief and bitterness’” (AMP). Even though she felt like her life had turned bitter, people still called her Naomi.

What seemed like the end of her story, was really a new beginning. God was quietly putting the pieces of her new life together. He led Ruth to the field that belonged to Boaz to glean and find food. Her willingness to stick with Naomi impressed Boaz and he protected her. Not only that, he was able to redeem Naomi’s family name, heritage and legacy by marrying Ruth. When they were married and had a son named Obed (worshipper), the town people said, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer (grandson, as heir) today, and may his name become famous in Israel.” Naomi’s life is a testimony that when it seems you’ve lost everything, God can create a new beginning.

Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].” God doesn’t leave us in our pain or loss. He heals our broken heart and bandages our wounds so we can heal. Just like He was working behind the scenes for Naomi, He’s working for you. When we’re blinded by our pain, He sees a future we can’t in that moment. Your story isn’t over when one chapter ends. God uses pain and devastation to birth new life and create fertile ground for new growth. God can take us from bitter to better as we allow Him to heal our brokenness and comfort us in our sorrow.

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

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May 5, 2025 · 5:25 AM

New Life In Christ

Have you ever seen a caterpillar crawl? Their entire existence is earthbound. They are driven by instinct to eat leaves. They live limited lives that lack beauty and freedom until they enter the chrysalis process. Inside the cocoon, the old body dissolves and a new body is formed. There is a form of death in the metamorphosis as the caterpillar ceases to exist. A butterfly emerges from the cocoon no longer limited to crawling. Its wings have vibrant colors that embody freedom. This isn’t an improved caterpillar. It’s a new creation without the limitations of the old life.

Becoming a Christian is much like that. Jesus didn’t come to make improvements to your life. He came to give you new life as a new creation. Before Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus, Saul found his identity in his performance, lineage and knowledge. After his encounter, he became a new person with a new identity. He was no longer defined by his past but by Christ living in him. He was no longer living life being led by his fleshly desires. Instead, he began to live as one who was led by the Spirit of God living in him.

Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (AMP). To be crucified with Christ is to nail our old life on the cross. It’s a daily choice to put to death its desires in our life so we can live as new creations led by the Spirit who lives in you. Jesus died and resurrected to give you new life through Him, and you get to start this new life right where you are. Christianity is not a modification of your behavior, but a metamorphosis of who you are. Now live as a new creation.

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