Tag Archives: Devotional

September 16, 2016 · 6:00 AM

Fight Intimidation 


Have you ever been intimidated by someone who was purposefully trying to prevent you from doing something? Intimidation works because it creates fear and fear paralyzed. It’s one of the main tactics the enemy uses against us. Peter told us that our enemy roams around like a roaring lion. What’s more intimidating than a lion? But we often overlook the keyword “like”. He isn’t a lion, but he wants you to believe he is because he wants to intimidate you.

All of us deal with fear and intimidation from the enemy. Paul reminded Timothy that God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear. God gives us a spirit of power. He knew that they enemy would try to intimidate us so He gave us the power to overcome. Remember, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. We don’t have to be intimidated by our enemy. We can stand up to him because we have a greater power at work in us.

Here are some verses to help us to not be intimidated. 

1. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
JOSHUA 1:9 AMP

2. What’s the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.
Luke 12:6-7 MSG

3. They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.
Nehemiah 6:9 NLT

4. I will not be intimidated or afraid of the ten thousands Who have set themselves against me all around.
PSALM 3:6 AMP

5. Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because GOD, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.
Deuteronomy 31:6 MSG

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September 15, 2016 · 6:18 AM

How To Fulfill Your Purpose

Over and over again as I talk to people, I hear the same thing. They say, “I want to do something that matters. I want to be fulfilled.” I think God put in each one of us the desire to live a life of significance. He designed each one of us for a purpose. You can always tell when people have found theirs. They have passion and vision. People want to help them accomplish it too. I’ve met people whose passion is waiting tables and others whose passion is rescuing orphans in third world countries. God gives different passions to different people. 

In reading the book of Nehemiah, I found three questions we can all ask ourselves to find our purpose and to start fulfilling it.

1.   What breaks your heart?

God often uses brokenness to deliver His purpose. For Nehemiah, it came when he heard that the walls around Jerusalem were torn down. Nehemiah 1:4 says, “When I heard all this, I sat down and wept. For several days I mourned and did not eat. I prayed to God” (GNT). When God breaks our heart, He’s preparing us for our purpose. I’m not sure Nehemiah understood why He was weeping at the time, but He knew God was doing something in Him. God was planting a dream in the broken soil of his heart.

2.   What inspires you?

After his brokenness, he prayed for several weeks about it. In our brokenness, we need to ask God, “What do you want me to do?” God put it in Nehemiah’s heart to rebuild the walls. I’m sure he struggled with thoughts like, “I’m the king’s cup bearer, not a construction worker.” While the inspirations God gives us are usually different from our current occupation, God uses where we are to give us what we need to accomplish our purpose. For Nehemiah, God used the king to fund his inspiration. 

3.   Who do you need to tell?

God often puts great dreams in our hearts that we could never accomplish on our own. God rarely gives us something we can accomplish on our own. Nehemiah had to tell the king. Then he had to tell the leaders of Jerusalem. Before he shared his vision with them, he showed them the problem. Afterwards, in Nehemiah 2:28, they responded, “Let’s start rebuilding!” Because he shared this impossible vision with others, they caught it and rebuilt the walls in less than two months. You can’t find people to help you unless you share your purpose.

I don’t know what God has put in your heart to do, but I believe He has a purpose and a plan for each of us. He makes no accidents. He formed you in your mother’s womb, called you by name, and creates you for a purpose. If you will find what breaks your heart and ask God what He wants you to do about it, I believe He will inspire you to accomplish His will. You’ll need to share that vision with the right people, and God will help you accomplish it. 

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September 14, 2016 · 6:54 AM

Cheating God


I once heard of a man who worked as a construction foreman. He worked for the same man his whole career. When it came time to retire, his boss asked him to build one more house. Reluctantly he agreed. On this particular house, his heart wasn’t in it. He cut corners, allowed shoddy work, and didn’t take his time to do quality work. All he could think of was retirement, so he wanted to build the house quickly. 

When the house was finished, the boss came out to do a final walk through as was their custom. When he pointed out things here and there, the foreman made excuses. At the end, he asked him if he was happy with his work. He said he was. Then the owner said, “Thank you for doing this last house got me. You have done great work in all the years you have worked for me. I want to thank you for your hard work and faithfulness by giving you this house.” The foreman showed appreciation, but in his heart, he remembered how poor of a job he did.

In Malachi, God was upset because they were offering poor sacrifices. They offered blind, diseased, and crippled animals to God. When God called them out on it, they asked how they had defiled his altar. In Malachi 1:12, God said, “You dishonor my name with your actions” (NLT). Then in Malachi 3:8, He said, “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.” Just like the foreman, they offered shoddy offerings to God. Their heart wasn’t in their gifts to God. 

I’ve heard it said that our talents are God’s gift to us. What we do with them are our gifts to Him. Beyond our gifts of money, our actions are a gift to God as well. What kind of offering are you giving God? Are you cutting corners, offering shoddy work, or lowering the quality of your work? Are you being thankful to God for the gifts He’s given to you? Psalm 50:23 says, “But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” We can’t afford to cheat and dishonor God through our actions any more. 

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September 13, 2016 · 5:32 AM

How To Make Better Decisions 


Through the years, I’ve worked with a lot of people. The ones that have always worried me are the ones who make their decisions based on emotion instead of logic. When a crisis happens, the ones who make emotion decisions react to the situation. They don’t think of the outcome or the consequences of their actions. They simply let fear, or another emotion, make their decision for them. On the other hand, there are those who don’t react to the situation. They think through the ramifications of their choice, look at the end result, then make their decision. 

I find that I try to be the latter, but often end up in the first category. I can let fear make my decisions for me instead of what I want the end result to be. When I feel like I’m making a decision based on emotion, I try to find an objective person in my life who can help me make the non-emotional decision. I think we all need someone like that. Peter had Jesus. Fortunately for Him, Jesus could rebuke him in love or heal a man’s ear.

Today though, I want to look at Esther. As queen, she had a certain level of influence over the king. But when trouble came and the Jews were facing genocide, she started to make her decision based on fear. Her cousin, and foster parent Mordecai, told her she needed to talk to the king on behalf of all Jews. In Esther 4:11 her emotional response was, “All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days” (NLT). Fear was dictating her response.

Mordecai offered wisdom though. He helped her see past the fear to make the best decision. In verse 14, he told her, “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” With his help, she was able to make the hard decision to face the king no matter what. She was able to look at the outcome instead of her fear. In the end, the Jews were saved and Esther has been honored ever since.

We all need to recognize how we make our decisions. Yes, God gave us emotions, but they’re not always the best things to use when making lasting decisions. We each need that person in our life who helps us make the godly decision that’s based on the outcome God wants. Don’t let fear keep you from choosing the path God has for you. Find a godly person who is objective and can ask you the right questions. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.”

Who is that person in your life? If you don’t know, start with your pastor or a church leader.

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September 9, 2016 · 5:00 AM

Turning Mountains Into Molehills


In my life, I’ve been successful at turning molehills into mountains. There have been things that were no big deal in the grand scheme of things that I have lost sleep over. I’ve also allowed true mountains to make my faith waiver. There are times in life when we are faced with insurmountable odds and impossibilities. Those mountains look over us and block our view of God. Our mind reasons that we have no chance of success so we shouldn’t even bother trying. Those always make our faith seem so small.

God knew that we would feel that way at times and is able to make molehills out of our mountains. Mark Batterson,one of my favorite authors, says we shouldn’t tell God how big our mountain is. We should tell our mountain how big our God is. It’s all about perspective. Jesus even told us that we didn’t need a lot of faith to be able to cast mountains out of our path. We don’t have to have the ability, we just need the faith to believe God is able.

Here are some Bible verses about mountains turning into molehills.

1. For who are you, O great mountain [of human obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who with Joshua had led the return of the exiles from Babylon and was undertaking the rebuilding of the temple, before him] you shall become a plain [a mere molehill]! And he shall bring forth the finishing gable stone [of the new temple] with loud shoutings of the people, crying, Grace, grace to it! 
Zechariah 4:7 AMPC

2. A voice cries out, “Prepare in the wilderness a road for the Lord! Clear the way in the desert for our God! Fill every valley; level every mountain. The hills will become a plain, and the rough country will be made smooth. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it. The Lord himself has promised this.”
Isaiah 40:3-5 GNT

3. I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.
Matthew 17:20 NLT

4. The mountains take one look at GOD And melt, melt like wax before earth’s Lord.
Psalm 97:5 MSG

5. “Look, O mighty mountain, destroyer of the earth! I am your enemy,” says the LORD. “I will raise my fist against you, to knock you down from the heights. When I am finished, you will be nothing but a heap of burnt rubble.”
Jeremiah 51:25 NLT

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September 8, 2016 · 5:00 AM

A Change Of Clothes


I can easily recall several times in my life when my clothes were so filthy I couldn’t wear them inside. I was playing in the woods as a kid once, and i found a bucket of tar. I popped the lid off and had a lot of fun…until I got home! When I was 16, I got a job washing garbage trucks. Yes, they wash them each night like you wash your car. My clothes were so nasty, I had to ride on the back of the truck and change out of them in the garage. Also, when I was 20 years old, I visited a church in Garbage City, Cairo, Egypt. My clothes smelled so putrid that it made people sick to smell them.

Why am I telling you this? It’s because spiritually we wear clothes very similar to each of those situations. Isaiah 64:6 says, “We’re all sin-infected, sin contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags” (MSG). The Amplified Version calls them “polluted garments”. Our efforts to be good in order to get to Heaven look and smell like the clothes I was wearing on those days. Our efforts will never change our spiritual clothes. That’s something only God can do.

Zechariah had a vision of Joshua, the priest and leader of Israel. He was standing in Heaven before God and Satan was there to accuse him. Zechariah describes it this way in chapter 3 verses 3 and 4, “Joshua was standing there, wearing filthy clothes. The angel said to his heavenly attendants, ‘Take away the filthy clothes this man is wearing.’ Then he said to Joshua, ‘I have taken away your sin and will give you new clothes to wear’” (GNT). Where our works create filthy rags, God’s work clothes us in righteousness.

Isaiah 61:10 says, “I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels” (NLT). It is God who dresses us. It is God who does the work of salvation. We simply need to present ourselves to Him, recognizing our clothes are filthy, and ask Him to change our spiritual clothes. God can take our putrid, sin stained clothes and exchange them for righteousness. Then we won’t have to ride in the back of the truck or hide in the garage. We will be able to approach His throne of grace with all boldness.

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September 7, 2016 · 5:00 AM

A Potential Harvest


A year ago, I bought several bags of seeds so I could teach my son the importance of sowing and reaping. Our garden is small and I could only plant a portion of the seeds. From the ones we planted, we got cucumbers, jalapeños, tomatoes, and a watermelon. From the ones we didn’t plant, we didn’t get anything. In fact, they’re still in their bag and haven’t produced anything. The potential is there to grow, but until they’re taken out of the bag, planted, and watered, they will only be seeds with great potential.

You and I are like those bags of seeds. As long as the seeds are in us, they only have the potential to do great things. Jesus called you and I to be sowers. We are to broadcast the seeds that are in us. They will never grow unless we disperse them and water them. We weren’t meant to just have potential. We were created to meet it and even exceed it. God can’t bless a seed that hasn’t been sown, and He can’t force us to plant. If we are willing to, He’s promised to bless it.

In Haggai 2:18-19, God said, “I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you” (NLT). God wants you to know that before you ever sow one seed, He has already blessed it. Before there is a harvest, God guarantees a blessing if we will simply do the work of a sower. He has placed potential in each one of us, but we have to be willing to let go.

People often ask me how much they should give and what they should tithe on. I offer the same response in the form of a question every time: How much do you want God to bless you? If you only want a little blessing, then give only a little. If you want a big blessing, then give a lot. “Little” and “big” are relative to each person. The widow gave two mites, but Jesus said she gave more than anyone else. God blessed the seeds she planted and we recognize her gift over 2,000 years later.

What seeds are laying dormant with potential in you? Where do you need to plant them? How much do you want God to bless you?

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September 6, 2016 · 5:24 AM

Honoring God


In Haggai 1, God was upset with the Children of Israel for something we still do today. In verses 1 and 9, God makes clear what He’s upset about through the prophet Haggai. He said, “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses” (NLT). God was upset because they were putting their own desires and interests above His.

Were they all that different than we are? God wasn’t upset that they lived in luxurious homes. The problem was a matter of the heart. Once God provided for them, they forgot about Him. They didn’t honor Him as the one who provided for them, rescued them, or protected them. The human condition in us all wants to take credit for everything we have accomplished and to remove God from the equation. When that happens, we fail to do the things that honor God. It shows in how we treat Him and in how we live.

For them, the temple still laid in ruins. For us, we don’t give tithes, we don’t give Him thanks, or fail to commune with Him unless it’s a list of needs and wants. God wants more out of a relationship with Him than to be our spiritual 9-1-1 call. He wants to be your friend, He wants to converse with you, and He wants you to recognize that all you have is a gift from Him. Yes, the blessings of God are great, but we can’t dishonor Him by thinking we’ve earned them. We don’t have to build Him a temple to show it, but there are things you can do.

What’s something you can start doing, that you’re not already doing, to honor God for what He’s done in your life?

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September 2, 2016 · 5:34 AM

Lasting Victory


When I was a kid, every Sunday morning on the way to church, we would hear Pastor Earl Banning on the radio. The theme song to his radio program was the hymn “Victory in Jesus”. The chorus went, “O victory in Jesus, my savior forever. He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming blood; He loved me ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing blood.” I can’t hear that song without it taking me back to those days.

There’s a great truth in that song. Our victory is in Jesus, not just over sin, but our victory in general. I’ve fought many battles in my life. I’ve won a lot of them, but I’ve also lost a lot of them. The ones I lost were the ones where I tried to fight alone. I was either too embarrassed or too prideful to go to God for help. I’ve learned that without God’s help, there’s no lasting victory. He’s the one that gives us strength and victory if we are willing to trust Him with the battle.

Below are several verses in the Bible that remind us that lasting victory comes from God.

1. For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!
Deuteronomy 20:4 NLT

2. I praise you, Lord, because you heard me, because you have given me victory.
Psalm 118:21 GNT

3. But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57 AMPC

4. Do your best, prepare for the worst— then trust GOD to bring victory.
Proverbs 21:31 MSG

5. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
1 John 5:4 NLT

6. No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!
Romans 8:37 GNT

7. Only in the Lord shall one say, I have righteousness (salvation and victory) and strength [to achieve]. To Him shall all come who were incensed against Him, and they shall be ashamed.
Isaiah 45:24 AMPC

8. I remind you, my dear children: Your sins are forgiven in Jesus’ name. You veterans were in on the ground floor, and know the One who started all this; you newcomers have won a big victory over the Evil One. And a second reminder, dear children: You know the Father from personal experience. You veterans know the One who started it all; and you newcomers—such vitality and strength! God’s word is so steady in you. Your fellowship with God enables you to gain a victory over the Evil One.
1 John 2:13-14 MSG

9. I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.
Psalms 62:1 NLT

10. The Lord takes pleasure in his people; he honors the humble with victory.
Psalm 149:4 GNT

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September 1, 2016 · 5:00 AM

41 Will Come


Chuck Tate is the author of “41 Will Come”. The theme of the book is: In the Bible, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. But day 41 came, and the rain stopped. The people of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Then year 41 came, and a new generation entered the Promised Land. For 40 days, Goliath bullied Israel and dared anyone to fight him. Day 41 came, and David slew the giant. Do you see the theme? Don’t quit. Don’t give up.

Today’s devotion is my interview with Chuck.

What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned waiting on your own 41?

The greatest lesson I’ve learned during a season of waiting is to trust God no matter what. That’s the bottom line. Trust Him and His Word, but I’ve also learned to trust His timing. There were periods during my “41” journey where I felt as if someone else’s fingerprints would end up my dream. I was tempted to force doors open (due to being impatient), but in the end, I realized God’s timing is better than mine. His ways are better than my ways.

My favorite chapter is “Rawk Stance” because it reminds us that 41 doesn’t come unless we prepare for it. In your opinion, what’s one of the most important things we can do to prepare for our 41 to come and why?

God will always do His part, but if we aren’t willing to do ours, we will miss out on BIG opportunities. The real answer to this question depends on what we are preparing for. David’s time as a shepherd (and practicing with a sling-shot) served as preparation to fight Goliath. My “practice” time writing and blogging served as preparation for drafting my manuscript. The key is working hard on your craft TODAY so you are prepared to seize every moment of opportunity TOMORROW.

What advice would you give someone who has given up on their 41 like you had at one point?

That it’s never too late to dream again and you are never too old start over. The Scriptures are filled with numerous examples of second chances and new beginnings. You serve a God who doesn’t need to consult with your past when mapping out your future. He saw you doing “good deeds” before you even showed up on Planet Earth. Micah 7:8 says, “Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again.” Get up! Dream again. Start over. 

I don’t know anyone who won’t be moved by the story of your mom’s illness. What is your go to verse to “Word Up” with when you’re waiting on a 41 to come?

While my mom was in the hospital, we clung to Isaiah 53:5 (…by His stripes we were healed). Proverbs 24:10 (If we quit when times are tough, our strength is small) and Habakkuk 2:2 (…though the vision seems delayed. Wait for it!) are my “Go to” verses while waiting!

What’s the coolest “41” story you’ve heard since writing the book?

The following Facebook post about a family waiting on a heart transplant for their baby girl: “God is good! Day 41 at 10:10PM we got the call!! After 40 days & 40 nights God has answered our prayers! We have a heart! They believe it is the perfect heart for our Miela!”

How have periods of waiting for 41 to come shaped your life?

By teaching me patience. Ha! I’m joking, but I’m not joking. The periods of waiting have made me stronger. The Scripture that comes to mind is found in James 1:2-3: …when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

In your mind, who would benefit from reading your book?

Anyone who feels hopeless. Anyone in a season of waiting. Anyone who needs their faith fueled to carry on or dream again. Anyone who wants to learn how to hold on and stand strong right now…or in the future.

If there was only one thing someone reading your book could come away with, what would that be? By the way, there are a ton of things to take away. My book is full of highlighted sentences!

First of all, THANK YOU for the encouragement, Chris! I guess if I could have ONE takeaway, it would be this: God is ALWAYS moving behind the scenes…even when you don’t feel like He is. Don’t quit!

This book was written about the 41 that came when David killed Goliath. Which 41 will your next book be about and why?

Ahhhh, what a great question! The next book I want to write is a 41-day devotional (for individuals and small groups) that shares 41 testimonies (stories) that are a direct result of 41 Will Come. 

I love that you share so many personal stories in the book so that the reader can get to know you. For those who don’t know you, what’s something they need to know about you before they read “41 Will Come”?

That I am an ordinary person who has been given the opportunity to share some extraordinary stories. This is not a “hey, that’s a cool idea for a book” book. This is my life message. This is a book that I have walked out and one that I have lived…and my prayer is for that to come across to the reader. You might cry, you will probably laugh, but I know you will be filled with HOPE.

I know you will be blessed by this book. You can buy it by clicking here. Also, Chuck has agreed to give away a free book to someone who reads this today (9/1/16). To enter, type, “Don’t Quit. Don’t give up. #41WillCome #DevotionsByChris” on either Facebook or Twitter. I’ll randomly choose a winner tomorrow through the hashtag and private message you for a shipping address. 

Follow Chuck Tate on Twitter and check out his website.

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