Tag Archives: difficult times

August 29, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Destructive Forces

One of the things I’ve learned is that destruction is part of creation. A volcano is a very destructive force. We’ve all seen videos of molten, hot lava being spewed out of a volcano. Then we see a river of lava flowing down the side burning everything in its path. Eventually that lava dries and then breaks down creating some of the richest soil on earth. When you think of places that have volcanoes, have you ever noticed how green they are? Hawaii and Fiji come to mind. Without their volcanoes, they wouldn’t be as lush as they are. The very things that appear to destroy everything are what really brings life.

In our own lives, the same principle holds true. There are things in our lives that God destroys so that He can bring new life to us. It hurts us when the lava is flowing and taking away everything that seems to matter to us, but God has a plan and a purpose. What looks like total devastation is truly a remarkable new beginning that will create a more fertile life for you. It’s painful going through the times of destruction, and many times we don’t understand why. A friend told me recently that sometimes God does the Omega in our lives before He is the Alpha. He ends things so that He can begin something new.

Proverbs 16:4 says, “The Lord works everything together to accomplish his purpose” (TPT). There is purpose in everything that happens in our lives. God has a plan to redeem, restore and to recreate. He is a gardener who loves to grow things in our lives. The best things in our lives are produced from the richest soil. The richest soil is produced through destructive forces. If you’re going through a period of destruction, hold on to your faith and trust God’s plan. Greater things are coming that will be beautiful in time. God will accomplish His plan for your life. It’s a good plan that is full of life and fertile soil.

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

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July 18, 2024 · 5:30 AM

We Need To Worship

In Job 1. we read one of the most devastating stories a person could ever go through. In one day, Job lost all his possessions, his servants, his shepherds, his livestock and his children. One bad report came right after the other. In under a minute, he had lost everything. His knees buckled and he fell under the weight of everything. Verse 20 says. “Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship” (NLT). I imagine him face down with his hands raised up in surrender. He didn’t understand why everything was happening, but he did understand that God would care for him. The final verse in the first chapter says he didn’t sin by blaming God.

Every one of us are going to experience hardship that we don’t understand. Every one of us are going to unexpectedly lose things and people that we love with no answer as to why. Jesus said in Matthew 5:45 that God causes the sun to shine on the just and the unjust just like He causes it to rain on both. We are not exempt from pain, disappointment or loss. Instead, we have an anchor to hold on to when all seems lost. We have hope that others do not have. We can still worship in the middle of a storm we don’t understand. We can still trust God’s plan when our plans are torn from us. We can still look ahead when we’re too weak to move.

Hebrews 12:12-13 says, “So be made strong even in your weakness by lifting up your tired hands in prayer and worship. And strengthen your weak knees, for as you keep walking forward on God’s paths all your stumbling ways will be healed!” (TPT) When we are at our lowest, we need to worship. When we are out of options, we need to worship. When all seems lost, we need to worship. When we are too tired and feel like giving up, we need to worship. Worship regains our perspective. Worship renews our strength. Worship gives us hope. Worship keeps us moving forward when we can’t see the path. We don’t have to understand what God is doing, or even why. Like Job, we have to trust that He sees the bigger picture and knows what He’s doing. When nothing makes sense and you can’t do anything else, worship. He inhabits the praises of His people. He will not abandon you in your greatest time of need.

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

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June 12, 2024 · 5:43 AM

Remain Faithful

After having gone through a difficult season, I asked my son how he was feeling and what was he thinking about it. He immediately said he didn’t understand why things happened as they did because we had fasted and prayed for a different outcome. He then said, “It makes me question if God really exists.” I began to explain how trials and tests can cause us to question His existence at times because we don’t understand. It can also cause us to question if our prayers are heard and other things as well. What matters is we push through our feeling of the moment and grab onto the reality of who He is. I reminded him of the time God supernaturally answered our prayers and times He’s specifically showed up. I let him know we all go through moments like that at times when we’re going through trials. It’s important to refocus on what God has done so we can remain faithful.

In Luke 22:31, Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Listen! Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff” (GNT). What Peter didn’t know was his world was going to crumble that night. He would also deny knowing Jesus three times. Jesus then said, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me, you must strengthen your brothers.” Jesus prayed for Peter, and He also intercedes for us in our moments of testing. Peter beat himself up pretty badly for failing in the test the way he did, but that wasn’t the end. He did turn back and remained faithful and led the Early Church. His failure in the test, like ours, is not the end.

James 1:12 says, “Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.” Everyone will face tests because Satan wants to sift us and cause us to doubt our faith making us ineffective. He wants us to return to our old life, but Jesus is praying for you that your faith won’t fail. He’s waiting to restore you and strengthen you. It’s in times of testing we find out where we truly stand. Sometimes we pass with flying colors and other times we’re left questioning everything. It’s good to keep a journal of what all God has done so you can remind yourself of the faithfulness of God in those moments. When we remain faithful and make it through the trial, God will give us more of His abundant life He promised us and we will receive the crown of life.

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May 21, 2024 · 5:36 AM

Hurricane Harbor

Have you ever wondered where a cargo ship goes when a hurricane approaches it? I read an article where they interviewed a cargo ship captain and they asked him. He said they don’t always head for the nearest port because different ports offer different levels of protection. If he had the choice and the ability, he would look for a port known as a hurricane hole. They have good holding areas where the waves rocking the boat wont damage the ship. They also have high cliffs or mountains around the port that can protect the ship from high winds. Once the storm passes they can then get the ship and it’s cargo back on course. It got me to thinking how we respond to storms in our lives. Where do we port when circumstances threaten everything we hold dear.

In Acts 16, Paul had a vision from God where a person from Macedonia called out to him to come there. He and Silas boarded a ship for there at once and began preaching the Gospel. A young slave girl,who was possessed, followed them and mocked them until Paul cast out the spirit from her. The masters of the girl realized they lost their income and turned the town against Paul and Silas. They were beaten up, whipped and thrown into a dungeon of a cell. They could have complained to God because they were following His will when it happened. They could have sought sympathy from local believers because of their treatment. They could have found any number of these harbors to hide in, but instead they decided to sing praises to God in their pain in the darkest hour. They knew the Lord was their hurricane harbor.

Psalm 32:7 says, “For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory” (NLT). Where do you go when your problems overtake you? Do you look for sympathy from friends? Do you complain about how hard things are? Instead of crying out to others in your pain, try praising the one who can hide you in the storm. In turn He will surround you with songs of victory and deliverance. You will still have to ride out the storm, but His walls of protection will hold you together. Your hope in Him will be the anchor your life needs when everything is trying to pull you away from Him. When we learn to praise in the pain and in the dark, God will deliver us. We may lose some cargo He needs us to offload. We may be sent in a different direction afterwards, but when the winds are strongest, our faith in Him will hold true as we hide ourselves in Him.

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May 9, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Worship In The Valley

Two of the biggest lies we hear when we’re going through a difficult time is that no one else understands and that God doesn’t care. I remember hearing both and believing them. The first one tries to get you on a technicality because there is no one else with your exact situation. I’ve found that while our situations may be unique, the pain and the process we go through is very similar. While someone may not be able to fully understand my exact situation, they can identify with the pain. That leads us to the second lie that God doesn’t care. The lie wants you to think that if God cared, you wouldn’t be going through so much. The truth is that even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He’s there with you to guide you and comfort you. He makes all things work together for our good.

I don’t know anyone who went through as much as Paul or Job. Job lost everything including his wealth, his kids and property. He still was able to worship God in that moment. In Job 2:9, when his wife told him to curse God and die, he responded, “Shall we accept good from God and not the trouble?” (NIV) When Paul was thrown in prison with Silas after having been beat, he invited God’s presence into the deepest, darkest part of that prison in the middle of the night by singing praises. When both of these men felt abandoned by people and God, they worshipped knowing that God dwells in the praises of His people. They held to the truth that God cares for us no matter how bad things may seem.

Psalm 31:7 says, “I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul” (NLT). In the darkest nights of my life, the most painful times, I turned on praise and worship music to help me worship when I didn’t feel it. God is worthy of our praise no matter what it is we’re going through. He sees the anguish in our soul and He cares deeply for us. He knows that the pain, the hurt, the sadness and the darkness will only last for a little while. He never leaves us in those times though He may feel far away. He’s there leading us into a greater joy and life that often goes through the darkest valley. Don’t listen to the lies and despair. Listen to the truth and worship.

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

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May 2, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Your Firm Foundation

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus told the people that people who listen to what He says and applies it is like a wise person who builds their house on a firm and unshakable foundation. Then He said that those who hear His words and doesn’t apply them is like a foolish person who built their house on sand instead of a foundation. When the storms of life come, and it rains day after day, one of those houses will collapse and the other will stand strong no matter what comes against it. Hearing what Jesus says is important, that’s where faith comes from, but it’s not enough. We must apply the godly principles to our lives if we want the blessings that they produce. You can’t get the foundation He was talking about unless you do something with His teachings.

In today’s world, we are watching the rain come down day after day. The wind is blowing against everyone’s houses. Financial markets are crashing across the world. Education systems are under stress trying to figure out how to respond in this time of crisis. Governments across the world are scrambling trying to protect their people and keep their country afloat. The flood waters are rising and the houses that have been built on the sand are crashing down. Fear and panic have taken over the world as people watch what they’ve built get destroyed. Believers are no different. The things they have built are being affected by the storm and floods too, but there is a difference. We have a firm foundation that will remain no matter what comes.

Proverbs 10:25 says, “When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation” (NLT). There is no need to fear or panic as a person who has applied God’s Word to their life. He is still in control and He is still your source. He is your Jehovah Jireh, your provider. No matter how high the waters rise or how long the storm lasts, the godly, the ones who have built their lives on applying God’s Word, have a lasting foundation that is unshakable. You have an anchor of hope that will not let you be moved in this time. Hold onto your faith. Hold onto the promises of God. Rest on your foundation that He has given you. He will be true to His Word. Even Job lost everything, but he held onto his foundation and was able to worship in the storm.

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

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March 27, 2024 · 5:43 AM

Perception Isn’t Reality

I love rollercoasters, but I don’t like the 3D / 4D rides. After waiting in line for Avatar at Disney World, they handed us 3D glasses before going on the ride. I straddled a motorcycle type seat and looked at the IMAX style screen. When the ride started, it showed that we were flying on a banshee. The seat between my legs inflated and deflated to make me feel like the banshee was breathing. The ride tilted and moved along with the flight video to give the sensation of flying. When we flew by the ocean, we could feel a mist on our faces. Then we flew into a cave and you could smell the dampness. As the banshee returned to flight and dove down behind a pack of water buffaloes, my stomach felt like it was in my throat. Then a water buffalo jumped back and we all flinched. While my mind and body were fooled into believing all these things, we never left the area we started in. It fooled our perception of reality.

On Wednesday of Holy Week, the Bible doesn’t say what happened. Some people refer to it as Silent Wednesday. However, God is never silent. We only perceive Him to be at times. Those times often come when it feels like we need Him most. We cry out, but hear a deafening silence back. Oswald Chambers wrote, “When you cannot hear God, you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible – with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw you could withstand an even bigger revelation.” It takes a lot of faith to keep walking in the silence. In those moments, we have to trust the promises more than our perception. We must lean into His all sufficient grace for strength because the silence can be overwhelming.

Proverbs 3:5 reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know” (GNT). Remember that perception is not always reality. We are easily fooled and our feelings like to manipulate our emotions and what we think we know. Yet perception can fool us. That’s why we can’t lean on, rely on or always believe what our perception is telling us. We can however, trust in the Lord with all of our heart. We can trust in His character over the silence we experience. He has never left us or abandoned us, nor will He ever. In the silence we experience a greater grace and revelation from God than is ever possible when we feel and experience His presence. Will you keep walking and trusting in the silence or will you give in to the perception that God has left you alone? Trust in Him with all your heart. You will hear His voice again. You will experience His presence again. He has not left you alone. He is still standing in the struggle with you.

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March 15, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Standing On The Promises

When I was growing up, we used to sing a hymn called “Standing on The Promises of God” by Russell Kelso Carter. My favorite part of the song is the second verse. It says, “Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail, Standing on the promises of God.” I can’t count how many time the ground I was standing on fell out from underneath me, my life got flipped upside down or my well thought out plans failed. In those times when my mind wants to go to despair, I force it to think of God’s promises that cannot fail. They give my comfort, clarity and hope. Here are some of my favorite promises in the Bible that I stand on.

1. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 NLT

2. Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 TPT

3. Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.

Matthew 11:28-30 GNT

4. Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the Lord himself, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 GNT

5. But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 GNT

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February 1, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Barren Seasons

Have you been through a barren season? It’s those seasons where you have planted seeds and watered them, but nothing is growing or producing. It’s a little frustrating and a lot scary. To have followed God’s principles in the Bible and to not see Him move on your behalf can be worrisome. In those times, I’ve prayed, “God, where are you? Why haven’t you responded yet? I thought by now you would have shown up,” only to be answered by silence. Barren seasons show up out of no where and can last a while. They put your faith to the test, but what you can’t see, and what you have to remind yourself, is what God is doing with those planted seeds underground.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 gives us the prescription for these times. It says, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” (NLT) We must continue to praise God anyway and choose to honor Him. Our hope is not in the fruits of our labor, but in the Lord. We cannot allow what we see in our circumstances to dictate our relationship with God. Circumstances are fickle, but God remains the same yesterday, today and forever.

In those barren seasons, I recount the character of God. I look back on who He has always been, not on how I perceive Him in my current situation. Relationships dictated by emotions fail because emotions can be manipulated. They must be built on something deeper. You must choose to love, to rejoice in the Lord and to be joyful even in the dry seasons. God has not changed who He is, nor has He stopped working on your behalf. Choose to rejoice no matter what the fields of your life look like right now. Trust in Him to be who He always has been. He is Jehovah Jireh, your provider and source even in the barren seasons. Your trust needs to be in Him rather than in the fruit of your labor.

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

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January 31, 2024 · 5:36 AM

Leaving Crisis Mode

Stephen Covey says we typically spend our time in one of four quadrants, and the amount of time we spend in each matters to our growth and productivity. Quadrant 1 is where most people live. It’s urgent and important things. The problem with quadrant one is that we’re on a treadmill not going anywhere really. We’re just constantly putting out fires. Quadrant two is not urgent but important. Here is where we focus on the future, relationships and planning. Being in this quadrant brings growth, control and balance. The other two quadrants are urgent and not important (quadrant three) and not urgent and not important. These aren’t connected to your big picture goals and prevent you from doing what really matters. The more time we spend in quadrant two, the more fulfilled our life will be is his point.

David was a man living in crisis before he became king. Saul was constantly hunting him to kill him. He spent a lot of his time in the wilderness of the Negev. It’s a very dry climate there where there isn’t much water and the biggest body of water is undrinkable (Dead Sea). David could have spent all his time during this season in quadrant one handling all the urgent and important work of trying to find water, food, shelter and safety. He had to do those things, but David took time to live in quadrant two in the middle of all that. He focused on the future and on the One who could rescue him. He grew his relationship with God in the difficult times. He knew he didn’t just need a series of temporary solutions. He needed to know the One who could solve his problems and fulfill the anointing on his life. During this time, he wrote Psalm 63.

Psalm 63:1 says, ”O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water“ (NLT). Where do you spend your time when things aren’t going according to plan in your life? Do you jump on the treadmill in quadrant one or do you build your relationship with God who is more than able to help? Do you search for Him in your wilderness or for the solutions by yourself? If you find yourself spending all your time in response and survival mode, it will be hard to break free from the cycle. While you still have to spend time on those things because they’re urgent and important, make time to search for God, to seek His face and to study His Word. He is the One who gives peace, deliverance and wisdom. When we draw close to Him, He draws close to us.

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