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June 8, 2017 · 5:41 AM

A Bird In Hand

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


“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” is a proverb so many of us were raised with. From our childhood we are taught that we should hold onto what is certain instead of going for the unsure thing. We are taught that risk isn’t worth it through this proverb. I would even say that this proverb teaches against faith. It wants us to hold on to what we have instead of letting go to see what God might give us.

Abraham was a man who walked by faith. In Genesis 12:1, the Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s home, and go to a land that I am going to show you” (NLT). In this verse, God is asking Abram to let go of the bird in the hand. He had security where he was. He had his father’s inheritance coming to him and the protection of family too. God was saying, “Walk away from all of this, and I will give you more than you could ever imagine or think of.”

I believe God still speaks that to us today. I believe He calls each one of us to trust Him on a level beyond where we are so that He can give us more than we have. The promise is only good if we let go of the bird in the hand. Abram was promised descendants, a nation, blessings and fame if only he would walk away from everything he knew. I wonder how long he wrestled with it. I wonder how long he questioned if he had really heard from God.

Because Abram was human, you know he had to struggle with these questions just like you and I. The difference is that he was willing let go of the temporary for the eternal. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” God has called you and I to live by the same faith he required of Abram. He calls us to let go of the bird in the hand and to trust Him. When we do, He rewards us with so much more. 

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February 4, 2014 · 7:46 AM

Where’s Jesus?

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Have you ever looked through any of the “Where’s Waldo” books by Martin Handford? I have always loved those books. I’ve spent countless hours as a kid, and an adult, looking for the guy in red and white. I’ve scoured beaches, mountain sides, city squares, circuses and more trying to find him. Sometimes I find him quickly and other times it takes me a while, but I always find him. Why? Because I don’t give up when I don’t see him right away. I keep looking. Sometimes I think I’ve found him, but it’s just someone drew into the picture in similar clothes to keep me off the trail.

We can use the same principles of finding Waldo to find Jesus. The first thing we have to do is start looking. We have to be willing to look through every square inch of what’s around us in order to find Him. We have to be willing to see some crazy things, some funny things and some mundane things if we’re going to find Him. We have to be willing to spend some time seeking Him out. He’s able to be found, but it requires that we spend some time doing it. We can’t give up when we don’t find Him right away.

Sometimes when I need to find Him, He’s easy to point out. I can get my answer and move on with life. Other times, it takes hours, days, months, even years to find Him. During those longer periods, it’s tough to keep going. When we aren’t rewarded quickly for our diligence, we get discouraged. We feel like failures and want to give up. I get it. You feel like you’re living in a barren wasteland while you look. You wonder if God has forgotten you and begin to think He must get pleasure from hiding from you. I can tell you that He wants to be found. He just wants to know how far you will go to get what you want.

In Jeremiah 29:13-14 God says, “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about find me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed (MSG).” We have to be serious about finding Him. It can’t be a half hearted glance. We need to really seek Him out when we must have an answer. He also said we have to want to find Him more than anything else. More than food. More than our job. More than oxygen. More than our next heartbeat. When we seek Him with that kind of intensity, we won’t be disappointed.

Have you been half-heartedly seeking Him or have you been on your knees desperately seeking Him? Have you turned over ever rock looking for Him? Jesus promised that if we would seek, we would find. If we ask, we’ll be given. If we knock, it’ll be opened. Finding Jesus usually doesn’t come easy. It requires us to do work. It requires us to make serious sacrifices. Don’t give up in your search for Him. He’s wanting you to find Him for the answer you’ve been waiting on. He just needs you to spend more time, give a stronger effort and to look harder than you ever have. I promise He’s there in front of you. Block out the look a likes and all the crazy distractions and you’ll see Him.

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January 23, 2014 · 6:51 AM

Your Obituary

There is a lady I used to work with who enjoyed reading obituaries in the paper. I was curious as to what intrigued her about them. She told me she thought it was amusing how many different ways a writer could come up with to say someone had passed away. She showed me some said, “this person went to be with Jesus”, “they went to receive their reward”, “they expired on this date”, “they got their wings”, “they bravely lost her battle” and the list went on. She told me that she wondered what they would write in hers and what her legacy would be.

I think that’s a good thing to wonder about. If you were to live until you were old, what would you want your legacy to be? What would you want others to say about you so that you could feel like your life was a success? Now work yourself backwards in life. What will you need to have done in order to have accomplished that? What can you start doing today to start moving down that path? You won’t accomplish your goals in this life or God’s will for you unless you have a plan to accomplish them and act on it.

Saul was a man who the Bible describes as “head and shoulders above the crowd.” God chose him to be Israel’s first king. After he was anointed, he prophesied and was transformed into a new person. He started off well, but he had no plan for what his legacy would be. He just assumed that because God had done these things for him that he could coast in that favor for the rest of his life and his legacy as king would succeed through his sons. With that lack of vision and planning, his life began to wander.

The longer Saul was king, the further he went from his intended legacy. He became paranoid, arrogant and proud. He forgot his mission from God. Without direction or a plan, his life wandered into disobedience. During his reign, God anointed another man to be king and ensured that Saul’s line of successors to the throne would end with him. I Chronicles 10:13 records his obituary. It says, “Saul died in disobedience, disobedient to God.” His legacy was tarnished because he didn’t go to God for help and turned away.

Saul did some great things for Israel in his life. He freed them from oppression and won many battles. He started well, but finished poorly. When he sinned, he became arrogant instead of repentant. His heart became hard. He didn’t look to the end of his life and wonder what it would look like if he had followed God’s will. He didn’t think ahead to what a successful life would look like. Instead, he took each day as it came and never knew he was off the path because he had never looked at the path.

What does your path look like? Where is it leading? What will your obituary say about you? I know it’s kind of morbid to think of the end of your life, but I believe that’s how you create a legacy. Where do you want to be at the end of your life and how if you get there from where you are today? When you have that path, you’ll know when you get off of it. When that happens, repent and get back on that path to fulfilling God’s will for your life. Your obituary can read, “This person lived life fully, loved God and died in obedience to what God had for them.”

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January 22, 2014 · 7:54 AM

Tips For Rebuilding

Rebuilding is hard work even when you have help. As Nehemiah worked to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, there were many who opposed him. People came along and taunted him, “If a fox climbed that wall, it would fall to pieces under his weight.” Others planned to attack them as they built. They didn’t want the wall rebuilt and the people living in safety. There were internal distractions from arguments among the workers too. It seemed that everything and everyone was against the rebuilding of the wall, but Nehemiah kept at it. He prayed and encouraged those daily who we’re rebuilding. He kept their focus on the job at hand.

Each one of us have times of rebuilding in our lives. Sometimes that rebuilding is more like a remodel. Sometimes it’s repairing holes in our wall that were created from bad decisions. Other times the whole wall around our lives lies in ruins. Everything we had or worked hard to build crumbled and fell right in front of us. It makes you feel lost, unprotected and vulnerable. There’s so much work to do to rebuild that you don’t know where to start. You want to just give up and live in the ruins. You try to rebuild one part of your life and another falls down. It’s hopeless.

I think that’s how he people of Jerusalem were in the book of Nehemiah. They had gotten used to living in the ruble and had quit trying to rebuild. Their lives were sad. They had no joy or sense of protection. They had to rely on others to protect them and were treated poorly. It wasn’t until Nehemiah came along and got them excited about rebuilding that they began to change back into who they were made to be. He encouraged them daily, prayed over them and helped them rebuild the walls. He helped them protect themselves against attacks and rebuilt their confidence with the building of the wall.

Yes, there were distractions, times where the work slowed down and people who tried to hold them back. There will be the same things in your life when you try to repair or rebuild your life. There will be people who try to hold you down, pull you backwards or taunt you. Nehemiah didn’t get down off the wall or stop working though. Instead, he set up people at the breaches in the wall to stand guard. He had the workers rebuild with one hand and hold a sword in their other.

You will need to ask people to stand in the gaps for you where you’re most vulnerable. You’ll need to stay in the Bible constantly as it is your weapon. Ephesians 6 says, “Take the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” The Message calls it an “indispensable weapon”. There will be those who oppose you. Stay constant in prayer so that you hear God’s voice above theirs. Above all, never give up. Keep working. Keep building. Don’t get used to living in the ruins. God’s desire is that you rebuild. Find someone who will encourage you daily to keep building and who will pray for you. Before you know it, the walls will be repaired and new life can begin.

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January 20, 2014 · 7:55 AM

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

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Today, as a nation, we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. He is best remembered for his work in the Civil Rights movement and his “I Have a Dream” speech. Having studied his life, his speech and the Civil Rights movement, I’ve learned a lot about him. Just like you and I, he had many flaws, he made some poor choices and at one point lacked direction in his life. His father was a minister and felt like he was supposed to go into the ministry too, but King wanted to be a lawyer or a doctor. As a young man coming out of college, he struggled with his faith and his future.

After thinking about it, he decided that the Bible had many profound truths that he could not escape. He decided to go to seminary in order to become a minister. Those years in seminary helped shape his public speaking and understanding of Scripture. I believe they gave him the ability to say what so many were feeling and didn’t have the ability to express. They gave him the means to energize a people who had been emancipated for a hundred years, yet hadn’t seen a day of freedom since. Because of that decision to go to seminary instead of being a doctor or a lawyer, he changed the course of a nation and a people.

You and I are faced with struggles and difficult life decisions too. You may not think that you will change the course of a nation by the decisions you make today, but you could. I’m sure he didn’t think it mattered as much as it did what he studied as a post graduate. Our decisions have lasting impacts. Sometimes they change us or our family, but they could change our neighborhood, our city, our state or our country. What you do in life matters. The decisions you make shouldn’t be made lightly. Imagine a world where he would have been a doctor. He still would have saved lives, but not nearly as many.

When it came down to it, he made his decisions based on the truths of the Bible. That means he read it for counsel. You and I should be doing the same thing when it comes to our decisions. Instead of finding out what God thinks, we go and ask family and friends what they think. Instead of wondering about the spiritual impact to our lives, we base decisions on the monetary impacts. God’s calling on your life may not make sense at the time, it may take a while to fulfill or even seem so big that you could never accomplish it. That’s ok because He’s not asking you to accomplish what only He can. He is looking for your obedience.

What decision is weighing you down today? Have you looked to God’s Word for help or the wisdom of man? You don’t have to be afraid when you act in obedience to what God told you. Don’t look for others to try to give you every reason why you shouldn’t do what God called you to do. Look to God for guidance on your next step and trust that His decisions for your life are far better than the decisions you could ever make for yourself. Who knows, the decisions you make today regarding your calling could change the nation tomorrow.

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October 17, 2013 · 7:50 AM

Rejected By The Church

I read an article yesterday about a teenage orphan in Florida who decided to be proactive in finding adoptive parents. He chose to go to church and address the congregation in order to see if someone would make him their child. He was born to a woman who was in jail and immediately taken into social services. The only thing his mom gave him was his name. He spent most of his life being angry at his situation and pushing people and prospective parents away hoping his birth parents would show up one day.

While searching for them, he found out that they were both deceased. He had to make a choice to continue being angry or to let it go. He chose the latter. His grades began to improve and he began to become the person he knew he was inside. His comments are what stuck out to me the most in this article. He said he had never had a home or felt loved. He said, “I’ll take anyone. Old young. Black, white or purple… I would be appreciative.” And then the article finished with him saying, “I know God hasn’t given up on me. So I’m not giving up either.”

My mind wants to go in so many ways with this. His whole life, all he’s wanted is what all of us want, to be loved. He wanted it from his birth parents, but now that’s not a possibility. He now will take it from anyone. Thankfully he reached out to a church. Sadly, no one offered to adopt him. I’m hoping at least someone there had a burden to show him love, to accept him for who he is, and to begin to fill the void in his life. He knows he’s going to be on his own in a couple of years and would love having the support of a family. That’s something most of us take for granted.

He said that he’d take anyone. He’s like a lot of people in this world. They’re broken and hurt. They’re looking for a place to belong. Are our churches a place where people like him can find refuge from their pain? Or are they a clique for the self righteous who feel they’re better than others? Have we become like the Pharisee in Luke 18 who looked up to Heaven and said, “I thank you, God, that I’m not a sinner everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector. I fast twice a week and I give you a tenth of my income”? Have we become so caught up in our traditions and rituals that we’ve turned a blind eye to those reaching out to us?

This kid found rejection where he should have found acceptance. He found doubt in a place of faith. He was looking for love and walked away empty handed. May God forgive us for all of the times people like him have walked through our doors and walked out alone. May He open our eyes to those who come in this week and give us the courage to be His hands and feet. May we be His expression of love and acceptance to those the world has rejected. May we be a safe haven for those who need to find a refuge. If God hasn’t given up on them, neither should we. Let’s open our eyes today and find someone who needs love and offer it to them. Both of your lives will forever change.

If you’d like to read the article I referenced, you can read it here.

Update: Over 10,000 people have now inquired about adopting this young man! See that article here.

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October 16, 2013 · 8:01 AM

God’s Flashlight

One of my son’s favorite songs right now is from Psalms 119:105. He marches around singing how God’s Word is a lamp to his feet and a light to his path. He doesn’t really know exactly what all he’s singing means, but I do. Him singing that song is a great reminder of when we’re lost, can’t see the future or in a dark place, that God’s Word is the light we need in order to see.

I like how the Message puts it. It says, “By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.” I like to know where I’m going. I like being able to see what my next step is before I take it. I can tell you from experience that it’s easy to get hurt when you walk in the dark. It’s easy to get tripped up when you can’t see what’s in front of you. It’s the same in the physical as well as the spiritual. We need light to be able to see. Yet, how many of us put that light in us?

The Bible is not just a book of rules and regulations. It’s a book of light for our lives. If we aren’t consuming it, we are wandering in darkness. It prepares us for the road ahead of us and shows us what is right in front of us. I saw a photo the other day of hikers going up a mountain at night. The side of the mountain was dotted with little, white lights from top to bottom. I thought to myself that it was a great image of what the Christian life is all about.

We are all on this journey in life seeking the summit in the dark. So many try to find the top of the mountain without any light. They try to get through without knowing what’s in front of them and they have no direction. God’s Word provides direction, light and peace. It’s what we need in order to find our way through steep inclines, low valleys and when we’re walking on the edge. God didn’t want us to walk this life alone in the dark. He wanted us to learn to trust Him so He gave us a light. The problem is we don’t use it as often as we should.

Are you in a dark place right now? Are you not sure which way to go? Let me encourage you today to get into the Bible. It will cast a light on your path and be a lamp to your feet. It will give you the wisdom you need to make the decisions ahead of you. It will show you people who took the wrong path and how God helped them. It will remind you that even if you’ve stumbled in the dark, God is still there willing to help you get back up and to point you in the right direction. Just like a flashlight is useless unless you turn it on, God’s Word can’t help you unless you open it up and read it.

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October 15, 2013 · 8:16 AM

Mediocrity Is A Choice

When I used to work with new hires at my company, I would have to give out a celebration of knowledge (test) at the end of each week. All it took was 80% to pass and they could take it as many times as they wanted. Once they passed, they’d raise their hand and I would go record their score. I used to love walking up to a person with an 80% and ask, “Is that enough for you? Is barely getting by how you live your life?” Some would accept the challenge and go for 100%, but many others said, “I passed. What else do you want from me?”

I see the same thing among many Christians. They know there are deeper levels of commitment and the ability to be more like Christ every day, but they choose not to. They are content with where they are. It frustrates some believers who are always pushing for that next level, and it can also be cause for others to live mediocre lives. They say, “Im doing enough to get to Heaven, why try harder?” They don’t see how doing more can deepen their roots because they don’t see the value in it.

Going beyond a basic commitment to Christ requires a lot more faith, time and effort. Many Christians are content to wander the desert like the Israelites. They’re no longer living in bondage, but not quite living in the Promised Land that God desires for them to live in. They spend years going in circles receiving food from God, but never really go anywhere. They’re content to wander because they know there’s hard work on the other side of Jordan.

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. I’m not saying you earn your salvation through works. I am saying that there is a life untapped by many Christians where living an overcoming life is the normal. So many of us look at that land like 10 of the spies did and think, “There are giants over there. I’ll get squashed if I try to go fight them.” Meanwhile God is wanting to make Himself more evident in our lives and is calling us to go fight those giants in His power.

Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” Joshua and Caleb thought they could. The other 10 thought they couldn’t. Both were right. In their own strength, they couldn’t defeat the giants in that land or tear down the walls of cities. Joshua and Caleb didn’t look at it as their strength. They looked at what God was capable of and knew they could be victorious. Ultimately, they were the only two who were allowed to go into that land and to posses it. They were right. God’s strength was enough to win the battles.

Where do you find yourself in these two scenarios? Is it enough to wander through the desert of this life and to make it to Heaven? Do you want something more? Do you want to be an overcomer in this life and take your walk with God to another level? The choice belongs to each of us. Both require a commitment, one is just deeper and more involved. I believe God’s desire is that all of us find the Promised Land in our lives and He wants to move us from wandering to living on purpose.

What are things you’ve done to move away from mediocrity and into an overcoming life?

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October 11, 2013 · 8:02 AM

Living a 3D Life in a 2D World

If you aren’t familiar with the term “catfish” in today’s society, according to urbandictionary.com it is “someone who pretends to be someone they’re not using… social media to create false identities, particularly to pursue deceptive online romances.” Last year, NCAA football Heisman candidate Manti Te’o made national headlines when it was discovered he was catfished. MTV also has a show devoted to catfishing. It’s hard to know who is real in this 2D digital age.

It’s no wonder millennials are skeptical of everyone including Christians. They don’t know who is real and who isn’t. They are dropping out of churches at an alarming rate. The Barna Group says 59% of those who grew up in church leave in the first decade of their adult life. Most who leave the church never had significant relationships in the church. The same research shows that 70% of those who dropped out never had a close friendship with an adult.

They’re looking for relationships from someone who is real and knows how to make being a Christian relevant in today’s society. Going to dinner, hanging out, being open and honest and spending spare time with them is important. They aren’t interested in the masks we wear at church that say everything is fine and life is perfect as a Christian. They need someone who will invest in a relationship with them and isn’t afraid to be honest to the point of showing their faults and doubts.

Another area where we as the Church can help to reach this generation is by being devoted to God’s Word. We have to know what the Bible says and how to apply it to relationships, family, jobs, hard times, uncertainties and more. It’s not enough to Google a scripture, point to it and say, “Well that’s what God’s Word says.” You need to know the scripture and be able to share how you understand it and how you have applied it to your life. They need to know why you believe what you do so you must be able to articulate your beliefs.

Finally, I believe that we need to be mentored by those in the church. They need discipleship in its purest form: one on one mentoring. They aren’t looking to learn about God from Sunday School. They want someone who has experienced God in a real way to sit down with them, befriend them and show them how God integrates into every point of life. They need someone to walk through God’s Word with them and to show them how they can apply it. They want to know your experiences with applying the Bible to day to day life. In short, they’re looking for someone to be real.

I believe they are looking for someone to live a 3D life in this 2D world. They want someone who truly is Devoted to God’s Word, can Dine with them and Disciple them. The early church gave us this model on Acts 2:46-47. It says, “They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved. (MSG)” God’s plan for growing the Early Church will still work today.

I’m writing today’s devotion as a prelude to a book idea. The Barna Group has an idea for a series of books called Frames. They are looking to create short, meaningful reads on the top issues facing us in today’s complex culture. They have nine frames ready and are looking for an unknown author to write the tenth. I’m wanting to write about living a 3D life in a 2D world as a way to attract and keep millennials. You can help me if you have a Twitter account by retweeting this. You can also learn more about Barna Frames and submit your idea by clicking here.

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October 10, 2013 · 8:00 AM

Walking With The Wise

Last night after church, I spent some time chatting with my pastor’s wife. Every time I have a conversation with her, I walk away thinking, “Wow! That was a lot of wisdom.” She often shares her thoughts on what they’ve learned in decades of ministry. When it comes to learning, you can go out and do it the hard way or you can find someone who’s been there and done that and listen. I try to soak in as much as I can when I’m around her because I know the best way to get wisdom is to be around wise people.

Most of us don’t take the time to stop and listen to others who have gone on ahead of us. We think we know the best way and that their way is outdated. The truth is, the trail of life is the same, just the scenery has changed. People are still people and do what they’ve done for centuries. Those who are older than us or who have gone down paths that we’re on have wisdom to share, but we rarely want to hear it.

I like to talk. Ok I love to talk and I’m not afraid to strike up an hour long conversation with a complete stranger. What I’m not great at is listening. I’m not sure how many of us really are. What I’ve learned is that listening is more important than talking especially when someone is trying to pour out wisdom into your life. It’s difficult for me to stay quiet and to not try to jump in when someone else is talking. I’ve noticed that when I do that, the conversation leaves it’s original intention and heads down bunny trails.

I don’t think bunny trails are bad, but when I cause them, I miss out on valuable insight from someone willing to give it. James 1:19 tells us we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. There’s a saying in sales that I love. It says, “No one ever listened themselves out of a sale.” Our mouths are what get us in trouble and keep us from learning. James understood that. He followed that verse up with the thoughts that it’s not enough to just listen. We have to go do what we’ve learned after we’ve listened.

Applying wisdom is another difficult thing. We have the mentality that our way is the right way. We think, “That was good for their path, but this is good for my path.” We have to learn how to take the wisdom that someone gives us and then apply it to our lives in a way that keeps us from learning the hard way. I’ve learned plenty of lessons from the School of Hard Knocks. I prefer the School of Shut Up, Listen and Learn. It’s a lot less painful.

Solomon said, “If you want to be wise, walk with the wise” in Proverbs 13:20. To me, that means we need to spend time with those who have more wisdom than we do. Take time today to think of someone in your life who has tried to give you wisdom, but you’ve failed to listen to or have distracted the conversation. Find a way to sit and spend an hour or so with them on a regular basis. Take notes on the conversation and write down questions instead of interrupting them. Your life will become better for it and I can attest that it will be a lot less painful.

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