Tag Archives: faith

December 17, 2024 · 5:32 AM

Manna For The Moment

I’m in a men’s group that focuses on personal growth. At the first meeting, the leader asked each person to introduce themselves and then share one of their highest moments in life and also one of their lowest points. As each man shared, I began to see a common thread of seasons of pain these men had been through. One man said it was a lot easier to think of the hardest times in his life than the good ones. Jokingly he asked if he could share two low points rather than one of each. We tend to remember the times in our life when we’ve hot rock bottom or when we struggled to make progress. In the moment we weren’t sure we could make it through. However, looking back, we can see God’s grace was sufficient for the moment we were in.

In Exodus 16, the Israelites had been set free from 400 years of Egyptian slavery. God had promised them a land of their own and they were on their way. They had seen the mighty hand of God moving on their behalf to set them free. They had walked through the Red Sea on dry ground, yet they found themselves in a wilderness that made them want to return to their pain and suffering. They began to complain to God asking for food. In verse 12 God told Moses, “I have heard the murmurings of the Israelites; speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God’ ” (AMP). God gave them manna for the moment they were in. It was sufficient for the day. They were to take what they needed and nothing more. God did this until they reached the land He had promised.

In Matthew 6, the disciples had asked Jesus to teach them to pray. He began reciting what we call the Lord’s Prayer. You’ve probably prayed it thousands of times, but there’s something right in the middle of it that reminds us of that manna. In verse 11 He prayed, “Give us this day our daily bread.” God has always given us what we need for the moment. Jesus taught us to pray for it without complaining. If you’re standing in one of the low points of your life right now, I want you to know there is grace to sustain you in this moment. Like the Israelites, you’ll need to go to God to get it daily. Use this time to lean on Him and to learn to trust in Him. If you’re in one of the higher points or have come through a low point, don’t stop going to Him for your daily bread. The manna He gives is fresh every day and is provided for you to keep trusting Him as you go through this life.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

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November 6, 2024 · 5:39 AM

Pushing Past Fear

Have you ever been afraid to do what God asked you to do? I have. When God asks you to speak to someone, speak to a group, give something away or whatever, it can make you feel uneasy. I usually question if I’m hearing Him. I woke up in the middle of the night once and felt the need to reach out to a person I barely knew. The message was a hard one calling them out on sin. I brushed it off and tried to go back to sleep. I wrestled with it all night, but couldn’t shake it. Finally at 6:00 AM, I gave in and sent the message. Immediately they replied asking how I knew. After explaining my night, they had a choice to make: they could stay in sin or repent. They chose the latter which caused them to uproot their family and move. Even though I was afraid to deliver the message, I trusted the voice of God.

In Judges 7, God had told Gideon to build an army to fight the Midianites. His army was just over 30,000 and going up against one over 100,000 strong. He was leading them to the battlefield when God Told him he had too many warriors. He let all who were afraid leave, and 22,000 headed home. Then God told him he still had too many and needed to weed out some more. At the brook, God had him separate the men who cupped their hands and drank and sent the rest home. He now only had 300 men, and a mind full of doubt and fear. God told him if he was afraid to go to the enemy’s camp and listen, which he did. He heard two men share dreams which confirmed the Lord was with him. He trusted the Lord, attacked and won a great victory.

Psalm 56:3 says, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you” (AMP). Do you trust what you’re hearing from the Lord or what you can see with your eyes? Often what God asks us to do either doesn’t make sense in the moment or moves us from our comfort zone. God understands that to get growth out of us, we must be moved from where we try to stop on our journey. He also is looking for people to give His message to someone or to share His love with them. You and I are often that vehicle and it can be scary to think about. If you’re standing in that moment now, don’t let fear win. Trust in God no matter what you feel. You can also be like Gideon and ask God for confirmation that you’re hearing Him. It’s time to step out in faith. Victory is on the other side of obedience.

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October 17, 2024 · 5:30 AM

The Feast Of Shelters

I was reading recently in II Chronicles 7 where Solomon was dedicating the temple. During the celebration, they celebrated the Feast of Shelters. I wasn’t as familiar with that feast as Pentecost, Jubilee, Rosh Hashanah or others. I looked it up to find out more about it and found something interesting. To help Israel remember how their ancestors wandered the desert for 40 years as nomads, they would live in temporary shelters for seven days. Some would sleep on the porch of their homes, others would camp out, some would build lean to shelters and some would build temporary booths.

The shelter they stayed in needed to make sure they were exposed to the elements. If it got cold, they shivered. If it rained, they got wet. If it was hot, they sweat. All of this to remember that their ancestors didn’t have permanent dwellings like they did. It was meant as a link to their past, but for me, it’s a link to our future. These bodies we live in are our temporary shelters. We live like nomads in them moving around all over the world. We think they’re our permanent home, but like the Israelites, we look forward to going to the Promised Land and getting our permanent homes.

II Corinthians 5:1 says, “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in Heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself” (NLT). Paul referred to our bodies as tents which is what the people of Israel lived in while they wandered the desert. It’s a temporary home. The problem is that we have lived this way for so long that we’ve forgotten it’s temporary and have made ourselves comfortable in them. We are only wandering here making our way to our permanent home.

These tents we live in have us exposed to the elements of life. They don’t really protect us from tragedy, problems, storms or outside forces. We feel the full force of things and hurt deeply. When we get our new bodies, our permanent ones, we will have shelter from those things. Knowing that a day is coming when we’ll have protection against such things should give us strength and courage to move forward instead of being stick in the past. God wants each one of us to move forward and to think about the future He has for us. He told us about such a time because He knew it would give us hope, and hope is a powerful thing in a temporary storm.

Photo by Rahul Bhosale 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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October 16, 2024 · 5:33 AM

Obedience Matters

I heard the story of a man who had just e tied a plane at the airport when he felt he heard God tell him to do a headstand. He thought it was crazy and kept walking when he heard it again. It got to be so loud in his mind that he couldn’t concentrate. So finally he stopped next to a wall and did the headstand. When he looked forward, a man came out of the men’s room shouting at him asking him why he was doing that. He felt weird saying it, but he told the man God had told him to. The other man broke down in tears saying, lI was just in the restroom and told God, “If you’re real, prove it. Have someone do something crazy, like a headstand, and I’ll give my life to you.” Right then and there, he gave his heart to the Lord.

In John 2, Jesus and the disciples attended a wedding in a village near where He grew up. Weddings typically lasted several days. At some point, His mother Mary came up to Him to tell Him that their friends had run out of wine and we’re going to be shamed. After pushing back, verse 5 says, “But his mother told the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you’” (NLT). Jesus then told them to get water and fill six stone water jars. It didn’t make sense to them at the moment, but they obeyed. Then He told them to draw water and take it to the master of ceremonies. Again, it didn’t make any sense, but they did it anyway. When he lifted the cup of water to his lips, it changed into wine and the friend’s reputation was saved. Jesus Himself was obeying the Law because a stone jar is the only type of jar that could have two different liquids in it, one after the other, without being ritually purified.

1 Samuel 15:22 says, “But Samuel replied, ‘What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.’” I don’t know what God is asking you to do, or will ask you to do, but obedience is necessary above all else. He has the information you’re missing. He knows what you don’t know. In the moment, and even after, it may not make sense, but follow Mary’s advice and do whatever He tells you to. Hopefully it’s not to do a headstand in an airport, but if it is, follow His voice. When we obey whatever He tells us to, He opens doors that have never been opened before.

Thanks to Gabriel Encev on Unsplash for the photo.

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October 2, 2024 · 5:39 AM

Holding On Tightly

If you could go back in time and watch anything in the Bible happen, what would it be? Watching the walls of Jericho fall would be high on the list for me. I wonder what the people on both sides thought as they marched around the walls. To hear the trumpets blast and the people shout because God had given them the city would be incredible I think. Then to stand there in awe as the walls collapsed and feel the earth shake from it would be the experience of a lifetime. I have read that story many times since I was a kid. I have even marched and driven around situations praying for spiritual walls to fall and for breakthrough. I’ve experienced the miracle of God moving in the moment like He did that day, but I’ve also experienced standing there waiting for the walls to fall. How do you respond when you’ve done everything you can and the walls remain while breakthrough eludes you?

In Mark 5:25-34, we read about a lady who had done everything she could, but her breakthrough never came. For 12 years, she had suffered with an issue of blood that made her unclean according to the Law. For 12 years she had gone to every doctor she could find only to get worse. For 12 years she faced disappointments and set backs. Think about where you were and what was going on in your life 12 years ago to put that into perspective. Somehow this woman kept marching around the walls praying for them to fall, when one day she heard about Jesus. She thought if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed, so she snuck up behind Him in the crowd. When she touched it, her breakthrough came and she was healed.

Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise” (NLT). It’s hard to keep holding on when your breakthrough doesn’t happen or is delayed, but like that woman, we can’t let go. Our hope is not based on the moment we’re standing in, but in the promise of the Great I Am, who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our faith must be greater than our feelings if we’re not going to waiver in those times when we’re staring down walls we’ve prayed would fall. Like the Israelites we need to keep marching and thanking God for the victory that’s coming. Like the woman we must seek out the hem of His garment when everything else has failed. We can trust in God’s promises and who He is because He’s been faithful. I don’t know when your breakthrough will happen, but I know you must keep holding on tightly to your faith in Him no matter what.

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September 30, 2024 · 5:45 AM

Controlling Everything

How do you handle it when everything is going wrong? There are times and seasons of disappointment that we all go through. For some of us, we start trying to control everything when things start spinning out of control. The truth is that we can’t really control anything except our response and our attitude. I’m not a person that is constantly worried about things, but in these seasons, worry tries to creep in. My sleep gets disrupted, my appetite goes away and I get quiet because I’m trying to handle it and solve it on my own. Doing all those things is still simply masking the fact that I’m trying to control the situation rather than my response. Ultimately I have to realize that only God can control my circumstances.

In Esther 3, Haman had been promoted to second in command. The king ordered that he be given the same treatment and respect as if he were king. People were told to bow when he went by them. Everyone obeyed the edict except Mordecai. Haman was infuriated and decided not to simply attack Mordecai. His response was to eradicate all Jews. He convinced the king to sign a law that gave people in every province of the kingdom to kill Jews and take their possessions. In chapter four, Mordecai read the decree and began crying and wailing. He put on mourning clothes, fasted and prayed for a resolution. He may have felt the blame for the situation and knew he didn’t have the answer, but he knew God did. He sent word to Esther about what was going on and God used her to save His people.

Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” (NLT) When things are out of control, God is still in control. We must look to Him because He is the only one who can help in these seasons. He is the one who had the plan and people in position to protect you and bring the season to a close. Like Mordecai, we should turn our hearts toward heaven in fasting and prayer. Like Esther, we should be ready to do whatever God asks no matter how difficult. Things may look bleak, and times may get rough, but in those moments we must look to God and seek Him more than ever. He is still in control of everything and nothing happens without Him knowing. Control your response and let Him take the burden of controlling everything else.

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September 10, 2024 · 5:40 AM

While You Wait

I had read once that when you’re waiting your perception of time gets warped. Your mind tricks you into thinking it was three times longer than it actually is. I’ve experimented with groups where I would start a timer while they sat in silence. After a period of time, I would ask them to guess how long they sat there. Sure enough they were guessing two to three times the time they were there. I then like to ask what thoughts were going through their mind and what emotions were they experiencing the last time they had to wait at a restaurant or a retail establishment. It turns out we don’t like to wait and often get worked up in the process. Waiting is hard by itself. It’s even more difficult when you’re not sure it is going to end or if you’re going to get what you want. God uses these times to test us and grow us.

Abraham had to wait around 25 years for the promise of a son. God used that period in his life to grow his faith and to show him anything was possible. Joseph waited in a prison in Egypt for his dream to come true. While he was waiting, God was maturing and positioning him to fulfill the dreams. David went back to watching sleep while he waited after being anointed king. Then he spent years on the run living in the wilderness. God used that time to teach him how to shepherd people, win the hearts of a nation and develop leadership skills. In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, five waited patiently and did what they were supposed to do in that period. Five didn’t. What we do while we wait matters.

Lamentations 3:25 says, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him” (ESV). Are you seeking God in the waiting or are you complaining? Has your mind told you it’s been too long? We must trim our wicks in our waiting so we’re ready to be used when He’s ready to fulfill His promise. We must let our endurance and faith increase when nothing seems to be happening. God may be positioning you and others and you don’t even know it. He may be developing skills as well. Don’t rush His process because the promise is on the other side of it. I don’t know how long you’ll have to wait, but God has a pattern of having His people wait. He also has a pattern of being faithful to those who do and to those who seek Him in the waiting.

Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash

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May 20, 2024 · 5:43 AM

Faith Beyond The Moment

I’m a pretty big sports fan. Most of the time my radio is tuned to a sports station discussing my teams. I have to say though that we sports fans can be the worst when it comes to our teams. When they’re winning, everyone thinks this is their year. When they start losing, it’s the end of the world and they need to fire everyone. That’s pretty different for a coach or leader. They don’t judge the team or the players by the results. They know the players and believe in them beyond the scoreboard of a game. They know what they’re capable of, keep them in position and continue to trust them beyond the win loss column. Faith trusts the person more than the result.

In Genesis we read the story of Abraham and Sarah. God promised them a child. They were beyond child bearing years when the promise was made. However, they decided to trust God. Then a year went by, and nothing. Two. Three. Five. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty years and still no answer. They continue to believe God beyond the time gap and the barrenness. Twenty five years after the promise, God answered by giving them a son. Hebrews 11:11 reflects on the faith of Sarah by saying, “Sarah’s faith embraced God’s miracle power to conceive even though she was barren and was past the age of childbearing, for the authority of her faith rested in the One who made the promise, and she tapped into his faithfulness” (TPT). Her faith rested in God and not in the results of her present situation.

Jeremiah 17:7 says, “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence” (NLT). Is your faith in God or in His answers to your prayers? There’s a difference. One is placed in the One who is able to do exceedingly above and beyond our expectations and one is based on the results we see today. Will you continue to trust Him even if the outcome isn’t what you were praying for? Or are you like a sports fan whose faith is on,y as deep and the results? Blessed are those whose faith, hope and confidence rests in the One who is able to even when He doesn’t answer our way or is slow to make good on His promises. Faith is still trusting even when nothing is lining up the way you expect or want it to. Let your trust go beyond the moment you’re standing in and embrace God’s miracle power so you can judge Him faithful no matter what.

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March 19, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Waiting In The Chaos

In the battle for Texas’ independence, people were energized to help the Texans after the battle of the Alamo. “Remember the Alamo,” became a popular saying that fired people up. Sam Houston was mustering an army to chase down Santa Ana. He had a few opportunities to fight with him, but chose to wait rather than to engage in battle. People, especially those in his army, were tired of waiting. They wanted to fight that instant. However, Sam Houston said that he had seen the battlefield in his mind and he refused to fight until he saw it in real life. People became disgruntled in the waiting. They didn’t join to follow Santa Ana around. They wanted action. When the approached the San Jacinto area, Sam Houston saw his battlefield, engaged in battle and won Texas’ independence.

In Exodus we read how the Israelites wanted freedom from Egypt. God heard their cries and sent Moses. After a series of plagues, Pharaoh finally agreed to set them free. In Exodus 14, he changed his mind and chased after them. The people were frightened because they had the Red Sea on one side and an attacking army on the other. In verses 13-14 Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (NLT). In a moment of fear and with no way out, God wanted them to be still and wait while he took care of everything. They didn’t have to figure it out on their own. They simply had to be still while God fought for them.

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” It’s hard to wait when you need answers now. It’s hard not to fear when you’re facing insurmountable odds. It’s hard to be patient when you need God’s help now. However, the battle is not yours, but the Lord’s. We must learn to be brave in spite of what we see and what we’re being told. God is working things out and has a plan. Sometimes He works things out the way we expect and some times He works them out in unexpected ways. No matter what we know that He is working all things out for your good. Be patient and wait for Him. His plan is best and His pattern seems to be that He shows up in just the right time.

Photo by Jeremy Perkins on Unsplash

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March 14, 2024 · 5:30 AM

God’s Timing

We once gave my son got a 3-D puzzle of Big Ben, the famous clock at Westminster Palace. This particular puzzle had a working clock on one side. After we built the clock, he asked if we could set the clock to London time. I then moved the hour hand six hours ahead. He said, “Wow! London is six hours faster than us?” Now, whenever he goes by the clock, he announces what time it is in London so we’ll know the difference in their time and ours.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that God has a different time than I do. It’s not as simple as a six hour difference though. He doesn’t look at time by the hour like we do. He looks at circumstances and how they line up to tell time. Whenever I pray for something, I’m typically looking at my circumstances and ask God to intervene in that moment. God’s timing doesn’t just look at what I want in that moment, he looks at the ripple effect and how that affects other moments.

Like a child wanting something at the store, I often demand that God answer right now! To me, what I’m asking for is urgent, but I’m learning that God has a plan and will answer in His time and in His way. In Psalm 69, David is praying desperately for God to answer him. He felt like he was drowning in his circumstances and he cried out to God to save him. Then in verse 13, he changed his tone. He prayed, “Answer me, God, at a time you choose” (GNT). He understood that God’s time was different than His and He trusted God’s wisdom over His desires. It’s a prayer we all need to learn so we can trust His timing.

Photo credit: Chris Hendrix

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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