Tag Archives: greater

God’s Faith In You

One of the many reasons I love the book of Job is that it gives us a behind-the-scenes peek into what goes on in the spiritual realm. In the first chapter, verses 6-12, we read how the angels presented themselves before God. As they were assembling, the accuser, Satan, came to join them. The Lord quickly noticed him and asked him what he’d been doing. Satan replied, “I’ve been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.” The Lord then asked, “Have you noticed my servant Job?” Satan said that he had.

Satan started his accusations against Job by saying that he was only faithful because of the blessings God had given him. He wanted God to turn on Job so that Job would turn on God. The Lord knows that Satan tries to put a wedge between God and us. He accuses us of things we’ve been forgiven of, and tells God our faith will fail if bad things happen in our lives. God knows the levels of lies and deceit the enemy will go to try to separate us from His love for us. He also knows the level and strength of your faith.

What I see in this story is how God often has more faith in us than we do in Him or ourselves. He trusts us to hold on to Him when our world seems to be crashing down. He knows that testing proves how deep our faith is, and it also strengthens it. An easy road doesn’t produce a strong Christian. If anyone should have been crushed by their problems it was Job, and his faith endured because of his faith inside.

You are stronger than you think you are. I John 4:4 says, “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world” (NASB). You are not left to pass the test alone. God is with you every step of the way. He watches over you and limits what the enemy can do to you as His child. Just like Job, if we will keep our faith in the hard times, God will bless us more after them than He had before them. God will not let the enemy push you beyond your ability to trust in Him. He knows your limits and has given you inner strength to overcome by filling you with the Holy Spirit. Don’t give up on God or your test. God believes you will pass. Prove Him right to the one who accuses you.

Here are some other devotions I’ve written on this topic:

Why Bad Things Happen To Good People

God’s Blueprints

Peace In Uncertainty

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Free From Self Criticism

It’s Free Friday! What are you going to be free from today? The choice is yours to let it go. To celebrate Free Friday, I’m giving away a free copy of Steven Furtick’s book “Greater”. Keep reading to find out how to enter.

Most of the time, I’m my own worst enemy. Certainly I’m my own worst critic. I see and know all my flaws better than anyone. I do my best to cover them up so no one else sees them, but I know they’re still there. I use them as excuses to keep myself from doing greater things. I allow them to hold me back from who I was created to be. When I look in the mirror, they stare back at me and remind me that I’m a deeply flawed individual and am incapable of doing the things that I’m called to do. This cycle of self doubt perpetuates itself in my mind to the point that it blocks out the call from God.

Moses felt the same way. I always read the early chapters of Exodus and though he was making excuses as to why God couldn’t use him. In reality, I think it was self doubt and self criticism that was rearing it’s ugly head. When God asked him to do something greater, those insecurities and flaws that he saw in his own life reminded him of his inabilities. I don’t think he was trying to make excuses to get out of doing what God called him to, but rather he was telling God, “You’ve go the wrong person. I have so many flaws. How could you possibly use me? Remember how bad I messed up before?”

Whatever our flaws are and no matter how bad our past is, we can’t let the enemy use those to keep us from being and doing something great. Steven Furtick refers to this side of him as his “lesser loser life”. He said in chapter 2 of the book “Greater”, “I find over and over again that my greatest enemy of the greater life God has for me is…me.” Each one of us have this voice in our head that constantly tells us, “You can’t. You’re not enough. God can’t use you.” On and on it goes with all the things that are wrong with you. Relentlessly it attacks your mind to get you to believe that you’re not enough.

Today, it’s time to free yourself of that voice. You are God’s unique creation and were designed by Him to be great and to do greater things. The way I combat that voice is with scripture and by claiming who I am in Christ. When it says I can’t, I tell it, “I can do all things through Christ.” When it says God can’t use me because of my past, I say, “I’ve been forgive, it’s been forgotten and I’ve been redeemed.” When it says that no one will listen, I say, “I’m just the messenger. The message is His. My job is to speak it and His job is to open ears and minds.” I focus on what I can do and not what I can’t. I recognize what is my responsibility and what is God’s. He doesn’t ask me to do what only He can do. He asks me to do what only I can do.

What does that voice say to you that keeps you from being great? It’s time to set yourself free and what better day than Friday! Don’t listen to it. Shut it up and replace it with who God says you are. You are more than enough to do what God asks of you. You can and will do greater things through Christ. Don’t let your flaws become an excuse. Instead let God use them for His glory in a way that only He can do. God doesn’t make mistakes. Your life, your past and your flaws are not mistakes, but rather they are the exact things God needs in your life to accomplish what only you can do. It’s time to free yourself from self criticism and to do greater things.

To win Steven Furtick’s book “Greater”, simply go to my Facebook page and share any of today’s statuses. Everyone who shares a Facebook status by 11:59 PM, November 8th, 2013, will be entered into a drawing to win this life changing book. I’ll draw a name tomorrow, November 9th, and post the winner on my Facebook page.

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Front Row Seats

Our church class was watching the video from the group study version of “Greater” by Steven Furtick when he said something that has had me thinking for a while now. He referenced Luke 5 where Jesus called Simon (Peter) to follow him. Jesus was walking on the shore of Galilee and the crowds were pressing in to hear Him speak. He looked over, saw a couple of boats and asked to borrow one. Peter rowed a little from land and Jesus spoke to the crowd.

Here’s what Steven asked that got me: “Why did Jesus ask for the boat? He didn’t need it. He later proved He could walk on water. He was looking for obedience.” I hope that sinks in for you like it has for me. Jesus performed many miracles in His ministry. He could have easily walked on water this day as He did later. Instead He chose to ask Peter for his boat.

Isn’t that like God? He doesn’t need our help or resources, but He chooses to give us opportunities to obey and to collaborate with Him. He doesn’t need what you and I have. After all, it’s His anyway. He simply is wanting to know if we recognize that and are willing to give back to Him what He’s given to us. Obedience is more important to Him than anything. The level of obedience we give Him is the level of greatness we can attain through Him.

Many of us wait for a sign or confirmation before we’re obedient. We often think we have to be doing amazing things for God before He uses us or asks something of us. In Luke 5, Peter had just finished fishing. He had emptied his boat and was cleaning his nets. That’s every day mundane stuff he was doing when Jesus approached him. He wasn’t looking for Jesus to come interrupt his day. He wasn’t praying and asking God to give Him something to do. He was cleaning his nets.

To you and me, that’s like sending emails, filing paperwork, submitting reports and things like that. God can enter your workspace, your everyday life, and ask you to be obedient. Letting Jesus use the boat was no big deal. He rowed out a little ways and dropped anchor. Because of his obedience though, he got a front row seat to a sermon from Jesus. He got to see the faces of the people Jesus was ministering to and healing. He got a glimpse of what life would be like if he obeyed what Jesus asked him to do next: come follow me.

You may not be looking for Jesus at work or in your every day life today. You may be doing your regular schedule of things to do on a day like today. If God comes in and asks for something from you, no matter how small, do it. He doesn’t need what you have to accomplish what He wants. He’s simply giving you the opportunity to partner with Him through obedience. Who knows what you’ll have a front row to. I bet it will be amazing!

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