Tag Archives: what does the bible say about

December 20, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Receiving Immanuel

Have you ever said, “It’s too much! I couldn’t accept this gift”? Why do we have such a hard time receiving gifts? We like giving them, but push back when someone tries to give us a gift. It could have something to do with pride because when we give, we get credit and recognition. It puts us in the driver’s seat of the relationship. However, when we receive a gift, it opens the door to intimacy in the relationship. The extent to which we fear intimacy is the extent to which we reject gifts. While it is more blessed to give than to receive, it’s often an act of obedience and humility to receive.

We all know John 3:16 and how God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only son. We usually don’t connect that verse with Christmas, but it is the quintessential Christmas verse. God demonstrated His love for you and me by giving the most extravagant gift ever: salvation through His son. It’s a free gift, but it’s one that we must receive along with the other gifts that He gives us. There’s a tendency in all of us to push back on this free gift because we fear intimacy with God. We like the idea of keeping Him at arms length knowing that receiving the gift of His son requires our soul, our life, our all. Intimacy is what He is looking for from us.

John 1:11 says, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (NKJV). When God gave us the gift of Christmas, the world’s initial reaction was to not receive it. The prophesy in Isaiah 7:14 said that His gift would be called Immanuel which translates to God with us. Since the beginning God has desired an intimate relationship with each of us. It begins when we receive His free gift, but is grown through our spiritual disciplines. We must open our hands and hearts to receive the gift of Immanuel that God gives. Your level of intimacy with Him is in proportion to the amount you receive Immanuel and trust Him with your heart and life.

Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash

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December 19, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Perfectly Wrapped

Like most guys, I’m not a very good wrapper when it comes to presents. If you get a gift from me, it’s going to come in a bag. My wife isn’t that way. She prides herself on her wrapping ability. At Christmas each family gets a certain color coordinated wrapping paper and bow. So one Christmas we had an assembly line going where I put the gifts in boxes and got tape ready while she wrapped. She would then ask who it belonged to and she would write their name on it. About eight presents in, I snuck her gift into the assembly line. When she asked who it was for, I told her it was hers. She hadn’t paid attention to what she was wrapping and laughed. I told her I wanted her to have a gift that was as beautifully wrapped as all the other ones.

At Christmas we can stress about getting the right gift and also the need to wrap it. However, about 2,000 years ago God sent His only son into the world as His gift to us. John 1 says that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. At His birth, angels appeared in the fields near Bethlehem to announce to shepherds that the Messiah had come. They were told to go find Him. Luke 2:12 says, ”And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger“ (NLT). God’s greatest gift was wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a feeding trough rather than in kingly garments in a palace. His gift was to all people who would receive Him.

Jesus was God’s gift to us. What we do with Him is our gift to God. We can leave Him as a baby lying in a manager, but His birth isn’t what saves us. His birth was so God could be with us and identify with us. He knows our pains, our struggles and our temptations. His gift to God and us was His death on the cross which opened a way for us to be with God. He was born to die so that we may truly live. In response, our gift to God is a life wrapped in His grace, filled with His love and sharing His message to a world in need. When we unwrap the story of His life and what He did for us, we should desire to live a life that reflects that kind of love. The wrapping doesn’t have to be pretty and perfect because God doesn’t look on the outside like we do. He looks at our heart.

Photo by Jon Carlson on Unsplash

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December 18, 2023 · 5:46 AM

The Right Time

One thing I’ve learned is that God operates on His own time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reached out in desperation praying to get an answer on my time. There have been times when He’s come through right at the deadline. There have been other times when my deadline has come and gone while I was waiting for Him to answer. I think of Lazarus who was sick when his sisters sent word for Jesus to come and heal him. While Jesus was waiting, Lazarus died. Four days after that, Jesus showed up and raised him from the dead. No matter what our deadline is, His answer will come at the right time. He sees a bigger picture than what we see.

For 400 years before Jesus was born, God was silent. Famine had struck the land a generation before Jesus that threatened to wipe out the country. The Romans took over the world, including Israel. Yet God didn’t answer their cries. However, it was the Roman’s who called for a census that would send Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem in order to fulfill the prophecy that the Messiah would be born there. It was because of the Romans that the known world had a unified language which allowed the Gospel to spread quickly. While people cried out for deliverance, God waited for the right moment to bring salvation to us.

Galatians 4:4 says, ”But when the right time came, God sent his Son“ (NLT). Looking back, you can always see that God answers when the right time came. I don’t know what you’re praying for, but don’t stop. Your deadline May have come and gone, but keep praying. There is nothing impossible for God. He can do what seems impossible to us. He won’t be early with His answer, but when the right time comes, He will bring you the answer that is in accordance with His plan. Don’t give up if you’re still waiting or if God seems silent. Keep asking. Keep knocking. Keep seeking. Keep believing too because God is at work and setting things in motion. He will send His son to answer at the right time.

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December 15, 2023 · 5:29 AM

Growing Deeper Roots

I was speaking with someone recently who in a matter of days was robbed, had their car break down, lost their job and had a family member diagnosed with cancer. They still trusted in God, and though they were shaken, they believed God would meet every need. A person like that has deep roots in their faith. A season like this will not blow them over, but actually cause their roots to go deeper. Have you considered how deep your roots in Christ are? In Matthew 13 Jesus told a parable about a farmer scattering seeds. Some fell in shallow soil and when the heat came, they dried up. Some fell among the thorns and the roots were chocked out. Some fell in fertile soil and the roots went deep. This person planted their roots in God’s Word and not only survived, but produced in every season. Determine today to plant your roots in Christ and trust Him no matter what season you’re in.

Here are some Bible verses on growing deeper roots.

1. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:7 NLT

2. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV

3. Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.

Proverbs 12:3 NLT

4. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

Ephesians 3:16-17 NLT

5. There is hope for a tree that has been cut down; it can come back to life and sprout. Even though its roots grow old, and its stump dies in the ground, with water it will sprout like a young plant.

Job 14:7-9 GNT

Photo by AMAL BEN SAAD on Unsplash

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December 14, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Getting In The Wheelbarrow

I like to tell people that you will always act on what you truly believe, especially when you’re under pressure. It’s easy to say you believe something, but the proof comes when stress is applied. There’s a story of a man named Charles Blonden who famously put out a tightrope across Niagara Falls. He crossed it several times using different methods like stilts, backwards, blindfolded, carrying a stove and cooking on it. One time he pushed a wheelbarrow across it. When he arrived on the other side, the crowd applauded. He then asked who believed he could push someone in that wheelbarrow across the tightrope. Everyone cheered agreeing that he could. He then asked for a volunteer from the cheering crowd. The crowd fell silent and no one volunteered. Later his manager Harry Colcord did ride across on his back.

It’s easy to say we believe something until we have to get I to the wheelbarrow. In the Old Testament, God asked Abraham to take his only son to the land of Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice (Genesis 22). This was a faith testing moment. God had already told him that through Isaac he would have many descendants. He took Isaac to the mountain anyway because He truly believed God. David’s faith was tested too. He had been anointed king, but God delayed in that promise. He had several opportunities to kill Saul, the current king, but he trusted God’s timing instead. Many opportunities presented themselves, but he passed on them all as he waited for God’s perfect timing.

Testing is part of God’s means of proving our faith just like He did for those in the Bible. If He tested them, He’ll test us. 1 Peter 1:7 says, “Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and glory and honor on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed” (GNT). Testing purifies and solidifies our faith. Don’t back down from what you believe when hard times come or when you’re called out on it. Get in the wheelbarrow and trust God to carry you across Niagara’s Falls. He’s proven time and time again He’s able to, but it’s up to us to trust Him enough to get in.

Photo by Sergey Pesterev 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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December 13, 2023 · 5:29 AM

Eliminate Hopelessness

In the 1950’s a professor did an experiment where he placed rats in water to see how long it would take for them to drown. Several died within minutes. He then decided to introduce hope into the experiment to see if that changed anything. He placed more rats in the water and waited until they were giving up. Once they began to drown, he reached in, grabbed them and held them a few minutes before placing them back in the water. This time they didn’t give up. They continued to swim for much longer than before. He wrote that the rats quickly learn that the situation is not hopeless and when hopelessness is eliminated, they do not die.

When Abraham was 75 years old, he had given up on having kids. He began to reason and come to terms that everything he had acquired in life would go to his servant. He was hopeless at that point, but God visited him and told him he would have a son. Abraham was excited and believed God. However, a year passed without Sarah getting pregnant. Then another. Soon a decade passed. Then another. Because God eliminated hopelessness, Abraham continued to believe. When he turned 100, his wife finally became pregnant and had a son. They named him Isaac, which means laughter. God did the impossible for a couple and all they could do was laugh when He did.

Isaiah 40 was written to Israel while they were in captivity in Babylon. They were on the verge of giving up. God spoke to them on verse 31 and said, ”But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak“ (GNT). If God can give a 100 year old a baby and deliver an entire nation from captivity, He can meet your need. He will eliminate hopelessness from your situation and give you strength to keep going. When God is involved, it is never too late, never too far gone and never too hopeless. One word from Him and the situation will turn around. Receive His strength today to keep going and to trust Him.

Photo by Hu Chen on Unsplash

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December 12, 2023 · 5:40 AM

Lifted Back Up

My wife and I made our first trip to Haiti a couple of years after the catastrophic earthquake of 2010. As we made our way out of Port au Prince, we drove through what was known as tent city where thousands of people who lost their homes lived. We made our way north to a village where we were going to be working with an orphanage. The village was very primitive. The people would carry a 5 gallon bucket for several miles each day to get fresh water. I remember seeing them carrying that heavy load all the way back and wondering how many generations have been bent over carrying water that far. The organization we were with wanted to ease that load on the people. The next year, we drilled a well and installed a reverse osmosis system so the people could have free water and not have to carry those buckets so far.

In Luke 13:10-17, Jesus encountered a woman while He was teaching in the synagogue who was doubled over. It says that she was this way because of a demon held her in bondage. Jesus decided to heal her even though it was the Sabbath. The leader of the synagogue reprimanded Jesus for healing her. He then responded by reminding him that each person in there had untied their animals at some point on a sabbath to lead them to water. He then said that this woman had been bound up and doubled over for 18 years under this load. Should she be untied and lifted up? The leader was ashamed, but the people and the woman rejoiced that Jesus lifted her up.

Psalm 145:14 says, ”The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads“ (NLT). Commentaries say that this phrase “bent beneath their loads” is referencing people who are doubled over under their worries, their duties or their trials. God is one who lifts people up. He doesn’t want to leave you bent over under the heavy load you’re carrying. In fact, in Matthew 11:28 He offers for you to go to Him with your heavy load and He will lift you up and give you rest. He will take that load you shouldn’t be carrying off your shoulders and give you His burden instead, which is light. God can release you today from the things that are weighing you down. Release them to Him today and ask Him to take the weight off your shoulders. He wants to lift you back up.

Photo by Aditya Saxena on Unsplash

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December 11, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Seeking Sharpness

Do you know someone that just rubs you the wrong way? Every time you meet, you clash. It seems like every time you’re around each other, they bring out the worst in you. Then there are others you come into contact with who seem to make you want to be a better person. You have long, deep, conversations about things. They ask questions that keep you thinking for days. You can’t wait to be near them because they bring out the best side of you. I think it’s good to have both types in your life. I know it sounds crazy, but even the people who seem to bring out the worst in you can help you be a better person.

The people who bring out the worst in me reveal my rough edges. They show me the side of me that I work hard at covering up. When that side of me flares up, it’s a reminder that it’s still there and that I still have work to do. We all have rough edges in our lives that need smoothing out. When a piece of wood is rough, we don’t hold back the sandpaper. We apply it because we know that wherever it is applied will even be smooth. When a knife is dull, we don’t throw it away. We apply it to a whetstone or a grinding stone in order to make the edges sharp. Relationships, the good ones and the difficult ones, can have that same affect on you.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “It takes a grinding wheel to sharpen a blade, and so one person sharpens the character of another” (TPT). One of the things I pray often is, “God, put the right relationships in my life who will help me to be who you’ve called me to be, and take out the ones who don’t.” God is able to use relationships to smooth out our edges and to make us sharper people so we can fulfill our purpose. If you’re around people who seem to bring out the worst in you, ask God to use them to make you better or to help you break away from that relationship. We all have room for improvement in becoming more like Christ. Some relationships require you to end them so you can improve, and others will be used to smooth out your rough edges. Seek God’s wisdom for what to do in those relationships in your life and keep seeking to be sharp.

Photo by Manki Kim on Unsplash

I’m taking my annual break from writing this week. I hope you enjoyed this devotion I wrote a few years ago. I’ll be writing new devotions again starting tomorrow.

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December 8, 2023 · 5:30 AM

God’s Peace On Earth

Peaceful. That’s not a word I would use to describe the Christmas season. Hectic is the word I would use. Going store to store to buy presents, looking for parking everywhere you go, going to the kid’s Christmas plays, attending Christmas parties, cleaning house for family that’s coming and so much more. Our schedule is full this time of year, and sometimes we accidentally double book.

When Jesus was born, Bethlehem was just as busy. It was over crowded because of the census. Families that hadn’t seen each other in ages were getting together. There were lines everywhere you went, and the locals were hard at work. Jesus was born into chaos, but the message to the shepherds (and us) is that He came to bring us peace no matter what time of year it is. Just like it did for the shepherds, let God’s peace draw you away from the hustle and bustle, and move you closer to Jesus.

Here are some Bible verses on the peace that God gives.

1. At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises: Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

Luke 2:13-14 MSG

2. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].

PHILIPPIANS 4:7 AMP

3. May the Lord himself, who is our source of peace, give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 GNB

4. You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Isaiah 26:3 NLT

5. I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 14:27 NLT

Photo by Luke Stackpoole on Unsplash

I’m taking my annual break from writing this week. I hope you enjoyed this devotion I wrote a few years ago. I’ll be writing new devotions again starting next Tuesday.

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December 7, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Experiencing Humanity

Earlier this year, one of our local radio DJ’s decided to see what it was like to be homeless. He created a backstory in case anyone asked him how he got there. He also had a police officer go undercover with him to protect him. Each morning he would slip away to call the radio station to report his findings. I looked forward to his calls each day just so I could gain more insight into how we as Christians can help these people who have been displaced from their homes and our society. The experience changed him and the listeners. Even though it was only for a week, his experience allowed him to identify with the homeless population in a way that he never had before. From not being able to get into the shelter on a cold night, to not being able to eat, to having people pretend he was invisible changed his perspective and how he would help going forward.

As we begin celebrating Christmas, I can’t help but think that this man was mirroring what God did a couple of millenniums ago. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, God walked with them daily. After they sinned, they were cast out of the garden and became wanders on the earth. Their sin also separated us and created a fallen world of people far from God. We became guilty of breaking God’s laws and fell under the power of sin. God gave us the Law through Moses, but we were unable to live up to it. We continuously fell short of the desires God had for us. Our sin created a barrier that kept us from being able to cross over to Him. However, when we couldn’t go to Him, He came to us to set us right with Him. He was able to bridge the divide from our side.

Romans 8:3 says, “Yet God sent us his Son in human form to identify with human weakness. Clothed with humanity, God’s Son gave his body to be the sin-offering so that God could once and for all condemn the guilt and power of sin” (TPT). Because He took on flesh and lived among us, He is able to identify with you. He was tempted like you are, hurt like you do and felt the separation from God. He also broke the power of sin over your life and removed the guilt from your name. Christmas is much more than the birth of Jesus. It’s God coming into the world so He could relate to us, be with us and save us. As you celebrate and share gifts, don’t forget to celebrate your salvation through Him and the new life He has given you.

Photo by Greyson Joralemon on Unsplash

I’m taking my annual break from writing this week. I hope you enjoyed this devotion I wrote a few years ago. I’ll be writing new devotions again starting next Tuesday.

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