John 21:6-7

“Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” He told them, “and you’ll find some (fish).” so they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. Therefore, the disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!”

I love how John thought he was Jesus’s favorite. We’d all be more secure if we realized just how much He loves us and could simply rest in that perfect love for us. Unfortunately, too many of us struggle with the insecurity of trying to perform in order to be accepted. John could just be, which is exactly where Jesus wants us to be – secure and assured of His great love.

In these verses, we see how Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples after the resurrection. Since they could no longer follow Him physically, they had gone back to what they were doing before they met Him – fishing. Although they were highly skilled fishermen, they had caught nothing all night. They could do nothing in their own strength, including being successful in the things that gave them success before they encountered Christ. They had sat there all night, unfruitful, unproductive, and unsuccessful.

Jesus called to them from the shore, instructing them to throw their nets on the right side of the boat. They did not realize who He was, but nothing else had worked for them. They certainly had nothing to lose by following this man’s suggestion. When they did, they received such a large catch they could not haul it all in. They had seen this before, and they immediately recognized who had given them the instruction. Jesus had blessed their catch tremendously when He called them, and now He had blessed them again after the resurrection. Surely, He still had purpose for them!

When He revealed Himself to Him, they recognized Him. The first time they saw this miracle, He called them to follow Him. Now, He called them to feed His sheep. As they did, they continued to see His miracles. He had been with them during their discipleship phase to learn from Him, and He would continue to be with them during their ministry phase, where He would now do miracles through them.

We all need Jesus to reveal Himself to us. Until He does, we will also flounder in our own strength as we desperately try to be productive. Without Him, we can do nothing, but with Him, we can do all things. Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you today. Ask Him to show you where He is working in your life. He has promised never to leave you, and He has called you for a purpose. When you see Him, there will be no denying His work or His power. Follow Him, feed His sheep, and fulfill your calling. He is there – somewhere – just waiting to be found.

Have a blessed day!

2 Chronicles 20:13

All Judah was standing before the LORD with their infants, their wives, and their children.

When Jehoshaphat sought the LORD for His guidance in the threat of a vast multitude of enemy armies that were planning to attack Judah, he called a national fast. He called the people together and prayed before the assembly. Coming before God in utter dependence without strength or power to fight the ensuing battle, the men of Judah brought their families – infants, wives, and children. Everything they held dear was at stake, and only God could save them. When God saw this, He responded with a word of promise for their victory!

God cares about our families! He cares about the things that are dear to those who honor Him! The enemy armies were seeking to destroy the power of God by attacking His people. God would personally fight this battle for Judah. He will protect that which is precious to Him!

The family was God’s way of populating the earth and creating healthy cultures. He built His nation, Israel, through family. His word and the practice of worship was handed down through family. A strong sense of family helps shape one’s identity and can assist in making a person successful in life. Indeed, the backbone of a society is the family unit, which is exactly why the enemy attacks the family so viciously. God is for families, and He hears our cry when we call out to Him in prayer over our families. Never underestimate the power you have to stand in the gap and pray for your own family and for the protection of families in our nation.

There are times when we will lose family members, and as widows, we are all personally aware of this. It is appointed unto man once to die, and we have no control over the appointed time. When threats occur that endanger the family – a God ordained institution – He goes to battle to preserve that which is precious to Him. In Isaiah 49:25b, we find God’s heart for families that seek Him. He promises to contend with those who contend with us, and He will save our children. God fights for families!

If you have a family member who has strayed or who is on a dangerous path, seek the LORD for His help. He cares about your family. If your children are hurting or struggling, seek the LORD on their behalf. God intervenes for the family. If there has been loss, remember that God is a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows. Trust Him to do what you cannot, and know that this matter is precious to Him. Stand upon His word and believe in His love for you. This battle is not yours, but the victory is!

Have a blessed day!

Matthew 18:12-14

What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray. In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

If a man will leave 99 to find one stray sheep, our heavenly Father will certainly go after any stray sheep that belongs in His fold. Everyone is valuable to Him, and He doesn’t want to lose a single one. While we might think He would rejoice over the 99 that didn’t cause Him any problem, His joy is found when the one who strays returns to the fold. Only then is His flock complete.

I’m so very glad the Father brings back those who are His own. I have hope for loved ones who have gone astray. I’m also concerned, however, that those 99 of us who are still in the flock don’t see the value of the one who went astray. We may see him as flawed or immature. We may even see him as inferior to us in some way and judge him for his waywardness. In truth, we have all gone astray and are in need of repentance. Just as he wandered, the ability to stray or lose our way is there for us all. Thankfully, we have a Good Shepherd who is willing to come after us if we lose our way because we are valuable to Him. Therefore, we should also value others who have gone astray and rejoice when they return to the fold, rather than judging their waywardness.

Sheep aren’t the wisest of animals. In fact, they are quite dumb and need someone to care for them. They lose their way easily. Jesus calls us the sheep of His pasture. Therefore, we are all dumb creatures who lose our way from time to time and need to be rescued. When sheep cry out, the shepherd can hear them. Cry out today to your Good Shepherd if you feel lost. If you are right where you need to be, then realize that you need the same grace and care from the Father as the one who is astray. If it weren’t for Him, we’d all be devoured, but He values us enough to care for us and call us His own. Hallelujah!

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 61:7

Because your shame was double, and they cried out, “Disgrace is their portion,” therefore, they will possess double in their lands and eternal joy will be theirs.

Shame is the Devil’s calling card. Conviction is specific and gives you the urgency to make things right. Shame, however, is a stamp that tries to identify you, giving you no hope of ever breaking free from its grip. As a Christian, the enemy will always try to disgrace and discredit you because of who you are – a child of the Living God through Jesus Christ.

Christ came to redeem us from shame. He came to comfort those who mourn and to set captives free from shame’s imprisonment. He has already borne our shame and disgrace, and in Him we can live victoriously.

While the Devil may scream, “Disgrace!” in your ear, God has already declared you blessed. The enemy wants you to run and hide because God intends to display you with His own favor. The Message Bible has a beautiful translation of this verse:

Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever.

The more trouble the Devil gives you, the more God will bless you! Proclaim your victory over him today! Your inheritance in the land is your ministry. Whatever God helps you overcome is a tool in your hand to minister to someone else and display the power of God to overcome evil. For this reason, you can rejoice in your sufferings because God is working them out for your benefit. He will take the very thing the Devil did to you and give you a testimony of grace. I love nothing more than picking up the very stick with which the Devil used against me and beating the fire out of him with it! Pick up that stick today by praying God’s word over your life and trusting in the blood of Jesus to cover you. You are not disgraced; you are blessed!

Have a blessed day!

Luke 9:49-50

John responded, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us.” “Don’t stop him,” Jesus told him, “because whoever is not against you is for you.”

Competition destroys relationships more than anything else I know. Unless we realize as Christians that we are all on the same team, we will not progress toward the goal of reaching the world for Christ. When competition between churches becomes evident, it can be particularly damaging to the faith of believers and to the drawing of unbelievers to the church, and Satan does all he can to try to instigate competition where the only prize to be won is his by stopping the growth of the kingdom of God.

John and the other disciples saw a man casting out demons in Jesus’s name, and they tried to stop him. This man had not been through the same training as they had experienced at the very feet of Jesus, and they were trying to protect their territory and make sure the man did not use Jesus’s name inappropriately. The man, however, apparently wanted people to be healed and set free and had simply learned that demons would flee in Jesus’s name. The man did not oppose the work of the disciples but merely tried to extend it beyond their reach. As Jesus explained to John, the man was not against them; he was for them in their mission.

As Christians, we should be working together to expand God’s kingdom. When we lose sight of God’s kingdom and start trying to build our own, competition steps in to claim its territory. If we fight each other, the only winner in the game is Satan. We must turn the tables on him and start working together as one body in Christ.

While I appreciate and respect the difference in doctrines taught by various denominations, I truly love it when denominations can work together toward the common goal of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. In fact, the world needs to see us cooperating more and competing less. They will know us by our love for one another. We don’t need to let doctrine divide us; we need to work together to complete the Great Commission God has called us to do of making disciples of all nations. Our name should become small so His name can become great. As Jesus clearly instructed, whoever is not against you is for you. May we tarry on together.

Have a blessed day!

1 Timothy 5:5

The real widow, left all alone, has put her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers…

Do you ever feel alone in your sense of family or support? If so, know that you have a direct line to God in prayer, and He hears you. Talk to Him just as you would someone who is in the room with you, and depend upon Him to hear you and answer you. He knows you are alone, and He will not disappoint the hope you place in Him.

God fights for you! When you are dependent upon Him, He takes matters that concern you personally. You belong to Him, and He intervenes for you in ways that clearly display the fact that He is your Savior! As Psalm 68:5 proclaims, He is a Father to the fatherless and a defender – a champion defender – of widows! He especially cares for widows who are devoted to Him and have a servant’s heart. Never underestimate the influence you have before the throne of God as a widow!

Take advantage of your time before the throne today, and cast all your cares upon your great Champion. He cares for you and is fully aware you have no one here to defend your cause. He is for you and not against you, and He will contend with the one who contends with you. Take heart and hope in God. There is no telling what He will do for you today!

Have a blessed day!

2 Kings 4:13-14

Then he (Elisha) said to Gehazi, “Say to her (Shunamite woman), ‘Look, you’ve gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?'” She answered, “I am living among my own people.” So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.”

As a prophet, Elisha was the voice of God to the people of Israel. The Shunamite woman was a prominent woman who had offered him hospitality when he visited her town. Her kindness and generosity toward Elisha met a huge need, and he wanted to do something for her. She was a strong woman living among her own people, and her outward needs were met. Elisha desired to do something for her, but he had to inquire and observe to find a real need in her. While she was married, her husband was old. When he died, she would be at the mercy of her family for survival, and she had no son to care for her as she aged. Chances were that she would not always exhibit the kind of strength she now possessed, so Elisha decided to provide for her future and promised her a son.

God looks deep into our hearts to meet needs others cannot see. He cares about our future, and He is already at work providing what we need. Elisha was God’s representative on earth at the time, and this Shunamite woman reached out to care for his needs. In return, Elisha provided for her future. When we take care of God’s needs in our strength, He will reach out and fill the areas of need in our weakness. He will meet the real longing inside of us and fill the desires that others don’t necessarily notice.

God knows the longing of your heart and how you have given to meet the needs of others. He knows where you are weak and your concerns for the future. Most importantly, however, He cares about you and desires to meet the deep needs of your heart that others just don’t notice. Don’t think for one minute that He doesn’t see your sacrifice or that He has forgotten you. He never forgets those who have reached out to others to offer kindness, generosity, or hospitality. These things are important to Him, and so are you. Just keep giving where you are called to give, and trust Him to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. You are highly favored and deeply loved by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and there is nothing He cannot do for you.

Have a blessed day!

No, in all things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us.

When the difficulties of life hit, we are tempted to look at our affliction and question God. We may not feel loved and may even gain a sense that God is punishing us or has turned His hand against us. We absolutely must remember the cross at these times. He took our punishment, our judgment, and our condemnation upon Himself so we would not have to experience the wrath of God and be separated from His love. Because of Christ’s great love for us, we are more than victorious in anything the Devil throws at us.

Our victory comes when we proclaim God’s love for us as greater than the trial we face. Greater is He who lives in us than He who is in the world. The very same power that raised Jesus from the dead – the Holy Spirit – now lives in us, and He is greater than the one who brings trouble your way. We absolutely must see our God as greater and the Devil as extremely small in comparison. When we do, we gain victory in areas that would, otherwise, consume us.

Regardless of how big your problem seems today, rejoice in the fact that God is bigger, stronger, greater, and mightier. Rest firmly in knowing that nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus, and this love brings you victory in all things. The bigger your God becomes, the smaller your problem will seem. Don’t worry; He’s got this!

Have a blessed day!

2 Chronicles 17:1-2

His (Asa’s) son Jehoshaphat became king in his place and strengthened himself against Israel. He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

When Jehoshaphat became king of Judah, he immediately set a defense around his places of strength. He stationed troops to defend the strong cities of Judah and began to strengthen the other cities with an army. He recognized he had something of value in his kingdom and first sought to protect that which God had placed in his care. Protecting his cities would inhibit enemy armies from attacking or succeeding in efforts to steal, kill, or destroy what God had built.

We all have something of value that God has placed in us that needs to be protected. Setting guards around our mind and our heart prevents the enemy from succeeding when he attacks with negative thought patterns and emotions. Just as building a defense was Jehoshaphat’s first recorded action as king, it should be our first priority in moving forward in God’s call on our life. Succumbing to negativity creates insecurity and weakens our resolve. Knowing who we are in Christ and being submitted to His call is essential in defending the valuable gift God placed inside us to expand His kingdom. If the enemy can cause us to doubt the gift, he can steal it by convincing us it has no value.

You are valuable to God, and He wants to use what He has placed inside of you. You have purpose, and God has great plans for you. Defend your calling, and refuse to allow the enemy to take hold of your strengths. If you didn’t have anything of value, the Devil wouldn’t be trying so hard to try to take it! Guard your heart and your mind with the truth of God’s word, and speak His word over your fears. You are fearfully and wonderfully made! God has plans to prosper you and not to harm you! He works all things together for your good and His glory! He will complete the work He began in you! No weapon formed against you shall prosper! You have hundreds of promises from Scripture. Use them to build a defense against the enemy and strengthen your mind and heart to move forward in God’s direction for you. The gift God has given you is worth defending!

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD, to glorify Him.

As I read this passage, I see people with all kinds of problems who have no solution on their own. I see the poor, those whose hearts have been broken in some way, those in bondage to sin, the punished, the suffering, those who have lost loved ones, and those who have lost everything. For all the people who hurt, there is an answer, and His name is Jesus – the Me in this passage.

God has anointed Jesus to bring good news to the hurting of this world. Wherever you are hurting today, you can find healing in Jesus. He died for the pain that rips your heart in two, and He can mend the tears that have rendered you dysfunctional. Whatever need, whatever loss, whatever lack or void you face, He brings the good news of His saving grace and God’s favor upon you.

Give Jesus your hurt today, and receive beauty for ashes. You were made to glorify God, and that glory is revealed in you through Jesus Christ. God has anointed Jesus to bring this good news, meaning that He has the power to change your situation from mourning to dancing. Place your faith in the good news of Jesus Christ today, and don’t let go until you dance in victory. Your story isn’t over; in Christ it takes a plot twist and creates an ending you just didn’t see coming!

Have a blessed day!