Mark 6:56

Wherever He would go, into the villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch just the tassel of His robe. And everyone who touched it was made well.

After the Sermon on the Mount and feeding the 5,000, Jesus crossed over the sea into the Gennesaret, where everyone recognized Jesus and began to bring Him their sick. They knew He had the power to heal, and that even the tassel of His garment could give them the power they needed for a healing miracle. What was so powerful about a tassel?

The tassel itself produced no power at all. In fact, it represented the 10 commandments God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai. Breaking just one of these commandments brought death, so why in this world would anyone seek to touch a tassel of Jesus’s garment to find healing? The power came from the One wearing the robe! Jesus met perfectly all 10 commandments and was completely righteous. God’s power flowed through the righteousness of Christ so that when He wore the robe with the tassels that represented the law, the tassels (law) had power to heal. The law alone judges and convicts. Upon Christ, however, the law provided healing because of His perfection in meeting it.

Our miracles do not come from keeping the commandments or from our own righteousness. One cannot earn a miracle, or it is no miracle at all. Our miracles come from the righteousness of Christ and our faith in Him to meet our need. When we can admit our own weakness and reach out to Christ in faith, we are in position for a miracle.

Notice one important thing about touching the tassel. To reach the tassel, you had to be on your knees because it hung near the ground. You are nearest your miracle when you are humbled in prayer before God. He can do for you what you cannot do for yourself, and He still performs miracles. A touch is all it takes to receive His power, but that touch requires faith. Reach out and touch Him today.

Have a blessed day!

Job 42:3

You asked, “Who is this who conceals My counsel with ignorance?” Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

In the midst of Job’s struggle, he felt as if God had been unjust in allowing him to suffer. If we believe that being a Christian means things will always be easy and bring us prosperity, we will be deceived, as well. God does bless His people, but in His divine wisdom, He may also allow hardships to befall us. In those times, we just have to trust He is in control, and He knows what He is doing.

Job’s friends believed he must have done something wrong to deserve such suffering and that God was punishing him. God was angry with Job’s friends because they spoke untruthfully of Him. As Job learned, no plan of God can be thwarted. We sometimes just have to submit to His will, and allow Him to work through our struggle. Wisdom comes from fearing God and turning from evil. Only God sees from heaven and knows everything under the sun. When we don’t understand why bad things are happening to us, we need to just praise God and trust His sovereignty in the situation.

If you are facing a difficult time, turn to God. He does not owe you one thing, and He is not being unjust toward you. He is not mistreating you, and you are not a victim. Whatever you are facing has a purpose in His ultimate plan, so simply submit to it, and praise Him in the process. He is God, and He is good. His ultimate goal for you is for your good and His glory. Turn to Him and not from Him. You can’t fight Him or stand up to Him, anyway. Job did not suffer forever, and neither will you. God has the power to restore you and bring you out of your mess even better than before. Do as Job did: praise Him and pray for your enemies. Job’s life was changed from it, and yours will be, too.

Have a blessed day!

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Just what are “these things?” According to the previous verse, they include what to eat, what to drink, and what to wear. As a woman, these are things that often consume our daily lives. In taking care of the home, we are constantly addressing the need to eat, the need to drink, and the need to wear something that is appropriate and preferably fashionable.

In the next verse, Jesus indicates that those who chase after “these things” are idolaters. I have to admit that if you were to see my closets (yes, plural), you would certainly conclude that I have chased a few things to wear. The increasing size of my waist gives obvious attention that I have also chased after something to eat lately – and caught it! Such things should not be our focus. If we will simply turn our concentration from our closets and our stomachs to seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness first, we would find that all “these things” would be provided for us with no worry or struggle at all.

So, why do we not trust God in the areas of “these things?” I can’t help but think it is because we crave too much. We have some crazy idea that God will only give us the very minimal amount we need and will not supply what we truly desire. If only we could turn our craving to His presence, our need for other things would diminish.

Christ came so we might have life and have it more abundantly. God’s supply is always more than enough, as evidenced in the feeding of the 5,000, the supply of the building of the tabernacle, and the widow’s oil. When we seek His kingdom and His righteousness first, He supplies more than enough to meet our needs. Our time, energy, and resources are actually wasted in chasing after “these things.” In fact, we are truly missing out on a life of abundance by not putting God first.

Ask God where your labor is in vain. Refocus your attention to seeking His kingdom and His righteousness, and let Him add the rest to you. This promise is a word upon which you can stand and cast your cares to God in the process. He has more for us than we can imagine if we will only seek Him first. A clean closet, a trimmer waist, and less worry would be worth it! And that is just the start of what He might provide. Who knows where we might go or the people that we might reach?

Have a blessed day!

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.

God created us to be a working, productive people. Nothing is more satisfying than knowing you are doing exactly what God called you to do and are being productive. From this, you receive a sense of accomplishment and financial blessing. Lazy, unmotivated people are the most miserable because they’ve never learned the joy of true accomplishment in Christ.

To truly find your niche in life, you must exert some effort. If you fail at something, at least you tried and know what not to do next time. Perhaps, our biggest failures come when we don’t even try or put forth an effort. God will direct you, but you have to start moving in order to receive direction. If you wait for it all to come to you, you are sure to be disappointed.

Rejoice in what God has given you to do today. If you are not enjoying life, check to see if you are putting forth effort into anything. God has something for you to do, and you find it by trying something. Start serving and being a blessing to someone else, and there is no telling what blessings God will send your way.

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 42:3

He will not break a bruised reed, and He will not put out a smoldering wick; He will faithfully bring justice.

All of us at one time or another have almost given up hope. Sometimes, our faith just seems to fall to the overwhelming tides of discouragement, and we are left seeking for any trace of God and His work in our lives. This verse is a treasure to keep for such times, and it never ceases to encourage and renew hope when there seems to be an empty supply.

A bruised reed here represents the poor and needy. Don’t think for one minute that applies only to your financial status. You can be poor and needy spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. You can be just as low on faith as you can on money and be considered poor and needy. God will never break a bruised reed, regardless of how little faith that reed may have. He knows the places you have been hurt and how that pain has damaged your faith. His intent is to build your faith and not tear it down.

God will not break the bruised reed. The words, “not break,” here are best viewed as an understatement for the positive equivalent God has in store. He will mend and restore to a place where the bruise seems only to have propelled the reed into destiny, rather than destroyed it altogether.

The smoldering wick here describes those who have almost lost their faith and hope in the Lord. Christ was sent to restore the poor and needy and encourage people in the faith. As long as there is a glimmer of hope left in you, there is room for Christ to restore you! As He told His disciples, faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. He does not despise nor disregard those of us who have only a smoldering wick of faith left. He is fully aware of the evil that has fought to destroy our faith, and He will not leave the wounded in battle. He will surely rescue, heal, mend, restore, renew, and revitalize those who are battle weary and have taken hits from the enemy. He is the initiator of “no soldier left behind.”

As the following verses reveal, God has called you for a purpose – to open blind eyes and to set the captives free. Your mission is in Christ, and this is exactly what Christ came to do. God has protected you and taken responsibility for you. Expect Him to set things right so you can fulfill the purpose to which He has called you. God wants to use you to be a light to others and to draw them to Him. He will make a way for you to do that. He wants to use you to bind people to Him and to set free those who are suffering from the bondage of sin. Be assured that He will give you opportunity and empower you to do this.

As verse 5 of this same chapter explains, God breathes life into His people, making them alive with His own life. May He breathe life into us today and restore the places where we are bruised. May He ignite our smoldering wicks to full blaze with a passion for His word and a desire to tell His story. May our failing lights be renewed to shine as a light to the nations, who desperately need to hear of His grace. Look up, oh bruised reed or smoldering wick! Your God has taken notice of you!

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 69:13-14

But as for me; LORD, my prayer to You is for a time of favor. In Your abundant, faithful love, God, answer me with Your sure salvation. Rescue me from the miry mud; don’t let me sink. Let me be rescued from those who hate me.

Have you ever felt so far down that only the divine, providential hand of God could lift you up out of your pit? David certainly felt the depth of his own pit when he penned this Psalm. The mud and mire of life can trap us where we can’t move forward without God. At times when we feel stuck, we need to follow David’s example in placing our hope firmly in God and crying out to Him in faith.

David knew he was at fault in much of his predicament, and he admitted his own foolishness to God in verse 5 of this Psalm. While he was guilty on some accounts, He still trusted the love of the Father to rescue him. Sometimes, we need to be rescued from ourselves as much as we need to be rescued from the snares of our enemies.

God knew our weaknesses before He called us, yet He called us anyway. We often have to come to a point where we can see our own shortcomings before we can address them. Mire and mud are good indicators that something isn’t working quite right in our life, and we need God’s favor to get us where we need to be. Thankfully, His hand is never too short to save, and His mercies are new every morning. God sent Jesus to handle our imperfections, and we receive the grace of God to overcome them when we surrender them to the cross and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Christ.

If you feel stuck today, you are certainly not alone. In fact, David was there a very long time ago and wrote this Psalm to help us find our way out of the mud and mire we encounter in this life. God’s favor still shines upon you. He still delivers those who fail. His desire is not to hand you over to your enemies; He desires for you to admit your weakness and depend upon His strength. We do not earn our destiny through self-effort; we enter it through God’s favor. The sooner we realize this, the better. There is no pit so deep that God’s favor can’t rescue you. Put your hope in Him, and cry out to Him in faith. His favor has the power to overcome your weakness and set you upon a rock, where you will be changed – established, firm, and steadfast in His perfect plan.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 118:6

The LORD is for me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

We often become anxious over the misguided ambitions of others. We may even fret that someone else will steal what we think is rightfully ours. No one, however, can spoil what God has destined for your life except you through outright rebellion or disobedience. Even the devil has to ask permission to mess with you! Any hindrance God allows in your life is there only to test you or to draw to the surface something that needs to leave. If God is for you – and this verse clearly instructs that He is – man cannot harm you.

Women seem to unnecessarily compete with one another, especially when a man is involved. In truth, if God intended him for you, there is nothing any other woman can do to overcome His plan. Women also tend to compete with one another for position or for favor with a particular group. God grants influence, and a godly woman will always carry within herself personal power. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, so you don’t have to worry about what someone else may be doing to undermine you.

When we finally accept the fact that God is for us, we can begin to love each other more. We can also relax and rest in knowing that He is working all things together for our good, and we can stop being anxious over the future. Faith is the ability to live with questions, and we will always have questions about something. Learn to submit those questions to God, and leave them to His care. He is for you, and you have no reason to be afraid. Man – or woman – is no match for God, and He will bring you into the perfect destiny He has planned just for you. Rejoice in knowing that God is for you, and thank Him for all He has done and is doing now to assure your success.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 38:9

Lord, my every desire is known to You; my sighing is not hidden from You.

David knew that God knew every longing and cry within him, but that did not prevent him from taking the matter to God in discussion. He still poured his heart out to God, knowing that God already understood his predicament. By taking the matter to God, he could leave it with Him.

If God knows every desire and empty feeling we have, why doesn’t He do something about it? God does nothing except in answer to prayer. Through prayer, we communicate with God and participate in relationship with Him. When we engage Him and make Him a part of our lives, He intervenes with an answer. God is not our servant who sits by to make sure every need we have is met. He is our heavenly Father, and we are His servants. In order for Him to answer, we must take the matter to Him. We must realize our own inability to meet the need and recognize His power to meet it.

Every need, hurt, longing, or lack you experience is an opportunity to draw closer to God in prayer. Your weaknesses are bridges to building relationship with Him, and He longs to be in close fellowship with you as your Father. He already knows just where you are hurting, and He has an answer for you. Take the matter to Him, and trust Him to answer. He’s not trying to punish you; He is drawing you to Himself. Surrender to His pull and be filled.

Have a blessed day!

1 Samuel 1:17-18

Eli responded, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the petition you’ve requested from Him.”

“May your servant find favor with you,” she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer appeared downcast.

When Eli saw that Hannah was not drunk but praying from deep anguish, he agreed with her request. Hannah, in turn, needed his favor and to be assured he was not upset with her. When she knew she had done all she could do in prayer and had Eli’s blessing, she returned to her family in peace.

Hannah’s example here is one for all of us to follow. We should pray until we have complete peace. As long as a burden is still upon you, continue to pray. When you have totally released everything to God and know you have poured out everything that is disturbing within you, He will give you peace. That peace is a sign that the matter is completely in His hands, and you can trust Him to handle it.

If you are hurting or in need today, take your burden completely to God. Pray until you have peace, knowing the matter is in His hands. Expect God to work on your behalf, and continue about your business. He can handle what you can’t.

Have a blessed day!

Hebrews 13:5-6

Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU. Therefore, we may boldly say: THE LORD IS MY HELPER; I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?

Pay close attention to all those bold letters! I’ve printed them exactly the way they are printed in my Bible. Any time you see all caps used, the writer is saying something loudly. God is literally yelling these words to us! He is emphasizing a promise we all need to proclaim every day. He is with us, and He will never leave us. While the enemy may try to make us feel as if we are all alone and that no one cares, God makes this bold, clear, distinct, and loud promise that He is surely with us, and He is our helper in time of need.

Because God is with us, we can boldly proclaim – to the Devil or anyone else who irritates us – that God is our helper, and we are not afraid. What can man do to us if God is on our side? He is with us; He is for us, and He is our helper. Woe be to anyone who stands in His way!

God has your back. He also has your front and each side. In fact, He encircles you, according to Psalm 139. Write these bold words down, and put them on your mirror and your refrigerator, where you are sure to see them. Write them on a note card and carry them in your purse. Recite them each morning and every time you feel alone or defeated. Your emotions will lie to you, but God’s Word is written in bold to you as a reminder that He is with you and for you! The more you say them, the more they will begin to sink into your spirit. The more you come to believe them, the bolder you will become, and the more your faith will ignite.

Read the bold letters. Say the bold letters. Memorize the bold letters. They are God’s promise to you and yours for the keeping and assurance of knowing He is yours, just as you are His. You are not alone. God is with you, and His presence is all you need. His presence is more than enough.

Have a blessed day!