2 Corinthians 12:10

So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and pressures are not things for which we ask nor rejoice. They are places where we are vulnerable and subject to pain or loss, which no one enjoys. We cannot, however, live this life without experiencing them. These things happen to everyone, and how we handle them often defines who we are. Such things often shape our destinies and reveal our character. If everyone must face these times of hardship, I want to know that an All Mighty God is on my side working on my behalf. That is exactly what we have in Christ. Those who don’t know Him must fight these battles on their own, and they are assuredly losing battles in the flesh.

We cannot fight against certain things in our earthly flesh. No amount of will power can overcome some heartaches or disappointments. For this reason, God promises to be strong in those times when we are weak.  He goes to work on our behalf to fight tour battles and to direct us down a path of victory.  He is always working behind the scenes of our lives in ways we can never imagine, and He will do things for us we could never do for ourselves. We simply have to let go of our own self-defenses and allow Him to be strong for us. 

Where do you feel weak or under attack today? Let go of your striving, and allow God to be strong for you. Give up the battles you know you can’t fight, and seek shelter and comfort in His presence. He has a destiny and a plan greater than the pain you face, and He wants to lead you into it. When you are weak, He is strong. Rest in His care, and watch for the victory He brings to you!

Have a blessed day!

The Transformed Life

Ezekiel 11:19-20

And I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh, so they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God. 

2 Corinthians 3:18

We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Ezekiel spoke a prophetic word of a time when God promised transformation for His people. He would remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. The heart of stone describes the heart that derives from the strict regulation of the law, which was given in stone. A real heart of stone does not give life to the body, and neither does the law. God promised a heart of flesh so they may follow His statutes. If His people could ever overcome sin and truly obey His commands, they would need a heart change – one that would allow them to feel and give life to the body. His people could not do this on their own. His Holy Spirit must do the work in them.

A heart patient cannot perform his own heart transplant. Such a procedure requires a trained and highly skilled doctor, preferably one that has done the job successfully many times prior! What we need is not more discipline or determination to gain victory in our areas of transgression. We need a transformation – a new heart that feels, gives life, and can reflect the glory of God. 

Today, I challenge you to look at the places where your heart is cold, uncaring, or lifeless. Ask God to transform you to reflect His glory in those areas. You may be a Christian spiritually speaking, but you can still have emotions that need to be surrendered. A heart of flesh can feel pain, where a heart of stone cannot. Be willing to encounter that pain, if necessary. A heart of stone cannot feel love nor experience true joy, neither. Take some time today to address any lifeless areas and allow God to breathe new life into you through His Holy Spirit. Ask Him to move you from surviving to thriving. That is a transformed life.

Have a blessed day!

Nehemiah 13:30-31

So I purified them from everything foreign and assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites. I also arranged for the donation of wood at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Remember me, my God, with favor.

Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem from his job as cupbearer to the Persian king, Artaxerxes, to rebuild the wall. He had surveyed the city at night to determine how to rebuild, and he stationed families together at different places in the wall to build and repair. He had faced threats of attack and instructed the people to fight with one hand and build with the other. He successfully completed the wall in only 52 days and brought Ezra to the building celebration to read the Book of the Law. He led the people in national repentance and dedicated the wall and the city to God. He established the financial support of the Levites and worship leaders from among the people and instituted reforms among the people, as were required by the law. He did everything he knew to rebuild Jerusalem according to God’s command, including the removal of all foreign gods and attachments and the re-institution of tithes and offerings. Once he did all he knew to do, he asked God to remember him with favor.

Nehemiah was a very wise and gifted administrator, but even at his best, he still required God’s favor to succeed. Our best efforts amount to nothing without the favor of God. We cannot rely upon talent alone to do what God has called us to do. We must depend upon His favor to complete the work He has begun in us, according to Philippians 1:6.

There is another side to this coin of favor that we must also consider. Nehemiah did all he knew to do, then he asked God for favor. We cannot depend upon God’s favor alone when He has clearly told us to do something. We must do what He has instructed us to do, knowing that His favor will follow. God’s favor works in conjunction with the work of our hands. If we fail to put our hand to the work, His favor waits until we do.

If you have done all you know to do in a matter, trust God’s hand of favor to act on your behalf. If God has told you to do something, don’t expect His favor to eliminate your responsibility to obey. While you are waiting on Him to move, He may very well be waiting for you. Know that His favor follows obedience, and He will intervene for you. Simply do what you know to do, and trust God with the rest.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 111:2-3

The LORD’s works are great; studied by all who delight in them. All that He does is splendid and majestic; His righteousness endures forever.

While it is easy to recognize the splendid works of God in creation, we often have difficulty seeing His majesty in the struggles of life. In fact, when we suffer the loss of a loved one, a setback, or a hardship of some type, we might feel as if God is harsh. We may feel as if He is punishing us or abandoning us, and the last thought in our minds is how beautiful or grand our situation may be. According to this passage, however, everything God does is splendid and majestic, and His works are great.

These verses hold great hope for us if we are encountering difficulty or struggle. While we may be getting a close-up view of the bad part of a situation, God is working something absolutely beautiful in it from the other end. Keep in mind that splendid, majestic mountains are beautiful to the sight but extremely difficult to climb. We may have to stand back from our struggle and get a different view of ourselves in order to see the beautiful thing God is doing.

Sometimes it helps to get a different perspective, and this may require taking a look back. While I often complain about things from my limited perspective and personal experience, I can count my blessings by remembering where I was 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and even one year ago. I can clearly see where God’s hand has guided me through struggles and given me victory. As Moses experienced in the cleft of the rock, we rarely see what God is doing in our lives during the hard times that require faith, but we can certainly see where He has been as we look back.

Realize that no matter how dismal a situation may appear to be in your life, the works of the LORD are great. He is the Master at bringing something good from the bad things of life. Whatever He is doing now will be splendid and majestic when He is finished!

Have a blessed day!

2 Timothy 1:14

Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.

What has God placed in you? The good thing mentioned in this verse may also be translated “that good deposit.” God has made a deposit into every believer that He wants to multiply and bring forth. He has placed a way for you to serve Him, and He will call you into action through that deposit. He places a passion inside of us to do the very thing He calls us to do, and our lives are fulfilled when we surrender to that calling. The good thing God has placed in you connects you to your purpose.

Paul instructed Timothy to guard the good thing God had placed in Him through the Holy Spirit. To guard something means to protect it, which means that it is subject to attack. The Devil wants nothing more than to rob us of our very purpose – to steal our passion for living – to lose heart and give up on the very thing that will make us feel alive.

Satan has many tactics he uses to try to rob us of the good thing God has placed in us – distraction, deceit, disappointment, and discouragement. He will distract us to focus on things that mean nothing but make a big noise at the moment. He will deceive us into thinking something else will make us happy and try to convince us to pursue that thing. He will disappoint us by showing us someone else’s success and causing us to compare it to our own, and he will discourage us by trying to persuade us that we didn’t really hear from God. Such tactics direct us off course or paralyze us to the point we are ineffective.

God does not work through such tactics. He does not distract us from our purpose or deceive us into chasing something ungodly. He does not disappoint us by leading us on a path just to abandon us. He does not discourage us but encourages us on in the way He has called us. Whenever we encounter these forces, we must remember that Satan is at work to damage our faith and to steal the good thing God has placed in us.

The best way to guard the deposit God has made in us and to overcome the Devil’s tactics is to concentrate upon the Holy Spirit who lives in us. If we listen to Him and follow His leading, He will protect that deposit and draw us away from the enemy’s traps. The Holy Spirit will keep your hope alive and your faith strong. He will anoint you with power to do the very thing you are called to do, and the enemy’s schemes are no match for His power! We must all learn to ignore the loud noise of the enemy and listen to the still, small voice inside us that always points to Jesus.

Does the voice you hear point you to Christ or to yourself? Is the voice speaking to you right now increasing your faith or causing you to doubt? Does that voice bring God glory or accuse Him in some way? Look at the effect of the voice, and continue to listen only if it points to Christ. All other voices are designed to steal the deposit God placed in you and are not worth your time or your destiny. Guard your purpose and calling through the Holy Spirit that lives in you, and the wrong voices will fade as God works in you and through you.

Have a blessed day!

Genesis 29:1-3

Jacob returned his journey and went to the eastern country. He looked and saw a well in a field. Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it because the sheep were watered from this well. A large stone covered the opening of the well. When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the opening of the well and water the sheep. The stone was then placed back on the well’s opening.

As I read this passage, I could not help but remember another stone that was rolled away. This stone, however, covered a tomb, rather than a well. When this stone was rolled away, the resurrected life of Jesus came forth. The stone in these verses was moved to provide water to refresh flocks of sheep who had gathered. As Jesus told the woman at the well, He provides living water that will cause you to thirst no more. The entire scene described here is very symbolic of Christ and how He provides for His people.

A well in the Old Testament is a foreshadowing of the church – the place where followers come to be nourished and refreshed on a regular basis. Wells or springs were valuable property and necessary for survival. Interestingly enough, Abraham’s servant found Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, coming to a spring to get water. This particular well that Jacob found in Genesis 29 is the very place where he met Rachel as she brought her father’s sheep to water them. I’m sure Rebekah and Rachel would agree that we find our destiny by going to the well regularly.

There is no telling how many times Rebekah went to that spring to draw water or Rachel took her father’s sheep to the well. Going to the well was just an ordinary, daily routine – a part of their lifestyle and who they were. One day, in the midst of their everyday service, God met them with a surprise, and their lives took a different route.  He caused destiny to cross their paths at the well.

You have a chance to draw from the well daily by going to God’s word and refreshing yourself with the life-giving water the Holy Spirit will give to you personally. You also have the chance to gather at the spring of worship on a regular basis by assembling in fellowship with God’s people. When you are being nourished and refreshed daily by God’s word and weekly by His church, you are right in the path where God can meet you with destiny. Never minimize or underestimate His willingness to meet you in your worn, ordinary paths of obedience. Your blessing and your destiny await in your routine acts of service and worship. Don’t miss your chance to go to the well today. You never know what God may have waiting there for you!

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 54:5

For your husband is your Maker – His name is Yahweh of Hosts – and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.

As widows, we often feel the loss of a provider and protector without our husbands. This verse reminds us that we still have a husband, and we can rest in the knowledge that there is no greater provider or protector on earth than Yahweh. When we become completely dependent upon Him, He will not disappoint us.

Just as we would submit to a husband in the everyday running of our household, so we should submit to God. We should honor Him in all we do, and allow Him to be the head of our house. When we acknowledge His authority in this way, He assumes responsibility for us and makes every provision we need.

We should create intimacy with God through prayer and daily Bible study. Take every thought to Him, and discuss your concerns with Him just as you would have your natural husband. Allow Him to fill that emotional void you have, and spend time in His presence daily. As you cultivate your time with God, you will find a two way communication that is enticing, motivating, and satisfying.

I’ve seen some women who are completely lost without the attachment to a husband. Some even look for strong, male authority figures in which to cling in order to satisfy that protective craving or to manipulate power. While God cannot be manipulated, there is no greater power source to which you can attach yourself than Yahweh. He is the ultimate authority, and He can provide for you and protect you better than any earthly man. The best part of having Him for a husband is knowing that He always has your best interest at heart, and you can trust His decisions for you. Submission is truly a place of rest when your husband is your Maker.

Don’t consider yourself to be a widow any longer. You have a husband, and He is providing for you and protecting you. In reading His word, you will find God has a very special place in His heart for widows, and He watches over them carefully because they depend upon Him. You are not abandoned or forgotten; you are in loving covenant with the King!

Have a blessed day!

Luke 16:16-17

The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is strongly urged to enter it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the law to drop out.

Jesus explained to His disciples that the Law and the Prophets were preached until John. The Law exposes our sin before a holy God, and no one is capable of living up to its standards. Regardless of how hard we may try, our best efforts at righteousness are as filthy rags in comparison. While we may make excuses, Jesus instructed that it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the Law to bend. He strongly urged His followers to obey the teaching of John and repent.

Repentance is good news for us. We can all look back on past mistakes with regret and wish we had made different choices. We may even still struggle with habitual sin that still haunts us in some way. The good news for us, however, is that sin does not have to have dominion over us because of grace. When we truly repent and turn to Jesus, He forgives us and grants us grace to overcome any sin that seeks to destroy us. Like the Pharisees, however, we often fail to admit sin and excuse it. We must become humble and repent of the things that hinder our relationship with God, even if we have been Christians for a long time. Only through repentance can we be forgiven and receive grace to overcome. As Jesus instructed, the Law will not bend for us. We need to repent and turn from our sins if we are to overcome them.

Turning from sin can be difficult if we don’t have a place to which we turn. We must surrender that portion of our lives that is subject to sin to Christ. Only then can we walk free. Just trying to avoid sin in our own strength will not suffice. To properly turn from it, we must turn to Jesus and receive His forgiveness and grace.

What is hindering your relationship with God today? Are you struggling with sin in some area? Turn to Jesus and repent. Receive forgiveness and walk forth in grace. When that temptation to sin approaches you again, just turn and walk toward Jesus. Surrender your weak areas to Him. When you turn to Christ, you reject the Devil, and he will eventually flee from you. Determine today who you will accept and who you will reject, and find victory by proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God over your life.

Have a blessed day!

John 5:7-9

“Sir,” the sick man answered, “I don’t have a man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, someone goes down ahead of me.”

“Get up,” Jesus told him, “pick up your bedroll and walk!” Instantly, the man got well, picked up his bedroll and started to walk…

The man mentioned here had been paralyzed for 38 years. The pool at Bethesda was known as a healing source for many. They believed an angel would stir the water from time to time, and the first person in the water afterward would be healed. This poor man could not walk and needed someone to help him into the water. Others had always got to the water first and received the healing, causing him to forfeit wholeness.

The paralyzed man was certainly with a disadvantage, yet he still chose to remain close to the waters. If there was a chance, he hoped someone might help him into the water in time. He was waiting for an opportunity should one arise. Without doubt, he faced disappointment after disappointment while he watched someone else become healed.

Perhaps, you’ve been there. You have a need in some area and are dependent upon someone else to help you. You’ve been hopeful and waited a long time, but you’ve yet to see your need fulfilled. You’ve seen others with the same need receive their provision time and time again, but you are still waiting for someone to help you. Jesus’s words to this man can help you, too.  Get up, pick up your bedroll, and walk!

When this man encountered Jesus, he met someone greater than the angel who stirred the water. He met the healer, Himself. He did not need another person to do anything else for him. With Christ as your Savior, you have encountered the provision for every need you have. Simply get up, pick up your bedroll, and walk! Your miracle may not come in the form you expect. It may come as you take one step at a time in the direction Christ leads you.

This man no longer needed someone else to help him when he met Jesus. You don’t need someone or something to happen to make you happy. You simply need to be willing to get up and walk, healed from your former paralyzing situations. If you’ve never encountered Jesus, He is only a prayer away. Ask Him to heal you of the paralyzing situations that prevent you from fully enjoying life. A miracle doesn’t always come in the forms we imagine. They often come as we take one step at a time in obedience to His call. You may be capable of much more than you realize!

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 119:59

I thought about my ways and turned my steps back to Your decrees.

To turn our steps back is to repent. We’ve all found ourselves heading down the wrong path at some time or another and having to back-track to find our way to where we should be. While it may seem like a delay in reaching our destination, turning back is crucial to reaching our destination at all. If only we could turn back time, as well as our steps, we might avoid frustration, but would we really gain anything from the wandering?

The first step to repentance is to consider your ways. Are you heading in the right direction? Do your actions match what God has placed in your heart for you? Is your influence increasing or decreasing? Are you servant minded or self-absorbed? Are you consumed with following God’s word or with the world? What needs to change for you to get where you need to be? Carefully consider your ways and determine where you need to turn your steps back to fall in line with God’s word.

If you’ve found yourself wandering, take heart. Turning your steps back to God will lead you straight into the arms of grace, where God can open doors that propel you forward as if no time were lost at all. The important thing is to get on the right track, and just trust where God will take you from there. You can’t get where you need to be if you aren’t heading in the right direction, so taking time to reflect upon your walk and turning back if necessary can only enhance your journey. In this race, you don’t have to finish first; you just have to finish to do well.

Have a blessed day!