Matthew 20:29-33

As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. There were two blind men sitting by the road.  When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd told them to keep quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”  Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” they said to Him, “open our eyes!” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed Him.

In this passage, we find two desperate, blind men calling out to Jesus. The crowd was obviously embarrassed by them and tried to quiet them. Everyone wanted to see Jesus and, perhaps, catch His attention. These two men, however, didn’t care what the crowd thought. They were desperate enough to keep crying out because He was their only hope. The crowd certainly couldn’t help them, so why listen to them?

First, these men realized that Jesus could help them. They didn’t depend upon the crowd or upon the religious leaders. Undoubtedly, they had already witnessed the fact that neither had the power to do anything about their blindness, so they cried out to the One they heard had real power. In our own lives, we cannot look to the church, other people, or even strong religious leaders to heal our desperate situations. True healing comes from God, and we must cry out to Him. We cannot hold others responsible for power they don’t have. We have to look to the One who has real power to change our lives.

When Jesus asked what they wanted Him to do for them, they asked for sight. They wanted their eyes open so they could see. It is very important that we tell Jesus exactly what we want Him to do for us. To just say, “Help me, Lord,” implies many things. They asked specifically for what they did not have but greatly desired.  By telling Jesus what they wanted, they exercised faith that He could do it. They dared ask Him for what no one else could do in their lives. They dared ask Him for what they did not deserve.  They dared ask Him for something so big it would be considered a miracle. Great things happen in our lives only when we dare to ask for them and believe God will do it!

Notice that they acknowledged Jesus as “Son of David.” By doing so, they admitted they believed He was the Messiah, as was promised by the prophets to be a Son of David. They realized that the law could not heal them. Only the Messiah would have the power to forgive their sins and give them sight again.  Under the law, they would forever be blind as a form of punishment for their sins. They realized they needed mercy. 

Jesus was moved with compassion and gave them exactly what they wanted. He saw their faith and their need expressed in one bold plea for mercy. He granted their request immediately, and they followed Him. They did not go back to their old way of life. Now that they could see, they desired to follow and learn from the One who had the power to change their lives.

What do you want Jesus to do for you today? If He did that very thing for you, would you forsake all and follow Him, or are you contented to live with a little darkness to follow your own agenda? How desperate are you for a touch from God? Are you desperate enough to cry out and ask for it, regardless of what others may think? Total victory comes when our eyes are open to the truth. Dare to ask God to open your eyes, and follow where He leads.

Have a blessed day!

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

I find myself continuously returning to this Scripture. There are so many things I don’t understand. Why doesn’t this thing happen? Why does that thing have to happen? Why can’t people see what is happening over here? Why doesn’t someone with the power to do something about this other thing act? Why can I not get my own life in order? Perhaps, it is because I’m too busy thinking about this thing and that thing! 

There will always be things we don’t understand. We are mortal beings with limited perspective and limited knowledge. Furthermore, even if we were able to use all of our modern day technology to learn as much as possible about a situation, we still would have limited knowledge regarding God’s plans for the future. We can’t waste time trying to figure out something about which we can do absolutely nothing! It can be as aggravating as having missing pieces to a puzzle you desperately want to finish. We must learn to trust God with those things, submit them to Him, take our hands and minds off of them, and think about Him. What is God saying to me? Where is He guiding me? What has He given me to do? We are not called to predict the future. We are called to live in the here and now.

Trust God with the things you don’t understand. You are not responsible for the outcome.  Pay attention to where God is leading you, and trust Him to handle the things you can’t control but affect you. He will not mislead you or guide you to a place of harm. Eventually, He will allow all the pieces of the puzzle to fit together to give you a clear picture.  Until then, trust Him with the pieces you don’t have.

Have a blessed day!

Titus 1:15-16

To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for any good work.

In these verses, Paul is referring to Jewish religious leaders, who held to a form of religion and claimed to know God but did not live with godly actions or works. Their lives provided evidence of a lack of faith and dependence upon works for a right standing with God. They lived by the commandments of men and rejected the truth of salvation through Christ. God could not use them for any good work because they did not belong to Him. 

To deny Christ is to deny God. To believe in Christ is to surrender to His lordship and to follow His example. By doing so, we are hidden in Him. God can use such a person for good works.  The one who does not surrender is trying to carry out his own agenda or seeking approval from men and can do no good works on his own. 

Set yourselves free from the expectations of others, and surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ. The approval of others means nothing. God’s approval means everything! In Christ, you are loved, accepted, and anointed. Follow His example. Surrender your own agenda to His, and watch where He will take you. You just might be surprised how and where He will use you to do the good works He has ordained for you! 

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 131:2

Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself like a little weaned child with its mother; I am like a little child.

A little child can rest with Mother in charge. The child realizes that Mom can handle whatever needs to be done and trusts her to provide, nurture, care, and handle all the difficult matters of life. The child doesn’t worry with Mom in charge. That is exactly how we should be with God when the difficult things of life surround us. We can simply rest in His presence, enjoy His company, learn from Him, and trust that He will handle what we cannot. That is how He intended life to be for us.

Trusting God to handle the difficult matters of life does not mean we avoid or abandon responsibility. We are to be obedient to Him just as a little child is obedient to his mother.  The obedient child makes it easier for Mom to handle her responsibility and brings less difficulty on himself. When we are obedient to the word of God and follow His commands, we make it easier for Him to bring His blessings to us. 

Determine to become like a little child in God’s arms today. Surrender whatever you can’t handle to Him. Give Him all the cares that boggle your mind and try to steal your peace. He knows the end from the beginning, and He can handle this for you. You are His beloved child, and it is His great pleasure to take care of you!

Have a blessed day!

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.  That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

These verses refer to Jesus, the Son of the Living God. Jesus is life, and He gave life to men on earth. When Satan came to bring death and destruction to what God had created through Jesus, God sent His Son, full of life and light, to a very dark world to die so that men might live again. God’s Word is truth. His Son brought that truth to the world He created. If man rejects the truth, is the truth any less real? 

Many Christians have given up on the power of God’s Word as truth and His Son as the life and light of the world. If you look at the world today, it is easy to understand why they have given up. It appears hopeless. The economy and governments have failed us. Tensions rise in other countries. What was once considered to be wrong is now acceptable, condoned, and even encouraged or protected. Concentration on the world reveals the darkness and the power of it. I find Christians who just want to sit back and wait for the rapture, and some have even started a count down. These verses, however, assure us that the light of Christ shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome His light. 

Perhaps, the darkness will not overcome because the rapture is near, but if Christ lives in us, the darkness of the world should not overcome us while we are waiting. If Christ truly lives in us, we should be experiencing both life and light. We should be overcoming the darkness in our personal lives. Maybe it is time we tune out the voice of the world and listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit – those little nudges that prompt you to do things that don’t make sense to the world. Maybe it is time we take our eyes off the darkness and looked to the light to give us clear direction. Since darkness did not overcome the light, there is hope in this dark world, and His power is greater than the hopelessness many embrace. 

We are approaching the time of year when everyone will be decorating their homes with lights. I encourage you to decorate your own home with lights, and as you do so, think of Christ. Let them remind you that Jesus came to bring both life and light to the dark places of your world. Their beauty is more vivid when everything is dark around them. That same light within you is more vivid in the midst of your darkness, too. Don’t give in to the darkness around you. Dare to shine through it!

Have a blessed day!

Hebrews 2:16

For it is clear that He does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring.

I’ve often heard the question, “Could the devil be saved if he repented?” According to this Scripture, the answer is, “No.” The devil is a fallen angel. Jesus does not reach out to help angels, nor did He die for them. He reaches out to help Abraham’s offspring.

We who are in Christ are a part of Abraham’s offspring. Know today that Jesus reaches out to help you. Whether you have fallen or are facing affliction or oppression, Jesus reaches out to help you. If the devil has decided to attack you, Jesus reaches out to help you!

Unbelievers are not a part of Abraham’s offspring.  Jesus helps those who have faith in Him as their Savior. He will, however, send the Holy Spirit to draw unbelievers to Him. We should always pray for them and minister the gospel to them.

Today, if you are facing a trial of any kind, sit back and see Jesus reaching out to you. He has not forgotten you! Run to Him and find strength and rest. He has promised to meet all your needs according to His riches in glory, and He will not fail you. 

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 37:23-24

A man’s steps are established by the LORD, and He takes pleasure in his way.  Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the LORD holds his hand.

As humans, we will certainly fall when it comes to walking the Christian life. We are like babies learning to walk and children whose footing is not yet secure. God holds our hand while we are in the learning process, which never ends in this lifetime. God establishes our steps, meaning that He makes them secure and sure. We can rest assured that if we take a wrong path, God will gently direct us to the right one. He is with us even when we venture out the wrong way.

Regardless of how long you have been a Christian, you are still learning to walk. That is why God takes us through things we’ve never before encountered. He is continually establishing our steps so we can successfully walk this journey we know as life in Christ. If you fail a test, He will always give you another chance to pass. He will bring whatever reinforcements you need to help make your steps secure. 

Learning to walk can be a frustrating process, but I’ve never seen a little one give up completely. The more we grow, the more we are able to take a sure step. Learning to walk can also be painful. I remember how my son kept bruises and knots on his head when he was learning to walk. It didn’t take him long because he wasn’t afraid to fall! He knew we’d be there to pick him up, and we were. The same is true for us. We cannot be afraid to stumble or fall. God is right there with us. We might wear a bruise for a while, but He will pick us up so we can continue.

Today, know that God is establishing your steps. Don’t be afraid to fall, and don’t become so frustrated with yourself that you give up. God is holding your hand. He is not disappointed that you are not further along, and He takes pleasure in helping you learn to secure each step. Rely upon His strength, knowing that you are about to walk more steadily than you have ever walked before because God is with you.

Have a blessed day!

Judges 4:6-7

She (Deborah) summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you: ‘Go, deploy the troops on Mount Tabor and take with you 10,000 men from the Naphtalites and Zebulunites? Then I will lure Sisera commander of Jabin’s forces, his chariots, and his army at the Wadi Kishon to fight against you, and I will hand him over to you.

Deborah reminded Barak of his command from God. Since she was a prophetess, the original command probably came through her. For some reason, Barak had not followed through on the LORD’s command, and Deborah confronted him. 

Barak means “lightning, gleam, flashing sword.” How could God use Barak as a mighty weapon if he would not go into battle? Fear was keeping him from his purpose and from victory. Perhaps, he was afraid of losing men or of the intimidating chariots. These were certainly valid fears since Jabin’s army had oppressed them for 20 years.  With such a long history of defeat, his courage waned. If the commander of God’s army lacked courage, how could the troops have courage to fight?

We live in a day when men lack courage. Many of them suffer from long histories of defeat, and the woke culture degrades masculinity as toxic. If they have never tasted real victory, they will be hesitant to go into battle, especially when surrender is an easy option. A man won’t tackle a battle he doesn’t think he can win. In such a time, God may very well use a woman in a leadership role to bring victory. Don’t ever think God can’t use you in certain roles just because you are a woman. God can use anyone He chooses! When God can’t find a man to fill a leadership role, He will use a woman! He looks for the heart of faith that is dependent upon Him and will follow through with His command.

God had promised the victory when He gave the command. He sent them into Mount Tabor, which means “mountain of pain.” Our greatest victories come when we are willing to march into our mountains of pain and confront the enemy. Like Barak, we are often hesitant to go to such places because they can be very uncomfortable. Until we do, however, they enemy has certain authority over us. We must be willing to fight and to take charge of our lives once again.

Where do you need victory today? What mountains of pain have you been avoiding? You must come to a point where you hate your enemy enough to be violent with him if you are ever to be free of him. God has already promised you the victory, and no weapon formed against you shall prosper! Be willing to tackle your own mountain of pain, and watch what God will do on your behalf. He will not send you into a losing battle but will route the enemy into a trap. Be strong and very courageous, and take time to encourage any men in your life.  We all need to experience the thrill of victory over our enemy.

Have a blessed day! 

Matthew 16:18

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it. 

As a follower of Christ and a child of God, you are destined to overcome in this life. Jesus never promised that the forces of Hades (hell) would not attack. He promised they would not overpower His church. We are His church – His bride, destined to rule and reign with Him. No weapon formed against us shall stand.

There are times I feel like giving up. Things seem hopeless, and there is nothing I can do anyway. Giving up and allowing God to handle a situation is not the same thing as giving in to temptation from the Devil. There are certainly times when we must give up trying to change something in our own strength, but we must never give up the fight to resist Satan. Giving in to him creates a stronghold that will overpower us. We must learn to distinguish the two and rest or fight where necessary.

If you have a need today, submit it to God with full confidence that He will provide for you from His abundance. If the Devil is tempting you to do something you know you shouldn’t, resist him. Give up your fight for independence and self-reliance, and don’t give in to the Devil’s scheme. God has destined you for victory, and He will intervene where you cannot help yourself. He has given you the power to resist, and He expects you to exercise it. I will be keeping these thoughts in mind as I try to shed these extra Thanksgiving pounds this week. 

Have a blessed day!

Matthew 15:36

He took the seven loaves and the fish, and He gave thanks, broke them and kept on giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowd. They all ate and were filled.  Then they collected the leftover pieces – seven large baskets full.

Jesus performed a miracle right before the eyes of the disciples and a very large crowd by simply taking what little He had and giving thanks for it. Then He gave it and gave, and gave some more until everyone was filled. His supply multiplied until everyone was full, and His provision overflowed. He taught us all to be thankful for what little we have and to give it freely. As we give, we find we have more yet still to give.

If you feel lack today, your provision begins with a thankful heart for what you do have.  Thank God for the many blessings He has given you, and begin to share. You will find your own supply will begin to overflow in the bounty of His grace as He multiplies His blessings through you with a thankful and giving heart.

May God’s rich grace and favor surround you today, and may you rejoice in the presence of His glory.

Have a blessed day!