Tomorrow's Dust

 

So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.  2 Corinthians 4:18

It's hard to not be troubled by all that's happened in our country over the past two years...COVID-19 has impacted so many people, not just in the U.S. but around the globe.  Tune into the news and there is never a shortage of disaster taking place on any given day. 

God promises us that the troubles looming in front of us will not last forever.  Our goal should be to shift our focus away from the trouble we now see and look instead to the things that will last forever-God's love, his gift of salvation, his care for us, and eternity in heaven with him.

When we live with a heavenly perspective, it puts the hurt and troubles we experience in this world in their proper place-temporary and we know they won't last.

We can live with confidence despite our struggles today knowing that God promises each of us a world where there is no more hurt or pain.

Soul Kitchen

 

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. (I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.) Matthew 11:28

Every year for as long as I can remember, the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas have been crazy busy at work, not to mention trying to squeeze some personal time in to shop for gifts/ presents and attend various holiday parties/functions.  

Jesus gave us all such a wonderful model of what it is like to truly “rest.”  If you read the New Testament, Jesus typically went to spend time in solitude with the Lord after preaching, teaching, or performing miracles…

You see, we can be involved in inward activity as much as we are involved in outward activities.  God wants us to not only enter into His rest for our bodies, but our souls as well.  I am a believer that finding rest for my soul means “unplugging” and finding freedom from mental activities too.  Furthermore, it means submitting to God and not trying to figure out what I should do about every aspect of my life as I simply can’t keep trying to come up with answers I just don’t have.

At the end of each day, experience rest and peace for your soul by going to Christ and allowing Him to relive and refresh you from the inside out!  What an awesome privilege we have!!  

Circumstances

 

I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in the right path. Proverbs 4:11

I have been pondering something recently-if our view of God is shaped by our circumstances.  If they are going well, do we have a positive outlook as it pertains to God?  What about  if things are going badly? Do we think negatively about God?

God sees the totality of our lives.  He knows us better than anyone-inside and out.  He knows our thoughts, feelings, our past, present and futures.  God sees the whole of who we are, what we are called to do and what circumstances we are facing at this very moment.

The more we see our lives from God’s perspective and not our limited understanding, the stronger our ability to discern the right way to go.  There is no one better qualified than God to guide our lives and lead us down the right paths.

Distractions

 

Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”  Luke 9:62

I was driving home in the pouring rain the other evening and took my eyes off of the road for only a split second and hit some standing water on the highway that almost caused me to hydroplane.  Luckily, I was able to regain control of my car quickly and the rest of my ride home was a white-knuckle ride to say the very least.

Just like the standing water on the road, distractions can also take our focus off of Jesus.  We might be doing some great things, but if we take our eyes off of our Lord for a moment, we can quickly stumble and fall.  The enemy will stop at nothing to try and distract us.

When our minds are focused on God, we are less likely to be tempted and sin, so the enemy will stop at nothing to make sure our thoughts are not focused on our Loving God.  There are other distractions that can cause us to be distracted as well-busyness, material things, problems, and even things we enjoy, can all cause us to lose our focus on God.

Be aware of these things that distract our minds so that you can minimize them and stay on course with righteousness.

Black Friday

 

Let us stop passing judgment on one another.  Romans 14:13

The day after Thanksgiving, "Black Friday", as it's commonly known in America, is a day that retailers open the doors to their stores ultra early and offer sales and special deals to kick off the Christmas sales season. This year, most retailers were already open on Thanksgiving day, and throngs of people have flocked to be the first in line to find fantastic deals on generic Blu-Ray players and knock-off-name-brand HDTVs. 

I made the mistake of wandering into a big name retailer early one morning a several years ago on Black Friday and it was like running with the bulls in Spain.  People were lined up in every aisle of the store and when the sales associates let everyone run wild, it was nothing short of mass chaos.  People were fighting each other for DVD player and hand held video game consoles and, quite honestly, I have never seen such rude behavior while shopping in all of my lifetime.

I chose the above passage for today with the hopes that if you happen to find yourself doing some Christmas shopping today you will consider focusing on the gifts and graces of other people rather than finding their faults.  Sure, you may get cut off by someone in the parking lot or someone just may snatch an item you have waited up all night for, but as believers, we are called to extend the same grace and mercy we have been given by our loving Father.

It's a difficult task, but it can actually be fun.  Try spending Black Friday thinking nothing but good thoughts about other people.  Where you normally feel offended, bless them.  If they curse you, bless them.  Where you normally feel offend, determine to be free of any hostility whatsoever.

Your blindness to others faults will make the world seem a little brighter today!

Gratitude

 

Bless affectionately, gratefully praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not one of all His benefits.  Psalm 10:3:2

I stopped by a large retailer the first week in November (only days after Halloween) and to my dismay, Christmas music was already playing in regular rotation over the loudspeakers.  The past few weeks, my inbox/mailbox has been bombed with various Black Friday sales specials and some of my neighbors already have all of their Christmas decorations out. (Then again some neighbors still have their Halloween decorations out?!?)  Don't get me wrong as  certainly I enjoy Christmas and celebrating the birth of my Savior, but what about Thanksgiving?  Talk about getting the shaft! It seems to be the forgotten holiday. 

As a child, it was easy to discount Thanksgiving as a day to eat turkey and think about the pilgrims who bravely sailed across the globe to America, but as an adult, Thanksgiving has taken a whole new meaning.

In addition to eating a wonderful spread and of course, the Iron Bowl, Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and give thanks to God for all of His many blessings.  I have been reflecting on this for several days now and when I begin to think about all that God has blessed me with, it’s hard to keep track of it all.  

It’s easy to get swept up into all of the traditions on Thanksgiving Day, but we cannot allow the activities crowd out the real purpose of the day.  Make a list of all that you are thankful for and express your special thanks to God for all He has blessed you with! 

All You Need Is Love

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  1 John 4:7

The Beatles were onto something with "All You Need Is Love."  After all, Jesus identified the two greatest commandments as loving God and loving other people.  Even John made the radical statement that "those who lack love don't know God." 

What surprises me about Christianity in modern times is that many people understand the need to go to church, to serve and volunteer when it's convenient, and people will support the occasional mission trip or ministry effort, but when it comes to love, the majority of the modern Christian church seems to be missing something.

It's sad, because it's not that we don't have love, it's just that individually speaking, we as believers are often times indistinguishable from the world around us. 

There is an urgency in John's instructions-we have been born of a loving God and what this word needs now more than anything is love.

Couldn't Get It Right

Without me you can do nothing.  John 15:5

One of our family's favorite Bible stories is how David defeated Goliath.  If you think about it, there were probably thousands of Israelite soldiers that were better equipped to battle with Goliath rather than David.  Regardless, most any rational soldier's reaction to fighting Goliath would have been one of fear, stress, and anxiety.

David didn't waiver because he realized that it was God’s battle and not his own.

Apart from the Lord, he didn't stand a chance.  However, with God’s help and mighty strength, David was confident that everything would turn out just fine-and it did!

Give A Little Bit

 

When Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory. Colossians 3:4

Watching our two boys grow up is such a blessing.  When I see our oldest son bickering about having to share something with his little brother, it reminds me of how possessive of my toys I once was with my little sister when we were both children. Ever since I can remember, our parents worked hard to teach us the value of sharing with each other...

For most of us, as grown adults, sharing is still a hard concept for many of us to understand. I believe it is due to our fallen and sinful nature that we prefer to receive rather than to give and our thirst to accumulate rather than relinquish.

As followers of Christ, we are called to share everything-our love, time, faith, resources, talents, possessions,  and money with others.  People who share and give are promised the benefits of being generous, which are far greater than the fleeting moments of receiving.

When you realize how much God has shared and given to you, it's hard not to want to go and give and share with others in return.

This Thanksgiving/Christmas season, think of what you have that you can generously share with others...

Against The Wind

 

I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you.  I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26

Having two boys has made me inadvertently expect our oldest son to be more mature than he can actually be at his age.  It's really not fair, considering he's fourteen years old and almost halfway through the 8th grade. I also have this tendency to want to be in control and it's often a power struggle in our household. That said, I truly enjoy conversations with him and he's a growing into a fine young man.  

When we give God control of our lives, he gives us a new heart, nature, and desire to please him.  God renews our hearts when we come to him with some humility and we turn away from our old sinful habits.  As we do these things, our love for him will grow.

God has the power to change the coldest and hardest of hearts into loving ones.  Are you willing to let go and let God change you?

Running

 

The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in my name.  When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue and honor them.  I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation." Psalm 91:14-16

  

It baffles me why I have wasted so much of my life running away from God's love.  Hindsight being much clearer now, I can't fathom all of the blessings that I missed out on for so long. 

The truth of the matter is that we are not some creatures that just randomly evolved; God created each of us in his own image so that we could have a relationship with him.  He loves us because he created us. 

God wants nothing more from us but our love and a relationship with him, so stop running away from him and discover the purpose for which you and I were created!

Trouble

 

So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.  2 Corinthians 4:18

It's hard to not be troubled by all that's going on in the world today.  Just tune into the national news (ANY channel) for a few moments and you will find that there is never a shortage of disaster on any given day. 

Regardless, God promises us that the troubles looming in front of us will not last forever.  Our goal should be to shift our focus away from the trouble we now see and look instead to the things that will last forever-God's love, his gift of salvation, his care for us, and eternity in heaven with him.

When we live with a heavenly perspective, it puts the hurt and troubles we experience in this world in their proper place-temporary and we know they won't last.

We can live with confidence despite our struggles today knowing that God promises each of us a world where there is no more hurt or pain.

Little By Little

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Leaving the gym this early morning, I couldn't help but notice how much time I spend on working out and trying to increase my own limited strength rather than relying on God’s never-ending supply of strength, especially when I am faced with adversity. Don't get me wrong-we are called as believers to take care of our bodies, but we must also remember to take care of our spiritual health as well.

In the midst of a problem, it’s easy to focus on the size of our problem and we tend to forget that God is greater than any problem or situation we could ever possibly face.   You see, when we look at a difficult situation in terms of our own strength, we diminish the fact that God’s abilities and love are unlimited.  He will always provide us everything we need.

We must learn to not focus on the obstacles we face as problems, but view them as opportunities for God to demonstrate His awesome power and grow our faith exponentially.

God often doesn't reveal the whole picture to us, He only shows us His plans little by little, so we must learn to rely on Him daily.  We must follow His lead, guidance, and learn to trust Him with our future.

Castles Made of Sand

 

"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock." -Jesus  Matthew 7:24-25

In the age of information and social media, there are many different opinions and viewpoints expressed over the Internet, radio, and television. It's hard to discern the truth at times and distinguish between what is fact from fiction. During a recent discussion over lunch, a client that I work with shared that her teenage son feared that the end times are coming because of all of the bad news he continuously sees on the news.

Regardless of the endless resources of information available to us, God's Word remains the one source of truth. We can easily grow weary, fearful, or discouraged by listening to public opinion rather than staying grounded in God's promises and truths.

If you have enough time each day to watch television or surf the net, try to save a few moments to read your Bible as well. It doesn't have to be an entire passage or book, just start out slowly and read a verse or two each day.

The news is daunting enough for a believer that understands that we live in a fallen world, but I cannot imagine how terrifying it must be for someone who doesn't know that this world is not our final destination. God promises all who believe in him something truly greater than we can possibly comprehend, eternal life in heaven. Build your house on a solid rock!

Stones In My Passway

 

For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.  Jeremiah 29:11

It's hard to believe this at times, but God has a plan for you and me, and his Word reassures us that it is a good plan, indeed.  Of course, the enemy will stop at nothing to destroy God's good plan for our lives as he arranges all sorts of disappointments, discouragements, and painful events to keep us off the right track.

Regardless of how bad we have been hurt, God is greater than any problem or pain we will ever face and he can restore us.  If you are like me and got off to a bad start in earlier in your life, rest assured that God is in the repair business and His repairs will make your life better than new.

We must fix our eyes on Jesus and cooperate with God's plan during the restoration process. Reach out and allow Him into your heart and accept His never-ending love, grace, and mercy. Praise be to God!

What Does It Take To Win Your Love?

 

Long ago the Lord said, “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.  With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” Jeremiah 31:3

Knowing what I know now, it baffles me why I resisted turning my life over to God for so long.  Forget all of the usual “church talk” you have heard over the course of your lifetime and even some of the people who may have damaged or changed your opinion of God.

To put it in the most simplest of terms-God created us, God loves us, and God longs to have a relationship with each of us.  He pursues us with persistence and an unfailing, never-ending, love.

Has he caught your attention yet?  How does it make you feel to know that God, the creator of all of the universe, is pursuing you with his love?

Thanks be to God!

Drifting

 

So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door ; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy ; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:7-10

The past week was undoubtedly one of the busiest and most stressful weeks I have had at work in a long while. By Friday afternoon, my mind had just checked out as I was exhausted and worn out from a multiple series of meetings, deadlines, and other assorted events.  Being totally honest, I really struggled to find the inspiration to even write the Daily DEVO this week.  I am glad to say that the weekend provided a well-needed opportunity for me to catch my breath.  At some point, I either read another devotional or a passage of scripture that got me thinking about how Jesus resisted the Enemy during His 40 days in the wilderness.  He submitted to God’s lead and never took His eyes off of His loving Father.

Jesus’ example is one that we too should emulate in our daily lives.  It’s easy to be so preoccupied with our day-to-day lives that we adapt a worldly mindset.  When our thoughts turn away from God, we become dangerously self-dependent and let our guards down.  When we do, the Enemy always seems to strike.

We know that God will win the ultimate victory, but Satan will stop at nothing to lead us astray with his many lies and deception.  Don’t let the world fool you into trying to manage your life on your own.  Keep your eyes on Christ, stay alert and keep connected to His truth!

Think

 

As he thinks in his heart, so is he.  Proverbs 23:7

Whether we realize it or not, what we think makes a huge difference in what we say or do.  Our thoughts control our actions-what activities and interests we pursue.  Our thoughts control our feelings-how we react or respond to situations.  And finally, the way we think about other people becomes the way we treat other people.

Simply stated, we must choose what we focus our minds on.  There is a saying, ‘garbage in, garbage out.’  When we fix our mind on things that are good and righteous,  good things will come as a result.  When our mind is set upon the wrong things, it changes the way we treat others and navigates our actions in a negative way.

Fix your heart and mind on Jesus and allow Him to guide your thoughts, actions and pursuits!

Change

 

God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.  Philippians 2:13

For any parent, there surely are some behaviors in your children you would change, if you could.  For instance our youngest son is a 'chip off the old block'...silly, mischievous, and stubborn to say the very least.  

Last Saturday, he found the fuse box on the side of our house and proceeded to shut off the power to the dryer and oven.  It took me a while to figure out what exactly was going on and when asked if he had anything to do with the power not working, Elijah told me a ‘white lie’ and then ran outside and then shut the rest of the power off in the house.  I am laughing about this now, but I was pretty frustrated on Saturday, to say the very least.  I am sure that he will outgrow this, after all, he is still young and curious, but it would be nice to let the boys play around the house for more than fifteen minutes at a time without wondering what they are doing to be disruptive.  Even if I could change some of the boys’ less desirable behavior, I have to continue to just love them and lead them in the ways of the Lord to the best of my ability.

Just like a parent, God will not force change on us, either.  When we invite him into our lives, we give him the permission to use his almighty power to change us.

If we try to change on our own, we are likely to fail because of our very limited strength and power.  Instead, we must move aside and let God himself begin the work of transformation in us that will last a lifetime.

Let God do his work in you and see the dramatic and healing power of the Holy Spirit!

Anything Is Possible

 

He (Jesus) replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."  Matthew 17:20

In looking at the vastness of the starry sky this morning while on my morning jog, I couldn't help but feel pretty small in all of God’s wonderful creation.  There are times in my life when my faith seems a little smaller, but I know it’s still there.  Small mindedness is not such a bad thing, but being small minded in faith is bad because it prevents us from seeing the fullness and extent of God’s plan for our lives.

Most people are familiar with Jesus’ words from Matthew.  He was explaining to His disciples the reasons why they too could not cast out demons and cure diseases; it was because they had very little or were simply small-minded in their faith.   The disciples had lost their faith that Jesus would do what He said He would do.  When we doubt Jesus, we fail to see the big picture and only focus on our very limited capabilities.

Just like the disciples, so many of us as believers have also lost our faith.  Jesus reminds us that it doesn't take a lot, just a small amount of faith, the size of a mustard seed, for us to accomplish great and mighty things.

“Father, help grow our faith stronger and bolder.  I believe in you, God, but help me to believe even more!  I will seek to serve and trust in your never-ending supply of strength and power.  I ask these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

Running On Empty

 

All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.  Colossians 1:10-11

I am lucky that I haven’t run completely out of gas in my effort find the cheapest prices at gas stations around town.  My car displays a “Low Fuel” notice light when I only have 50 miles left in the tank.  

The other morning, I was preoccupied with work and got caught in some traffic on the way to take the kids to school, but thankfully made it to a gas station just before my car ran completely out of fuel.

Just like our automobiles, we require fuel to help us persevere through life-the power of God working in us.  As we become more obedient and more in tune with the Holy Spirit, God’s power will provide us what we need to strengthen us and ignite our abilities to persevere.

Let us not just endure, but persevere with peace and joy, in Christ Jesus!