Promise for Today - Every Good Thing

Protect me, God, because I trust in you. I said to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord. Every good thing I have comes from you.’ 

Psalm 16:1-2 (NCV)

Not everything that happens in your life is good. But God is good—and he is pouring his goodness into your life.

Circumstances may be very difficult in your life right now, but God can take the bad and bring good out of it. Even in the worst times, you can trust this: God has a good purpose, a good plan, and a good reason. No matter where you are in life right now, you could use a reminder of God’s goodness. And sometimes the best way to remember something is to talk with God about it through prayer.

Would you stop now to pray and talk to God about his goodness? Say something like this:

“God, you are so good. I could never deserve your goodness. I’m sorry that I have often forgotten or doubted your goodness. Forgive me for my ungratefulness and prideful self-centeredness. I am nothing without you. Like King David in the Bible, I would despair if I didn’t know your goodness. Open my eyes to see how good you really are and let your goodness transform my life.

“God, my soul needs restoring. I don’t always think right. I don’t always choose right. I don’t always feel right. I need you to restore my damaged soul, my mind, my will, and my emotions. As I continue learning about your goodness, I trust that my sins have been forgiven because I’ve come to you and admitted I need a Savior. I’m going to release the people who have hurt me and pray a prayer of blessing over them. I’m going to team up with you and ask you to help me with the load I’m carrying. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Talk It Over

Why is it prideful not to acknowledge God’s goodness?

How have you seen God turn the bad things that have happened to you into something good?

When you look back and recognize God’s goodness in your life, how does it affect your perspective on your current circumstances?

- by Pastor Rick

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The greatest example of God’s goodness is Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. You won’t fully experience His goodness until you experience His salvation. If you don’t know Jesus as Savior, you can pray this right now:

“Jesus Christ, I want to get to know You. I want to learn to love You and trust You. Please forgive me for my sin. I ask You to accept me into Your family, not because I deserve it but because on the cross, You paid for all of my sins. Thank You for Your gift of salvation. I receive it and ask for Your help to follow You faithfully as my Lord. I pray this in Your Name. Amen.”

Promise for Today - Secure Supply

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:19 (ESV)

Putting your trust in your bank account, your job, or your investments is a recipe for heartache. Why? Because you can lose all of those things. Where do you find your security?

You need to find security in something that cannot be taken from you: God! If you want God’s blessing on your life, you need to learn to trust in God’s wealth and not your own.

Here’s what the Bible says about God’s wealth: “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 ESV).

Your job may be where you get your income, but it shouldn’t be your security. Your job is a channel, but God is your source. If you understand this, you’ll have so much less stress in your life. Let me say it again: Your job is a channel, but God is the source of your supply.

If you turned on the faucet in your kitchen and no water came out, what would you do? Would you say, “Oh, the world has run out of water! There’s no water coming out of the faucet, so there must not be any left in the whole world”?

Of course not. You’d know the problem is not with the source. There’s plenty of water in the world. The problem is the channel; it’s gotten blocked one way or another.

It’s the same way in your life. If one channel gets blocked in your life and the “faucet” stops working, it doesn’t mean the whole supply has dried up. God can easily turn on another faucet.

God is not limited by your ability and capacity. You may be limited by your own capacity in the work you do. But your job is not what ultimately supplies your needs. Your job is just a channel for God to supply your needs.

If you think that your job is what keeps you financially secure, then you’re going to feel insecure your entire life. You need to understand that God is the source of your supply. You can depend on him to know exactly what you need and how to give it to you.

Jobs may come and go. Bank accounts rise and fall. Economies go up and down. Stock markets can go bull or bear. It doesn’t matter!

No matter what happens, you can trust in God’s wealth for your security.

Talk It Over

What have you been waiting for God to do in your life? How have you responded to the season of waiting?

Think of a time when you had to trust God’s timing. How did he work in your life during that time?

It’s easy to hurry—but God’s blessing often comes through waiting. How can you slow yourself down so that you learn patience and trust?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,
          Strengthen us to endure this season with faith and joy, trusting that You are working all things for our good, even when we cannot see the outcome. Strengthen our hearts to remain steadfast and hopeful. Let us find courage in Your promises and joy in Your presence while we wait for Your guidance and blessings. As we face uncertainty by the world's standards, fill our hearts with peace as we stand on the rock-solid foundation of Your Word. Keep us ever mindful that You are always with us, guiding our steps and providing for our needs, and we are so grateful. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Where Is God in the Struggle? Thanksgiving Devotional #6

By Cindi McMenamin - author of "The New Loneliness: Nurturing Meaningful Connections When You Feel Isolated."

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“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.” 

Psalm 138:8 ESV

“I don’t understand why God is allowing us to struggle like this,” a friend told me recently after she and her husband experienced a series of financial and relational challenges.

After four decades of ministry to women, I can tell you, without a doubt, that struggles are a part of life. You are not being discriminated against or punished by God when you experience difficulty, delay, disappointment, or loss. And if you know God, you don’t struggle alone. He’s there, ready to redeem your suffering and refine you through it, and He’s placed more people in your path than you realize who can help you through it.

Disappointment can make us feel so very lonely. So can loss or a setback or a series of frustrations. Just because life is full of struggles doesn’t make them any easier to navigate. But, oh the comfort of knowing there is a reason (whether you are privy to it this side of heaven or not) and there is help along the way.

In the early years of my marriage, it seemed like my husband and I had one situation after another in which we needed to trust God to get us through financially. One day, after I was briefing my husband on all that needed to happen for the bills to be paid that month so we wouldn’t go into credit card debt, Hugh said, rather casually, “If these faith tests are still happening because you haven’t yet learned to trust God with our finances, I sure wish you’d trust Him. I learned long ago that He will provide.”

His statement took me by surprise. And instead of feeling insulted that his remark implied I was the one who was worrying and he wasn’t, and that’s why the test was happening, I realized he was right. I did still worry about the finances. I did still have to talk it all through and see it all on paper to understand it would work out in order not to panic. I was still trying to control it all.

That day, I repented to God for still not trusting Him to provide, even though He had an excellent track record of providing for us in every way since the day we married.

“God, don’t let us go through this on account of my lack of faith,” I prayed, “Help me to rest in You when it comes to financial matters so we can get beyond this.”

As a result of that prayer, nothing changed for the next 20 years in terms of our financial situation being tight. But my anxiety level changed tremendously. God didn’t necessarily bring us more money, or give me more faith (you and I have all the faith we will ever need at the point of our salvation). What changed was my determination to trust God to be Who He promises He will be—our Provider, Sustainer, and Giver of every good and perfect gift under heaven (James 1:17). I started living what I professed to believe.

Have we still faced financial concerns? Of course. But they are no longer concerns that we won’t have what we need. Rather, our concern is that we will fail to manage well what God has given us. Our concern is that we might overlook the needs of others whom God clearly brings our way. But mostly, our concern is that we will—even if for a moment—fail to trust the One who has a million times over proven that He is trustworthy in every area of our lives.

As you and I honor God with our time, talents, and treasure, He honors us as well, by faithfully providing all we have ever needed, and so much more simply because He is the God who loves to bless.

Faith tests grow us into people who take God at His Word—people who experience peace rather than panic, and people who trust rather than fret or complain.

Whether it’s a financial difficulty, a relationship struggle, a health problem, or an overall fear of the future, God is the One who can work it out, redeem it into something good, and grow us through the struggle.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
God knows all about what you struggle with. He knows. He’s in control. He has His reasons for allowing what He does. And most of the time that reason is because He wants us to trust Him like a child instinctively and unswervingly trusts the protective care of his loving [parent]. When we get a glimpse of God’s greater purposes for us, or just believe He has a plan that is far bigger than ours, we can trust His goodness, even if we can’t yet see it.

When you and I realize we can’t control our lives, we can relax into His control and realize every circumstance—even this disappointment or loneliness you’re feeling today—is in His hands and He is allowing it to show you a new side of Himself, and bring you into a closer relationship with Him.

Further Reading:
Psalm 121
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Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for always being our Provider - physically, financially and spiritually. Thank You for placing us in circumstances that test and grow the strength of our faith in You. Your Word assures us in Psalm 121 that You "will watch over our lives; and that You will watch over our coming and going both now and forevermore".  Help us to relax and live in these precious promises. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Enduring the Process

For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
Colossians 1:19-22 NLT

Our whole lives are not just carried out on whimsy, there IS a plan and a purpose. God has been intentional about His plan for us since before we were born - even before we were formed in our mother's womb (Jeremiah 1, Psalm 139:16). 

When my kids were little, there was a song they sang in Sunday School  ♪♫ I am a Promise. I am a possibility.♪♫  (written by Amber Nelon Thompson). And if we think back to when we were children, did we know what we would be when we grew up? How many of our life events shaped us into who we are now? The answer is ALL of them. Yes, all of them. As Christ followers, God used ALL of it - the whole process of good and bad - to fulfill His purpose and plan. 

There is a Promise over each of our lives - God's promise. However, we need to be where He is to obtain it. In His presence. In His Word. Trusting Him and staying with Him through the process. There are things we have now that were sown in our lives a long time ago, Strength and endurance are built up through the process. What do we want to reap? 

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for making provision for our reconciliation to You. Let this be a reminder that we can't do haphazard sowing and expect to reap only good things. Give us Your strength to endure and grow through the process, Father, to be able to enter into Your Promise. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Psalm 91 God's Faithfulness

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

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

Get the Message

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Matthew 6:33 The Message

In the face of global sanctions, the rising cost of oil and gas, the predicted inflation rates, and a looming recession, those of us who are in covenant with God our Saviour need have no fear. His Word assures us in so many places. This is one of my favorites from The Message.

You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.

If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. Matthew 6:24-34 The Message

Prayer:

Father,

We choose to trust You, knowing that You are our Source, our Jehovah Jireh, especially during these unstable times we're living in. We will not get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. We know You will help us deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. We give You all praise and glory in Jesus' Name. Amen

Do Tell

Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done.
Psalm 22:30-31 NLT

I like to use the Daily Audio Bible by Brian Hardin to go through the Bible. I find the book of Genesis to be enthralling even though I've read it before. I find it fascinating to think about the ones who kept the history so that nothing was lost and it could be handed down from generation to generation. To know the covenants with God, the blessings that were bestowed, the incredible way that God used harsh adversity to bless His people (Joseph and his brothers)...

What has God done for you? How much of it have you told your children, your grandchildren? Do they know from where God has brought you? Do they know how God has provided for them, healed them, watched over them and you? 

Time after time, God's redemption and deliverance are chronicled in His Word. It truly is amazing. I know we've talked about it before - about writing it down so the generations after us will know everything God has done for us...for them. It is no less amazing what God has done in our lifetime. Do tell.

Prayer:

Father,

          Give us divine appointments to make Your ways known to our children and our children's children and to all the generations. We praise You and thank You for Your continuous faithfulness toward us. Thank You for Your great love and mercy. We cannot do this life without You. Thank You for Your presence, for watching over us, for fresh anointing. Draw us closer to You, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Great Provider

He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.
1st Samuel 17:40 NLT

You know the story. The whole of Israel's army would not volunteer to fight Goliath - including King Saul - who (according to 1st Samuel 9) stood head and shoulders above any man in Israel. But David, a teenaged shepherd boy armed only with his shepherd staff and a sling and 5 smooth stones, faced Goliath a giant of Gath. Why 5?

There's a lot of conjecture about why a certain number of stones and none of them proven or specifically spelled out. The two that make the most sense to me are 5 being the number to represent grace and that there were 4 other giants related to Goliath for a total of 5 giants. 

Let's face it - to defeat Goliath would require the unparalleled grace of God for any one fully grown soldier, let alone a teenaged boy untried in military battle. However, truly David walked in faith and favor and God's grace. That we DO know. We also know that later when David was king, he and his warriors killed the remaining 4 giants. He didn't do it again with a sling and a stone but to me, it seems as though God was already making the promise of provision for victory from the beginning.

God's provision is clear through every situation. He calls us to it, then gives us what we need in order to accomplish what He has called us to do, and then He sends us to do it. What excuse can we possibly use when He has made every provision for victory from the beginning?

Prayer:

Father, 

           Forgive us for thinking we have ever accomplished anything good in our own power and might. Everything - EVERYTHING is by Your Spirit working in us. Thank You for the plans and provision You have made for our lives. We want to fulfill Your plan and purpose for us. Help us, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Conditional Provision

If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.

Deuteronomy 11:13-15 NLT

Even though we're not all farmers or ranchers, we understand the promise of provision made by God in our text for today. It's a vision, isn't it? Can you see yourself with every need met? What are you willing to do for it? More importantly - What are you willing to STOP doing for it? Yes, it IS a promise, but it is conditional. 

Verses 16 and 17, “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods. If you do, the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the Lord is giving you."

Yes, God LOVES us unconditionally, but a covenant relationship requires commitment and action on both sides, and I'm not talking about the casual commitment of today's society. Covenant is not to be entered into lightly. God wants all of us - every bit of us. And in return, He will give us every bit of Himself. What a promise of provision THAT is!

Prayer:

Father,

          We give it all to You, holding nothing back, because You held nothing back from us at Calvary. Help us to walk worthy of Your covenant and commitment. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

It'll Get Done

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Philippians 1:6 NLT

One commentary I read had this observation:

Do you sometimes feel as though you aren't making progress in your spiritual life? When God starts a project, He completes it! As with the Philippians, God will help you grow in grace until He has completed His work in your life. 

When you are discouraged, remember that God won't give up on you.  He promises to finish the work He has begun. When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by your shortcomings, remember God's promise and provision. Don't let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to Him. 

Prayer:

Father, 

          Thank You for the promise that You will complete the work You began in us. We're counting on it, Lord, and asking for Your mercy and grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to walk it out in our lifetime. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Gift of Hope

You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:12c-13a NLT

Day Two, counting down the Advent. Celebrating hope this first week. Is there anything more fun than children when coming into the Christmas season? Oh, they are so excited and have such great expectations! The anticipation of all the possibilities of things that could happen... 

One of my granddaughters is autistic and no matter how old she gets, from Thanksgiving on she will unabashedly ask, "Granna, what are you going to give me for Christmas?" just like she has every year since she could talk. Her expectation is that she will get a present from me; her hope is that it will be something she likes. LOL Her absolute delight would be keys of any kind...

I think she is much like how Christ meant for us to be when He said we should be like children - wanting to be with Him, full of expectation, trusting Him to care and provide, delighting that He has given us the keys to His kingdom.

For so long, we lived without God and without hope...  Proverbs 13:12 NLT tells us, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. Living without hope can be so devastating, but praise God, He sent His Son into the world so that we could have the hope of glory! It is a glorious thing, hope. 

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for giving us Jesus and with Him, the gift of hope! Help us to be ever mindful of the price that was paid for our salvation and the redemption of our souls. Help us to walk humbly before You, God, and to be always grateful for all You have provided. Cause our hearts to be moved with compassion for others and to be generous givers in all we lay our hands to do. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Nothing More, Nothing Less

Dear Ones - I will be offline until Monday night. I am relocating and can't get the Internet connection set up until Monday. I hope you'll come back then. Have a great weekend!
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Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.”
Exodus 24:3 NLT

They'd been freed from the slavery of Egypt. They'd been rescued from their enemies at the Red Sea. They'd been saved from hunger by food that fell from Heaven, and from dying of thirst by water pouring out of a rock. They were kept warm by fire at night and shaded from the desert sun with the cloud by day. God was making EVERY provision for them, despite their whining and complaining...

Finally, FINALLY, they respond in one voice, "We will do everything the Lord has commanded." Music to God's ears, I'm sure. Moses carefully writes it all down and reads it to them the very next morning and they respond the same way, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.”

Then God tells Moses to come on up so He can give Moses the explicit instructions about His plan and how it's to be done. And in about a month and a half - 47 days - the people forget all about their escape from Egypt, and walking through the Red Sea on dry land, and the Book of the Covenant and their response; “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.” They want something hands-on to satisfy their immediate desires and Moses' brother, Aaron, their spiritual leader, goes along with THEIR plan, and then tries to combine their idol worship with a festival to the Lord. Unbelievable... or is it?

God provides for us on a daily basis. And it's all well and good while we're seeing His active intervention in our lives, but what about when we are waiting for an answer or an instruction for what to do next? His Word instructs us to wait, to listen and to obey. Do we? Or do we go with what WE think will work and then try to incorporate that (our will) into what should be His worship, His way? Unbelievable... or is it? If we stop looking at what we can't do, what we don't have, we might be able to see what we CAN do through Christ, and what we DO have because of God's hand of provision.

God's instructions are for our good. We each have a part. He hasn't asked me to do your part - or you to do my part, but He does expect us to do everything He has commanded us. Nothing more. NOTHING less.

Prayer:

Father,
          Your Word says You give power to the weak and strength to the powerless. It also assures us that we can be confident that we will see the Lord’s goodness while we are here in the land of the living. Help us to wait patiently for You, Lord. Cause us to be brave and courageous, and so we may do all that You have commanded us. Nothing more. NOTHING less. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Family Heritage

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Psalm 127:3 NLT

They tried for several years and couldn't conceive. Finally, they went to the doctor. The doctor's report was devastating. We stood as a family, praying at the altar. My daughter-in-love in tears, unable to speak, like Hannah in 1st Samuel. As we prayed, I felt compelled to ask my son, "What do you say? I know what the doctor said, but what do YOU say?" He replied with conviction, "I've seen our child. I know God is going to give us one." And that day, standing at the altar in the front of the church, we came into agreement with the Father and the Spirit of Truth. 

It was several more years and two job relocations later, when they finally conceived. So there she was in a brand new town. No connections. And she was actually refused by two doctors because she was considered too high-risk. However, as it turned out, the location they were in had a doctor that specialized in my daughter-in-love's condition. God's hand of provision and protection... literally.  On the first sonogram, I could see the outline of an adult hand on the baby. I knew it was God's hand. 

Today, we celebrated her 5th birthday. She is truly a gift and a great reward.

Prayer:

Father,
          It is good to remember the landmarks of our lives and the blessings of provision and protection You have given us. Thank You so much for everything! Please continue to keep Your hand upon this precious child. Teach us, Father, so that we are able to teach and prepare her for all You have planned for her life. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Meeting the Need

The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they saw the Ark, they were overjoyed! The cart came into the field of a man named Joshua and stopped beside a large rock. So the people broke up the wood of the cart for a fire and killed the cows and sacrificed them to the Lord as a burnt offering.1st Samuel 6:13-14 NLT

I find stories of people going the extra mile for someone else to be captivating. Stories that involve elements such as knowing someone likes a certain something, but it’s not readily accessible or convenient, but expending the time and effort to make it happen – even when it’s not a birthday or special occasion. What a reflection of Christ-like character – whether intentional or not. And there are those who anticipate the needs of others and provide for those needs before they actually happen, so that when they do arise, the provision is already there. I love those kinds of things. I think they so typically portray God’s nature. God who has the plan and makes provision to ensure its success. Always meeting the need.

In this story, Israel had lost the Ark of the Covenant, and it was not good. God made it so that the Philistines HAD to return the Ark of the Covenant, but here He went the extra mile. I didn’t see it coming. As part of the Philistines returning the Ark, they built a cart and sent it with untried livestock; in doing so, included the wood and animals for the burnt offering. The cows stopped by a large stone, which was also convenient and necessary for the preparation. God had the plan and made provision to ensure its success. God more than met the need that day.

In Genesis 22, it did not look good at the time prior to the provision, but Abraham believed God no matter what and was obedient. God provided the ram in the thicket for the sacrifice necessary before proclaiming the Abrahamic blessing.  According to Scripture, obedience is better than sacrifice. God had the plan and made provision to ensure its success.

In Matthew 26 and Mark 14, in the Garden of Gethsemane, it didn’t look good. In front of Caiaphas and the High Council, on into Pilate’s and Herod’s courts and finally at Golgotha, it didn’t look good. But God was in the process of providing just what we needed.

Christ was obedient unto death and becameThe Perfect, once and for all Sacrifice who - according to Hebrews 9:12 - With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

Verses 13-15 continue, Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. God's idea. God's plan. God's Son. That's what I call meeting the need.

Prayer:

Father,

          The more I get to know You, the more I am humbled by Your immeasurable love for us. You see us through the perfecting Blood of Christ. There is no other option but to offer ourselves in return. Let us not insult You or denigrate the provision You have made for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Provision

If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.

Deuteronomy 11:13-15 NLT

Even though we're not all farmers or ranchers, we understand the promise of provision made by God in our text for today. It's a vision, isn't it? Can you see yourself with every need met? What are you willing to do for it? More importantly - What are you willing to STOP doing for it? Yes, it IS a promise, but it is provisional. 

Verses 16 and 17,  “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods. If you do, the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the Lord is giving you."

Yes, God LOVES us unconditionally, but a covenant relationship requires commitment and action on both sides, and I'm not talking about the casual commitment of today's society. Covenant is not to be entered into lightly. God wants all of us - every bit of us. And in return, He will give us every bit of Himself. What a promise of provision THAT is!

Prayer:

Father,

          We give it all to You, holding nothing back, because You held nothing back from us at Calvary. Help us to walk worthy of Your covenant and commitment. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Gleaning

When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 23:22 NLT

In a day and age when the world seems to be more and more about ME-ology, what's in it for me, selfies and selfishness, what's mine is mine, I love reading this passage of Scripture. 

Provision certainly was made; however, I think it's important to note that the poor and the foreigners still had to come to the field and glean the grain that was there for them. It was available to them, but they had to work for it.  

In some ways, this puts me in mind of harvesting God's Word for our lives. The main haul is the message or sermon we hear, but we have to dig into the Word to get what is left there for us. Not handed to us, not dropped in our laps, but rather, there for us if we will bend to the task and begin gleaning. 

God has promised us that when we seek Him, He will be found. Let us glean all that we can from Him.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for the provision You have made for us. Help us to gather all that You have provided so that we fulfill Your perfect plan for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

We're Not Done +

    Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.” 

    But Jesus said, “You feed them.” 

   “With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!” 

   “How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.”

They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”  Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. 
   Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed from those loaves!
Mark 6:35-41 NLT

Has God ever done the impossible in your life? Has He done the proverbial Made a Way Where There was No Way? Has He ever used you to do or say something that you know - beyond the shadow of a doubt - that it was all God because it was beyond your ability or even your comprehension? It defies all logic. Well, He's not done yet.

Mark 6 is an amazing chapter. At the beginning of it, Jesus heads to His hometown, begins teaching in the synagogue in such a way that the people exclaim, Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles? And only moments later, they reject Him because they can't see or believe through eyes of faith... but He wasn't done. He took it to village after village, teaching, healing.

He launched His disciples, sending them out on purpose without provision, and yet their needs were met and they accomplished what He sent them to do. When they returned, they were stoked! But He wasn't done. 

Also in this chapter, we learn of John the Baptist's beheading - a tragic, horrible murder. It had already happened; Jesus knew about it, but it didn't stop Him because He wasn't done. Jesus wanted to take the boys and get away for a little while, but the crowds wouldn't stop, and because He had/has such great compassion, He stopped for them. 

Then we come to our Promise text for today. The disciples - those He hand-picked - presume to tell Christ how to best care for the people. They present their most logical, well-thought-out plan, but obviously, Jesus wasn't done yet.

You feed them, but the best they could come up with was logic.
We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!

Jesus doesn't fly by the seat of His pants. He doesn't get by by the skin of His teeth. He's not a fly-by-night operation. When will we realize that God has the plan? He's had it from the beginning. Even when there doesn't seem to be any way at all - the odds are too much against us. We can't feed them! There's over 5,000 men here, plus their families... Sure, I'll see if anyone brought anything... Here, 5 loaves and a couple of fish. What are You gonna do with that? There's no way to feed all these people - that's not enough for just us, let alone all of them. I don't know what You're thinking...  What? You don't believe they were thinking along those lines?

He took it, blessed it and broke it. And with that little bit of broken pieces, He fed the multitudes until everyone had as much as they wanted. It was the first All-You-Can-Eat buffet... But He wasn't done. Scripture tells us, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.

Recap: He told them to feed the people. They replied logically, We can't. He showed them how it's done. And when He was done, they picked up 12 baskets of leftover bread and fish. Hmmm... how many disciples were there? 
You get the picture...

I was gonna end there, but I hear the ones making the statement about Judas Iscariot... He didn't hang around too much longer after this, so, I guess that leaves one basket. Any takers? We're not done...

Prayer:

Father,
        Thank You for the ability to think and reason. Forgive us when we use it to try to explain away Your sovereignty and majesty. Help us to realize and KNOW that whatever You've called us to do, wherever You've called us to be, You've made the provision. Let the measure of faith You have given us always override what we can see so that we can DO what You've told us to do.  In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Indispensable Necessity +

O GIVE thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity].

Psalm 105:1-3 The Amplified Bible

People get crazy when it comes to money. If you want to see someone's bad side, mess with their money. History has shown us that the people will elect an official based on their view of the financial situation - often overriding their moral convictions. Do you know that Jesus taught regarding some aspect of money about one-third of the time? Don't worry - I'm not asking for any. I just know everyone's thinking about it in one form or another.

So, I just have to tell you this. I originally wrote this post in November of 2008, but I was rereading it tonight and wanted to share the testimony of it because God's provision is timeless. The background is that at the time I wrote this in 2008, I'd been back to work for 2 weeks, following a bad fall that caused me to miss 5 months of work. Here's the story...

This past Friday, I got my first full paycheck since June. First thing I did was figure the amount of my tithe and offering; and then I began to consider the bills I had to pay. When I got done, I had very little money left for Thanksgiving and I have family & guests coming in for dinner. I gotta tell you, I thought, "There's no place to cut. I don't know what to do."

I hate to admit it, but for about 30 minutes, I was tempted to take the tithe and offering. Then I finally smacked myself and proclaimed aloud, "God, I will not rob from You. You have kept me through this entire ordeal. Who am I to even think about touching that? I don't care if we have to eat egg sandwiches, that's Yours. I'm not touching it." And I left it at that.

That was Friday morning. Friday afternoon, I got a check in the mail for a refund I wasn't expecting. Saturday, I got another check in the mail totally unexpected – short term disability had underpaid me on one check. Today, my boss handed me an envelope from the company's anniversary celebration. He was apologizing profusely for not having given it to me before (he's had it since July). I assured him the timing was perfect. All told, almost the exact amount of the tithe and offering. Malachi 3:10 teaches that had I taken God's tithe and offering, I would have brought a curse on my household.    

    " Will a man rob God?
      Yet you have robbed Me!
      But you say,

      'In what way have we robbed You?'
      In tithes and offerings.
      You are cursed with a curse,
      For you have robbed Me,
      Even this whole nation.
      Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
      That there may be food in My house,
      And try Me now in this,"
      Says the LORD of hosts,
      " If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
      And pour out for you such blessing
      That there will not be room enough to receive it.

I don't know about you, but I sure can't afford God to take away His hand of provision for my life - not spiritually or financially.

I'm overwhelmed at His goodness and mercy and grace and just wanted to share that with you. Be encouraged. God takes care of His own.

Prayer:

Father,

          I thank You and praise You for Your wondrous acts. You are more than enough. You are our only indispensable necessity of life. Keep us ever mindful of this Truth. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Supply and Demand

[Jesus speaking] "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Matthew 6:31-33

I'm going back to one of my landmarks to give God praise yet again, to testify to you who I know God to be, and to remind myself of what I know. 

I had a bill come in that was totally unexpected. I was not happy. I talked about it to several of my friends. You know, complaining, Oh Woe is me... Wah Wah! Call the Wah-mbulance... 

Then God talked to ME about it.

I don't mean physically came down and talked to me. I mean Scripture that I've read popped into my head or I was reminded by something I heard or read elsewhere. Till finally, I asked God to forgive me for not trusting Him in all things. I'm ashamed about how quickly I'd forgotten His provision for me. I slapped myself like a V-8 commercial and said aloud, "God, You are my Provider. You have always been and You always will be. I choose You. I don't know  how You will, but I know You and I know You will."

The next day, in going through some files at the office, I found an expense report that was six months old. It had no marking that it had been processed, so I called and asked about it. It had not been processed. It was a little less than one-third of the unexpected bill, but I thanked God for it. Unexpected provision. Then I got a check in the mail from the insurance company that had paid me disability while I was off work for those months. Two days prior to that, I'd gotten a letter stating that it had been 60 days since I returned to work and my case was officially closed. I thought the check was a mistake somehow. I called to let them know that I'd received another check. The agent informed me that in closing the case, they discovered they had underpaid me by this amount... the amount that, combined with the expense report, paid in full the unexpected bill.

...but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs... I'm not talking about prosperity or a Gimme God. He's not a good luck charm. He knows what we NEED. It's as true today as it was then.

What do you need? You need a Savior? You need peace? You need wisdom? You need healing? His Word promises that He will give us everything we need. Maybe it's not always the way we plan or think, but when we go to Him, when we trust Him, God supplies what we need for the demands on our lives. 

Prayer:

Father,

          You are all I need. Thank You for always being there for me in spite of myself. Help me to get me out of the way of what You want to do in my life. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen