Promise for Today - Simple Enough

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32 NKJV

Who do you think of as the most powerful man or woman in the world? There are certainly a lot of people vying for it at the moment, and it's only going to get worse.

People’s thoughts generally turn to world leaders or the wealthiest, and the responses are almost as varied as the number of people you ask. However, according to Scripture, it’s the one who, in his weakness, finds his strength in an unseen God (unseen by the world), or the one who rules his own spirit, or the one who controls his tongue.

Doesn’t that seem simple enough to do? Are we that powerful? The Truth is - apart from God, it's impossible.

Prayer:

Father,
          We submit our will to Yours. We want to live Your will for our lives. Help us, Lord. By Your Grace, cause us to be mighty for You. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today Favorite - Still 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! What do you think the disciples were thinking? "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..."

He took it, blessed it and broke it. And with those little bits 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 

Advent Day 6 - Trust Him with the Impossible

This year's Advent devotionals are from A Celebration of Advent: A 25-Day Devotional
by New Spring Church of Anderson, SC
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“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37

We can trust Him with the impossible. 

We do not often find ourselves in impossible situations. Most of the time, we see a path through the difficulty. But what do we do when our situation proves impossible? When Gabriel announces his astonishing message, we learn how Mary handles the impossible.

Mary’s first response was to ask an honest question: “How will this be since I am a virgin?” No doubt, being pregnant without having sex sounded just as impossible then as it does today. Beyond the impossibility of her pregnancy, Mary faced the ridicule of her community and potential divorce from her husband. Despite her initial shock, Mary turned neither to skepticism nor cynicism. Listen to Mary’s faith: “I am the Lord’s servant, Let it be to me as you have said.” Mary walked forward in confidence, not because she had all the answers, but because she knew the Lord did. Her God could do anything.

Many stand in need of a Christmas miracle. We face impossible circumstances with honest questions and unshakeable faith. May we fix our eyes on Him and believe nothing is impossible with our God.

REFLECT:

What seemingly impossible situation are you facing?
Are you viewing that circumstance with faith or cynicism?
What would it look like to trust God to do the impossible?
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Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for the promise of Your peace that abides when we choose to trust You in all things. Help us to keep our focus not on circumstances and the things that are seen, but on the things that are eternal through You. Help us to develop an eternal perspective. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What Only God Can Do

The religious experts said to Pharaoh, “This is something only God could do!” 

Exodus 8:19 CEB 

Pharaoh was a stubborn man. He did not take kindly to anyone daring to tell him what to do. Throughout the confrontation with Moses and Aaron, he had his religious experts come in and do signs and wonders by their secret knowledge... until the lice. Then they had to admit - even though they hated to - it was something only God could do. And if you know the story, you know it didn't stop there.

Today's world is just like this. Have we learned nothing in all these centuries? People still hate to be told what to do. There are "religious experts" everywhere, trying to fake it till they make it; spreading half-truths and illusions. There's coming a day - and it won't be long - God will deliver us. A time when we will declare as Moses declared in Exodus 14:13, Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.

But until that day - we need to remember that according to Scripture - it's incumbent upon us to pray! Pray! PRAY! And not just pray, but God said, If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, [emphasis mine] respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health.

Forgive our sins and restore our land to health. It doesn't take a religious expert to recognize that, “This is something only God could do!” 

Prayer:

Father,

           As we obey Your Word, to respond by humbling ourselves, praying, seeking Your presence, and turning our backs on our wicked lives, we know You will listen from heaven, forgive our sins, and restore our land to health. We are counting on You, Lord. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

God Can't

Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6:18b-19

Lots of people are quick to tell you what God CAN do, what He promises to do, and what He's already done. And all of what He has done is so great that oftentimes, we cannot find words to properly express all we feel about it! It's wonderful! Truly wonderful!

However, there are also those I have met in my life who will throw down the gauntlet and say, "God can't do everything!" And then they stand there, defiantly waiting for me to contradict them. But I don't. I agree with them that God can't do everything (hear me out!). I tell them I even have Scripture to back it up (wait for it...)

Two things - God CAN'T fail. Hebrews 5:13b, For God has said, “I will never fail you."  And He CAN'T lie!  Hebrews 6:18a, So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. 

And when you think about those two things - REALLY think about them - understanding the Truth contained therein, it's no wonder that we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.

Meditate on this. Let it sink deep into your soul and spirit. He CAN'T fail and it's IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie. So that means EVERYTHING He has said to you will come to pass. Selah

Can you dare to believe what God can't do?

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your faithfulness to us in spite of our shortcomings and our own failures. Open our eyes and our hearts to see Your unwavering Truth in all You say and do. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Impossible Love

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Colossians 1:9-12 NKJV

Sometimes, life is hard. That's not surprising news to any of you who may be reading this. It's in the day-to-day doing of it that we are provided with ample opportunities to love as Christ loved us and gave Himself. Sometimes, we get tired of doing. Sometimes, we get tired of giving. Sometimes, we get tired of loving. What do we do then?

We go to our Source of life's blood and get more so that we can continue to do and to give and to love. Why? Because He has called us to love as He loved and He gave Himself for us. And just so we're clear, it's PEOPLE He called us to love, not inanimate things. It's easy to "love" things - they don't have mood swings, bad attitudes and they don't demand our time when we don't feel like it. Don't be confused - that's not love.

Paul prayed that we might be filled with the knowledge of God's will - wisdom, understanding (there's that word again). The commandment we are given is to love one another. That's hard. Sometimes, it's seemingly impossible, but... but for Christ. 

I've heard people remark, "Oh, yeah, it was easy for Him - God was His Father - He's part of the Triune God - He IS love."  I hear ya, but do you hear God? I'll tell you, it wouldn't have been MY first choice to leave Heaven in all its glory where I walked in all authority to come to Earth as mere man, to be crucified for an ungrateful lot who - even after the sacrifice - would not recognize what had been done for them. His love prevailed. And that's the point. HIS strong love. HIS power to love.

Paul prayed it - that we would be strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy... Strengthened with ALL might - by HIS power...patient and longsuffering...with joy. Yeah, it's hard, but it's not impossible. 

Christ said it Himself as recorded in Matthew 19, ...with God all things are possible.

Prayer:

Father,
         We pray as Champ Traylor once prayed, Cleanse us of everything that would sap our strength for togetherness...Let us be Your alleluia in a joyless, fragmented world. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Getting Along

May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you!

2nd Thessalonians 3:16 The Message

There’s a prayer that has made numerous trips around the Internet that goes something like this - Dear Lord, So far today, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped about anyone, haven’t lost my temper with anyone, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over-indulgent. And I’m very thankful for that. But, in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of this bed, and from then on, I’m going to need a lot more help.

The life of a Christian is all about right relationships. The right relationship with God, relationships with other followers of Christ, and relationships with non-believers. I have to say at some points in life, it would be so much easier to be a selective hermit. There would be fewer opportunities to be angry or spiteful. Less time consumed with solving other people’s issues for their lack of planning, resulting in fewer opportunities to judge. So much less chance of offense if you’re not around other people. 

Right off the top of my head, I see two major things wrong with that. One – The Word tells us that they’ll know we are Christians by our love toward each other, and if we choose NOT to be around others because we can’t stand to be around them… well, I just don’t think we need to go any further there.  The writer of Hebrews instructs us in 12:14 to work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent.  A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.

And two, if we’re never tested, how will we know? James 3:17a tells us that Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. 

It can be very hard work. That too is acknowledged and issued for instruction as the second part of that same Scripture assures us we can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

So, I’d have to say, No, we can’t all just get along. Without God, it’s impossible. However, with God, all things are possible. Difficult, at times, but definitely possible.

Prayer:

Father,

            Hear our cry for right relationship with You. How You could love us in our unlovable state and continue to do so during our petty differences is beyond me. Help us to learn by following Your example toward US. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Impossible?

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32 NKJV

Who do you think of as the most powerful man or woman in the world?

People’s thoughts generally turn to world leaders or the wealthiest, and the responses are almost as varied as the number of people you ask. However, according to Scripture, it’s the one who in his weakness finds his strength in an unseen (by the world) God or the one who rules his own spirit or the one who controls his tongue.

Doesn’t that seem simple enough to do? The Truth is - apart from God, it's impossible.

Prayer:

Father,

          We submit our will to Yours. We want to live Your will for our lives. Help us, Lord. By Your Grace, cause us to be mighty for You. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen