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

Today's Timeless Task by David Jackson

David Jackson is one of the most Godly men I've ever had the honor and privilege to know. About once a month or so, he sends out an email of encouragement. I needed this reminder and encouragement today. You may, too.

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“I have finished the work which You have given me to do.” John 17.4b

When I think about the massive Messianic task that constituted Jesus’ divine calling, His short lifespan (not to mention the even briefer period of full-time ministry), and the limited number of people He engaged (not to mention the few He actually discipled), I marvel at this comment in His conversation with God. His work is finished? Really? The work to redeem a broken, lost world enslaved by evil? The work to establish a worldwide kingdom of righteousness and peace? How could His work be finished? Yet this enigmatic phrase provides us with clues for living a life fully pleasing to God, with Jesus as our pattern. Jesus was task-focused and time-conscious. You can hear that in His conversations, including such statements as: “you go up to this feast, I am not yet going…for My time has not yet fully come” (John 7.8). He was fully aware of the tasks given to Him by the Father and of the time allotted to accomplish those tasks during His first coming.

We, too, have been equipped by God with a specific calling and a timeframe. We must be careful to avoid an unhealthy focus on the overwhelming needs of a fallen world or the swift seconds ticking off the moments of our brief lives. The world is a huge mess. It needs a major overhaul at virtually every level of individual and community existence. We can’t begin to comprehend, never mind accomplish, the work required to move humanity toward the healing it so desperately needs. Jesus referred to us as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. But when I consider my life, it is at best a single grain of salt that has been dropped into a vast vat of corruption. It is a single candle immersed in a deep sea of darkness. My potential impact seems so minuscule as to be completely irrelevant.

It is the mysterious and miraculous nature of God’s ways that He somehow accomplishes His eternal will through temporal vessels. His power to heal a seriously sinful world flows through small, sinful people. His everlasting kingdom comes in moment-by-moment increments, using frail, inadequate individuals. The information technology that provides an ever-open window into the local, national and global evils in our world can easily overwhelm us with the impossibility of our redemptive calling. Yet Jesus shows us by practice and parable that saving the world is done one little task at a time. Our job is to know and do that next task, which is typically right in front of us and not that hard to discern. This truth seems apparent in Jesus’ reference to Elijah’s ministry when He reminds us that of the thousands of widows in Israel who needed help in the days of Elijah, the roving prophet was tasked with helping just one of them. This appears to be Elijah’s chief focus for over a year…a year in a period of ministry that rivaled Jesus’ for brevity. Perhaps one of the key lessons gleaned from this snippet of Elijah’s life is that we each need to focus on that individual we are tasked with helping today. Despite the frequent message in many superhero movies, no one person can save the world. But you may be able to save the spiritual, emotional or even physical life of a needy person God has sovereignly placed in your path today.

At the conclusion of Jesus’ three-and-a-half-year ministry, He had but 12 men discipled and equipped as leaders for carrying on the work of the Kingdom. By almost any standard of measure, a first-century historian would have had a hard time finding evidence that the kingdom of God had indeed arrived. But the parables Jesus left us provide insightful clues as to the nature of the kingdom. It’s like a crop: you plant a few seeds, add water, nutrition and time, and you can reap a bountiful harvest. You put a little leaven in the dough and, given the allotted time, the whole lump is leavened. It can be debilitating to focus on the number of people in the world that need to be fed. But planting a single seed in the soil under your feet and tending the resulting plant as it grows is a simple, do-able assignment. I don’t have to fret about whether or not the seed will multiply as it should, for Scripture assures me that it is God who makes it grow (1 Corinthians 3.7). The growth, the final crop and the harvest are in His sovereign hands. My job is to take the seed He provided me, plant it in that portion of the ground where He placed me, water it from His inexhaustible watering source that wells up within me, pull the threatening weeds with the strength He gives me, and then watch the miracle of growth take place.

Jesus planted the seed of the gospel into the hearts of 12 disciples at His first coming and then empowered them to go into the world bearing that precious seed. Before He left, He gave them a key sign signaling His second coming: “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24.14). From twelve humble men to the four corners of the earth. Given the tools of communication and the means of travel in their first-century world, was there ever a more impossible task assigned to a handful of fishermen and tax collectors? But this is how the Kingdom works: cell by cell, task by task, using the seemingly magical method of relational multiplication. His promise to return ripens into reality when those initial 12 bits of leaven expand to penetrate the whole doughy globe. Given the penetrating extent of the leaven in our current generation, we should be watching the skies with joyous anticipation!

The question you must ask yourself as you are confronted each morning with the staggering needs of our world, is simply “which need do I tend to today?” Out of 7 billion hurting people on the planet, which person do I weep with today? In the vast sea of sickness before me, where do I throw my net today? On which wound do I apply the healing balm of God’s love and truth today? To find the work He gave YOU to do TODAY, you don’t need to look far. As previously mentioned, our ability to know what’s going on in virtually every nation of the world at any given moment easily overwhelms our sense of mission. But the soil where your seed needs to be planted is typically right underneath your feet. Your calling is within earshot. Your task is on the whiteboard hanging in your home or office. As it was with Jesus, your work is to do the will of the Father and His will is wrapped up in a unique time and place package that is delivered to your doorstep each new day. It is best unwrapped in your early time alone with Him through prayer and meditation on His Word. As you prayerfully ponder and perform each assignment, you’ll eventually begin to perceive His Spirit working out His will through your life, expanding His kingdom one stone, one task, one day at a time. And when your time is through, you should be able to say, “I finished the work You gave me to do”, in anticipation of His response “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

YES!

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Zechariah 13:9 KJV

[God speaking] “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:1b-3a

Would we ask to be burned, boiled or pressed beyond our endurance? No! Yet, it is in the fire that steel is forged. It is in the fire that impurities are burned out. It is in the heat of the rolling boil that the water becomes purified. It is in the intense, sustained pressure that the simple, ugly lump of coal becomes a diamond.

Do we want to be strong? Do we desire to have the garbage burned out of our lives? Do we want to be purified? Do we want to be one of the jewels He comes to gather? Yes, yes, yes, and yes!

Prayer:

Father,
You never said we could or would be able to do it alone. Forgive us for the times we try to do so. You promised to walk with us every step of the way. We cannot do it without You. Stick closer than a brother, according to Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

My Daughter-in-Love Said

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 18:2-4 NLT

My daughter-in-love, Donna, wrote this devotion:

When you are at a restaurant, you can expect to overhear conversations about what is good or not so good on the menu. When you are at church, you can expect to overhear conversations about how someone has been blessed or how you can pray for someone. When you are at a football game, you can expect to overhear conversations about how the defense is doing or what call the refs missed. What you don’t expect to overhear when you’re yelling “DEFENSE!” is someone nearby asking “Are you a Christian?” or “Do you know God loves you?”

Wait. What? Who’d she just ask that? Or better yet. Why didn’t I think to ask that?

God has instructed us as Christians to go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. (Mark‬ ‭16:15‬). So I shouldn’t be surprised when nearly every conversation my daughter has with a stranger includes “Do you believe in God?” Instead, I should be encouraged and challenged to do likewise. 

My dad modeled the same mission before me. “Go and make disciples of all the nations..." (Matthew‬ ‭28:19). What would start as a simple “Hey there!” or “How’re you doing?” usually ended with “Do you know God as your Savior?” and “How can I pray for you today?” At a restaurant, at church, at a football game, in a grocery store, at the park, the setting didn’t matter. What mattered was that before walking away from the conversation a sharing of God’s love for that person happened. 

Too often I hang back and listen as people talk or I share a smile or a wave as I continue on my way to finish my to-do list, but there’s something more important than my to-do list. God has called us to a purpose - to go and share His love and salvation with others. May my conversations include His purpose. May I make another’s soul a priority to me and be the one who asks “Are you a Christian?”

God has given each of us the greatest gift we could ever receive - salvation. May we each share His gift in the conversations we have with others.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross for our salvation. Thank You for a daughter-in-love whose heart is after You and together with her husband is raising their child in the nurture and admonition of You, Lord. We pray for continued opportunities to share the Good News. Let us be bold in bringing Your Gospel to a lost and dying world. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

When In Doubt

How I love you, Lord! You are my defender.  The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe. I call to the Lord, and he saves me from my enemies. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 18:1-3 Good News Translation

The enemy of our souls is always trying to defeat us, demean us, distract us, trying to get us to be disappointed in God our Lord. And when we try to be strong, fighting in our own strength, we lose. And when we lose, it just seems to reaffirm satan's lies. 

We've talked before about what standards we use to conduct ourselves. For Christians, the ultimate standard IS the Word of God, the Bible. It is applicable for every situation, every circumstance, in other words, for EVERYTHING.

If you find yourself in tough circumstances right now, you can praise your way out of them by praying His Word back to Him. Isaiah 61:3 tells us to put on the garment of praise to overcome the spirit of heaviness. Charge the atmosphere proclaiming His goodness to you and for you. A plethora of declarations is readily available in David's psalms. Avail yourself of them. His Truth wins out every time.

Prayer:

Father,
           I will sing to You as long as I live; I will sing praise to You while I have my being. I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress. You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings, I sing for joy. You, Lord, are my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in You, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song, I shall thank You and lift You higher. In Jesus' Name

Requested - A Bout with Doubt

I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works.In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by.
And in your anger, remember your mercy.
Habakkuk 3:2 NLT

The Book of Habakkuk is about the questions of man and the answers of God. This prophet is the one who asked why the wicked prosper when the righteous stand to lose it all, and God basically tells him to just wait... Habakkuk was a prophet and yet he questioned God.

Zechariah - who was he? Luke 1:5-7 tells us, When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. He was a priest and both he and his wife were righteous in God's eyes! But when the angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah to tell him that they would have a son, Zechariah doubted him.

Zechariah's son, John, cousin to Jesus, chosen forerunner of the Messiah, sent to prepare the way of the Lord, suffered a bout with doubt. The only prophet to actually see the Messiah in the flesh, and yet when overwhelmed with the circumstances of life, he questioned Christ. Read Luke 7:19, "Are you the one..."

We all have times when we struggle with the overwhelming odds of life. The times where it feels like God is not doing what He said, or not answering our prayers. However, the Truth is that God's time is not measured the same as ours. Don't be discouraged. Don't turn away from God in your most desperate times. The common thread in these mighty men of God is they ran TO God, not away from Him. And THAT is how to win the bout with doubt.

Prayer:

Father,
We thank You for including examples of human frailty in Your Word - to teach us, to encourage us, to get us through. You have truly provided for our every need. What an amazing God You are! Help us to see You and trust You for who You truly are. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Words of Hope

Words straight from His Word to reaffirm and build your hope, to give a solid place on which to stand...

Psalm 71:5-6, 14
5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. 6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you. 

14 As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

Psalm 62:5-6
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. 6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 33:18, 20-22
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love. 

20 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 5:1-3
1 Listen to my words, Lord, consider my lament. 2 Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

Psalm 143:8
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

Psalm 42:5
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 39:7
7 But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.

Psalm 9:18
18 But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

Psalm 30:5
5 Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Psalm 130:7
7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

Psalm 31:24
24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 126:5-6
5 Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. 6 Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Psalm 119:49-50
49 Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. 50 My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

Prayer:

Father,

          Let Your Word come alive in us this night. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen