Dream Busters

“It was by faith that Noah heard God’s warnings about things he could not yet see.”

Hebrews 11:7 (NCV)

Today's promise consists of excerpts from today's Daily Hope newsletter. 

Dream busters will always show up in your life. Critics, cynics, and even loved ones may question your God-given vision...

But the biggest dream buster is often yourself. The words you speak to yourself matter. If you talked to your friends the way you talk to yourself—saying things like, “I’m no good,” “I should’ve known better,” or “I’ll never succeed”—you wouldn’t have any friends.

The truth is, we lie to ourselves all the time. The Bible says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT). We convince ourselves things are fine when they’re not, or hopeless when they’re not. That’s why you must listen to God—because He always tells the truth.

Hebrews 11:7 says, “It was by faith that Noah heard God’s warnings about things he could not yet see” (NCV).

Notice the word “heard.” Noah trusted what he heard from God, even though he couldn’t see the future. Similarly, you can’t see your future, but you must trust God. His Word is your guide. Faith is believing what you can’t see—your destiny and your eternal future.

The Bible says, “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT).

Focus on what lasts forever, not on temporary troubles. Noah’s faith was counter-cultural, standing against the disbelief around him. How did he maintain such faith? He heard God.

You might say, “I don’t hear God!” The solution? Get closer to him. The Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NIV). Turn off distractions. Sit quietly. Pray.

Only when you draw near to God can you truly hear His voice. Listen, and follow Him...

No matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, you’ve got a place in God’s forever family ready and waiting for you. The invitation is wide open. Just believe and receive.

Prayer:

Dear God, 

     I know when I die, I’m going to give an account of my life to You. I know I have sinned against You, and I have lived by my plan, not Yours. I want that to change, starting right now. I want to turn away from my sins and turn toward You.
    Thank You for sending Jesus to die for all that I’ve done wrong so I don’t have to pay the penalty. I know I don’t deserve Your forgiveness. I know only Your grace can save me, Lord. I could never be good enough to get into a perfect place.
     Jesus, thank You for loving me so much that You took all my guilt on Yourself. You made me acceptable for heaven, and I humbly ask You to save me. I believe in You, Jesus. And I believe You will keep Your promise to save me instantly, certainly, completely, and eternally. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

What If We Didn't?

 Then Moses told the Lord, “Please, Lord, I’m not eloquent. I never was in the past nor am I now since you spoke to your servant. In fact, I talk too slowly and I have a speech impediment.”

   Then God asked him, “Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes him unable to speak, or deaf, or able to see, or blind, or lame? Is it not I, the Lord? Now, go! I myself will help you with your speech, and I’ll teach you what you are to say.”

   Moses said, “Please, Lord, send somebody else.”           

Exodus 4:10-13 ISV International Standard Version

How many of us can relate to Moses' request? How many times have we NOT done something because we didn't feel qualified? 

How many times have we told God 'no' when in Truth we know our immediate response should be 'Yes, Lord" because we have declared in prayer, "Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven"? Why do we waste the very breath God gave us to refuse Him? How do we take for granted the God-given ability to walk and talk and then use both to walk away from Him while offering Him excuse after excuse?

What if, for one day, we didn't ask God for anything, we just praised Him? What if, for one day, we didn't tell Him 'no'; we only said, 'Yes, Lord'? Just for one day...

Prayer:

Father,

          Change our hearts, O God! Please do NOT send anyone else in our place! Let us fulfill Your purpose for our lives that You have planned for us to do from the very beginning. Put a guard over our mouths so that only 'yes' and 'amen' come out. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Reminder: Strong and Courageous

But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.Revelation 21:8 NLT

How many times do we NOT do something because we are afraid? Years ago, my pastor taught a series called "ALL IN" based in Joshua - "Be strong and very courageous..."   Today, I read an excerpt that ties in so well with strong and courageous. It's from Max Lucado's "Fearless" and I'm going to share it here with you:
************
Fear is unwilling to share the heart with happiness.
Happiness complies and leaves.
Do you ever see the two together?
Can one be happy and afraid at the same time?
Clear thinking and afraid?
Confident and afraid?
Merciful and afraid?
No.

Fear never wrote a symphony or poem,
[never] negotiated a peace treaty,
or cured a disease.
Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry.
Fear never saved a marriage or a business.
Courage did that.
*************
God instructs Joshua, "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:7-9 NLT

Prayer:

Father,
           Our hope, our faith, our trust is in You and You alone. You are our strength, our shield, our fortress, our strong tower. We will follow Your command to be strong and courageous, and we choose also to NOT be afraid or discouraged. In Jesus' Name. Amen

Remembering to Take Out the Trash

“I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”
Matthew 3:11-12 The Message

I really don't like doing housework, but I also don't want to die of embarrassment. So, I make myself pick up, put away, sweep, and take out the trash. Some of which takes a lot of time. None of which is fun. All of which is necessary to accomplish the goal (not dying of embarrassment when someone comes to the door). Nothing will light a fire under most of us quicker than knowing someone might come by.

The Holy Spirit is here on a daily basis. He's not doing a white glove test. He's making house calls to help us prepare and be ready for when Jesus comes back. The Holy Spirit will change us from the inside out - some of which takes a lot of time! None of which is fun. All of which is necessary to accomplish the goal. Will we let Him in?

Christ's return should be the thing that lights the quickest fire in our hearts to get this old house in order. He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of our lives. "He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false He'll put out with the trash to be burned."

Prayer:

Father,
           Help us to see the necessity of having the Holy Spirit clean house and put us in right order for Your return. Light the fire within us again, O God. Cause our hearts to burn with holy fervor for everything true is found only in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Reminder to C'mon Over

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Revelation 3:20-21 NKJV

You may be going through the trial of your life... a desert season of life that seems as scorched and dry as an Indian summer in West Texas. A night so long you almost despair of ever seeing the SON rise with healing in His wings. 

I don't know what you're facing, or why you're facing it, but I do know that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. I also know that we ARE able to OVERCOME by the Blood of the Lamb (His part - already done!) and the Word of OUR Testimony.  So let's be clear about one thing - it's NOT over until the Father says it's over!

Just a few reminders. You've probably seen or heard them before:

• If you never went through the fire, how would you become pure?
• If I [God] never corrected you, how would you know that I [God] love you?
• If you never made a mistake, how would you know that I [God] am a Forgiver - your Redeemer?
  
• If you never had trials to overcome, how could you be an overcomer? 

Jesus speaking in Revelation 3:21, "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." 

I can't wait for Jesus to say, "C'mon over!"

Prayer:

Father,
             We thank You for the provision You have made for every possible scenario of our lives. How merciful and full of grace You are! I know the peace in the midst of the storm comes from knowing that nothing is a surprise to You, and You have already made provision for us to BE overcomers in everything that does come our way. We humbly ask that You keep us ever mindful of this. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Remembering Down and Dirty

But Jacob stayed behind by himself, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he couldn’t get the best of Jacob as they wrestled, he deliberately threw Jacob’s hip out of joint.
The man said, “Let me go; it’s daybreak.”
Jacob said, “I’m not letting you go ’til you bless me.”
The man said, “What’s your name?”
He answered, “Jacob.”
The man said, “But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it’s Israel (God-Wrestler); you’ve wrestled with God and you’ve come through.”
Genesis 32:24-28 The Message

The name, Jacob, means deceiver. And if you read the book of Genesis, you will discover that he was only one in a long line of deceivers. What Jacob had sown, he had reaped in abundance through Laban's deceit and treachery. And yet, God had a made a promise to Abraham and Isaac and now to Jacob. Jacob who was heading home, hoping against hope that he would not die at the hand of his twin brother, Esau. You may remember that Jacob had manipulated his twin into giving up his birthright and had stolen Esau's blessing, as well.

Now on the eve of what may be his death, Jacob has come face-to-face with who he's been. Deceiver. Manipulator. Mean and hateful. And he realizes unless God intervenes, all is lost. It's what we refer to in this day and age as a "Come to Jesus" moment - where the lies are stripped away and only the Truth remains. He is desperate...

Enter the wrestling match... his hip has been thrown out of joint. Now in great emotional and physical pain, Jacob is on the ground, desperately holding onto the Man, refusing to let go. He has gotten down and dirty. And the Man asks, "What's your name?"

Why? You know that God knows who and what we are. It was to give Jacob the opportunity to know the Truth. The Truth about himself. The Truth about his life - what he's done and how he got to this place.

“I’m not letting you go ’til you bless me.”

"What's your name?" I am Jacob. I am a heel. A deceiver.

John 8:32, "You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free..." And immediately God changed him from down and dirty to a new name and a new nature.

God is no respecter of persons. He will do the same for us when we acknowledge who and what we are without Him.

Prayer:

Father,
          We never tire of asking You to change our hearts, O God! Give us clean hands and pure hearts. Let us walk in holy love toward one another. Rescue us from our sinful ways, Father, In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

In Silence

The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not.
Genesis 24:21 ESV

This is an amazing chapter in the life of Abraham, his son, Isaac, and Eliezer, his servant.

Abraham sent Eliezer to find a wife for Isaac. He gave him very explicit instructions and prayed that God would prosper Eliezer in his journey (make it successful). When the servant arrived in the region, he prayed to the God of Abraham with very explicit requests for what the girl would do in order to make his journey successful. No sooner had he finished the words in his heart when Rebekah showed up at the well and began to do what Eliezer had silently prayed. 19 'When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they HAVE FINISHED drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for ALL his camels.' [emphasis mine]

I did some research on this. Camels drink between 30 and 50 gallons of water at a time depending on whether they have one hump or two (even though they don't carry the water in their humps). So Rebekah drew water for 10 camels! Now 5 gallons of water weighs about 41.5 lbs so if she only drew 300 gallons that would weigh 2,490 lbs or 1 1/4 US tons. If they were the two-hump ones at 50 gallons per camel, that's 500 gallons which would be 4,150 lbs- over 2 US tons of weight in carrying water!! How many trips do you make to fill that trough? It was no easy task, that's for sure.

When he saw that she also began to water his camels, he could have said something and acknowledged her work, but he "gazed in silence to learn..." He could have settled for good enough when she filled the trough the first time, instead he "gazed in silence to learn..." For how long? I have no idea how long that took, do you?

Do we have the patience to wait "in silence to learn" - to see the promise of God fulfilled in its entirety?

Prayer:

Father,
             Teach us well how to hold our tongue. To wait in silence before You so that we may learn... Our lives are in Your hands. It is not in us to direct our own steps—we need You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen