Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Remove Power (6/19/25)

James decided to bike home early on Tuesday from swim practice without talking to a parent. This decision led to a consequence: we took away the privilege to bike to and from swim practice for the foreseeable future. As his parents, we have the authority to give and take away freedoms.

This giving and taking away freedoms can be seen in our Heavenly Father. Sometimes it is a consequence for a decision we made, like in James’ situation, but other times it is Him sovereignly working His plans in the world. As we have authority over James, our Creator has authority over all of creation!

Last week, we discussed the amazing power given to the two witnesses at the end of the world. They were given power to spit fire and fend off their enemies! For 3½ years, they bore witness purposefully and powerfully under Jesus’ protection. But then…  

Revelation 11:7-10        ⁷ Now when they [the two witnesses] have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. ⁸ Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.¹⁰ The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

At first glance, this seems like a devastating conclusion to their ministry, especially after experiencing Jesus’s miraculous power for several years. Jesus will give them physical protection until they complete His work. He will then remove this physical protection for a few days, but it is all part of His sovereign plan.

As we reflect on the events described in Revelation 11, we may think the world is bad now, but it will be far worse at the end. We can find peace in Jesus, knowing He has already overcome the world (John 16:33). As the One with ultimate authority, Jesus may give or remove physical protection as part of His sovereign plan, but He won’t take away our spiritual protection and eternal blessings. What comfort does this give you today?

Let’s continue next week to see how spiritual protection unfolds for the two witnesses and what it means for us!

The Bank of Jesus Christ

I look up to the mountains—
    does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble;
    the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel
    never slumbers or sleeps.

The Lord himself watches over you!
    The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon at night.

The Lord keeps you from all harm
    and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.  Psalm 121

 

Good people always put more into you than they expect back.  I’m not saying to ask to borrow $20 from them with the expectation to not pay it back.  In fact, I’d argue perhaps you might pay it back with interest much like the parable of talents (see Matthew 25:14-30).  However, these individuals see more in you than at times you see in yourself.  My wife saw something in me when I was ready to give up on school, and she pushed me through when I had little strength.  I liken it to the analogy of a bank.  She invested me believing I could be someone special.  It was more about me than her, and for that, I am forever grateful to her.

Most people invest in others with the expectation of a return.  However, it is not like one expects a direct payback.  Instead, they expect the return on investment to be the joy of seeing you fulfilling your potential.  Those are the people you want to not only surround yourself with but also be like.  Why?  Because like Jesus, they give freely and unconditionally.  Not with strings attached or expectation.  Furthermore, what if you have people in your life fail to support your vision and dreams and yet are in constant need of yours?  As a pastor asked, “Why are you expecting a return from friend who has insufficient funds?” 

We must be willing to put into our relationships the love that God puts into us.  Those who need someone in their corner to believe in them must trust in God to provide for them.  My initial thought about my wife is I might be too reliant on her and how much she invested in me.  That I might fall into a trap that she became ‘God’ to me.  However, the more accurate picture is as David pointed out in the 121^st Psalm God is watching over me so much so that He put her in my life even when I did not know I would need her.  Note the difference is I am not reliant on Loretta for strength.  I am reliant on God for strength for when I am weak, He in His infinite wisdom put someone in my life to build me up.  God worked through her to help me, and she is not God.  She is a constant reminder of just how amazing God is!

Additionally, as followers of Christ we are committed to be people who invest in others.  We can be counted on to give of ourselves toward others as Christ gave to us.  If we look to our relationships based on what we can get, we just are doing relationships wrong.  This is not to say we may need to end a relationship (see 'Toxic Relationships').  But a healthy relationship with Christ means we give all to Him not because of the price He paid on the cross.  We do so simply because we love Him so much!  In the Book of James, it says, “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (James 2:17)  Our love for God produces those good deeds that we ‘invest’ in others, which in turn produces good deeds from them they too will invest in others.  In the bank analogy, this is like the Law of Compound Interest, but it grows God’s Kingdom.  Not our personal account.

We serve a God of abundance.  He gives us love, grace, and protection.  If we are to truly grow in our faith, we must give those very things to others for they are gifts to be shared from God.  It is true that we must invest wisely in giving those things, but if we invest, we gain far more than lose.  Let us remember that God invests in us, and then, give freely and wisely to others with the hope they too will invest like we invested in them.  Who invested into you mentally and spiritually that you can give thanks to today?  How can you focus on being more reliant on God for your strength?  Who will you invest those gifts God gave you in?  My prayer is that we are continually investing in the Bank of Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

The New Normal

As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt?  Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.  Exodus 13:10-13

I was listening to a sermon the other day, and the pastor said something that was so spot on.  He spoke of dealing with the seismic events that change things from what they have been to a new way of life.  We all have a clear understanding of what that looks like today, and no matter our belief system, we realize that what we viewed as normal a month or two ago will never be the same again.  He pointed out some of us will have this level of nostalgia longing for not only the good things of yesterday but also many of the things we used to complain about.

As I pondered those words he spoke, I asked myself about those things that I used to complain about that I somewhat miss now.  I miss seeing my team at work and how they interrupted me in the middle of a task that had a 5:00pm deadline.  But you see, the only difference is that my wife will do it now (giggles).  But I miss them.  All of them!  They matter to me.  We all remember things from our childhood that made us feel good like having the first Atari game system on the block (dating myself).  But we forget our parents had rules, and we could not always go to Kenny’s house because we did not finish our homework.  When we think of spiritual growth, we realize that we must look forward as Paul said, “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child.  But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11) What I am getting at is that seismic change is another way of God saying you need to do something different.  But all because we need to do something different does not mean He has changed.  In fact, the thing that may need to change is our dependency on Him.

God driven change requires forward thinking.  Not backward.  Let’s circle back (with a forward lens 😊) to the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.  For those keeping score, I wrote about this back in February (see https://trdailydevotional.blogspot.com/2020/02/taking-care-of-itself.html).  As I was driven back to these verses, the thought was not on how we should trust God as I wrote back then.  That is a given.  Instead today’s focus is on why the Israelites did not trust God.  Here is where context is critical, and therefore the pastor’s message was outstanding to point this out.  The Israelites had been in bondage for over four centuries.  That means five generations of knowing nothing but building pyramids, being whipped, and having a little something to eat.  That is the only life they had known.  So now having the experience of freedom for the very first time, they are being chased down by Pharaoh’s army.  The God that led them out was their ‘new normal.’  It was unknown.  Of course, what they knew for generations was going to look better!  They did not yet understand God’s protection.  That’s why they said, “It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness.”  When threatened, don’t we run to what we know, too?  Might we too fail to recognize what God is doing?  I am not saying to not long for some of the things that are good in our lives.  A sibling’s hug.  Girls night out.  Men’s Bible Study just before Monday Night Football.  What I am saying is there is probably a lot God wants us to change, and now is that time.  More time with family and spouse.  Healing old wounds.  Getting rid of a bad habit or toxic relationship.  Finding new ways to connect with Him.

God has gifted you with an opportunity today!  In the prophecy of Isaiah speaking of the coming of Jesus, He said, “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19)  We have a choice.  We can clamor for the way things used to be.  Or, we can take inventory in our lives, and look to God to break chains of bondage and make passage through our Red Sea of impossibility.  Let us move forward in this time of drastic change.  What can you do differently today to connect and reconnect with God?  With others?  What actions will you take going forward in your own spiritual growth?  My prayer is we take a moment and look enthusiastically forward to ‘The New Normal.’  Amen.

The Best Wingman

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?  We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Luke 23:39-43

The wingman.  One of my favorite movies was ‘Top Gun,’ which is a movie about fighter planes.  In the movie, there is a reference to the expression called ‘the wingman.’  The role of the wingman is quite important.  They were there to help or intercede in case the other person was engaged in fighting with one plane and an enemy plane would come in.  The wingman could thus either prevent trouble that might erupt or ensure success if it was in jeopardy.  That person was on your side, and when you went into a situation where danger lurked or something required you to have a backup, they were with you.  Now if you’re someone on the dating scene, the term ‘wingman’ may mean something different, but it amounts to a similar role.  In thinking about this spiritually, I asked myself, “Could one say that Jesus might very well be a wingman?”  Maybe.  In fact, might He be the greatest wingman ever?  Then answer is quite simply … yes!

Jesus is the best wingman we can ever have.  In today’s verses, let’s focus on the plight of the man on the cross accepting guilt.  Here he is.  Humbled.  Admitting of guilt.  Rightfully punished.  Understanding that, he could very well have been like the other man scoffing at Jesus and looked to blame someone else for the things he ultimately was responsible for.  But instead, he accepted responsibility for his crimes, and only asked that Jesus remember him when His Kingdom would come.  The reason why these verses are such a favorite of mine is because it should be very easy to see whose story this is.  It is mine, and for many of you, it’s yours too.  Broken.  Saddled with guilt.  Feeling unworthy.  That is where I was when I looked and said, “I am not deserving of such grace, but maybe what I have learned can be of use to someone so that they may learn how wonderful God is.”  And Jesus answered much like He did to the humbled man on the cross.  “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise,” He said.  Here is the thing.  This is not just a story about coming to Christ.  It’s about having the assurance that the one true living God is always there.  Watching.  Protecting.  Providing.  Loving.  There is no danger we can’t go into, and He is there to intercede when trouble is present.  That’s ‘wingman’ type stuff!

It is so good to know God is ours and we are His.  The first time I ever spoke on these verses, I spoke of the man being Jesus’ right hand man.  Well I was right, and I was wrong.  I was right that he understood Christ was the leader and he was the supporting cast looking to do right by Him.  Where I was wrong was that in our lives, Jesus is our right-hand man.  He makes all things possible, and though we are not perfect, we are made perfect through Him.  You might argue that Jesus is the leader of your life, and you would be right.  But God can’t lead unless we allow Him to.  We must want that, and while God has the script, the book of our lives is … well … ours.  Even Mercutio had a story in Romeo and Juliet.  Let us own our story being God’s humble servants and trusting He will be there for us.  How can you change your scoffing toward being more accountable for your life?  How can you better humble yourself before God in your confessions?  I pray we lead a life as Jesus would want us to knowing He is always there as our ‘wingman.’  Amen.

Thursday Devotional - Prayer for Protection

Do you pray for protection frequently? Maybe it’s for yourself as you drive next to all those people texting. Maybe it’s for your family and friends as they are also on the roads with those distracted drivers. Maybe it’s for loved ones travelling overseas. Maybe it’s for yourself as you walk to your car at night or go home to an empty house. Maybe it’s for your children as they go off to school or play outside.

In parenting 2 toddlers, I’m more and more amazed anyone survives to adulthood! It is a miracle! At the park the other day, James and Sarah were playing on a movable bridge. James is excellent at climbing and decided to show me how he could climb on the outside of it! As I was jogging around the perimeter of the play area, I started praying for their physical safety but then immediately thought of Jesus’ prayer for His disciples in John 17. He prayed more for their spiritual protection than their physical earthly protection.

John 17:10-19 ¹⁰ All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. ¹¹ I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. ¹² While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

¹³ “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. ¹⁴ I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

As I thought of Jesus’ prayer, I moved from praying for James and Sarah’s physical safety to their spiritual growth and protection. Jesus’ prayer is such a wonderful example of what we can pray for others:

• unity in Christ (vs. 11)
• protection from Satan (vs. 15)
• knowledge of God’s truth (vs. 17)
• sanctification (growth in holiness; set apart from the world and for God) (vs. 17-19)

The next time you and I pray for physical protection, let’s remember to pray for these spiritual aspects of protection for ourselves and others.  

Alice

Lost

So Jesus told them this story:  “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.  When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’”  Luke 15:3-6

We are a divided nation.  I know this as I have talked with family and friend whose views while seemingly similar are vastly different.  If you are a person of color, you may be worried and scared today, and yet, others have no idea why anyone would feel that way.  In these times, there is only one place I can turn to.  As I prayed with my wife last night, I prayed for healing.  Healing from politics that have been far too hate driven and sides too unwilling to hear each other.  I have lost a friend because while we could come to respectfully disagree, we could no longer be respectful toward each other.  Many of you have been on the opposite side with others for so long that you do not recognize the person on the other side.  In spite of all this, I believe in a God that can heal all wounds.  He can bring us to common ground, and while we may disagree often on the exact same things we read, He is always faithful and true.  People ask how I can maintain such balance even at a time where most would be fractured.  I do not honestly know, but my guess is maybe I trust God enough to direct me when I myself feel lost.

We can always trust God to guide us when we ourselves feel lost.  In reading these verses, I previously focused on what Jesus did as He would for His lost people.  However today, it was helpful because it reminded me that even a well-grounded Christian can occasionally get lost.  God may have looked out for us before we knew Him to bring us home as He had been watching us for years.  Other times, He watched us wander away only to bring us back from the brink of destruction.  Regardless of the circumstance, we are blessed by a savior who does not just protect us.  He sees where we are, and will come rescue us even when we may not believe we are in need of being rescued.  Whether we are in Harm’s way or simply going the wrong way, God comes for us, and will bring us back as long as we trust in Him.

God’s grace is truly amazing.  It not only saves lost souls, but it protects the found ones as well.  When you are not sure what direction you are going or are unsure of the path ahead, call on Him.  Trust in His word, and rely on those things that He instilled in you; love, wisdom, faith, humility.  Let those things lead the way toward being found again.  How can you tap into God’s spirit when you are lost?  Will you be able to call out to Him when you are unsure?  My prayer is that we understand God is always looking out for us particularly when we might feel . . . lost.  Amen.

Thurs Devo: Childbirth Concerns

My youngest sister, Mary, is about to give birth to her first child. She’s due on Monday! As exciting as it is, there are still fears and concerns over the many unknowns. When will she go into labor? How bad will the pain be? Will there be complications? Will it be a girl or a boy?
Well, take a look at this delivery situation pictured in Revelation 12: 
Revelation 12:1-6     A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. ² She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. ³ Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. ⁴ Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. ⁵ She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.⁶ The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
It’s a terrifying picture. There are enough concerns and pains during delivery, without having the added worry that someone is waiting to snatch your baby away. However, God took care of both the baby and the woman! (The baby probably represents Jesus the Messiah and the woman could represent the nation of Israel (inclusive of Mary) or more broadly the people of God). The dragon (definitely Satan, from vs. 9) is no match for God.
This encouraged me to remember that no matter how bleak a situation may seem, God will accomplish His purposes. He sees everything and Satan can’t do anything unless God allows it.
Also, God takes care of His own. Our times in the “wilderness” may be for our protection, and our times of pain may be necessary for the times of blessing to follow. I hear the pains of childbirth are often quickly forgotten when you hold the new precious baby in your arms! (Remember that this coming week, Mary!)

What other encouragement do you and I take from all this?  
Alice

Protection, Blessings, and Love

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever.Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love.  Psalm 5:11-12

The other day, my family found that our first house had a major fire.  We were incredibly saddened to learn of it, and we prayed that everyone who currently lived in the house was safe.  Then as I thought more about it, I realized that I would never see my old home again.  The memories that our family built there would be all that remained.  But on the other side of it, I realized God had blessed us allowing our family to move to our new home and change our lives.  Even if we were still in that house, I believe we would have been alright, but I did not want to be unappreciative of the fact that God has loved, blessed, and protected our family.  We are so humbled that He has done so.

All of us as Christians are so incredibly blessed as children of God. We could complain about many things going on in our lives.  We might feel our boss is being tough on us or our children do not want to talk to us anymore.  Some of you might have the struggle of dealing with the loss of a loved one, and others wish they could lose the loved one they have (smile).  Many face difficult decisions about what job to choose.  Even some are struggling to decide whether or not to stay in an abusive relationship with a spouse.  No matter where you are in your life, know there is a God who is with you each and every step of the way.  He loves you, and blesses you infinitely.  He is always there looking out and protecting you from harm.  In placing our trust in Him, there are barriers moved that we would never see, and He sets in motion plans for us days, weeks, and months in advance so that each move we make is in line with His perfect plan for our lives.

When we give praise to our God, we have nothing to fear!  God said through the prophet Isaiah, “I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.” (Isaiah 42:16)  God is always looking out for us.  Our goal is to rely on Him, give of ourselves to Him, and give thanks to Him for He is indeed worthy of our praises.  What should you be thankful of today?  What small issue can you give to Him in exchange for praising Him for the position He has given you?  My prayer is that we praise God for His protection, blessings, and love.  Amen!

Thurs Devo: Venomous Snakes

After mourning Aaron’s death and a victorious deliverance from the Canaanites in Arad (Numbers 21:1-3), the Israelites continued their travels. However, they still haven't learned their lesson about complaining.

Numbers 21:4-7  ⁴ They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; ⁵ they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

⁶ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. ⁷ The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

The Israelites seem to always be focusing on the negative and not the positive. They didn’t have bread but they did have manna. They were traveling in the wilderness desert that didn’t have much water, but God always provided water for them in miraculous ways. And, I’m guessing God had been protecting them from all the wild desert animals, up until this point! 

Like the Israelites, we don’t see all the ways God provides for us and protects us. Plus, we tend to focus on what we think we lack. We even get upset with God and/or others when things don’t go our way. However, when tragedy strikes, we often do go to God, because we know He’s the only one that can do the impossible.

The Israelites did acknowledge their sin and did turn to God. You and I can do the same. And the next time you and I want to complain about a hardship or get upset with God over it, let’s stop and count 5 other blessings God has provided. As hard as our situation might be, it could always be worse (like venomous snakes)!

Alice