Refresh

Psalm 23

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Right from the beginning of time we see that everyone needs down time.  Even the Lord took a rest after creating the heavens and the earth.  This week, my family has taken time to refresh.  We have been on vacation all week, spending time enjoying each other, seeing God’s beauty and simply relaxing. 

In this Psalm, David shares how the Lord leads him to relax and refresh.  When we allow the Lord to lead us and refresh us, we do better!

Are you taking time to relax and refresh yourself with the Lord?  My prayer today is that you are doing just that. 

God and Us

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.  So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.  Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.  Jonah 4:1-6

We often focus on how God is loving and righteous. Other times, we discuss His discipline or forgiveness.  However, one thing that God is that I at times fail to acknowledge is merciful.  The other day, I was upset over something, and I vowed to not follow something I knew God told me to do in scripture.  I was being totally honest that my heart was not into it, and spoke out.  While my comments did not hurt anyone, I know God would have a legitimate issue with what I was saying.  Yet, God was neither vengeful nor did I fall under His righteous discipline.  He just listened, and let me talk to Him.  After a timely debate with . . . well God and me, I was able to reset and follow what He asked of me.  It was then that I remembered the story of Jonah.  Reading it put things in perspective.

God know exactly what we need when we need it. In the story of Jonah, Jonah fully expects God’s wrath to come down on the city of Nineveh for their sinful ways.  However, God shows mercy when He sees the city “had put a stop to their evil ways,” and “He changed His mind.” (Jonah 3:10)  Jonah, apparently disappointed because there was not the fireworks show he expected, was angry feeling God had somehow let him down.  That felt similar to where I was the other day.  However instead of totally lighting into Jonah, He displayed mercy on Him for a moment.  Then, He educated Jonah to understand His righteous mercy.  The story is a great reminder to all of us for we too will have moments where we just do not like what God is saying to us.  However, just as He was to both the city of Nineveh and Jonah himself, God is full of mercy and compassion for His people.  As such, we are to always remember this when those around us lash out and deserve punishment or their just due.

Having compassion for others is a sign of God’s strength in us. It shows that we understand there is something bigger and more important than ourselves.  God shows us at times mercy for our wrongs, and offered His only Son as a shining example for us to follow.  Yes, we can be whacked on the knee when we don’t ‘get it,’ but God is patient with us.  Along those lines, we too should practice mercy and compassion toward others.  That makes for a better relationship with both God and others.  Where can you show greater compassion toward others?  How will you respond when God shows you mercy?  My prayer is that we are filled with God’s mercy when He allows us to have a talk between . . . God and us.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Support

2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.” (NASB)

Hello,

This verse has always been one of my favorites. I tend to focus on God proactively looking to help, and the need for use to put our hearts completely after Him. But what stuck out to me this time was the word ‘support’. You see, we don’t have to take support that is given. We need to acknowledge it’s existence, acknowledge our need for it, and then actually choose to use it.

He wants to support us as we give Him our whole heart – will you use the support?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hil

Change

Hebrews 13:8 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

This week has brought with it a number of changes for my family.  At first it was some stuff that was new and exciting, then things quickly turned to be scary and unpredictable and after that, more changes that are settling into a more comfortable place.  When we face changes, it is often a time that we turn to God to give us guidance.  While we certainly should be turning to him all the time to give us that guidance, it is during the times of change in our lives that I think we are most comforted by the fact that Christ does not change.  He is the same yesterday and today and forever. 

What has changed in your life that makes you grateful that Christ does not change?  When things aren’t changing, are you still seeking his guidance for your life? 

My prayer for you today is that you will always look for the unchanging love and security that you have in Christ.

In Remembrance

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.³ Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.  After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.  Hebrews 12:1-4

When we are alone, we are never truly alone.  There was a time that I felt utterly by myself.  No one to understand me and no one to care.  That sounds extreme because I had loving parents and a large family who lavished me with love.  However somehow, I had worked myself into this mental trap where I felt useless to those around me.  This was me at nineteen (Am I the only one hearing ‘Steely Dan’ in my head?).  Lost.  Feelings of failure and hopelessness ran through my mind.  Then a voice said to me in song, “Put the weight on my shoulders.”  This was the first time that I truly knew there was a God.  It was then I knew everything would be alright.  Thirty one years later, He’s still there, and has never left me.  Yes, I’ve grown in my faith by leaps and bounds, but it is good to always remember where God’s presence affected your life because it strengthens you knowing where He can take you if you trust in Him.

We must always look past our current circumstances by remembering how faithful God has always been.  Paul spoke to the Hebrews about God’s righteous discipline of His children and how we are to embrace it with enduring strength by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.  Think of how tough a sale that was!  Even though my dad past away years ago, I remember that last whipping from him like it was yesterday.  Not sure unconquerable strength was one of the virtues I got out of that one!  However, Paul was trying to prepare them for what was to come instead of remind them what had happened.  He wanted them to keep fighting for their journey of faith would not be an easy one, and God and others would test them as they struggled with the weight of their sinful ways.  Thus, his words were incredibly insightful not only for them but also us.  It is for us to remember that when things get rough, we have a savior who endured far worse circumstances.  He will be with us through our trials, and when no one cares or understands, He does!  Just hang on for as you keep your eyes fixed upon Him, strength to endure will come, and you will be victorious in the end.

Joy always comes in the morning if you can withstand the tests in the darkness.  I listened to a song that reminded me that I will eventually overcome my struggles because I serve a God who with Him I cannot lose.  But until then, I will keep loving Him.  That is what our journey of faith is about.  It’s seeing victory beyond our current circumstances, and in the meantime, keep loving God with our whole heart.  What is shackling you from focusing on Christ?  How can God’s past promises reassure you of a brighter tomorrow?  My prayer is that when faced with challenges we look to Jesus and His past faithfulness in remembrance.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Power of relationship

Hello,

As we go through our daily activities, distraction is a real thing! I am not talking about distraction from those daily activities, but how those can distract us from focus on our relationship with Christ. I wanted to quickly remind all of us that our power to accomplish things for Christ does not come from our own efforts or strength – but it comes from our relationship with God through Jesus. In Acts some guys tried to get in on the fame and authority that Jesus’ disciples were having, and discovered in a rough way that they didn’t quite have what it takes – the real relationship. While this may seem like a learning point for those who don’t know Jesus, I think it is equally as critical for us as believers to remember to put our efforts into our relationship with Christ, and let His power work through that relationship.

Acts 19:11-16 “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, ‘I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.’ Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, ‘I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” (NASB).

Have a blessed day – and spend time on your relationship with God, the source of what we need.

Will Hill

Hope For The World

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  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 4:16-18

Never lose hope.  We all encounter situations where things seem hopeless.  You feel like you will never be right again.  The path forward looks dark and filled with dead ends, and every time you do something right, you find a way to do two more things wrong.  Nothing feels either secure or safe, and no matter how you approach a situation or person, you always end up with the same negative result.  This has been me at various points in my life.  However, I have watched God do things that have always proven that no matter what my present circumstance may be, there is always reason to hope.  I can continue to pray knowing that God has got my back, and things will be alright.  Yes, it may be hard right now, but as a sermon I heard once said, sometimes God is using your present circumstances to prepare for His future glory.  Furthermore when all is calm for too long, I need to ask myself if my walk of faith has become too safe.  Is there darkness in my life that I am afraid to face?

Through His spirit, God gives us an infinite supply of hope.  In the fourth chapter of 2^nd Corinthians, Paul speaks of this endless supply of power that is built on our faith.  We are inspired by God daily because of His gift of grace.  We are to look at our current troubles not as obstacles but instead as preparation for God’s glory to be revealed.  And our faith is not to focus on what we see in front of us.  Instead, it is to envision a future where Jesus comes to reign again, and we along with all those who chose to follow Him will live with together serving the one true living God.  From these truths, we should never be a victim of our circumstances.  We are instead fighters trusting in a God who has delivered us time and time again.  This is what hope sounds like.  It never surrenders.  It never relents, and like love, it never fails.

You are the hope of the world.  In saying this, it sounds overreaching or unrealistic, but if Jesus is the light of the world and the Holy Spirit dwells within us, how can one see it any other way?  Phillipians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (NKJV), and later in 2 Corinthians, Paul says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV)  Therefore if we are truly believers, we must believe that we are indeed filled with an unlimited supply of this hope, and thus, we indeed represent hope in a fallen world.  How can you be hopeful today?  Who can you inspire with the hope God instilled in you?  My prayer is that we look beyond our present circumstances and see ourselves for who God see us as; hope for the world.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Look up

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 “Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (NASB)

Hello,

I have been reminded lately about how hard we search for things. We search for meaning, we search for purpose, we search for confidence and affirmation. But where are we searching? The trap we fall into: We think we see it in other people, and guess where theirs comes from…and then look to get it there too. That person has a great job, I should change mine. That person goes on awesome trips, I will chase money to be able to do that.

The list goes on….the problem is, none of that will end up providing what we are deeply looking for. Our source for those things is not so far out of reach – we just have to look up. Spend time with Him, prayer and in His Word….it is the only way to find what we are looking for.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

In His Hands

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

John 10:28-30 NIV

I am so grateful for what we just experienced.  It is only because of the events of Easter and what lead up to it that we can rest assured in the promise that we have eternal life and shall never perish. 

These verses have some key phrases in them that we need to remember.  It says that no one will snatch them out of Christ’s hands.  Some take this to mean once you are saved, you are good.  That is not what this says however.  It says that no one can snatch us out, however that does not mean that we cannot choose to leave. 

Christ died for us, so we can be saved.  We choose daily if we are going to say in the safety of his hands.  What will you choose today?

The Crossroad

When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

“We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.

“Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him?  This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.

They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes^[i] from Galilee!”  John 7:45-52

At various points in one’s life, people will find themselves at a crossroad.  You will look and see there are many different ways you can turn.  None of them look different, but you know the destination itself is different.  Usually, those who can see past the short term of that choice and looks deeper beyond the initial turning point will usually make the right decision.  I spoke previously about struggles in my married life.  My wife and I both have faced crossroads.  Sometimes separately, but many times together.  We always have looked beyond the initial turning point, and when we were not sure, we paused until we felt certain.  I won’t say that we were right all of the time, but most of the time, we were.  It has been our faith more than anything that has guided us, and to be honest, a Christ led decision has never been wrong.  Never.

We all hit crossroads in our journey of faith, but we should have surety that choosing Christ is always the right decision.  I was in a study on John focusing on whether Jesus was who He says He was.  In today’s verses my focus is primarily on the man called Nicodemus.  When Nicodemus first met Jesus, he was not buying into what Jesus was saying.  However, he was asking a number of questions trying to get understanding (ex. “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” John 3:4).  While reading this, I reflected on a poster in my office called ‘The Mood Elevator,’ and the best place to be on this elevator is the place called ‘curious.’  This is where you are neither assuming nor judging.  You are gathering information.  Nicodemus’s questions would be very telling because they set the stage for where you could tell he was officially at ‘the crossroad’ in Chapter 7.  Does he side with his fellow Pharisees or does he make the move toward Jesus.  He says, “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?”  Now that may initially sound like he really has not made a choice, but note that the rest of his brethren had already thought Jesus should be arrested and found guilty.  Thus, it is clear that his heart was already converting from non-believer to believer, and this would later be underlined as he would go with Joseph for the burial of Jesus (see John 19:38-42).  Although we find ourselves questioning which way we should turn, we can always ask questions and be curious to gather information as to what God is trying to tell us.  It is then we can make the best decision for it is based on instructions God has given us.

Following Christ is always righteous.  It can be difficult at times to see what God has in store for us, but if we are faithful and pray, we will always be able to see beyond the initial choice to where God ultimately resides.  Don’t be passive or decide prematurely.  Be curious because if you are like Nicodemus, you will come to the right choice.  What choices are weighing on you today?  How can you be curious when you are unsure which way God wants to take you?  My prayer is that we trust in God’s wisdom to get a clear vision of the righteous path when we make it to the crossroad.  Amen.