Thursday Devotional - Timely Encouragement

Once Israel crossed the Jordan River they were in the promised land, but still had a big job ahead of them to conquer all the people that lived there. Unless they swam back across the river, they were stuck! Maybe that’s another reason God miraculously stopped up the Jordan – it would force them to rely on Him and move forward in faith.

As added encouragement, the timing of when they crossed the Jordan was sovereignly planned by God. He had it that they crossed over just in time to celebrate the Passover! According to Exodus 12-13, it was to be celebrated once they were in the promised land on the 14^th day of the first month of the year (year after year) to remember God mightily bringing them out of Egypt.

   

Joshua 5:9-12           Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.

¹⁰ On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.¹¹ The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. ¹² The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

Not only did God bring the Israelites into the promised land exactly 40 years after bringing them out of Egypt, right in time to celebrate the Passover, but He had them experience the wonderful food of the land before removing His miraculous provision of manna. God continued to prepare, encourage and stretch the Israelites in order for them to accomplish His purposes and receive His blessings.

In the midst of overwhelming changes, we can also look for God’s timely encouragement. We can choose to recognize all His help, preparation and encouragement or wallow in the seemingly daunting tasks ahead. Which will you choose?   

Alice

Tues Devo: Focus or obsession?

Hello,

I have been thinking a good amount about focus lately. It is generally accepted that with Focus you can achieve a greater amount of output (efficiency, productivity, quality – whichever is the aim). We talk about distractions and finding ways to minimize them. We talk about rewards, and incenting behaviors that encourage focus. We sometimes even talk about having the right long term perspective to stay motivated in sustaining our focus.

Now, these are all good things and when combined well can lead to great focus and great results. But what is it that keeps focus from becoming an unhealthy obsession? I believe there are 2 things we must do as it relates to focus. The first was already mentioned above – we have to have the right long term perspective. But not just to stay motivated – and this is where the second key is, we must measure our focus against the real goals and be willing to pivot for the sake of the ultimate purpose.

I believe we start with right intentions – perhaps we have even done as it says in Proverbs about putting  our plans before the Lord and letting Him check our motivation

Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.” (NASB)

Proverbs 16:9 “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (NASB)

But then we tend to get distracted with the How instead of just the Why or What – that is where we can easily move to an unhealthy obsession.

I pray that all of us keep the real long term in mind with our focuses – and continually have that before God to help us stay where we should in our focuses and efforts.

Have  a blessed day,

Will Hill

Do not merely listen

James 1:19-27

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

My five year old is not the greatest listener in the world.  We often remind him that he needs to listen and he quickly says that he heard us.  We then have to remind him that listening is not just about hearing us, it’s about responding and doing as we’ve said.  This weekend I was guilty of not being very slow to become angry when he just would not obey. 

At church on Sunday, the message used part of James 1 and how we are to be slow to become angry.  One thing that was said was how thankful we should be that God does not yell at us every time we fail to listen.  This really struck me as I thought about how I can get upset and yell when my son fails to listen over and over again. 

God does not want us to merely hear what is said, he wants us to act on it as well.  How often do we hear the word but we then go away and immediately forget? 

My prayer today is that we will really look deep at ourselves and make sure that we are not merely listening to the words but that we are also acting on them.

Thursday Devotional - The Reason for Miracles

Have you ever seen God do an amazing miracle? At another time, did you pray for a miracle and then were disappointed that He didn’t step in and perform in an amazing way like in the past?

God displays His power to accomplish His purposes. We aren’t God and we don’t see the big picture. When God parted the Red Sea, He did so to show the Israelites and the Egyptians He was fighting for Israel (Exodus 14). When God parted the Jordan, He did it to display His power to the new generation of Israelites and to all the Canaanites living along the Jordan.    

Joshua 3:14-17        ¹⁴ So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. ¹⁵ Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, ¹⁶ the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground…

Joshua 4:24     He [the Lord] did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.

The town of Adam is a long way from Jericho. I didn’t realize until recently how many people (besides all the Israelites) would have witnessed God’s power to stop the Jordan River!!! He usually has numerous reasons for displaying His power through miracles.

In looking back over the miracles you have witnessed, think about all the different reasons God may have chosen to work in a might way. Let’s remember those times so we will continue to fear the Lord and trust in His power, even when He doesn’t work when and how we would like in a current situation. He’s God and we are not! His power is displayed to accomplish His purposes, not my whims and wishes.

Alice

Starbucks Is A Love Language

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.  2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NLT

So, a funny conversation occurred at my church over of all things … coffee.  A young lady made a Facebook post about how her wonderful fiancé had surprised her in the morning with a cup of Starbucks before heading off on a business trip.  I had to laugh at it because strangely the picture appeared to show off her and the coffee as if the coffee itself was her true love and not her fiancé.  “Starbucks is a love language?” I asked.  Before I knew it, a few of the ladies of our church joyfully chimed in saying, “lt most definitely is!”  I then knew I had to concede the point because to be honest, my wife loves her morning coffee as well!  There is nothing that brings a smile to her face faster than my bringing her coffee in the morning.  “Ooooh.  Thank you,” she says, and the glow on her face brings such warmth to my heart that I know no matter what happens later in the day, it will be alright.  It’s like a hidden love language between us.

If our relationship with Christ is a loving one, we will give generously with joy in our hearts.  Very early in my Christian life, the pastor who baptized me told me about how God loves a cheerful giver.  That thought wore on me as I thought to myself, “I have bills!  I can barely afford to make ends meet.  Where am I going to find something to give?”  Then the pastor reminded me to trust in God to provide for me when I do.  At first, I struggled.  Then slowly as God continued to bless my family, I was able to increase my giving, and one day, I found myself exceeding in my giving.  This is not to say I have not fallen off the wagon on occasion.  I have.  However, I continued to be both encouraged by and reminded of my promises to God.  Furthermore, my mind focuses on being a joyful giver.  I share this for two reasons.  First, it is to give courage to others who may have little to give to trust God a little more.  Second, it is to remind those of the joy that comes with giving.  If you are not joyful in your giving, it may be time to have a heart to heart with God.  Ask yourself, “What is in my heart?  What is it that God wants from me?  Am I expecting something from God when God is really expecting something from me?”  When asking these questions, don’t answer with a skeptical mindset that many would have.  Instead, focus on what’s in your heart and the love you have for Christ.  Then, act.

Our God is a generous God.  He gave His life freely in exchange for our sins; past, present, and future.  Furthermore, He did so without expectation.  All He provided us with is a choice.  Either follow Him or the ways of this world.  We can walk away, and live our lives knowing this.  However if we truly love Jesus and the sacrifice He Himself paid on our behalf, we will choose to follow Him.  Thus as He gave, we too will give to others not as a sacrifice but as joyful gifts honoring an unrepayable debt on our behalf.  Let us not be the ones focused on ourselves.  Let us enjoy the freedom God gave us giving freely not only to our church but also to others in need in any fashion that we can.  What is your level of giving?  What joy do you feel when giving?  My prayer is that we give in such a way that even ‘Starbucks is a love language.’  Amen.

Tues Devo: Learning

Philippians 4:8-9 “(8)Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (9)The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (NASB)

Hello,

When we look at this section of scripture, we tend to focus on verse 8….and rightly so. There are many direct application items for our minds and mindsets. But verse 9 really caught my attention. Sometimes with being in a professional role that is focused on client learning, I think that sometimes it becomes easy to take for granted the process of learning and the application of things learned. But look at the progression here in this verse:

1. ‘you have learned’ – learning is the intake. First step in the process. Notice the past tense – Paul already taught them
2. ‘and received’ – There was acknowledgement of what was taught, and agreement that it was true
3. ‘and heard and seen’ – There was a model/example to replicate. This is less relevant without the learning first.
4. ‘practice these things and the God of peace will be with you’ – the application is what they are accountable to. Not only are they accountable, but as they practice what they have learned God will be with them through the process – their reward was an even closer relationship with God

How many things have we learned – but we haven’t practiced? I challenge us to find a couple, think about acknowledging that truth; look at someone else living that truth, then execute!

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Seek Wisdom

James 1:2-8

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Facing trials is not something that most people look forward to.  We often feel like trials are a negative thing however here in James we are told to consider it pure joy.  We are told that when we do, it produces perseverance. 

When facing a trial, we often ask others to pray.  We likely pray ourselves.  What are you praying for though?  Are you praying for wisdom or are you praying for God to “fix” whatever is wrong?  We are told to seek wisdom from God.  Once we figure out how to do that, we must take it a step further and not just ask but we must believe and not doubt.  This does not mean that God is going to answer our prayer as we want.  It does however mean that we must learn to trust God with whatever answer he gives us.  If we doubt, we should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 

Today I want to encourage you to start with seeking wisdom instead of praying for just what we want.

Thursday Devotional - One Constant in Change

Did you know that the parting of the Red Sea when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt wasn’t the only time God miraculously parted water? After the spies scouted out Jericho with the protection of Rahab, Joshua led the people to the Jordan River where God stopped it up, too, so they could cross on dry ground. Not only did it display God’s power to this new generation of Israelites, but it confirmed to the people that God had chosen and was with Joshua, just as He had chosen and been with Moses.

Joshua 3:5-13     Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

⁶ Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

⁷ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.⁸ Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

⁹ Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. ¹⁰ This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. ¹¹ See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. ¹² Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ¹³ And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”

With all the reorganization taking place in our company, there are a lot of changes happening. Change often triggers confusion and insecurity. As unstable as things feel, there is always One constant and that is God Himself!

God revealed His continued presence with the Israelites while they experienced significant change in leadership and location! He can do the same for us. We can trust Him and His plans. Our powerful God provides all that’s needed for His purposes.

When has God revealed His unmistakable power to show you and me He’s trustworthy? With whom will you and I share it?

The One constant - God - is the Lord of all the earth!  

Alice

Love And Prayers

Come and listen, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell you what he did for me.
For I cried out to him for help,
    praising him as I spoke.
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
But God did listen!
    He paid attention to my prayer.
Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
    or withdraw his unfailing love from me.  Psalms 66:16-20

Lately, I have been in an unusually thankful mood.  It is not because the world has become a more certain place.  It has not. It is not because I have no feelings of anxiety and concern in my world for there are plenty.  There is a feeling that God is preparing to rock my world, and not in a way that will make me comfortable.  That being said, I have felt such an outpouring of love toward others.  I am reminded of the incredible love my wife has for me, and she has simply been the best!  She has not done anything special or changed something that has made me notice her more.  It’s just that the spirit has tapped me on shoulder to remind me there is this fascinating and amazing woman who has loved me for most of my life.  God also provided me with great parents that have raised me in such a way that I knew beyond a shadow of doubt who He was.

Love is not limited to those who I am thankful for.  As I wrote previously about gifts from God, love is a gift to be shared with others.  It pushed a gentleman to share the fears we have for our children, and a young lady to find common ground in love for God even as we disagreed about other things.  Sharing struggles in our lives made us not only more connected with each other but also God.  I’ve prayed for others more this week than I have in a while.  There is so much pain and anguish out there, one cannot help but be prayerful hoping God will guide and protect strangers as well as close family and friends. I prayed that He not only lay His healing powers on them but also use me to provide inspiration, warmth, comfort, and anything He feels I can offer.  Furthermore, I prayed for awareness that I respond in a way that truly honors Him.

Our connection with God should be an intimate one.  In reading today’s verses, you have a sense of the closeness David has with God.  David acknowledged his imperfections and sinful nature.  Furthermore, he was repentant and filled with praise for God, and reveled in God’s attentiveness to his prayer and ‘unfailing love.’  There was sincerity in the words and genuine affection that he shows for Him.  It is an example of what our walk of faith should resemble.  We are not only speaking of God’s word but also acting out in deeds.  We see people as God does, and we are compelled to act as if He is with us every step of the way.  Therefore, David’s message to those who fear God is impactful; it is an example of a Christ-centered walk.  It is a message that we all are to hear and respond to.

God is always with us whether we recognize it or not.  David understood this, and Paul, as one fearing God, reiterated this fact stating, ““But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’” (Acts 13:22)  When we both acknowledge our own sin and show adoring affection for God, He not only responds.  He delivers.  Let us embrace this example of who we aspire to be; responding to God’s calling and delivering as He has for us so often.  How intimate is your prayer life with God?  How does God’s love for you prompt you to act on His behalf?  My prayer is that our relationship with God is very active filled with love and prayers.  Amen.

Come as you are

John 6:35-37

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.  All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

Just As I Am by Charlotte Elliott

Just as I am - without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - though toss'd about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am - of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Thirty-one years ago, today, I attended a good old-style revival.  At the end of the service, the song “Just As I Am” was sung.  That was when I went forward and declared Jesus Christ was my Lord and Savior and I devoted my life to following Christ.  I was only a nine-year-old child.  Many may have thought I was too young to make this decision, yet I knew.  It is a day that I will never forget. 

In John 6, we hear Jesus declare that he is the bread of life.  We do not see him say that you need to be at a certain point in your life, living a perfect life or anything.  All we have to do is believe.  Many of you have already accepted Christ, and for that, we are all grateful.  Some of you may not.  You may be following our devotions because you know that you want to but you are waiting until your life is cleaned up.  Today I want you to know that there is nothing that you need to wait for.  Come, as you are.  Come to the cross, he is waiting for you.