Monthly Archives: May 2016

The Door

Posted on by
Reply

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

 – Joshua 1:9

FullSizeRender

Sometimes, God calls us to do things that seem impossible or calls us to positions that seem too big for us. For example, in Joshua 1, God calls Joshua to take Moses’ position. Moses was one of the greatest Old Testament leaders. God had used him to bring about the plagues on Egypt, lead the Israelites out of captivity, part the Red Sea, obtain water from a rock, convey the ten commandments, and so much more. Joshua must have thought how could I ever fit into this man’s shoes. Have you ever felt that way in your life? Maybe God has called you to a new job, which you feel totally unqualified for? Perhaps, God has called you to a new ministry, which you don’t feel prepared for? The person, who held this position before you had been much more talented and equipped for your position than you are. Or perhaps, God has closed some doors in your life, giving you almost you no choice, but to take the more difficult path toward the bigger door ahead. If God gives you the key to that door, than that door is yours and you need to open it (regardless of what lies behind it). As humans, it is only natural for us to fear the unknown. But, whatever lies behind that door, is not unknown to God. In the same way that He prepared Joshua, He has also prepared you for it and will be with you. We can’t let fear get in the way of doing, what God has called us to do. Joshua didn’t! If Joshua would have let fear stop him, he would have missed out on so much. If you read further to Joshua 5:13-15, you discover that Joshua was privileged to become one of the few  individuals of the Old Testament to he have met Jesus Christ in His pre-incarnate form. A number of commentaries (including MacLaren’s Expositions and Matthew Henry’s concise commentary) concede that the “Captain of the Host of the Lord”(who Joshua worshipped) of the Joshua 5:14 is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But, the point is: Joshua was able to reach this point, because He trusted God and didn’t let fear stop him. “No matter what we face or where we go, He is with us. He will help us through it all.”(Nortker, 3-Minute Devotionals For Women, p.334) But, we need to be willing step up to the plate. We need to“be strong and courageous.”Amen.

Think about the lyrics to this song: Make A Way  performed by I Am They

 “…Wherever you lead me, I know you won’t leave me
Wherever you call me, You will make a way
Wherever we’re going, I will be holding
To the promise you have made
You will make a way
You will make a way…”

Breaking Point

Posted on by
Reply
“Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.”
-Psalm 55:22
 dreamstime_xxl_4704425_klein

“Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled fortydays and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.”  -1 Kings 19:1-9 NIV

Everyone has a breaking point. Even the great prophet Elijah reached a point, where he said, “I have had enough, Lord,”… “Take my life;.” You may ask: what happened to his great faith? He had just seen God give him great victories. But, have we not done the same thing? Have we not seen God do great things for us, only to find ourselves once again in the dark shadows of the valleys of doubt, fear, or unbelief? Have we not cried to God in our depths of despair? Have we not reached our physical, mental, or emotional breaking point at some time in our lives? I know I have. God has taken me through deserts and valleys; every time leading me to higher ground. I recall having gone through a time, where I reached my breaking point. My faith was flailing. Sometimes, we place our trust and hope in the wrong places. Here, Elijah was placing his trust in his own strength. God could have been angry with Elijah for losing his faith in Him. Instead, God was tender and patient with Elijah. He sent His angels to care for Elijah. If God allows us to reach one of our breaking points, it’s so that our faith will grow. He is our best caretaker. He will reach out to us, when He knows we are too weak to go any further. He may send His “angels” and mysterious blessings into our lives to help carry us, wherever He is leading us. We just need to hold on, with all that we have left. God always steps in at the right time and provides for us in unimaginably magnificent ways.
 Think about the lyrics to this song: Worn by Tenth Avenue North

“I’m tired
I’m worn
My heart is heavy
From the work it takes to keep on breathing

I’ve made mistakes
I’ve let my hope fail
My soul feels crushed
By the weight of this world
And I know that you can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left

Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends…

 And my prayers are wearing thin
I’m worn even before the day begins
I’m worn I’ve lost my will to fight
I’m worn so heaven so come and flood my eyes

Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends…”

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for always being there to step in, when the “weight of the world” is too heavy a burden for us to bear on our own. Amen.

“

Song Reflections: Sunrise by Nichole Nordeman

Posted on by
Reply

 

Sunrise

I love this song, because I can relate to the songwriter. Sometimes, we look back on our past and think: What if I would have taken a different road? What if I would have chosen to take the easier path? I like the line that says, “I would walk away with my yesterdays.” The truth is we wouldn’t be able to truly comprehend or appreciate the beautiful moments in our lives, if we hadn’t been through challenging and tragic parts of our lives. We wouldn’t be able to experience the glory of God in it’s fullest, if we had not known the loneliness and pain of the darkest and longest of nights. God is our “sunrise!” We wouldn’t know morning, if we hadn’t experienced midnight. Yet, sometimes we try to take different roads… easier roads, because maybe we are lacking courage or faith. Or, maybe we try to takes these easier paths, because we are lazy or just don’t believe in ourselves and God’s predestined potential for us. “How often we turn to level ground and try to avoid the hills. Yet it’s the hard path that strengthens us. Through our difficult times, God draws near and takes us by our arm. He becomes our guide and companion – and strength.”(Nortker, 3-Minute Devotionals For Women, p.134) But, we need to be willing to walk the most challenging path… the steep, windy path with thorn bushes and gravely sand. It is on this path, that God strengthens us. It is here, that He allows us to build the resistance and stamina to accomplish everything, which He has planned for our futures. In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, choose to obey God in faith and to take the path that seemed that it would lead to eminent death in the fiery furnaces of King Nebuchadnezzar. This was a very dark moment for them, but God used these three young men’s obedience and faith to reveal Himself and His glory to not only them, but also the Babylonians. Like Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego; we also are permitted to go through fire. God not only spares us, but comes to walk with us in the fire like He did with Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego. The fire not only brings us closer to God, but it also purifies us and refines us like gold. Isaiah 48:10 says, “See, I have tested you, but not as silver. I have tested you in the fire of suffering.” But, we must be willing to take the path God has for us, even if it is the most difficult path. 1 Peter 5:10-11 says, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” -1Peter 5:10-11

If you haven’t heard the song, you might want to check it out.

Here the lyrics to the song:

“If I had the chance to go back again
Take a different road, bear a lighter load
Tell an easy story
I would walk away with my yesterdays
And I would not trade what is broken
For beauty onlyEvery valley, every bitter chill
Made me ready to climb back
Up the hill and find thatYou are sunrise
You are blue skies
How would I know the morning
If I knew not midnight?You’re my horizon
You’re the light of a new dawn
So thank you, thank you
That after the long night, you are sunriseThere’s a moment when faith caves in
There’s a time when every soul is certain
God is goneBut every shadow is evidence of sun
And every tomorrow holds out hope for us
For every one of usYou are sunrise
You are blue skies
How would I know the morning
If I knew not midnight?You alone will shine
You alone can resurrect
This heart of mine

You are sunrise
You are blue skies
How would I know the morning
If I knew not midnight?

You are sunrise”

The Best GPS

Posted on by
Reply

“I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten.”

 – Joel 2:25 KJV 

 IMG_3222

 In Joel 2, the Israelites were called to turn from their ways, and to turn back to God. Sometimes, we are really hard on ourselves after we make bad choices or mistakes. We feel like we don’t deserve any good things. But, God is still working on us and still loves us. When we make so many bad choices, that we end up in the wrong place; God is still there with us to help us find our way to where we need to be. He is like our built in GPS. Deep in the back of our minds, He is telling us to head a certain direction. And, when we go the wrong direction, He reroutes for us to get to the destination, that He intended for us. We just need to listen to God and obey His directions. Furthermore, “When we make bad choices, it’s hard to believe anything good can grow in our lives again.” (Nortker, 3-Minute Devotionals For Women, p.322) But, Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Notice how it says, “all things” and not some things. All things means not only our good choices, but also our bad choices. God knows everything. Isaiah 46:10 reminds us that, God knows “…what will happen in the end…” This means He even knows the mistakes we will make in the future. When we make these mistakes, God will still love us and have plans for our lives. God is bigger than our mistakes.

 “Only God can turn

 a mess into a message,

a test into a testimony,

a trial into a triumph,

a victim into a victory,

 a problem into a prayer.”

 -Nishan Panwar

We just need to be patient and willing to follow His directions, when He is rerouting our lives. Amen.

Reference:

Brigitta Nortker, comp. 3-Minute Devotionals For Women. Uhrichsville: Barbour, Ohio. Print.