Category Archives: Faith

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.

“

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.

Putting Out Fires!

Posted on by
Reply

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will guide you with My eye. -Psalm 32:8 NKJV
1024px-2011-08-04_20_00_00_Susie_Fire_in_the_Adobe_Range_west_of_Elko_Nevada (1)

At times, our lives can feel like they are “careening out of control, so much so that you feel like a firefighter running from here to there, extinguishing fires breaking out in your life or the lives of those around you.” (Nortker, 3-Minute Devotionals For Women) Everywhere we look their are new issues threatening to burst into flames. And then, there are those explosions that take us by surprise. How can we find peace with all that is happening around us? But, we can’t let outer circumstances control our lives. What we see, hear, and feel around us tends tamper with our emotions. But, we can’t let our emotions control us, or else they will become like fuel thrown into the fires in our lives. As you can understand, uncontrolled emotions only exacerbate the problems in our lives.

We have to stop, drop, and roll.

1. Stop immediately reacting to our emotions
2. Drop to our knees and pray
3. Roll into listening mode

 stop drop and roll 042213_0138_ThinkLikeGo1

1. Stop immediately reacting to our emotions

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” – James 1:19 NIV

2. Drop to our knees and pray

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians 4:6-7NIV

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”-John 5:14NIV

3. Roll into listening mode

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth…” -John 16:13

For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”-Luke 12:12 ESV

As Christians, we need to let the Holy Spirit lead us instead of our emotions.

“When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.”- Psalm 91:15 ESV

That way, we allow God to rescue us from the fires in our lives. Amen.

 

Reference:

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

Crossroads

Posted on by
Reply

“Trust  in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In
all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

 Crossroads

“Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.” – Judges 6:36-40

Have you ever asked God for a sign? Have you ever prayed that if one thing came to pass, you would take the next step? Maybe you haven’t gone so far as to ask God for a sign. Maybe you don’t have as much doubt or disbelief as Gideon had. Or maybe you aren’t as bold as Gideon. You have to admit Gideon was pretty audacious to ask God for another sign after he had already asked God for a second sign, and God had given it to him. “Amazingly God wasn’t angry with Gideon for his disbelief. God met Gideon where he was. Gideon’s faith was growing; that’s what mattered to God. When we feel inadequate about our qualifications for the job God has given us, we can take a page from Gideon’s book. Gideon didn’t hold back his fear of failure. He needed God’s reassurance and patience in his faith walk, and God lovingly provided both.”(Nortker, 3-Minute Devotionals For Women, p. 303) Perhaps, signs like the ones Gideon asked for are a thing of the Old Testament. Or, perhaps it would be considered disrespectful or foolish to ask God for a sign. But, we can always pray and ask God for His guidance in every step of our lives. “The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” – Psalm 32:8 He is faithful and patient with us. He is always there to listen to us and provide us the patience necessary to wait for His guidance and timing. And, if we quiet ourselves before Him and listen, He will provide us with the reassurance we need to take the next step. Amen.

Reference:

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

The Barren Tree

Posted on by
Reply

“He must increase, but I must decrease” – John 3:30 ESV

“The tree was bare. Every leaf had been shed. Winter had arrived. Yet, beyond the barren tree, the sun peeked its head above the treetops. Dawn was breaking. As the sun ascended higher, it’s rays were visible through the bare branches. Before long, the entire tree was glowing as the sun’s radiance shone through it.” (Nortker, 3-Minute Devotionals For Women, p. 91)

 barren tree

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

 -James 4:10 NKJV

 

What is humility? The Living Bible translation of James 4:10 describes it as seeing ourselves as worthless. It says, “Then when you realize your worthlessness before the Lord, he will lift you up, encourage and help you.” Humility is one of the most misunderstood concepts. There is a quote by C.S. Lewis that sums it up pretty good, though: “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” When we think about it like that, we have to ask ourselves the following question: how much time do we spend thinking about ourselves (our wants, our desires, our happiness, our dreams, our goals, our plans, our finances, our things). I’m sure that most will find that we spend more time thinking about ourselves than thinking about God or others. But, if we spent less time thinking about our problems, wants, needs; how would our lives be different? Maybe we would be less stressed about our own lives and a bigger blessing in other’s lives? The author of the excerpt above describes a tree, that doesn’t have any leaves or blossoms. It’s been stripped of everything that could give it physical beauty, power, glory. In the same way, we need to be able to let God strip us of our desires and our visions of self-importance. We need to humble ourselves, before The Lord, and offer Him everything we have and want. That way, God can take the pride and other ungodly attitudes from us. If we do that, we will not be hindered by our own selfish will from fulfilling His complete and ultimate purpose for our lives. What if we made God’s will and God’s plans our will and our plans? Since the tree had less of itself, the glory of the sun (Son of God) could shine through it making it a more glorious sight than if it would have stubbornly retained its leaves. We need to be like the tree. We need to decrease, so that God can increase (“He must increase, but I must decrease” – John 3:30) and His glory can shine through us and past our insufficiencies. Amen.

 

“Jesus said to His followers, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must forget about himself. He must take up his cross and follow Me.”-Matthew 16:24

 

Falling Down

Posted on by
Reply

“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.” 

– Proverbs 24:16 NLT

di8onE5ie


 As followers of Christ, we are still human. Humanity is by nature weak. We all fall down. “In our lives, too, there are many times when we fall down–not physically, but emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.” (Nortker, 3-Minute Devotionals For Women, p. 262)            Sometimes we fall down really hard. We all have made mistakes. Maybe we lost focus of God and His lead in our lives. Maybe we gave up on the dreams, that God put in our hearts. Maybe we didn’t handle a situation in a way that reflects God’s love. Maybe we lost our patience in seeing God’s promises fulfilled. Maybe we took things into our own hands, instead of trusting God to guide us. Maybe we have not been the most understanding or maybe we have been unforgiving. Maybe we fell in “our struggle with particular temptations.” Maybe we fell in our attempts “to climb the ladder of success or in our effort to lead consistently Godly lives.”(Nortker, 3-Minute Devotionals For Women, p. 262) Maybe fell trying to carry a burden, that was to was to heavy for us to bear on our own. Maybe we failed to trust God to see us through the dark nights. But, God is still there with His hands reaching out. He still loves us and forgives us. “…God’s love never fails.” -Psalm 136:1 His love never runs out. Everyone else may give up on us, forsake us, and even leave us fallen on the ground. But, GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON US. He is there to help us get up stronger.

Think about the lyrics to this song: Forgiven performed by Sanctus Real.

“Well the past is playing with my head
And failure knocks me down again
Im reminded of the wrong
That I have said and done
And that devil just wont let me forget

In this life
I know what Ive been
But here in your arms
I know what I am

I’m forgiven
I’m forgiven
And I don’t have to carry
The weight of who Ive been
Cause I’m forgiven

My mistakes are running through my mind
And Ill relive my days, in the middle of the night
When I struggle with my pain, and I wrestle with my pride
Sometimes I feel alone, and I cry

When I don’t think and I don’t feel like I belong anywhere
When I don’t measure up to much in this life
Oh, I’m a treasure in the arms of Christ.”

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for always being there for us. Please help us to reach out to You, when we trip and fall down. May You help us to reflect Your love by offering forgiveness, support, and love to those who fall down. Amen.
Reference:
Brigitta Nortker, comp. 3-Minute Devotionals For Women. Uhrichsville: Barbour, Ohio. Print.

Multiplication

Posted on by
Reply

“And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”  He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.”

-Matthew 14:17-20

The word that stood out to me in the verse above was “only.” Sometimes, we look at our lives and just see what we are lacking. We find ourselves saying “I only.” I only have this or I only have that. But, we can’t have anything more substantial, if aren’t willing to give God what we have. Yes, in order for Jesus to multiply what we have, we need to be willing to “take what we have and give it to Him.” Jesus wants us to place everything in His hands. But, are we really willing to place EVERYTHING in God’s hands? Are we willing to give Him our lives (our minds, our hearts, our bodies), our loved ones/friends, our careers, our talents, our strength, our weaknesses, our problems, our abilities, our material possessions, our dreams, our hopes… our everything? God wants it all! Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” If we can give him our everything (yoke), He in return gives us His yoke, which much lighter than our yoke. It’s like taking a burden off our shoulders. But, I’m not saying it’s easy to give Him everything (especially for micro-managers like some of us). I’d have to say it’s more of a process: something that needs to be done everyday. “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” -C.S. Lewis  But, when it’s done sincerely and wholeheartedly, it’s incredibly liberating knowing it’s all in His hands and that whatever gifts we give Him, He is going to multiply them or replace them with better/greater gifts or provide for us in ways we could never imagine. Amen.