Enjoy the Ride

Written by Kristi Huseby

It’s hard to trust someone you don’t know. Get to know God better with our free life lesson Know Your God 

“Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God who is our salvation! Selah!”    (Psalm 68:19, Amplified Bible)

In college, I took a camping class for a semester and one of the requirements for the class was a weekend backpacking trip in Northern Michigan.  We were told that we would do some rafting, as well as climb a tree 100 feet up and then zip line across the river.  Our guide told us that everyone was required to go across the zip line and that if we took too long, he would push us off the branch!

Our guide had brought along his 9 year old son. When it came time for him to climb up the tree he made it about half-way up and then began to have a meltdown.  He refused to budge; he was stuck.

Eric & Nancy Pierre: Experiencing a Double Miracle

AMAZING STORY

By Kristi Watts
The 700 Club

CBN.com  -  Erick and Nancy Pierre talk with the 700 Club’s Kristi Watts about the miracle that changed their lives.

Nancy:  “We were focusing on our careers in the entertainment field. We really weren’t thinking about family.”

Great things were happening for Eric and Nancy Pierre.  They recently married…had a new baby on the way, and together gave their hearts to the Lord.

Then one day everything changed. On the day their baby boy was due.

Nancy: “I went to the bathroom and something popped.”

Eric: “I remember when I went into the hospital. Nancy was upstairs and my mother-in-law came downstairs to tell me that Nancy lost the baby.”

Dark Valleys

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Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. — Psalm 23:4

Life in general is filled with highs and lows, but it can especially be apparent for those in Christian ministry leadership positions. Just look at how many pastors, youth ministers, and worship directors eventually leave ministry. The work wears on a person. The constant complaints of doing too little of this or too much of that can drain anyone. As a leader, you are expected to be there for everyone at every moment of the day. No one is able to be there at all times. Still, guilt fills the mind and causes you to doubt your ministry and your effectiveness.

Yet, we are not left alone in this world. Through the darkest valleys of life, through the most difficult times of ministry, God is with us. As we lead his people, we can rest knowing that God leads us. When things get tight, the problems don't seem to go away, and we struggle with guilt--the false guilt of not being able to be there for everyone--God will comfort us. He shields us even during the assaults of bitter people and harsh words. He will always lead us in a path meant to protect us and keep us strong.

A Glimpse of God's Faithfulness

 Today's Text and Thought of Encouragement:

"Be still and know that I am God."

Psalm 46: 10

King James Version

"There is in the swiftest wheel that revolves upon its axis a place in the very center, where there is no movement at all; and so in the busiest life there may be a place where we dwell alone with God, in eternal stillness. There is only one way to know God. 'Be still, and know.' 'God is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him.'"

Selected

Today's Study Text:

"And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house...and Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, 'God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.' So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt."

Genesis 50: 22-26

K.J.V.

Expect a Miracle Today and Tomorrow!

Written by Sheila Schuller Coleman

"Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples." -1 Chronicles 16:24 When we began our series on "Miracles: Yesterday, Today, and Forever," I heard from so many about their miracles. People called, wrote, and posted their miracles on my wall at facebook. And I rejoice hearing of all these miracles! As we recount our miracles to others and remember them, we begin to positively anticipate and expect more miracles. As we recount them and retell them, our faith is strengthened! And God loves it when we trust in Him!

Holding On

by Kay W. Camenisch

Two birds battled in our driveway.The beak of one was clamped firmly on the leg of the other and it would not let go. The captured bird wrestled frantically to break loose. They jerked, thrashed, and rolled. I sat spellbound as they continued to lurch and tumble as each fought to gain the advantage.

I spotted the birds as I was leaving home to run an errand. I don’t know how long they had been locked in combat, but it looked like a fight to death. After watching almost ten minutes, I needed to go, but the birds blocked my path. When the front tire of my car was within a foot of them, the attacking bird finally released its grip and the two flew away, free.

The battle reminded me of a time my husband, Robert, and I had struggled. We must have looked just like those fighting birds. Conflict threatened to destroy our marriage and we couldn’t seem to work through it. We kept thrashing and tumbling as we sought to gain advantage. At every turn, one - or both - of us was hurt. I thought the emotional bumps and bruises would never cease.

Are You Living With Unanswered Prayer?

 by Debi Walter

Today we want to talk about those who are waiting on God to answer specific prayers regarding their spouse and marriage. It’s like your unanswered prayer takes on a life of its own and seems to haunt you each and every day.

It’s hard to wait. Especially when we see no evidence of the changes for which we’re praying. How do we continue on when our prayers seem to be “on hold” from God? How do we motivate ourselves to do the right things when our spouse continues to do the wrong things? How do we keep the faith when our unanswered prayers walk by us everyday and seem to mock our hope?

God's Timing - Not Ours

"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." - Psalm 37:7a

I don’t know about you but I hate to wait. Do you hate to wait? You know you can go and have an appointment at a doctor’s office, say at 9:00 am. You get in there, sit down, 5, 10, 15 minutes go by, and they haven’t called you. You go over to the magazine rack and you start looking around and all you find is a 1995 Readers Digest and it may be 1/2 hour, 45 minutes, or an hour before they get to you. I hate that. I don't like to wait in long lines at restaurants, being stuck in traffic during rush hour, or being put on hold by a computer. 

In our culture, waiting is a waste of time. But one thing's for sure: What we need to do is to trust God and be willing to do His will, in His timing, not our own, for the right action at the right time equals the right result.

So, what does it really mean to “wait on the Lord?” I’ll tell you one thing, it doesn’t mean just to stand still and do nothing, that’s not the idea. I know that is the way we wait in many areas of our life. We have to stand still and be quiet and not do anything. 

Tunnel Vision

By Kelly McFadden

Jesus told them, "Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen – the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor."

Matthew 11:4-5 [NLT]

I was thinking the other day about blinders. You’ve probably seen a horse wearing blinders before. They are used to keep the horse’s eyes focused on its destination, by preventing them from seeing anything but what is immediately in front of them. Without those coverings, the horse can become easily distracted. With blinders, the horse is only aware of what is ahead of it. For horses, blinders are useful.

The Great Escape

"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)

Once you start stepping out in faith and walking in the Spirit, the devil will see to it that you have ample opportunity to fall flat on your spiritual face. He'll try to get you into some jams where there appears to be no way out.

But take it from me as one who's been there, if you'll look to God and trust His wisdom instead of your own, He'll always show you a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). Not only that, but He'll do it in such a way that He'll get the glory and you'll have the last laugh on the devil.

I remember one particular Wednesday night in Wichita Falls, Texas, where I was faced with just such a situation. I was preaching on the reality of the righteousness of God, and the anointing was really strong. Just as my message reached its climactic moment, a woman in the audience suddenly burst forth in tongues. I told her to stop three times, but she only continued to grow louder. By the time she hushed, the anointing had gone and the message was forgotten. So I looked at that woman sternly and began to correct her for being out of order.

Fortified Faith

Jenny LaBahn

“A perfect faith would lift us up absolutely above fear. It is in the cracks, crannies and guilty faults of our belief, the gaps that are not faith, that the show of apprehension settles and ice of unkindness forms.” -George MacDonald

Do you, like me, have gaps in your faith?

Are there parts of you – tiny little parts – that do not trust God?

I am such a “ponderer,” and it often gets me into trouble. My pondering in congruence with my inquisitive nature leads to an abundance of question asking. More often than not, my questions do not get answered.

Trust His Heart

Written by Donna Mitchell

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“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.  Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:  ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.  The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.’  In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” (Job 1:20-22)

A few years ago, I attended the funeral of a young woman.  During the service, they showed a video of her singing a Babbie Mason song called, “Trust His Heart.” The song expressed these words:

God is too wise to be mistaken

God is too good to be unkind

Facing Adversity

By Charles Stanley 

Hebrews 12:1-2

When a child hurts, our focus is to restore comfort quickly. We remove obstacles so that a toddler will have a clear path to walk. And many parents seek to minimize frustration for school-age children by helping with homework-sometimes offering more assistance than necessary. While wanting to ease children's discomfort is understandable, we may inadvertently convey a subtle message that obstacles and pain are to be eliminated at all costs. This viewpoint can get carried into adulthood, and unfortunately, it is a harmful one.

Difficulties are a part of life, and if we expect otherwise, we will be consistently disappointed. Then disappointment, if allowed to remain, can turn us away from the Lord. A lot of time can be wasted trying to avoid trials when we could be trusting God for the future. We also expend energy and prayer power seeking to get out of our tough situations instead of asking the Lord how He wants us to respond. Most importantly, God does not view adversity as the tragedy we interpret it to be. As a result, our thinking is in opposition to His.

Tenacious Trust

Written by Becky Toews

Take today’s next step: We need more devotional writers. If you write, join us! 

“Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.”  (Job 13:15a)

I came across a billboard the other day that said, “Everything works out in the end. If it hasn’t worked out, it isn’t the end.”  It takes an element of spiritual audacity to trust God no matter what. Job provides one of the most profound examples of spiritual audacity in the Bible.

He loses everything—family, wealth, reputation, health—and he doesn’t understand why. He’s confused. His concept of God’s righteousness and fairness is tested to the last degree. He didn’t have an assurance as to how his situation would turn out, but there was no way he was going to “curse God and die” as his wife suggested. If he was going to die, he would die hoping and trusting.

Navigating The Storm

Our Daily Bread 

Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn

READ: Psalm 107:23-32

He commands and raises the stormy wind, . . . and He brings them out of their distresses. —Psalm 107:25,28

The ancient people of the nation of Axum (located on the Red Sea in modern Ethiopia) discovered that the stormy winds of the monsoon season could be harnessed by sail for speedy navigation. Rather than dreading the high winds and rains, they learned how to navigate their way through the storm.

Psalm 107 provides a wonderful word picture of how God allows storms to come our way, and then provides help for us to navigate through them. “He commands and raises the stormy wind, . . . and He brings them out of their distresses” (Ps. 107:25,28).

Let God Do It His Way

"Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean. But Naaman was angry." (2 Kings 5:10-11, The Amplified Bible)

So often we miss out on what God wants to do for us because He doesn't do it the way we think He should. We work up an idea in our minds about how He's going to heal us, for instance. We think He's going to send some famous preacher to lay hands on us or that He's going to knock us off our feet with a blast of His power. When He doesn't, we let our faith drop and foul up what He had actually planned to do.

That's what Naaman did. He went to Elisha expecting to be healed in a particular way. When it didn't happen that way, the Bible says, he went away in a rage.

Are You Empty and Weary?

“The conclusion, when all is heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” - Ecclesiastes 12:13

Do you ever feel like you’ve done it all? Success, wealth, pleasure, thrills and yet you feel empty inside? 

Solomon, the ancient king of Israel, was such a man. He had extraordinary success and wealth, incredible intellect, more women and sex than Wilt Chamberlain, and yet it all became meaningless to him. He felt so empty inside because he turned his back on God to pursue all that he wanted for himself. He was a classic example of a good man who started strong, but turned wrong and wound up empty.

Instead of Trying Harder, Trust More

by Rick Warren

  

Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” (Psalm 37:7a GW)

Surrendering your life means:

- Following God’s lead without knowing where he’s sending you.

- Waiting for God’s timing without knowing when it will come.

- Expecting a miracle without knowing how God will provide.

- Trusting God’s purpose without understanding the circumstances.

You know you’re surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. You don’t have to always be "in charge." Instead of trying harder, you trust more.

You also know you’re surrendered when you don’t react to criticism and rush to defend yourself.

Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships. You are not self-serving, you don’t edge others out, and you don’t demand your rights.

Bound to Happen

Written by Julie Cosgrove

When the unexpected comes, it can help to talk about it. But when you don’t have someone to talk with, contact an online mentor, and receive a personal & confidential reply by email.

“When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.” (Psalm 105:17-22)

This is the way the Psalmist describes what happened to Joseph in the Book of Genesis. His jealous brothers left him to die. He was sold into slavery, but lived. God eventually raised Joseph up to be second only to the King, just when his brothers needed him the most. It was in a time of famine and Egypt, because of Joseph’s wise reliance and trust in God, had obediently stored grain away in advance.

Keeping the Faith: Don’t Pray for Rain

by Ronnie McBrayer in Christian Living
I’ve made a habit lately of studying the Amish. I use the word “study” loosely as this is not a simple curiosity of mine or some kind of theological experiment. My exploration flows out of a deep respect and admiration for their faith and spirituality.

We English (that’s what the Amish call us outside their communities) recognize them because of their familiar beards, horse-drawn buggies, fine woodworking, or barn-raisings, but there’s a lot more to this group than sturdy furniture and firm dispositions. They have a lively, vibrant faith despite their archaic lifestyles.

The Amish (and their cousins the Mennonites, Brethren, and a few other groups) I have come to know are lovers and active makers of peace. They value simplicity above almost any other thing. They love their families and community, and they have a profound trust in God. This trust, employing a good Amish-German word, is called “Gelassenheit.”

“Gelassenheit” is usually translated into English as “submission” or “to yield,” but it is so much more. It is a total letting go of entanglements.