.....He

In the book of Job, we read of a man who came under severe attack by Satan. Within a short amount of time, Job went from a man of wealth, health, and large family, to a man who lost all his possessions, was near death, and childless.

Job demonstrated a deep commitment to God's sovereignty; "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" (Job 1:20-21). Then, when his wife told him to curse God and die, Job responded with, "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Job 2:10.

Job seemed to have a deep understanding of what we often quote in times of trial; "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" Romans 8:28. But at the same time, Job struggled with understanding why God would allow these things to happen. 

If only I knew where to find Him; if only I could go to His dwelling! I would state my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would find out what He would answer me, and consider what He would say Job 23:3-5

Our trials often cause similar concerns. We find ourselves asking where God has gone and why He is allowing such hardship. Even though we may believe God is "working all things for our good," we often search in vain to find something positive in our situation. And when we fail to see any possible good, we become frustrated and assume God has forgotten us, abandoned us in our time of need.

God responded to Job's cry for answers: 

Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 

Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Job 38:4-5 

Who has a claim against Me that I must repay? Everything under heaven belongs to Me Job 41:11. 

The Creator of the Universe - the One who formed every intricate detail of what we see and cannot see - the One who lifted us out of the slimy pit and set our feet on solid ground, spoke to Job and simply said, "I am God!"

Our Heavenly Father loves us so very much! He truly desires for us to know Him better and walk by His side with complete trust. But there are times, often in the middle of our trials, when our trust is challenged. 

Though we may not understand, we must desperately cling to His promises and KNOW He will never leave us nor forsake us! Let's be at total peace and restore our hope by always remembering that He is there, and He is God.

- adapated from steve troxel

.....prosperous

In the middle of a very long list of genealogies, recorded in the book of 1 Chronicles, there are a few short verses about a man named Jabez who was a descendant of Judah. We never read about him again, but it appears Jabez was included in this list because of his bold request...and God's gracious response.

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request 1 Chronicles 4:10

Passages on asking and receiving can be confusing. For example: "How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:11, while these passages are full of truth, those who preach a message of assured prosperity for Christians have abused the scriptures to say God wants everyone to be financially rich and all we must do is ask or repeat a special prayer. Although this type of prosperity teaching receives a wide following, it is far from God's truth.

Yet God DOES want us to prosper: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" Jeremiah 29:11. And He teaches us to ask! "You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives" James 4:2-3. God has a plan to prosper us, but we do not receive His blessings because of our desire to satisfy our own selfish desires or cover worldly fears. We ask with the wrong motives!

We fail to prosper because we don't understand God's definition of prosperity. A Godly prosperity has little to do with finances or possessions, and a great deal to do with peace and contentment. A prosperous life is also one which bears much fruit and completes the work God has asked us to accomplish; "I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do" John 17:4. How petty to believe that God's prosperity only involves the riches of this world which rust and fade away.

A truly prosperous life begins by drawing and remaining near to the presence of God. Without first abiding in His presence, we won't even know what will allow us to prosper; "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" Psalm 37:4. As we draw near to God, He places the desires on our heart which lead to true prosperity - then we must ask. It's in the asking, in the expectation of the answer, and in the process of waiting, that we exercise our faith and prove it to be real.

Let's ask God to increase our territory - to increase our realm of influence in His Kingdom. Let's ask Him to keep us in His protective arms, give us His abundance of peace, and accomplish great things in and through our lives, by His grace. Let's draw near to God 

.....continually

Jesus desires us to mature in our love for our Heavenly Father and for others. But as we continue our walk, we soon discover many decision points where we must choose between two paths...with only one being the path of God. At these critical moments, we must be able to recognize His leading; and if we have not spent time worshiping at His feet and communicating in prayer, we cannot expect to understand or even hear His guidance in our time of greatest need.

Communication is essential for maturing in any relationship. A marriage which lacks communication will slowly begin to drift apart. It's not uncommon for married couples to live together for the majority of their lives and yet feel like strangers because they have failed to spend the time required to really know and understand one another.

Our relationship with God is much the same. When we receive the gift of Salvation through faith in Jesus, we begin a lifelong relationship of love - a relationship which must be nurtured through fellowship and prayer.

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to You I pray. In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation Psalm 5:1-3

David states that the morning is his dedicated time for prayer, his time to be alone with God, to share his heart and expectantly await God's direction. But God has not specified a preferred time. Paul encourages us to maintain a constant state of communion with God when he says to "pray continuously" 1 Thessalonians 5:17. We ought to strive for communication which is regular and frequent; any time is the right time for prayer; any time is the right time to commune with the one you love!

Prayer must originate from a sincere heart. We should be motivated by a desire to strengthen our relationship, to praise Him for His blessings and earnestly ask for His guidance, and to deepen the commitment of our love. We ought to value our time with God above anything else this world has to offer; "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life" Psalm 27:4.

Let's set aside time each day to be alone with God, quiet time where we can hear His voice and begin to understand His character. Let's continue to commune and fellowship with Him throughout our times of busyness. 

.....doing

Jesus desires our love much more than any of our works and how we must continue in prayer for our love to grow. ALL we do ought to be driven by love! When we study God's Word, we do so to understand His character, seek His direction, and then to obediently follow where His Word leads; "If you love Me, you will obey what I command" John 14:15. True love will always express itself in action.

As we continue to study God's Word, we must never stop with the simple accumulation of knowledge. We must never equate an increase of knowledge with an increased closeness to God; "The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know" 1 Corinthians 8:2. Knowing ABOUT God is only the beginning of the journey toward a closer relationship with Him. .

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 a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does James 1:22-25

We will never know the true meaning of faith until we step out and put our faith into practice. We cannot possibly know the peace of trusting God to work for the good in all things Romans 8:28 until we love Him with all our heart, surrender our life, and allow Him to actually begin His work. Without allowing His words to cause action in our life, we become as the godless who are "always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth" 2 Timothy 3:7. Do we really believe His Word is true? True enough to trust and follow?

God has a message for each of us today, a specific truth He wants us to understand and apply. His message may be delivered through something we hear or something we read, but His words will never change our life and draw us closer until we put them into practice. We will never see the wonder of His truth until we apply His truth in our everyday life!

God is calling us today 

.....perseverance

Our life can be a long and difficult race. We often grow weary and are in great need of rest. But this race is not like any we have ever run. We do not compete against the other runners, nor do we all even run the same course. We run the race marked out by our Heavenly Father; and yet, we ALL must strive toward the same finish line.

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith Hebrews 12:1-2

Perseverance means "to persist in spite of opposition or discouragement." We are therefore being told to patiently run the race, and to keep on running with determination and endurance, in spite of opposition or discouragement. What a wonderful picture!

Hindrances to our race can be represented by weeds which try to wrap around our legs and slow us down. This "sin that so easily entangles" can often be difficult to even recognize. We may be running a clear path without a hint of weeds; everything has been going well and we feel immune to the temptations of this world. But without our eyes fixed on Jesus - without our heart fully trusting Him for every step - our path can become covered before we even realize there is a problem.

Our race is a long marathon, not a quick sprint. In order to persevere, we must prepare for many hills and valleys along the way. We must develop a burning desire to one day boldly say; "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" 2 Timothy 4:7. And if we will keep our eyes on Jesus as our eternal joy, we "will not grow weary and lose heart" Hebrews 12:3.

No matter what this day may bring, we must persist with our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus until we hear Him say: "Well done, good and faithful servant....Come and share your Master's happiness!" Matthew 25:23. Some days we may only be able to take small baby steps, but still we must continue and run with the sole purpose of bringing Him glory and honor in ALL we do. 

.....known

The Church in Ephesus was established by the Apostle Paul and became one of the most prominent churches in the early days of Christianity. Paul ministered in Ephesus for three years Acts 19:1-20, and a few years later wrote the church a special letter of encouragement and instruction (the book of Ephesians); "Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers" Ephesians 1:15.

The Ephesians were doing most things "right." They had strong programs, an acute awareness of sin, and a work ethic which should characterize any thriving church: "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name, and have not grown weary" Revelation 2:2-3.

The hard work of the Ephesian church was readily acknowledged; and yet, they had forgotten that "only one thing is needed" Luke 10:42. Though they maintained an outward appearance of devotion and may have actually accomplished many "Kingdom-driven" goals, the once burning love in their heart had begun to fade.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love Revelation 2:4

When we first understand the ugliness of our sin, the death our sin deserves, and how Jesus died to make us clean, we cannot help but be filled with thankfulness...and love. But sadly, in our attempt to "mature," we often shift our focus to the "doing" of outward activities and forget the love which once consumed our heart. We may study more, attend more, and serve more, but we have forgotten how to simply be still and worship at His feet.

As we mature in Christ, we must never outgrow our ability to love. There will always be opportunities to express our faith in good works and service to God, in the end He will look deep within and He will know us by our love.

.....hunger

The days are coming,' declares the Sovereign Lord, 'when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it  Amos 8:11-12

When we hear the Word of God, the door is open and we are in the middle of a God-directed opportunity. At that moment we have the opportunity to respond to the truth and draw closer to our Heavenly Father. But when we reject His Word, we begin to close the door and harden our heart - the opportunity begins to fade: "So, as the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart'" Hebrews 3:7-8.

We have been blessed to live during this time in history. We face the unrelenting pressures of an over-indulgent, self-consumed society, but we have also been blessed with a wonderful abundance of the Word of God. In most parts of the world we have freedom to worship with other believers and full access to truth-filled teaching. In fact, God's Word has become so readily available that many of us take it for granted.

In the midst of our overflowing blessings, we are becoming complacent and no longer treasure His precious gift. But what would happen if His Word was taken away? What would the world be like if no one was allowed to speak or hear the Word of God? What if we searched for His Word and it could not be found?

Our Heavenly Father loves us dearly. He "wants ALL men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" 1 Timothy 2:4. Our Father continues to call us to know Him with a greater and more intimate love. 

Let's make the most of this awesome opportunity by receiving the Word of God, in all its forms, with a hungry anticipation, and then by obediently responding to His call. Let's shake off ALL forms of complacency and rejoice that we do not yet live during a famine of hearing His word.

.....light

In the physical world, there is no measurable quantity which defines darkness; dark is simply the absence of light. Therefore, the measure of darkness can only be in reference to the measure of light - less darkness is only achieved through more light.

In the spiritual world, darkness represents the evil of the enemy and light represents the holiness of God. Though neither can be truly measured, the concept is the same: the darkness of evil only exists when there is an absence of the light of holiness. Dark and light cannot exist at the same time; when light is increased, darkness must fade.

This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth 1 John 1:5-6

Salvation is by the grace of God through faith in Jesus and not through anything we do Ephesians 2:8-9. But the purpose of Salvation is to bring glory to God as we walk in intimate fellowship with Jesus, the true and eternal Light. It is not possible to have fellowship with the Light of Christ and still live a life filled with the darkness of sin. Jesus purifies us from all sin in the sense of judgment before the Father, but He also illuminates the dark sin in our life and gives us the strength to gradually push it aside.

A life without the Light is in darkness and cannot even recognize true sin. If we attempt to remove sin without first shining the Light, we are simply pushing around the darkness; we clean the outside but leave a heart which is dark and dead. Some outsides are dirtier than others, but no matter how filthy an outside may appear, we ALL need the Light of Christ in our heart before we can be clean; "First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean" Matthew 23:26. In an instant, the grace of His Light is able to cleanse what no amount of self-effort can ever accomplish.

When our own spiritual life becomes "dim," it usually means our time with the Light has begun to suffer - our discipline of worship, prayer, and reading His Word has been replaced with competing distractions. Where we once walked with clear vision, we now bump into walls and continually stub our toes. But God desires to light our path once again. He has "saved us and called us to a holy life" 2 Timothy 1:9, to a life filled with Light, a life of bold clarity in Him.

Let's share the true and eternal Light of Jesus Christ at every opportunity and refocus our priorities on the only sure way to restore our vision. Let's commune with Him in prayer and immerse ourselves in His Word. His path will once again be made clear and darkness will surely fade as we increase the Light.

- adapted from steve troxell

.....die

During the three short years of Jesus' earthly ministry, He performed many miracles and preached to crowds large and small. But the moment of greatest acceptance came the week before Jesus was crucified as He entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. 

A large number had gathered from all over Israel in preparation of the Passover: "They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting 'Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!'" John 12:13

Many would view this as the high point of Jesus' ministry. He had gained a great following and the people even hailed Him as the new King of Israel. But Jesus knew this was not His Father's will. Jesus came for a much greater purpose than to be a temporary king; He came for an eternal glory which required His death.

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds John 12:24

Jesus spoke these words in reference to His sacrifice on the cross which would occur in a few short days, but His message of death was also intended for us today. Obviously Jesus is not saying we should all be physically crucified, but He IS saying we must experience a death; "whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it" Matthew 16:25. Paul explains this even more directly; "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature" Colossians 3:5.

Our earthly nature is home to all our sinful desires, but it is also the source of all the ambitions and dreams not formed by God. When we tightly hold to our dreams and are driven by our own ambitions, we choke what God desires to accomplish and never see the full potential of Christ - never see the abundant life God desires us to live.

We have a tendency to dream and make plans, and then spend our time and energy pursuing the dream rather than truly pursuing Christ. Our dream may even appear very Godly - we may strive for a dynamic ministry or children who love and follow God - but until we allow EVERYTHING within us to die and be replaced by the love of God, we will never experience His very best or witness His most beautiful fruit; "and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" Galatians 2:20

Let's allow the plans of Christ to reign absolutely supreme. We were created for so much more than we can imagine! Let's cast off all sin and leave ALL we hold dear at His feet. He will raise up what He desires to use for the glory of His name.

- adapted from steve troxel

.....wrong

A rich man came to ask Jesus how to get eternal life. He had been a good citizen, treated others well, and accumulated much wealth, but Jesus gave an unexpected answer: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow Me" Matthew 19:21. He failed to see the connection and went away very sad.

But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first Matthew 19:30

Jesus came with a message that the plan of life is not as it seems. The first, by the world's standard, does not automatically win. When the clock of life ticks its last, it will not be the one with the biggest bank account, biggest house, or nicest car who will stand victorious; it won't even be the one who pastors the largest church, feeds the most hungry, or tells the most people about Jesus. Rather, it will only be those who do the true work God requires; "The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent" John 6:29.

Have we completed the work of God? Do we even value this "work"?

When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment, He said; "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" Mark 12:30. The greatest commandment ought to be our greatest priority and the foundation on which we build our life, our family, and our ministry. Though other things may be enjoyable, important, or even necessary, they must never be allowed to occupy the throne of our life.

Many of us feel like we are falling behind because of our decision to follow Christ. We see others prosper and start to believe we must compromise in order to keep pace...but the rules of the game have changed! 

God has a different plan - an eternal plan!! The world around us has the wrong uniform, wrong equipment, and wrong play book. The great deceiver would like to fill us with doubt, but we must not be swayed.

.....unblemished

During the days of Moses, God established specific laws for sacrifices. He called for animal sacrifices to teach His people the seriousness of sin and to prepare the way for Jesus. God taught that when a sacrifice was offered, it was to be pure and without blemish: 

If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord Leviticus 1:3.

Approximately 900 years after the sacrificial law was given to Moses, God used the prophet Malachi to call the people back to a true heart of worship. Since the time of Moses, the people of Israel had gone through many highs and lows in their worship and were currently on another downward spiral. The priests had become very casual with the sacrifices; they had lost all sense of reverence and had ceased to offer God their absolute best.

You place defiled food on My altar. But you ask, `How have we defiled You?' By saying that the Lord's table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Malachi 1:7-8

With the perfect and acceptable sacrifice of Jesus, the need for animal sacrifice has ended; "He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood" Hebrews 9:12. Through faith in Jesus, our sins are completely forgiven; "By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" Hebrews 10:14. Faith in Jesus has become our final sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin; we have been perfected by His blood.

Each of us who have experienced God's mercy and grace are now urged "to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God" Romans 12:1. We are to offer this sacrifice not to earn or even maintain our Salvation, but because "this is our spiritual act of worship" Romans 12:1. A true understanding of God's grace in granting us eternal life ought to compel us to a life of thanksgiving and sacrificial worship.

When we leave His presence for the pleasures of this world, we create blemishes on our heart; and when we practice or give approval to sin, we become spiritually crippled and diseased. We must present ourselves to God and allow Him to use us for His glory. He deserves our very best! We should offer ourselves with a pure heart, without selfish ambition or pride, and free of worldly compromise.

God has given us all we have, made us all we are, and is leading us to all we will become. Let's worship and serve Him with the best we have to offer; let's present our lives to Him as an unblemished sacrifice.

.....responsibility

God has always set aside a select group to carry forth His Word and to help guide His people. In the Old Testament times God designated the descendants of Levi to be priests. The priests were to perform the various sacrifices, give instruction regarding God's Law, and be the general interface between God and man. Since the priests were accountable to God for maintaining His standard, this great privilege also carried an enormous responsibility.

Malachi served as a prophet of God approximately 900 years after the Levitical priesthood had been established. The priests had once held a deep reverence for God, but they now ceased to teach the truth and lost all sense of their calling. Through Malachi, God sent the priests a sharp rebuke.

The lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction - because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble...you have not followed My ways Malachi 2:7-9

In one regard, this speaks directly to those called into Church leadership - those who are given the responsibility for leading a congregation in the way of truth. But it also speaks to ALL who now believe in Jesus Christ and are committed to following His ways. We must not cause others to stumble by failing to follow the ways of God!

When Jesus came to earth and gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, a new covenant was established. No longer is there only a select group of priests who have access to God; rather, all believers are now declared "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God" 1 Peter 2:9.

The primary duty of a priest in the Old Testament was to seek God's will and effectively communicate the truth of God's Word to those placed within his care. And as members of God's New Covenant royal priesthood, we all have this same responsibility - this same privilege! We must seek His will and speak truth to whoever God places in our path. We do not have the option of watching others wander from God. Allowing someone to destroy their life and their intimate relationship with God through a life of unbelief and sin is neither gracious nor loving - it's cruel and irresponsible!

We are never held accountable for the response of others, only for our presentation of the truth. We must now become faithful to our calling. We must become a priest within our family, at our work, among our friends, and even within our church. We must diligently seek His will and not stray. We must learn His truths and live by them...and speak His truth with grace and compassionate love. Let's give thanks for the opportunity to serve and for being allowed to lead others to a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father. Let's praise Him and faithfully accept our privileged responsibility.

- steve troxel

.....whirlwind

The spiritual decline of God's chosen people, as detailed in the Old Testament, includes some of the saddest passages in the Bible. God dearly loved the children of Israel, but they continually rejected Him and turned away.

God appointed King David to unite the nation and focus their worship on the One True God. David made plans for the construction of a temple and King Solomon built the temple a few years later. But toward the end of Solomon's reign, "his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God" 1 Kings 11:4. The spiritual decline began with the leadership and then flowed quickly down to the people.

When Solomon died, the nation of Israel divided and the northern kingdom immediately began to pervert their worship; "The king made two golden calves {and said} 'Here are your gods'" 1 Kings 12:28. Then, after almost 200 years of continual disobedience, the northern kingdom had hardened their hearts so that repentance was no longer even possible; "their deeds do not permit them to return to God" Hosea 5:4. God is ready, willing, and able to forgive every sin, but continual disobedience removes the desire to draw near and seek His forgiveness. After so many years of false worship, the people would not return to God and would now experience His wrath.

They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind Hosea 8:7

The people of Israel had planted evil seed into their lives for many years - now the time had come to harvest the destruction they had planted. Soon after Hosea spoke these words of God, the Assyrian army invaded and destroyed the northern kingdom.

God demonstrated His love for us long before we ever loved Him; "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8. This love was unconditional since we did absolutely nothing to deserve His favor. But if we do not receive His love, through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, and allow His Spirit to begin to transform us from within, we too will one day feel His wrath.

The wind of unbelief and lack of trust, false worship and a cold heart, will one day yield an eternal whirlwind which cannot be stopped. And the wind of open sin in the lives of spiritual leaders, or the spiritual compromise in the lives of parents, can lead many generations down a path of destruction.

Let's plant and nourish seeds of truth and love which will thrive in His presence for all eternity. Let's trust Him with a faith which walks into the unknown without fear because we know He is by our side. Let's determine once and for all to live an uncompromising life which brings glory and honor to God; and on the great day of harvest, let's joyfully enter His embrace without the fear of reaping the whirlwind.

- steve troxel

.....reaping

We were encouraged not to sow the wind of unbelief, because a life without faith and the saving grace of Jesus will one day reap an eternal whirlwind. The message of sowing and reaping has critical application for the eternal destiny. We must guard against those who sow seeds of false teaching which lead away from the true eternal forgiveness of Christ. But this message also has direct application for our daily walk with our Lord.

We know there are times when we face severe trials which have nothing to do with what we have sown. Jesus made this clear when He said: "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33). We live in a sinful world and often reap the consequences for what others have sown; and for these troubles, Jesus wants us to find our comfort in Him: "But take heart! I have overcome the world" John 16:33.

But we must also understand that many of our trials, and the trials of those around us, are often the result of a multitude of small steps taken outside the will of God.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows Galatians 6:7

It's foolish to think we can continually walk outside God's will and not face consequences down the road. God dearly loves us and is patiently waiting for us to turn our heart to Him...but God cannot be mocked. Continuous deviation from His path can lead to a long and painful time of wandering.

We must learn this lesson: Obedience in the little things is important! There is nothing too small to justify a lack of obedience. "Whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much" Luke 16:10. We must learn and teach, very early in life, the importance of honesty and truth, the value of submission and respect for authority. The wind of disobedience begins almost imperceptibly small with "innocent" lies and "harmless" acts of disrespect, but over time it grows until the whirlwind of consequences becomes inevitable.

If we are currently reaping a whirlwind which we know has been sown by our own hands, we must repent and seek His forgiveness, love Him and obediently trust Him with ALL our heart, and ask for the strength to endure. The whirlwind will end, but only in God's perfect timing. 

And if we know we have been sowing the wind of disobedience and yet see God's hand restraining the whirlwind, we also must repent and seek His forgiveness, love Him and obediently trust Him with ALL our heart...and thank Him for His mercy!

Let's honor Him by only sowing that which glorifies His name. Let's closely examine our life and the lives of those within our care, and be absolutely determined to stop sowing the wind.

.....slave

We often consider our need to submit our life more fully to God and the leading of His Spirit, to place our life in His hands and release our "self" control. We desire to be in His perfect will and serve Him with all our heart. But does our desire to serve go so far as to consider ourselves a slave?

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life Romans 6:20-22

Slavery has many negative connotations, but, in truth, we are all born into slavery... slave to sin. The only way to be set free from the mastery of sin and death is to ask for a transfer of ownership and become a slave to God. Our new Master then has the grace and power to shatter the bonds of sin and give us the gift of true freedom. 

We are never free unto ourselves, never our own master. Many live under the illusion of freedom, but we are either a slave to sin or a slave to God. If we refuse to be directed by God, we will absolutely be directed and controlled by the sinful pulls of the world, there is just no middle ground.

If we are struggling to break the bondage of sin, we must first stop fighting and submit our life to God. Sin is not a battle we can win with our own strength! The only way to be set free is to submit to the merits of Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Submission is not just an optional step for the "mature" Christian; rather, it is the essence of a saving faith. A saving faith first understands we cannot save ourselves but must submit to the grace of God. It then continues in submission by daily trusting in His grace to live according to the ways of His Spirit.

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace Romans 8:5-6

God is sending out His call around the world today. In the stillness of our heart we have heard Him call us to a closer and more intimate relationship, a more consistently submitted life of true devotion and praise. But He is requiring us to make a choice: "Choose this day whom you will serve" Joshua 24:15. 

Through Jesus we have been offered freedom from the power of sin and death. Let's fully embrace His gift, submit to the leading of His Spirit, continue to submit at every opportunity, worship Him with all our heart, and forever become...His devoted slave.

.....thorns

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks when she pulled open the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind. Her life had been as sweet as a spring breeze and then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a "minor" automobile accident stole her joy. This was Thanksgiving week and the time she should have delivered their infant son. She grieved over their loss. Troubles had multiplied. Her husband's company "threatened" to transfer his job to a new location.

Her sister had called to say that she could not come for her long awaited holiday visit. What's worse, Sandra's friend suggested that Sandra's grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder. "Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered. "For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life, but took her child's?"

"Good afternoon, can I help you?" Sandra was startled by the approach of the shop clerk.

"I... I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.

"For Thanksgiving? Do you want the beautiful, but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a  customer favorite I call the 'Thanksgiving Special'? I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong." Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."

Then the bell on the door rang, and the clerk greeted the new customer, "Hi, Barbara... let me get your order." She excused herself and walked back to a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and what appeared to be long-stemmed, thorny roses - except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped. There were no flowers.

"Do you want these in a box?" asked the clerk. Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again.", she said, as she gently tapped her chest.

Sandra stammered, "Uh, that lady just left with, uh... she left with no flowers!"

"That's right," said the clerk. "I cut off the flowers. That's the 'Special'. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

"Oh, come on! You can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!" exclaimed Sandra.

"Barbara came into the shop three years ago, feeling much as you do, today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had just lost her father to cancer; the family business was failing; her son had gotten into drugs; and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year, I had lost my husband," continued the clerk. "For the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too much debt to allow any travel."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra. "I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and I NEVER questioned Him why those GOOD things happened to me. But when the bad stuff hit, I cried out, "WHY? WHY Me?" It took time for me to learn that the dark times are important to our faith! I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of my life, but it took the thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort! You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath, as she thought about the thought that her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is, I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" the clerk greeted the balding, rotund man.  "My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement... twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the  clerk handed him a tissue wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind telling me why she wants a bouquet that looks like that?"

"No... I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago, my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we trudged through problem after problem. The Lord rescued our marriage. Jenny, here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she had learned from "thorny" times. That was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us." As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too... fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that the thorns make the roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember that it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on her resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."

It read:

"My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."

           "Praise Him for the roses; thank Him for the thorns."

- david langerfeld

.....compare

As we draw near and give ourselves more fully into His hands, we learn that His promises are not only true, they are better than we imagined.

When Abraham was over eighty years old, God taught him a lesson on trusting His promises. Abraham became frustrated with God because there was no one to inherit his possessions: "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir" Genesis 15:3. But God had other plans and made a promise to Abraham.

"'This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.' He took him outside and said, 'Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them.' Then He said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.'" Genesis 15:4-5

Abraham waited many years for God's promise to be fulfilled. Finally, when he was one hundred years old, Isaac was born; and through Isaac came Jacob, and through Jacob came the sons who formed the twelve tribes of Israel. Abraham was looking for someone to inherit his "stuff," but God's promise gave him an entire nation.

God gives many promises to us today, but they all flow from the promise first stated by Jesus; "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16. We must not pass lightly over these words, for none of the other promises even apply until we have believed this basic truth.

We cannot move on to the promises of peace and contentment until we trust in the promise of forgiveness through faith in Jesus. When we begin to understand the significance of the gift of eternal life, we will know that nothing the world can offer will EVER compare to the promises of God...and NOTHING else will last. 

His promise is the only path to true peace. If we could better understand and really believe, perhaps we would spend less time and effort on pursuits which contain no lasting value - perhaps we would have less anxiety about all those things which only God can control.

Jesus shed His blood so we can truly live. His promise is greater than any worldly pleasure and outweighs ALL worldly trials; "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" 2 Corinthians 4:17. As we walk through this world, with all its pulls, temptations, and near constant turmoil, let's hold tight to His promise and always remember...NOTHING can compare!

- steve troxel

.....active

Although loving others will not save us, John forcefully states that if we are truly saved we will love one another; "whoever does not love does not know God" 1 John 4:8.

In the five chapters of 1 John, the word love is used 46 times. If love is this important, we ought to understand what it means.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18

John is saying that Jesus set the example for love and that our love for others is a direct result of the love of God within us. As we love God and surrender our life to Jesus Christ, His love fills us and overflows into the lives of those around us. If love for others is lacking, we must lay down our life and increase our love for God; a truly increased love for God will certainly increase our love for others.

John also makes it clear that a Godly love for others is not simply an emotional feeling, or gentle and kind words. When we begin to understand God's love for us - when we catch even a glimpse of His mercy and love in giving us His Son - we will be compelled to express our love with meaningful action such as meeting physical needs, readily forgiving when wronged, and showing Godly compassion when others are hurting. God so desired to be with us for all eternity that He gave His Son and loved us all the way to the cross. We are to love others in this same manner, "because He first loved us" 1 John 4:19

Our love for God is demonstrated by our real love for others. Jesus made this clear when He said; "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me" Matthew 25:40 

We are actually loving and serving God as we love and serve others: "I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me" Matthew 25:35-36

Love must be an integral part of our Christian walk. Love must be directed up; "love the Lord with ALL your heart" Mark 12:30, and love must be directed out; "love your neighbor as yourself" Mark 12:31. Let's love as Jesus loved us! Let's look for ways to love with more than words; let's love with an active love.

- steve troxell

.....forget

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:7-8

I have read that, back in the 19th century, when many people from Ireland were seeking passage to move to the New World, a young boy who didn't have the fare secretly boarded a ship as a stowaway. At sea the ship ran into an iceberg and began to sink.

When the boy realized what was happening, he came out of hiding and rushed to the deck only to see the captain taking the last seat in the last lifeboat. In the tradition of the sea the captain got out of the lifeboat and gave his seat to the boy. The last thing the captain said to him was, "Never forget what's been done for you."

In the years ahead the boy grew up to be a very successful man. When asked what was the secret of his motivation, he said, "Whenever I begin to doubt myself or let up from what I ought to be doing, I always remember a captain standing on a deck and saying, 'Never forget what's been done for you.'"

May you and I never forget what Jesus Christ has done for us in giving his life on the cross in your place and mine to pay the penalty for all our sins, to grant us a full and free pardon, and to give us the gift of eternal life. May our manner of life and how we live for God and others be evidence of our heartfelt gratitude.

.....liar

God desires that we know Him in a personal relationship. He has revealed Himself and provided a way to know Him through the life and sacrifice of His Son; "Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father... Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me?" John 14:9-10. As we grow in our faith and begin to know Him better, it becomes essential to know the promises of His Word. But it's even more important to believe that His promises are true! 

Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son 1 John 5:10

Our old nature sometimes clouds our ability to clearly see the truth; and some of God's truths can be hard to accept and actually put into practice. But we either believe His words and begin to take steps to apply them in our life, or we do not believe and call God a liar by the way we live.

It may be a difficult process, but we must confront our beliefs and begin to make them real. When we face a trial and don't know which direction to turn, do we believe the words, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6? Do we really believe that as we trust Him, He will remove the confusion and guide our steps?

When our circumstances seem out of control, do we believe "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" Romans 8:28? Do we really believe that as we continue to love Him, God works for the good in ALL things, regardless of our understanding? And when we feel alone, do we really believe God's promise to always be near; "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" Hebrews 13:5.

How about the promise of being content Philippians 4:12, or being given the peace of Jesus John 14:27, or the fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23; can we really "do everything through Him who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13? Parents, have we given up hope for our children or do we believe, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" Proverbs 22:6?

God's Word is true and His promises are real!! 

Let's praise Him all the rest of our days and let our lives demonstrate we REALLY know and believe. Let's make our actions and decisions, fears and anxieties, hopes and dreams,  governed by truth.

- adapted from steve troxell