......you

All over the world, people are asking how to strengthen their relationship with God. Many have wandered from His path and become entangled in the weeds. We never actually plan to leave God's 

path and become entangled; rather, it seems we simply take a wrong turn and then drift through small steps of compromise. How does this happen? And once we've drifted, how do we return and guard against drifting once again?

Man first wandered from God's path in the Garden of Eden. The devil deceived Eve and caused her to disobey God's command; Eve ate fruit from the forbidden tree and gave some to her willing husband. As soon as they ate the fruit, they became aware they were naked and covered themselves with leaves.

Genesis 3:8-9"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?'"

The very first sin caused the delusion that it was possible to hide from God. This delusion continues today! We sit among the weeds and think God doesn't notice - that He doesn't see us in the midst of our sin. But the all-knowing Creator of the Universe knew exactly where Adam was hiding. God wasn't searching through the bushes trying to find His lost creation. No, God was speaking directly to Adam: "Adam, why are you in this condition? Do you even know where you are and how far you have drifted?"

Adam's willful disobedience caused him to tremble as he answered: "I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid" (Genesis 3:10. Adam was lost. Somehow, even in their garden paradise, Adam and Eve had wandered in their relationship with God. The devil had found them alone - not walking with their Father - and began his great deception. Now, sin had caused shame, fear, and separation.

ALL sin has its beginning in our wandering from the presence of God. No one "falls" into sin by a momentary slip; rather, sin is the result of a long slow drift away from intimate fellowship with God. Drifting from His presence causes us to become more susceptible to sin, which continues the cycle of even further separation. Soon, we have become entangled and completely lose sight of His path.

The way back always begins with a humble and repentant heart. We must confess we have strayed, admit our straying as sin, and ask for the strength and guidance to return. God will immediately shine His light, strengthen our steps, and ask us to simply focus on loving Him with all our heart.

Let's return to the presence of God and be determined to never leave. Let's continually examine our life and make sure we're walking right by His side whenever God asks, "Where are you?"

- steve troxel

....refused

 "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

I refuse to be discouraged,
To be sad, or to cry;
I refuse to be downhearted,
And here's the reason why...

I have a God who's mighty,
Who's sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me,
And I am on His team.

He is all-wise and powerful,
Jesus is His name;
Though other things are changeable,
My God remains the same,

My God knows all that's happening;
From beginning to the end,
His presence is my comfort,
He is my dearest friend.

When sickness comes to weaken me,
To bring my head down low,
I call upon my mighty God;
Into His arms I go.

When circumstances threaten me
To rob me of my peace;
He draws me close unto His breast,
Where all my strivings cease.

And when my heart melts in me,
And weakness takes control;
He gathers me into His arms,
He soothes my heart and soul.

The great "I AM" is with me,
My life is in His hand,
The "Son of God", he is my hope,
It's in His strength I stand.

I refuse to be defeated,
My eyes are on my God
He has promised to be with me,
As through this life I trod.

I'm looking past my circumstance,
To Heaven's throne above;
My prayers have reached the heart of God,
I'm resting in His love.

I give God thanks in everything,
My eyes are on His face;
The battle's His, the victory's mine;
He'll help me win the race.
- bj george

.....sure

A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. 'Give glory to God by telling the truth,' they said. 'We know this man is a sinner.'  He replied, 'Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!' John 9:24-25

Before you read the next sentence, stop and close your eyes for thirty seconds. What did you see? Maybe nothing? Perhaps total darkness?

Now, try to imagine that's all you've ever seen, all you've ever known. As a child, when you heard someone ask you to look at something, you could turn your head toward the voice, but could see nothing. Decades would pass and you would never see a tree, or cloud, or the faces of those you loved most.

Then one day, someone comes to you, puts mud in your eyes, and tells you to go to a specific place and wash it out of your eyes. And when you do, you can see.  People understandably question you about how this happened. But all you can say is that a man you don't know cured your blindness.

The main concern for religious leaders of the time is that this miracle happened on the Sabbath. Doing any work on the Sabbath is against Jewish law. They downplay the miracle, ignore the opportunity to celebrate with him, and bring in your parents to demand an explanation.

Your parents try to explain that they don't know how it happened. And all you can do is watch their faces like it's the first time you've seen them - because it is. They continue to be interrogated, but you are distracted with trying to understand all the curious and beautiful things you see around you.

In frustration, the leaders demand an explanation from you, but all you can tell them is the truth: you know nothing more than, "I was blind, and I now see!" John 9:25  Sometimes our need to understand blinds us from the miracles of God that are in plain sight. In the process, we miss opportunities to celebrate His goodness.

There is a real possibility that in the next seven days something will happen to you or someone you know that can only be explained by, "All I know is... it was God's work!" Let that be enough. It's okay if you don't know or understand the details. Just say what you know to be true. And when He is ready, if He thinks we need to know, God will make sure we see!

- tom norvell

.....bring

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and 

cannot eat solid food Hebrews 5:12 

A little boy was asked what his favorite Bible story was. He said, “I like the one where everyone loafs and fishes.” Now, that is not exactly what happened, but it is a great story. Chronologically, Jesus was at the peak of His ministry. His popularity was spreading, and multitudes of people were anxiously following Him.

A large crowd had gathered to hear Him, and they were hungry. And interestingly, the Bible tells us that Jesus had compassion on them. What’s fascinating is these people weren’t following Jesus because they believed He was the long-awaited Messiah of Israel. Rather, they were following Him because of the miracles that He was performing. John 6:2 points out, “A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick” . Essentially, these people were thrill seekers. They were in it to be dazzled, to be entertained.

Yet even though these people were fickle and perhaps had mixed motives, Jesus felt compassion for them. Compassion isn’t just caring; it is caring enough to do something. Jesus saw that they were hungry, and He cared about them. To the disciples, these people were an embarrassment and a burden. But to Jesus, they were a calling and an opportunity.

John’s Gospel identifies three others in this story: Philip, Andrew, and a little boy. This was a test for Philip. Jesus asked him, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” John 6:5. Philip, however, didn’t know what to do. So, he replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” verse 7. Does God ever have to retest us? Of course, He does. Sometimes, even when we’ve been walking with the Lord for years, we seem to know so little.

The author of Hebrews says, “You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word” 5:12. God will take care of both the big things and the small things. 

If it matters to you, it matters to God. If it troubles you, it is a concern to God. Bring it to Him.

- adapted from greg laurie's

.....He

 

He is the First and Last,

The Beginning and the End!

He is the keeper of Creation and 

The Creator of all!

He is the Architect of the Universe and 

The Manager of all times.

     He always was,

     He always is, and

     He always will be...

          Unmoved,

          Unchanged,

          Undefeated and

          Never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing!

He was pierced and eased pain!

He was persecuted and brought freedom!

He was dead and brought life!

He is risen and brings power!

He reigns and brings Peace!

The world can't understand him,

The armies can't defeat Him,

The schools can't explain Him and

The leaders can't ignore Him.

Herod couldn't kill Him,

The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him and

The people couldn't hold Him!

Nero couldn't crush Him,

Hitler couldn't silence Him,

The New Age can't replace Him,

And non-believers can't explain Him away!

He is Light, 

     He is...

     Love, Longevity and Lord.

     Goodness, Gentleness and God.

     Holy, Righteous, Mighty, Powerful and Pure.

His ways are right,

His Word is eternal,

His will is unchanging and 

His mind is on me!

He is my Redeemer,

He is my Savior,

He is my Guide and

He is my Peace!

He is my Joy,

He is my Comfort,

He is my Lord and

He rules my life!

I serve Him because... 

     His bond is love,

     His burden is light and

     His goal for me is abundant life.

I follow Him because He is

     The Wisdom of the wise,

     The Power of the powerful,

     The Ancient of Days,

     The Ruler of rulers,

     The Leader of leaders,

     The Overseer of the overcomers and

     The Sovereign Lord of all that was, and is. and is to come.

And if that seems impressive to you, try this on for size...

     His goal is a relationship with you!!!

......really

The first two chapters of the Bible tell how, "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth" Genesis 1:1. God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and created Eve as his companion and helper. 

Life in the garden was good, but it didn't take long for the deception of the devil to really mess things up.

God had given Adam and Eve the freedom to eat from any tree in the garden - any tree except one; "You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" Genesis 2:17. God's instructions were clear and His consequences for disobedience severe. But when the devil first confronted Eve, he began by slightly changing God's Word in order to cause doubt.

Genesis 3:1"He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden"?'"

This slight shift from a single tree to ANY tree put Eve immediately on the defensive: "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden'" Genesis 3:2-3. The devil continued his attack by giving Eve a different interpretation of God's Word: "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God" Genesis 3:4-5. Eve clearly knew the truth; but without a firm conviction to obey at all cost, she evaluated the merit of the devil's lie and, being unable to refute his reasoning, gave in to sin.

Since that first confrontation, the tactics of the devil are still pretty much the same. His attack always begins with getting us to shift from the absolute nature of God's Word, causing us to doubt and defend against his deception.

God's Word says: "Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16. But the devil says: "Did God really say there is only one way? Surely God wants everyone to go to heaven and will accept many beliefs as long as they are good and sincere." This deception pulls people from God's path every day. Jesus clearly said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" John 14:6. 

The one and ONLY way is Jesus!

If we are not firm in our conviction that God's Word is true, we too will become vulnerable to the devil's attacks of doubt and will soon begin to believe his twisted lies. God's Word says our most important "duty" is to "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. 

Let's prepare by studying His Word, praying for wisdom to know His truth, and loving Him with our absolute ALL. Let's hold firmly to God's Word and not be even slightly shaken when the enemy asks: Did God really say?

- steve troxel

.....endured

We must encourage our Brothers and Sisters when they are down and remind one another that God is near, that our trials will soon fade; "Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today!" Hebrews 3:13

Jesus endured ridicule and humiliation from His accusers, and overwhelming pain on the cross, simply because He dearly loved us.  The joy of seeing our restored relationship with the Father allowed Him to persevere through unbelievable hardship.  His sacrifice brought us Salvation - His perseverance should bring us strength and a renewed hope.

"Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."Hebrews 12:3  

There are going to be days when the burden seems extra heavy - days when the attacks come fast and furious and feel like they will never end.  It may bring temporary relief for someone to agree and confirm the difficulty of our situation, but the only way to truly ease the load is to focus our heart back to Christ and pray for His strength; "May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance" 2 Thessalonians 3:5.  

We must persevere... because He first persevered for us!

There is definitely a place within the Body for compassion and the sharing of one another's sorrows; but when our burdens become seemingly unbearable, we must also encourage one another to simply put one foot in front of the other and boldly continue down His path.  His grace and His strength WILL be sufficient!  We will not lose heart if we focus on His love.  We will persevere and not grow weary if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and consider Him who endured.

- steve troxel

.....forget

The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord." Joshua 9:14

When the armies of ancient Israel, led by Joshua, were conquering the Promised Land, the surrounding kings and nations were understandably terrified. This was because God was with the Israelites giving them great victories over their enemies—enemies whom God commanded the Israelites to destroy because of their sinful, decadent, and self-destructive ways.

The men of Gibeon, a close country, resorted to trickery. They sent a delegation to Joshua with the appearance of having come from a distant land so they could deceive Joshua into making a treaty with them. Their donkeys carried worn out sacks and old wineskins that were cracked and had been mended. They wore old clothes, worn and patched sandals, and the bread they carried with them was dry and moldy.

Their disguise worked very well. Joshua signed a treaty with them only to discover afterwards they were a neighboring people among those countries God had told Joshua to destroy. They had to live with the consequences as a result.

Joshua's mistake was that he made this treaty without praying and inquiring of the Lord — a valuable lesson for all of us to learn.

.....endured

As we walk together down God's path, we must assume a certain level of responsibility for one another. We must encourage our Brothers and Sisters when they are down and remind one another that God is near, that our trials will soon fade; "Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today!" Hebrews 3:13.

But as we encourage, we must do so from a position of Biblical truth. We must continually direct each other toward Christ and the life He calls us to live. It is never true encouragement to simply lend our agreement and "comfort" to a complaining or selfish attitude. This actually keeps someone down and threatens to pull us down in the process. Forgiveness, and victory, is only found in Jesus Christ.

Jesus endured ridicule and humiliation from His accusers, and overwhelming pain on the cross, simply because He dearly loved us. The joy of seeing our restored relationship with the Father allowed Him to persevere through unbelievable hardship. His sacrifice brought us the gift of Salvation. His perseverance should bring us the gift of strength and a renewed hope.

Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart Hebrews 12:3

There are going to be days when the burden seems extra heavy - days when the attacks come fast and furious and feel like they will never end. It may bring temporary relief for someone to sympathize and confirm the difficulty of our situation, but the only way to truly ease the load is to focus our heart back to Christ and pray to receive His strength; "May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance" 2 Thessalonians 3:5. We must persevere...because He first persevered for us!

There is definitely a place within the Body for compassion and the sharing of one another's sorrows; but when our burdens become seemingly unbearable, we must also encourage one another to simply put one foot in front of the other and boldly continue down His path. His grace and His strength WILL be sufficient! We will not lose heart if we focus on His love. We will persevere and not grow weary if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and consider Him who endured.

- steve troxel

.....hands

A life lived by fully trusting God begins with a simple faith in the forgiveness offered through Jesus. But this simple faith will grow as we apply it to the varied and difficult circumstances which inevitably come 

our way. Not many of us begin with the faith of Peter; "Lord, if it's You, tell me to come to You on the water" Matthew 14:28. Rather, we cautiously test the water by trusting God in small areas of our life. But as we see His promises hold true and witness the blessings of walking in obedience, we ought to begin to step with greater confidence and trust Him more and more.

Prior to crossing into the promised land, Moses told the people of Israel: "Do not be afraid, for the Lord goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you" Deuteronomy 31:6. This is one of the many promises which remain with us today. As we walk with God into the land of promise - the land of contentment and peace - we must learn to truly apply these promises and consistently live by them. He is RIGHT THERE! And He wants us to live with the contentment of knowing He is going with us.

But full trust is difficult! Every day we are bombarded with things which attempt to pull us away from God and steal our joy. Though He is walking right beside us, and absolutely nothing catches Him by surprise, we seldom even think of Him during our day. This should not be! If we are truly His child, we are being called to trust Him with ALL and allow Him to live in and through us - this is the life He desires for us to live.

We must continually believe the truth of His Word and allow our faith to mature by taking steps which lead us closer to God, even if our steps of faith seem small. With each new step, we will more clearly see the truth of God's promises. We will begin to see past the visible garbage of this world and begin to gaze with wonder on "Him who is invisible" Hebrews 11:27. The life of contentment and peace is the life of total commitment and surrender.

Into Your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth Psalm 31:5

What part of our life are we holding back from God? 

If we really believe He created the Universe and sent His Son to die for the forgiveness of our sin so we can spend eternity with Him, isn't it foolish for us to think we can do a better job of controlling ANYTHING? 

If we trust Him for our eternal destiny, shouldn't we trust Him for the much more common matters of our daily life? Our God is VERY capable and He CAN be trusted to never let us go!

Though it may not seem as dramatic a step as Peter's, we are all being called out of the boat. We are being called to believe and trust with all our heart. Let's not allow another day to go by without fully committing our body, soul, mind and spirit, our absolute all and EVERY area of our life, into His hands.

- steve troxel

......details

Cast all your cares on him, because he cares for you 1 Peter 5:7

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:30-31

While I was talking with someone the other day, she mentioned something going on in her life. I asked if she'd prayed about it.  She replied no, she didn't think God was concerned about something that small.  She went on to say she prays about the important things but not anything as small as this. I could identify with this thinking, and at one time my thinking was the same.  After all... God has a lot to do all the time!

There is nothing under the sun that is not important to God. All we have to do is look at our solar system, the starry universe, how a baby is perfectly put together before birth, the cell structure in our bodies, right down to a perfectly and intricately made bumble bee in a minutely detailed single flower.

He is most definitely and assuredly in details. And He is totally interested in the details of our lives. The Word of the Lord is truth, and it says that even the hairs of our head are numbered by God. He knows every single solitary detail about us. He IS interested and involved in our lives.

No prayer request is too small for Him. He already knows what is in our hearts and minds, and longs for us to come to Him, our Heavenly Father, to ask and to talk things over.  Through the Holy Spirit, we can come to Him, trusting and believing.

What an awesome and amazing God we have, that He would be interested in every detail concerning us.  So "give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."  1 Peter 5:7 How wonderful we serve a God of details.

- sally i. kennedy

.....grasshoppers

After Moses led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery, they were guided by God to the edge of Canaan - the land promised to Abraham. God instructed Moses to send twelve men to explore the land; "See 

what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many Numbers 13:18.

The twelve "spies" traveled through the entire length of Canaan and brought back their report. All twelve traveled the same path, but only Joshua and Caleb saw the land and its inhabitants through the promises of God: "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land" Numbers 14:7-8. The other ten saw great danger and an enemy who was too big to be defeated.

We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are. The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them Numbers 13:31-33

The promised land was truly a land flowing with milk and honey, but it was also a land with many enemies. Joshua and Caleb saw the same enemy as the other ten spies, but they had a much clearer view and understanding of God. They knew if God was on their side, the size and strength of the enemy didn't matter; God would provide the victory.

We often face the same fear as the other ten. God wants us to enter into His promised land, take possession, and reside there for the rest of our days; but there are often enemies which fill us with fear and make us feel small and insignificant. Enemies may come in the form of addictions, choices of entertainment, finances, or worldly priorities. We may even face more tangible enemies who threaten to cause us physical or emotional pain. All these enemies keep us out of the promised land, all appear to be undefeatable giants. But with God on our side, ALL can be overcome!

Without a clear understanding of who we are in Christ, every enemy appears to tower over us; "apart from Me you can do nothing" John 15:5. Apart from Him we ARE but grasshoppers. But when we place our trust in God and allow Him to work through us, our posture before the enemy is greatly strengthened; "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" Romans 8:37.

God's land of promise - the contentment of His presence - is waiting for us to enter in and take possession. God did not create us to be fearful insects, but an image of the Most High! Let's know the One who gives us strength and victory in battle. Let's better understand that when God leads, we are much more than grasshoppers!

- steve troxel

....answered

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your 

thoughts Isaiah 55:8-9

When you pray continually about a concern, don't be surprised at how Christ answers.  

Paul prayed to visit Rome so he could teach the Christians there.  When he finally arrived in Rome, it was as a prisoner!

Paul prayed for a safe trip, and he did arrive safely - after getting arrested, slapped in the face, shipwrecked, and bitten by a poisonous snake!God's way of answering our prayers are often far from what we expect.  When we sincerely pray, God will answer - although in his timing and sometimes in ways we do not expect.

.....childlike

I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it Luke 18:17 

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, it’s great to remember the examples mothers provide and the sacrifices they make for us. Our mothers have taught us so many things over the years.

For instance, they taught us about anticipation when they said, “Just wait until your father hears about this.” They taught us about stamina when they said, “You will sit there until you’ve finished all your vegetables.” And they taught us about the value of prayer when they said, “You’d better pray that stain comes out.”

In Matthew’s Gospel, we find an account of parents bringing their children to Jesus. And that is really what we are supposed to do as Christian parents. Our objective is to bring our kids to Christ. However, we don’t do this by providing a bad example. Far too often, kids come from homes in which Jesus Christ is named but not followed. This hypocrisy drives children away from the Lord.

We bring our kids to Jesus by being genuine Christians and setting a good example for them. And when we mess up, we need to admit it and say we’re sorry. Another way we bring our children to Jesus is by praying with them, reading the Bible to them, and going to church with them.

Matthew tells us that when the children were brought to Jesus, the disciples inexplicably thought it was a bad idea. In fact, they started to rebuke the parents. Mark’s Gospel says that “when Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples” 10:14. Clearly, they had missed the memo on what Jesus was trying to communicate. Only a few days earlier, He had interrupted their argument about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. Jesus had a little child stand up, and then He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven” Matthew 18:3.

Yet here on this day as the children approached Jesus, His disciples were trying to send them away. And this made Jesus angry. He told them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children” Matthew 19:14.

According to Luke’s account, Jesus also said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it” Luke 18:17. That’s a fascinating statement because conventional wisdom would say that a child should become like an adult to know God. But according to Jesus, an adult must become like a child. That doesn’t mean we need to be childish. But it does mean we need to be childlike.

Children come to their parents in a state of helplessness. They’re aware that they can’t do a lot of things for themselves. In the same way, we should come to God in an acknowledgment of our complete helplessness and dependence on Him.

- greg laurie

......defeat

We have been joined together as the Body of Christ; and for this Body to function properly, we must all be encouraged to draw closer to God, to trust Him more and love Him with all our heart. One of the 

ways we encourage is in sharing with one another how God's mighty hand has worked in our life. We have so much to be thankful for, but sadly we often simply forget.

In the book of 1 Samuel, we read of young David and the Philistine "Giant" named Goliath. Goliath was much larger than other people of his day; "he was over nine feet tall" 1 Samuel 17:4. For forty days he tormented the Israelites by challenging them to a battle, but no one would accept his challenge.

David was not a soldier but his father sent him to the Israelite camp to deliver bread to his older brothers. When David heard the challenge by Goliath, he told King Saul, "Your servant will go and fight him" 1 Samuel 17:32.

Though David had never been in this type of battle, he had still witnessed the mighty power of God. As a shepherd, David defended the flock when a lion and a bear had come to carry away his sheep. David rescued the sheep by killing the lion and the bear. By witnessing God's hand in these past battles, David gained the necessary confidence to go into battle against Goliath.

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear - this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.1 Samuel 17:36-37

As we find ourselves battling our own Goliaths, we must remember how God has defended us in the past. And as members together in the Family of God, we must share past victories with one another. God is faithful, and we need to remind one another of this simple truth. Our "Giant" circumstances may seem impossible to resolve, but the God who stood by our side during past battles (and stood by the side of many others) is the same God who stands with us today: "God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid'" Hebrews 13:5-6.

God wants to draw us near and walk with us through each and every battle. This means we must trust He is working all things together for good...even when we can't see the good or understand His timing. Let's be encouraged by God's victories in our past and look for opportunities to share these victories as an encouragement to others. As each of us face our Goliaths today, let's go out with a thankful and trusting heart, and always remember the defeated lions and bears.

- steve troxel

....plan

It is part of God's plan for us, through repentance and faith in Jesus, to be reconciled with our Heavenly Father, and then to mend and strengthen relationships with others. Not only do our relationships give us opportunities to express our love and gratitude to God, but they can also strengthen our faith and teach us about our weaknesses.

The importance of relationships is not a new concept which arrived with Jesus; rather, it forms the very essence of who we are, "It is not good for the man to be alone" Genesis 2:18. God could have created us to be isolated, but He did not! We were created to actually need one another. Almost three thousand years ago, Solomon wrote of the importance of having encouraging relationships.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

As we look at the many believers scattered around the world, we notice the ways we are different as well as the many ways we are the same. We have different colors of skin and styles of clothes, different tastes in food and accents of speech; but we all have similar dreams, and all face the same kinds of trials and temptations. And we ALL need the same Savior!

God has taken a diverse group of people and formed us into the Body of Christ; "Though all its parts are many, they form one body" 1 Corinthians 12:12. But I'm afraid the focus of satisfying our own needs and fulfilling our own desires has left this body crippled and deformed. We must understand that as "one body" we desperately need each other; "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it" 1 Corinthians 12:26.

Let's look with new and excited eyes at the Body of Christ. There are people all around who need encouragement, and there are also those who have the ability to encourage us. Let's identify the strands which God has placed in our life and then spend the necessary time to weave them into something strong and beautiful. Let's strengthen His Body today by building unbreakable cords of encouragement.

- steve troxel

....know

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.

In the early stage of his trials, 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. Yes, God is in control...but why!? When Job couldn't find an answer, he began to feel terribly alone and abandoned.

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. God's response continued for almost four chapters: "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 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. And 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.

- steve troxel

....armor

Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands 1 Samuel 17:47

After young David, the shepherd boy, convinced King Saul to let him go out and fight Goliath, the first thing the king did was dress David in his own armor and bronze helmet. But David said, “I cannot walk with these” 1 Samuel 17:39. So David went out to face Goliath with his own “armor”: a tunic, a staff, a sling, five stones, and faith. For that task, that was all David needed to defeat his enemy.

When we face the giants that threaten us in our life, there is a temptation to put on “armor” God didn’t design for us to wear. It may be the armor of this world (position, power, education, wealth, influence) or it may be armor that we’ve seen a fellow Christian successfully wear. It may take a few battles for us to learn that God has provided all the armor we need: truth, righteousness, the Gospel, faith, salvation, Scripture, and prayer Ephesians 6:14-18.

Face your giants today clothed in the armor of Christ. Let God prepare you for battle, and you will be victorious.

- david jeremiah

.....coyotes

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap Galatians 6:7.

In his book, "Rewriting the Family Script", Roger Hillerstrom shares how a small, Midwestern town once sponsored a coyote hunt because so many farmers were losing chickens to the predators. Fifteen hundred coyotes were killed over a single weekend.

However, within a few months the entire community was overrun with rodents, because their natural enemy, the coyote, had been eliminated. A year after that, the rodents weren't much of a problem, but the rattlesnakes were! Because there were so many rats and mice for them to eat, the poisonous snakes had reproduced rapidly. 

At that point, the chickens were safe, but the humans were in danger! You see, the coyotes had been an important part of the environmental system - the food chain. When one part of that system changed, other parts adapted to the new reality.

When we, as individuals, groups, or societies and even some churches get rid of God's Word, and overthrow God's standards to do as we please, and seek to throw out God himself, the seeds of our ultimate destruction are sown. God is not mocked. We will reap what we have sown. 

As the Apostle Paul exhorted the Christians in Corinth: "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men and women of courage; be strong. Do everything in love" 1 Corinthians 16:13-14.