Tag Archives: faith

June 18

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I Kings 22:36-40; 2 Kings 1:1; 2 Chronicles 19:1-11, 20:1-30; Psalms 46, 47, 48

Judah was in trouble. Word reached King Jehoshaphat that a vast army was coming to destroy them. The king knew he and his army were no match for the enemy.

Have you ever felt like that? Like the circumstances of life are such that you feel you can’t face them and win? Have you ever looked ahead and thought, it’s too much?

We can all learn from Jehoshaphat’s example. The first thing he did was to proclaim a fast. Not a quick-start to a diet fast, but a down on your knees, heartfelt, honest time of prayer instead of eating. A time of seeking God, earnestly pouring themselves out before God.

Then the people gathered together. Listen to some of what Jehoshaphat prayed that day:

For we have no power to face this vast army (insert whatever it is you are facing) that is attacking us. We don’t know what to do, BUT OUR EYES ARE ON YOU. (2 Chronicles 20:12)

The third thing they did was to set out for battle. Have faith in The Lord, Jehoshaphat says. Then he told them to praise God. Before the battle, during the battle. Praise God.

Verse 22 says, “As they began to sing and praise, The Lord set ambushes against the (enemy)”.

So here’s what I think is an example of how to face life’s troubles. 1) Seek God, fast if you can, 2) Pray. Admit your helplessness and lay it all at God’s feet, 3) Get up and get going. 4) Praise God before, during, and after. Praise God.

Be sure to read Psalm 46 today. Especially if you feel you are in a situation with no hope. I’m telling you there is hope. God is our refuge and strength in all circumstances. Seek him. Trust him. Praise him.

Father in heaven, thank you once again for your Word that speaks to hearts today. Some of us are going through things in this life that are overwhelming and we just don’t know what to do. May we keep our eyes on you. May we seek you, trust you, and praise you in all things. Remind us that you are our strength, our refuge. Be exalted, Lord.

June 15

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I Kings 17-19

Elijah has to be one of my favorite Old Testament characters. This prophet of God stood up to Ahab, but ran in fear of Jezebel. I wonder what he thought about taking bread and meat from ravens.

Elijah prayed for a widow and her flour and oil were never used up during the famine. He even prayed for her dying son and the boy was healed. And Elijah had a little fun taunting the prophets of Baal.

But here’s what spoke to me today. Elijah could challenge those 450 prophets because he knew Baal was not a god of any kind. It wasn’t that Elijah “believed” that Baal was no threat. Elijah knew Baal had no power. He knew without a doubt that no amount of praying or dancing or shouting could produce fire on Baal’s altar. And you know what? Elijah didn’t feel the need to apologize for being sure about that, either.

Elijah repeatedly and very publicly challenged them because Elijah knew the Truth.

How sure are you that the Bible is true and God is who he says he is? How sure are you that Jesus is the only way to God? Are you convinced that Christianity is the only true theology? Can you stand up for God without apology?

I am not asking you what you believe. I’m asking you what you know to be true. Have you experienced the life-changing presence of God as you ask Jesus to be your Savior? Do you see him work in your life and in the lives of others? Do you recognize his power in creation?

If God asked, would you defend him as publicly as Elijah did that day? Would I?

Father, may your children know you. May we define what we know is true. May we never apologize for knowing the truth. And may we be ready to put ourselves out there because we are sure that you are who you say you are.

May 4

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Psalms 124, 108, 60, 44, 20; 2 Samuel 8:9-14, 23:18-19; 1 Chronicles 18:9-13, 11:20-21

Even David experienced defeat once in a while. He knew what it was to be distressed and feel as though God had forgotten his misery. He boldly questions God – Why do you sleep? Why do you hide your face?

Sometimes I think we put undue pressure on each other by suggesting a sanctified life is like a walk in the park. We may get the idea that having faith means always accepting life with a smile on our faces. We may even have been told that Christians never question God, that doing so is a sin. 

I’ll tell you right now that there have been things that have happened in my life that have caused me to ask some questions. I don’t believe God intends for us to stop thinking and feeling when we accept him as our Savior. 

But I, like David, have learned that even when I don’t understand, God assures me of his love and gives me hope. There is something… Someone… greater than anything this world can hand me. 

So I will continue to question. I’ll continue to ask for victory. I’ll keep on going to God with my heart’s desire. And even though I may not get the answers I think I need this side of heaven, I’ll trust him because he can be trusted and he loves me more than I can even imagine. 

 

April 20

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Psalms 7, 35, 57,142

Have you ever sung the chorus “Be exalted”? Did you know the words were written by David while he was hiding in a cave because Saul was hunting him down? In the midst of trial, while he was being treated unfairly, David praised God.

In this psalm David pleads with God for mercy. He lays his requests all out there for God. Then he declares his faith in God and praises him.

If you are having trouble praying read Psalm 57. I think it’s a pretty good blueprint for how to go to God with our requests. And always let him know you love him, you trust him, and you praise him.

Heavenly Father, I am convicted about my prayer life this morning. I think I’m pretty good about telling you what I think I need and want, expressing my heartache. But forgive me for the many times I forget to praise you. Whether good times or bad I want to exalt you, O Lord. You are worthy of my praise.

April 18

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Psalms 52 & 109, I Samuel 23:1-29

I admire David. God took a young shepherd and promised him a kingdom. It wasn’t going to be an easy transition between Saul’s reign and Davids, though. 

Saul was obsessed with David and followed him everywhere with the intent to kill him. David couldn’t even go home out of fear for his life. It just wasn’t fair. If anyone had reason to doubt God or be angry at the Lord it was David during his years on the run.

But listen to what David wrote while holding up in a cave:

“But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good.”

and

“With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng I will praise him. For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him.”

Is life treating you unfairly? Join the club. But instead of arguing with God, blaming or questioning him, instead of dwelling on the unfairness of things, try praising God. If we are honest with ourselves there is reason to praise him. And if we take our focus off ourselves and our situation and place it toward God I believe God will be faithful to be exactly what we need in the midst of our difficulties. 

Dear God, I just want to praise you today. Thank you for the sunshine, the spring flowers that are blooming, your creation that never ceases to amaze me. Thank you for my sisters and their families, dear people who love me and who I have the privilege of loving in return. Thank you for friendships, for the freedom I have to worship you here in America. Thank you for lovingly inspiring men to put your thoughts into words so I can read them this morning. Thank you for standing with me in times of trouble. And mostly, thank you for Jesus who loved me so much he went to the cross to pay for my sins. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who promises to be present with me every minute of every day. And thank you, Holy Father, that you love me and want me to spend eternity with you. I am blessed. You are the giver of all good things and I am truly blessed. You are compassionate, slow to anger, mighty in power and you love me. I praise you today.

April 17

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Psalms 5,59,133,34, I Samuel 21:1-15, 22:1-5, I Chronicles 12:8-18

Saul was actively searching for David in order to kill him. David had to leave his home and hide in a cave. He knew he had done nothing wrong to Saul, yet here he was – running for his life.

In the midst of this turmoil David was able to write some pretty encouraging words. Here are a few of them:

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

“O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.”

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

“O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.”

Later he wrote:

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

and:

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

“A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”

God is reminding me today that he is greater than anything this world can throw at me. I am not a righteous person in and of myself. I am a sinner saved by grace and when Jesus came into my heart he put HIS righteousness on me as though it was my own. 

So because of Jesus, when I cry out the Lord hears me. When I have troubles he makes himself known and helps me in the midst of those troubles. It’s not because I’ve cleaned myself up. It’s because Jesus stands in my place.

Satan is the Saul in our life. He is actively searching for us in order to destroy us… me. He would steal our joy, cause us to doubt, make us think a little sin doesn’t hurt anything. We have done nothing wrong to Satan, yet he is out to destroy us.

I have shared that I am grieving the loss of my sweet nephew and dear father. Both men have been gone less than a year. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about them and miss them. There have been days when I found it hard to get out of bed, to breathe.

But during this grieving I can honestly say that God has been my refuge. He really has been my strength. I can say with David, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” When I “…sing of (God’s) strength, in the morning I will sing of (His) love”, even when my spirit is crushed, he reminds me that I really do have reason to praise him. As hard as it’s been to lose Dad and Geoff, I am reminded how blessed I am to have had them in my life. They will forever be a part of me. I thank God for that.

My prayer today is that whatever battle you are facing, you will have the same confidence in God that David had. May we all know the sweet release of allowing God to be our Strength. 

April 13

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I Samuel 13:23-14:52, I Chronicles 8:1-9:1

Jonathon demonstrated faith in God when he went into the Philistine outpost. “Perhaps The Lord will act in our behalf,” he said. “Nothing can hinder The Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

God was with him that day and Jonathon and his armor-bearer were victorious in battle.

It’s true, you know. God has accomplished great things when one or two people have faith in him.

Billy Graham is one man but thousands have come to the Lord because he trusted God with his career.

Fannie Crosby was one lone blind woman who wrote hymns that still speak to people today.

Two spinster sisters we called Aunt Minnie and Aunt Rose taught Sunday School and prayed with dozens of boys and girls to receive Christ as their Savior.

God uses individuals, men and women who trust him, to win individuals. He justs asks us to have faith and get out there. Let’s remember that as Christians, he is with us and can do great things when we obey.

April 9

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I Samuel 1:1-2:21, Psalm 113, Judges 14:1-16:22

Those of us who grew up going to Sunday School are probably very familiar with these stories. Hannah and Samuel taught us about faith and the power of prayer. Samson taught us about God’s strength. But as an adult I read these same stories and see other things.

I see Hannah’s deep pain from having no children. I see faith in her agonizing prayer. I see Hannah express her love for God and thankfulness to him as she takes her young son to another city to be raised by the priest there. I see her missing Samuel, making robes for him through her tears. And I see her home filled with the laughter of other children, too.

I see a very foolish Samson. Physically strong but morally weak. Has anyone ever had worse taste in women? I see a man so “in love” he is blind to Delilah’s real character. He just sees what he wants to see. I see in Samson’s story the devastating result of seeking revenge.

Isn’t the Bible amazing? God wants little children to know him so he included the accounts of people like Hannah, Samuel, and Samson to tell them about his power, his love and faithfulness, and that he answers prayer. 

But if you look deeper, God reveals more of Himself. What a privilege we have of opening these pages each day, of getting a glimpse into the heart of God.

God, I thank you for your Word again this morning. Thank you that the lives of people like Hannah and Samson are recorded here to show us more about you. May we have faith like Hannah. And may we be examples of your strength like Samson.  May we not be satisfied with just knowing about you, but may we dig deeper and know you personally.

 

February 9

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Exodus 22-24

God promised the nation of Israel that if they obeyed him and followed the laws he set down he would be on their side. He would defeat their enemies and drive out the people now living in the land he had promised them.

But, God said, he wouldn’t do it in a day. Little by little he would drive out the inhabitants until the Jews were ready to take possession of the land.

Have you ever had to wait for an answer to prayer?

If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time you’ll agree that God’s timing is often not the same as ours. I imagine when the Jews marched out of Egypt they figured they’d be mowing the grass in their new homes in Canaan in a few short weeks.

God had a different time table. Little by little, he told them.

We don’t like to wait, do we? In our age of instant gratification, microwavable dinners, the fastest internet service we can find, we want our prayers to be microwavable, too. Ask and you’ll receive… now.

But while we learn to wait for God’s timing let’s not miss the lessons he wants us to learn along the way. God wanted Israel to increase enough to take the land. He wants our faith and trust, our maturity to increase enough for us to handle the answers to our prayers, too.

Father, thank you for answered prayer. Forgive us when our faith is shaken when we don’t receive the answers we want fast enough. Teach us to wait and learn, to trust you not only with the “what” of our desires, but the “when” as well.

February 6

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Exodus 13-15

As we read together the account of Israel’s time in the desert we will see times of great victories and times of great disobedience. Remember Israel was chosen by God… not because He loved them better than He loved other people. He didn’t choose them to bless them for their sakes. He chose them to reveal Himself to the world. 13:4 is one of the many times God explains why He is working through Israel. “I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know I am the Lord.”

So the Jews walked across a dry Red Sea but the same waters drowned the Egyptians. Not a Jew was lost and not an Egyptian survived. And God could not be denied.

After that amazing rescue the Israelites had no trouble believing God was who he said he was. 14:31 says they feared the Lord and put their trust in Moses. They believed God was on their side and would get them to the Promised Land.

Three days later… seventy-two short hours later those same Israelites are grumbling against Moses because they were thirsty. They couldn’t find any drinking water in the desert. Were they really that fickle that one day they trust God and the next they don’t?

Sometimes it’s easier to trust God with the big picture than it is to trust Him with the details. As Christians we trust Him with our eternal home, we believe He is faithful to the end.

Yet we find ourselves worrying about the every day things. Not enough money to pay bills. A frightening medical diagnosis. A struggling relationship. A project at work or school.

We trust God with our future but can we trust Him with the day… or the minute? God provided water for the Israelites that day in the desert. And He promises to supply us with all our needs according to His riches.

There’s a song I like that says… when you come to the place where I’m all you have, You’ll find I’m all you need.

So can God be trusted with what you are going through today? Absolutely. He wants you to know He can be trusted. Remember, a sparrow doesn’t fall to the ground without God seeing it happen. And you are so much more precious to him than a sparrow.

Father, thank you for supplying water for the Israelites in the desert and showing us your great care for your people. Help us to give you what is worrying us right now, this minute. Help us to trust you with today.