Difficulty Is the Very Atmosphere of Miracle..... Streams in the Desert

 

Difficulty Is the Very Atmosphere of Miracle 

Streams in the Desert

The angel of the Lord came upon him (Peter) and a light shined in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off (Acts 12:7).

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God... And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one's bands were loosed (Acts 16:25-26).

 

This is God's way. In the darkest hours of the night, His tread draws near across the billows. As the day of execution is breaking, the angel comes to Peter's cell. When the scaffold for Mordecai is complete, the royal sleeplessness leads to a reaction in favor of the favored race.

 

Ah, soul, it may have to come to the worst with thee ere thou art delivered; but thou wilt be delivered! God may keep thee waiting, but he will ever be mindful of His covenant, and will appear to fulfill His inviolable Word.
--F. B. Meyer

 

There's a simplicity about God in working out His plans, yet a resourcefulness equal to any difficulty, and an unswerving faithfulness to His trusting child, and an unforgetting steadiness in holding to His purpose. Through a fellow-prisoner, then a dream, He lifts Joseph from a prison to a premiership. And the length of stay in the prison prevents dizziness in the premier. It's safe to trust God's methods and to go by His clock.
--S. D. Gordon

 

Providence hath a thousand keys to open a thousand sundry doors for the deliverance of His own, when it is even come to a desperate case. Let us be faithful; and care for our own part which is to suffer for Him, and lay Christ's part on Himself, and leave it there.
--George MacDonald

 

Difficulty is the very atmosphere of miracle -- it is miracle in its first stage. If it is to be a great miracle, the condition is not difficulty but impossibility.

 

The clinging hand of His child makes a desperate situation a delight to Him.

Genuine Repentance..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Genuine Repentance

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Corinthians 7:8-10

Because we desire to be more like Jesus, we make resolutions, ask Him to help us, and try to behave differently. Yet despite our best efforts to do things God's way, we slide back into old habits. Frustrated, we may ask Him, "Why can't I change?" The reason is, overcoming sinful attitudes and behaviors starts with genuine repentance, which has three aspects.

Conviction. The Holy Spirit will reveal the areas in which we've sinned and convict us of wrongdoing. Through Scripture, the Spirit shows us God's standard and what needs to change. Repentance begins with understanding where we have gone astray.

Contrition. The next step--grieving over our iniquity--is followed by confession to the Lord. Genuine sorrow arises from the knowledge that we've sinned against Him. In contrast, human unhappiness often comes from being caught misbehaving. Other times we are miserable because of where our choices led us, or feel shame that people know about our sin. True contrition is followed by humble confession.

Commitment to act.  Real repentance is complete when we wholeheartedly pledge to turn from our old behavior and move toward righteous ways. God knows we won't live perfectly, but He looks for a surrendered heart that diligently seeks to obey Him.

Paul used strong language when telling us to turn from iniquity: "Put to death... whatever belongs to your earthly nature" (Col. 3:5 niv). What sin are you struggling to overcome? Have you genuinely repented, committing to turn from it permanently? Let the Holy Spirit empower you to change.

Streams in the Desert

Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. (Phil 4:6)

No anxiety ought to be found in a believer. Great, many and varied may be our trials, our afflictions, our difficulties, and yet there should be no anxiety under any circumstances, because we have a Father in Heaven who is almighty, who loves His children as He loves His only-begotten Son, and whose very joy and delight it is to succor and help them at all times and under all circumstances. We should attend to the Word, “In nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

“In everything,” that is not merely when the house is on fire, not merely when the beloved wife and children are on the brink of the grave, but in the smallest matters of life, bring everything before God, the little things, the very little things, what the world calls trifling things—everything—living in holy communion with our Heavenly Father, arid with our precious Lord Jesus all day long. And when we awake at night, by a kind of spiritual instinct again turning to Him, and speaking to Him, bringing our various little matters before Him in the sleepless night, the difficulties in connection with the family, our trade, our profession. Whatever tries us in any way, speak to the Lord about it.

God Hears Your Prayers for Your Marriage..... FRANCINE RIVERS

 God Hears Your Prayers for Your Marriage

FRANCINE RIVERS

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 (NIV)

My husband, Rick, and I celebrated our golden wedding anniversary on December 21, 2019. We often look at each other and wonder aloud, “How has that much time passed so quickly?”

I still remember our wedding day, which was full of excitement and anxiety. What were we thinking when we planned a Christmas wedding? Well, that evening was the only time the church was available.

Serving in the Marine Corps at El Toro, a 10-hour drive away, Rick had not been involved with all the preparations. All he had to do was show up, but even that was proving a challenge. A Marine serves at the pleasure of the Corps, and one commanding officer thought it was funny to refuse permission for leave to get married.

That wasn’t the only reason I had bridal jitters. What if Rick changed his mind? What if he decided I wasn’t good enough for him and he’d rather wait for someone better to come along? I’d heard stories of brides left at the altar. Would Rick have second or third thoughts and decide to call the whole thing off?

Burdened by guilt over mistakes I’d made, all of which made me feel unworthy to be his wife, I would have been broken and crushed, but I wouldn’t have blamed him.

I felt a mingling of surprised relief and joy when Rick appeared at the front of the church, looking straight at me, waiting. We’d known each other since fifth grade, but we’d both been through a lot in the intervening years. Life had battered and bruised both of us in different ways. Neither of us knew the full extent of the damage or what we were getting in a spouse.

After the service, the reception confirmed our oneness. We received guests, cut the cake and opened gifts. Then, Rick and I headed off on our honeymoon.

Oh, how romantic. But it wasn’t long before the differences between two melded people showed up. One thrifty; the other a spendthrift. One liked to get from point A to point B directly, while the other wanted to meander and stop to take pictures. Hidden addictions reared their ugly heads.

Another learning curve was parenthood: joy and fun mingled with trials and tribulations. One parent a rigid disciplinarian, and the other wanted to be a friend.

We did a lot of shouting in the early days and a lot of making up too. We were strong-willed people, each absolutely convinced his or her way was right. We came near to divorce several times. We were both stubborn and miserable, thinking the other was to blame and should change.

Eventually, I started to learn I couldn’t change anyone. I couldn’t even change myself. That’s when I became willing to try anything — even reaching out to God — to stop the pain and anger.

God listens to His wandering, bleating sheep, and He knew when this bride was ready to listen and learn.

When we finally gave up and sought God, everything changed. God proved Himself faithful in my marriage when I followed Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

We asked, and God started changing us. Rick and I started our mornings together, a time that remains precious. We fanned each other’s dreams and helped each other step out in faith and take risks to achieve them.

The gospel of Jesus Christ opened our hearts and poured life into our souls. Whenever I had a problem, the Lord was the last one I would seek for answers. Now I recognize His loving hand was on me from the time I was born. He was always near, and still is.

In every tempting and potentially life-damaging situation, God had offered a way of escape. I chose not to take those. Even so, God never stopped loving me. And now that I walk with Jesus, He has used what Satan meant for my destruction for His good purpose, not only in my life, but also in the lives of others. He can do the same for you.

Lord, thank You for knowing what is best for my life. Teach me and show me the ways I am not fully surrendering to You and give me the strength to do so. I want to live my life fully for You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Luke 9:23, “Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” (NIV)

Delighting in God..... Gwen Smith

 Delighting in God

Gwen Smith

Friend to Friend
In C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia series, a young Edmund Pevensie is a fictional character who, at one point, almost traded his soul for a Turkish delight. He naïvely gave into cravings that ended up costing him, and his loved ones, way more than he anticipated.

Initially, the evil White Witch was shocked by Edmund's presence in Narnia, but she quickly implemented a crafty plan to destroy him, and her plan of destruction began with temptation.

First, she pretended to care about him. Then, like the crafty serpent in Eden’s garden, she warmed him up by providing a sugar-coated death delight. And just like the first Adam and Eve, Edmund, Son of Adam, took the bait.

Similarly, our very-real enemy tries hard to get you and me to place our delight in things other than Jesus and His Word. Peter wrote about this to the believers of His day, "Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist Him, firm in the faith." (1 Peter 5:8-9a, CSB)

Our enemy whispers toxic lies to churn discontentment and promises the things of this world will solve our problems, numb our pain and bring a sweet reward.

His mission is to get us to delight in and focus on anything other than the mission 

You and I were created to be in relationship with God.

To live and love according to His ways and word. With all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls.

The psalmist embraced the tensions of this and celebrated God's Word as a point of goodness in Psalm 119:43. “Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.” And again, later in that same chapter, “I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight.” (Psalm 119:174)

It's sounds good and right when I read this, but I know all too well that it's easy to feel restless and unsatisfied sometimes. Even as a Christian who loves Jesus.

I think most of us would say we want to delight in God's commands and laws, but we wonder what that really looks like. How can this play out practically in the messy middle of our average, over-busy, complicated days?

I'm learning that God wants more than my good intentions, and He wants more than my attempts at good behavior.

He wants me to pursue Him as He pursues me.

He wants me to seek Him. To care about knowing Him more deeply. To connect with and worship Him.

In doing these things, I delight in Him.

Let's be honest... while you and I may not have normal run ins with a freakish White Witch, there are tons of things that tempt us to find delight in other than Jesus.

But none are greater.

Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, You are my delight. Forgive me for turning to the left and the right when I should be turning straight to You. Teach me Your ways, Lord. Grow my love for Your Word and guard my heart from temptation.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

How Struggles Strengthen Your Knot..... By Jen Ferguson

 How Struggles Strengthen Your Knot

By Jen Ferguson

“Marriage is the beautiful design of the Almighty, a great and sacred mystery—meant to be a vivid example of Christ and his church. So every married man should be gracious to his wife just as he is gracious to himself. And every wife should be tenderly devoted to her husband.” - Ephesians 5:32-33, The Passion Translation

Fishermen use a special knot when they need to repair a line that has broken. This same type of knot is also called the “marriage knot.” Essentially, you take two pieces of string or line and line them up side by side. You tie piece one to piece two, rotate it, and tie piece two to piece one. Then, when you pull the ends, the two knots get pulled closer and closer together and finally mesh seemingly as one when they meet in the middle. There are two things amazingly neat about this type of knot:

First, the more you pull the strings in opposite directions, the tighter the knot gets. Secondly, when it gets wet, the harder the knot is to loosen. Satan thinks that the more obstacles he throws in your path, the more storms he can use to rock your boat, the more it will drive you and your spouse apart. Addictions, sexual temptations, health issues, troubled children, financial despairs—like flaming arrows he fires them, desperate to break your union and send waves crashing down so you feel like you’re drowning. Why? Because of God’s passion for marriage. Because of what it represents. If it’s true that truly nothing—not death, nor life, angels, or demons, height or depth—can separate us from the love of God and marriage is supposed to be the manifestation of this truth, Satan believes if he can break up marriages he can prove God’s Word to be a lie.

But these obstacles that Satan throws our way actually have the power to strengthen us both individually and as a married couple. These obstacles compel us to work on our relationship. If we allow God to use for good the very things that Satan means for destruction, our marriage will actually become indestructible. The suffering Satan wants to use to cripple us ends up producing endurance. Endurance produces character, and character hope. And then all of the sudden, instead of slogging through the darkness, we end up emerging as a radiant beacon of light that others can see and it all ends up illuminating their darkness.

Isn’t it so like God to take our brokenness and use the pieces to create a masterpiece that helps others to see His goodness and faithfulness? He stitches all those things that once caused us not to love each other in the manner that we are called to love in such a way that we can only love each other more.

When I think of how much Craig has overcome in his struggle with addiction, in his quest to find true health—physically, emotionally, spiritually—I find my level of devotion to be far greater than the day I pledged my life to him in 2000. When my fears for his health begin to wear on me and I slip into my anxious mindset, he gives me grace—reassurance, sometimes, and others, a commitment to change his own course for both our benefits. When other hard situations come—and they will come—we will have an even deeper well of love and grace from which to draw because we’ve had to dig deep to get through our other trials.

Satan believes that if he just throws enough stuff our way, he’ll tear us apart. But isn’t amazing to know that God knew exactly how Satan would work and that He has truly taken what the enemy meant for harm and shows us how it can all be for our good? Going through the hard allows us to let down our walls, shed our self-sufficiency, and presses us toward vulnerability, that if we embrace it, will allow the very fibers of our being—and our marriage—to intertwine with each other’s.

When people see this as we share our story, there is an opportunity for hope to be restored that just as we did not give up on each other, neither does Jesus give up on us. He perseveres even when we don’t deserve it, loves us through our messiness, and challenges us with truth (filled with grace and love) when we’ve become complacent.

To love our spouse as Jesus loves the Church seems impossible some days, but God never asks us to do it on our own strength. Instead, He empowers us to love through His own unconditional love for us, from a well that never runs dry.

Be Yourself..... by Stephen Sanders

 Be Yourself

by Stephen Sanders

Have you ever had someone tell you to, "Just be yourself and everything will work out"? It sounds so simple doesn't it?  "Be Yourself."  What does that even mean? After all, if we could simply "be ourselves," then wouldn't the world that surrounds us be a lot different?

I often wonder what friendships would be like if we could simply be who we are inside; to not feel so much pressure to be less or more of an individual than we think we are supposed to be. One thing I've begun to focus on in recent months is being the same person everywhere I am no matter who I'm around; but that's a lot easier said that done. 

 Don't get me wrong. I totally realize that none of us are exempt to sin. 1 John 1:8-10 says this: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

 Can you see how not dealing with sin appropriately keeps us from being ourselves?  Behavior like this causes us to trick ourselves into thinking we are someone who we really aren't. When we ignore or hide sin, it breeds all kinds of issues, not only in us, but also in the body of Christ. 

So how should sin be handled?  How can you "be yourself?"  Well, here are 3 things that will certainly get us going in the right direction: Confession, confrontation and forgiveness.

We all know that we are supposed to confess our sins to God, but what about confessing our sins to one another?  Where does that fit into the picture?  The answer lies within James 5:16, which instructs us to, "...confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."  Why isn't the confession of sins more of a focus in the church today?  Shouldn't we be doing this every chance we get if it results in "healing and righteousness?"

Secondly, there is confrontation.  Jesus says in Matthew 18:15-17 that, "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.  But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.  If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church..." Notice that this scenario starts with someone taking the initiative to point out the sin.  Also notice that this person risks not only putting his friend in an uncomfortable situation, but also being humiliated in front of others if he is wrong about his assessment. It's easy to see why the church struggles with this; it's not a simple solution.  

Lastly, we have forgiveness.  After discussing confrontation and confession, doesn't forgiveness make a lot more sense now?  There is a very good reason why Jesus instructed us to forgive, "seventy times seven times " in Matthew 18:22.  Jesus knew we were going to be surrounded by sinful people because we live in a sinful world.  Rather than avoiding it, we need to be brave enough to be the one who chooses to forgive sin unconditionally and infinitely.  Our reaction to sin determines the impact it is able to have on us.  Who knows?  Our reaction may even be so powerful that it may stop that sin in its tracks before it affects others too!

Intersecting Faith and Life:  

I'm totally convinced that this is how we should be handling sin.  And since sin is "at enmity with God" then shouldn't we be doing everything we can to remove it from the bride of Christ?  Shouldn't this be a primary focus in our lives rather than striving for what we can gain in life?  Jesus is waiting for a bride with no blemishes. 

Today, just take about 15 minutes and ask God this simple question: "God, how is the sin in my life keeping me from being who you have created me to be?"

Further Reading

1 John 1
Matthew 18
James 5

The Blood of Forgiveness and Cleansing..... By Roy Lessin

 The Blood of Forgiveness and Cleansing

By Roy Lessin

Jesus was crucified at the time of the Jewish Feast of Passover. This was not a coincidence. It was ordained of God. Jesus is called our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7) and also the Lamb of God (John 1:29).

The first Passover took place more than 3,000 years ago. It happened on the night when God sent the tenth plague upon Egypt. This plague would bring death to the first born in the land. To escape this judgement, the Jewish people were to follow God’s specific instructions for deliverance.

Each family was commanded to choose a lamb according to God’s specifications. The lamb was to be slain and its blood applied to the two side posts and the upper door post of each house. The slain lamb was then to be brought into the home, roasted, and eaten by everyone inside. It was in this context that God made this promise, “The blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:13 NLT

There was only one way the Jewish people could be delivered from the judgment of death. They did not think up this way. It was God’s way. It was the way of the blood. It was the only way! Through the substitutionary death of The Passover lamb, God was telling us that one day, in the fullness of time, He would send a Lamb into the world, His Lamb—Perfect! Sinless!—to be our Savior and Deliverer from sin.

The shed blood of God’s Lamb, has provided by His grace, so many life-changing things for us. Two of these include our forgiveness and cleansing.

One of life’s frustrations is when I buy a new shirt and then spill something on it the first time I wear it. What makes it even worse is when the item I spilled leaves a stain that I can’t remove. Sin is like a stain in us that wouldn’t come out, no matter how hard we try. To remove the stain of sin will take something far beyond anything we can do. God is the only One who has the solution. In Isaiah 1:18 God gives us this wonder working promise, “Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 NKJV

It is only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that sin’s stain can be removed, and we can be forgiven and cleansed.

Forgiveness and cleansing are very different things. Suppose a boy got very angry at a classmate while at school, and during the lunch hour the boy wrote some hateful things on the chalkboard. Just as the boy was about to leave, the teacher walked in. When the teacher read what was written on the board he asked the boy if he had written it. The boy confessed and said that he was sorry. The teacher forgave the boy, and then took a cloth and wiped the chalkboard clean so it would never be seen or read again. When God forgives us He also cleanses us, and remembers our sins no more. “I, only I, am He who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25 AMP

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for leaving heaven and coming to earth to die on the cross for me. Thank You for shedding Your blood so I could begin each day in the joy of being cleansed and forgiven. Thank You for being the Lamb of God, my perfect Savior from sin!

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. - Revelation 1:5 NKJV

A Prayer for Intentional Marriage..... By Brent Rinehart

 A Prayer for Intentional Marriage

By Brent Rinehart

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Is does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Just like your growth as a Christian, marriage is a process. If we are doing it right, we are continuing to be pruned and shaped into the husband or wife we are meant to be. Just as a plant becomes fuller when pruned, our marriages–and lives–become fuller when we strip those things that take away from our relationship and focus on the things that add to it.

There are a few things that come to mind that are “must-haves” for any successful marriage. These are things that many of us don’t do well. It’s not because we lack the know-how or time, it’s that we simply lack the focus on being intentional in our marriages. The first step to improving is identifying pitfalls and potential problem areas.

Communicating. Any successful relationship is built around communication. Unity, just as Paul writes to the Ephesians, involves “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). If something is bothering you in your marriage, don’t share it with your best friend without talking to your spouse about it directly. It may be difficult to discuss, but trust in true love.

Speaking Her Language. There’s another aspect of communicating that is essential–speaking your spouse’s love language. Maybe you haven’t read Gary Chapman’s “The Five Love Languages” or taken the steps to figure out the love languages for yourself or your spouse. We can all agree that we need to understand what makes our spouse tick and then act accordingly. We need to make the extra effort to do things in our marriages that make our spouses feel loved. 

Praying. According to FamilyLife, which has surveyed thousands of participants at its Weekend to Remember marriage retreats, less than 8 percent of couples pray together on a regular basis. Even fewer Christian couples (about 5 percent) pray together daily. And, these are Jesus-loving people who care enough about their marriages to attend a retreat. What would a survey look like among a wider audience? Sadly, it’s likely the same or worse. Most of us don’t take the time to pray together with our spouses.

I’ve heard this analogy used before: a marriage is like a garden. It’s always changing and growing something. Even if left untouched, it’s still going to sprout up weeds. But, if tended and tilled, the soil is ready for planting and growing beautiful or useful flowers or plants. We have a choice. Leave our marriage untended or work at it. The result of doing the latter will make it all worthwhile.

A Prayer for Your Marriage:

Father, help me to be the best [husband/wife] you have intended me to be. Show me where I need to improve. Help me to be a better communicator, help me to love my [husband/wife] better, and help us both to grow closer to You and to each other in this new year. In Jesus' Name, Amen.