Streams in the Desert

 Streams in the Desert

Under hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed (Romans 4:18). (Weymouth)

Abraham's faith seemed to be in a thorough correspondence with the power and constant faithfulness of Jehovah. In the outward circumstances in which he was placed, he had not the greatest cause to expect the fulfillment of the promise. Yet he believed the Word of the Lord, and looked forward to the time when his seed should be as the stars of heaven for multitude.

O my soul, thou hast not one single promise only, like Abraham, but a thousand promises, and many patterns of faithful believers before thee: it behooves thee, therefore, to rely with confidence upon the Word of God. And though He delayeth His help, and the evil seemeth to grow worse and worse, be not weak, but rather strong, and rejoice, since the most glorious promises of God are generally fulfilled in such a wondrous manner that He steps forth to save us at a time when there is the least appearance of it.

He commonly brings His help in our greatest extremity, that His finger may plainly appear in our deliverance. And this method He chooses that we may not trust upon anything that we see or feel, as we are always apt to do, but only upon His bare Word, which we may depend upon in every state.
--C. H. Von Bogatzky

Remember it is the very time for faith to work when sight ceases. The greater the difficulties, the easier for faith; as long as there remain certain natural prospects, faith does not get on even as easily as where natural prospects fail.
--George Mueller

Enduring Satanic Attacks..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Enduring Satanic Attacks

Dr. Charles Stanley

Ephesians 6:10-14

Every believer faces temptation. Take a moment to recall a particularly enticing situation involving something that would displease God. Did you realize you were involved in a satanic battle.

The Devil is real. Scripture reveals that he leads an army of fallen angels and is prideful enough to think he can gain victory over God. By definition, a satanic attack is a deliberate assault upon an individual, which is designed to cause spiritual, physical, material, or emotional harm. Satan desires to thwart the Lord's purpose in believers' lives, to rob them of joy and peace, and ultimately to deny God the worship He receives through yielded followers.

As in any war, knowing the enemy's plan helps us prepare for the attack. First, be aware that the battlefield takes place in our minds. To walk in a godly manner with Christ, we must first be sure that our thoughts are in submission to His Spirit. This takes daily surrender and time in God's Word. Second, Satan tempts us during vulnerable moments. Be cautious when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (This is often known as the H.A.L.T.  warning). Third, he is deceptive; we won't recognize the trap as an evil scheme. Instead, it will seem good, and we'll likely wrestle with some sort of doubt.

As Christians, we should walk closely with Jesus. Satan desires to lure us into destructive actions that rob us of God's plan for a good, full life. Stay connected to the Savior: read the Word, pray, and fellowship with other believers. These are weapons we use against the Devil in spiritual war.

Healing Is Such a Process..... LYSA TERKEURST

 Healing Is Such a Process

LYSA TERKEURST

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 (NIV)

On our date night, my husband Art and I bought a birthday card for a friend we hadn’t seen or talked to in a long time.

It was a hard choice because this friend was no longer in my life. During a season when I needed them most, they’d been strangely absent. And they’d recruited others to be the same, which hurt even more.

So, in a deep-down place, I decided this person no longer got to hold space in my heart, in my calendar or on my list of cards to be sent on holidays.

But there we were making an exception. I was making space for them, and I wasn’t entirely sure why.

Over our meal, we decided together what to write inside. And then at some point, Art sealed the envelope. I put a stamp on the outside, and I remember thinking, Wow … look at me. I’m the bigger person here. I sure am doing well with all this healing stuff.

That is, until an hour later, when I read an email with some frustrating news that was totally unrelated to the person we’d sent the card to earlier. I felt wronged. And that feeling of “wrong” was like a magnet calling forth every other feeling of undealt-with wrongs. Though the person I’d sent the card to had nothing to do with the unexpected email, the emotion I was feeling was connecting the two events as one.

And as much as I didn’t want to admit it, bitterness was boiling up.

Bitterness isn’t just a feeling. It is like liquid acid seeping into every part of us and corrupting all it touches. It not only reaches unhealed places, but it also eats away at all that is healed and healthy in us. Bitterness leaves nothing unaffected. Bitterness over one thing will locate bitterness hiding inside of us over other things. It will always intensify our reactions, skew our perspective and take us further and further away from peace.

Instead of talking about fun and positive things on our date that night, I got very vocal about how frustrating it is when people are mean and hurtful.

Art listened to my venting. And then he calmly asked me, “Lysa, are you angry that you haven’t seen evidence of God defending you?”

And there it was.

A moment of absolute clarity. Was this about God?

I swallowed, hard. And answered him: “Yes, that’s why I’m angry. I don’t understand why God hasn’t shown these people how wrong it was to do what they did and to feel convicted by all the devastation they caused.”

Art then asked, “How do you know that He hasn’t?”

Refusing to let my spiritual maturity perfect my answer, I blurted out, “Because they haven’t ever come back me to acknowledge it or apologize.”

Art calmly replied, “And maybe they never will. But that’s not evidence against God. It’s just where they are in the process.”

The process. They have a process. But so do I. And I think it’s time for me to make progress in my own process.

And as I’ve let it sit with me, I’ve realized there’s something that needs to be added into my process: humility.

James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Humanity rises up and demands that I be declared the right one. Humility bows low and realizes that only God has what I really want.

Turning my heart over to bitterness is me turning away from God. So I bow low, not because I want to. Because I need to. I prayed, “I release my need for this to feel fair. Show me what I need to learn.”

I have a choice to keep adding my anger and resentment into the equation, or I can make the rare choice to add in my own humility. My anger and resentment demand that all the wrongs are made right. It also keeps me positioned to get emotionally triggered over and over.

I know I’m stuck in pain when I get emotionally triggered at the mention of that person who was the source of the hurt. I know I’m healing when their name is mentioned and a life lesson is what I think about, and with a better perspective, I make better choices. It’s all such a process … a process that has to start somewhere.

I knew we were supposed to send that birthday card. But when we placed it in the mailbox, my emotions had not yet voted yes. And that’s okay.

Our emotions will sometimes be the very last thing to catch up to where we’ve healed. The card we sent felt like I was just going through the motions, but maybe it was walking out obedience.

This card was all part of the healing process.

I don’t have to know if it will ever make a difference in that person’s life. It made a difference in mine. It’s part of my process of cooperating with God. And it is necessary. And it is good.

God, I give this situation to You. I release my need for an apology. I release my need for this to feel fair. I release all that my flesh begs for so I can embrace what You may be teaching me through this situation. Give me Your peace in place of my anger. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 25:9, “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (NIV)

Are We Immune to Blessing?..... By Shawn McEvoy

 Are We Immune to Blessing?

By Shawn McEvoy

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 5:3

Our company has a set of really great tickets to the local minor league baseball team, just three rows behind the home dugout. This past summer, I got to use them to take my son to his first game. My wife and I took Jordan and his pal Victor, watched them gorge on hot dogs and sno-cones while dancing hilariously to every song blared over the loudspeaker, and had a grand ol' time.

Making the experience even richer was that the boys, who brought their baseball gloves, got not one... not two... but THREE baseballs that night! One was given by an older gentleman who had snagged a foul ball during batting practice. Another we caught ourselves. The third came when one of the fielders who had caught it as the final out of an inning tossed it into the crowd on his way back to the dugout. Of course, the moment that made me the most proud was when the boys, already with one ball each, decided that it would be nice to give the third one to a kid who hadn't gotten a ball yet. It was hard not to get a little misty watching my son seek out a younger boy of a different race and ask if he'd like to have a ball. I just love baseball.

Then came game two.

The next time we got to use the tickets, we took Jordan and his little sister. Again it was an idyllic evening, but this time... no foul balls. My son was hard to console on the walk to the parking lot. The little guy had no framework to understand what I was telling him: that of all the games I have been to in my life, I have never come away with a ball, outside of our last trip to the park. Most fans don't. The reason we bring our gloves just boils down to faith, hope. But he still couldn't get it. How could we have gotten so many balls last time, but none this time? What did we do wrong?

Game three came a few nights later. It was the sixth inning, and still no baseballs. Jordan was losing hope, getting a little grumpy. He looked up at me and said, "I've decided that if we don't get a ball I'm not going to be happy. If we do get a ball, I'm going to be happy."

Well... My 'teachable moment' alarm went off, but as usually happens, so did my 'not just for Jordan' alarm. I had a second to carefully consider what to say and use as an example.

I put my hand on his little Red Sox cap and bent down to whisper to him. "That's pretty wise what you said, son, and you might not even realize it. It IS your decision. Since that's true, if you wanted to, you could make a different decision. You might decide to be happy anyway, just because you're here with me, and not in bed yet, and watching a great game on a beautiful night, and hoping like crazy for a shot at a ball. That way, whether we get one or not, we still win, because we're still happy."

He didn't say anything, but somehow, I could tell I'd hit home, probably because his demeanor changed ever so slightly. Then, I spent most of the next inning silently considering the ramifications for myself of what I had just sold my son. Words from my own past and present came to mind. "If I get this job... if I don't hit traffic... if the house isn't a mess... if I get recognized for what I did... if I'm appreciated... if I get a raise... then I'll be happy..."

There's a reason why the Beatitudes intermingle the word "blessed" (meaning happy) with a lot of circumstances that don't sound altogether happy. Meekness, being poor in spirit, and making peace hardly seem like the parts of a happy life or time. But being happy based only on whether things work out how we think is almost as odd to consider as being happy at all because there's so much suffering and hardship around us, whether it's happening directly to us at the time or not.

Joy is consistent, happiness is fleeting, and blessedness is always going on whether we take time to recognize it. But when we do? It's like catching a baseball at every game you attend.

Incidentally, we did end up getting a ball in that third game. A player threw it to me, and a pre-teen snatched it out of my glove. But when he saw who I was catching it for, he handed it to Jordan. I didn't expect that, and neither did my son. That was the blessing that night. On the way out of the park, Jordan walked to the boy's seat to thank him, as did I. The kid was shy about it, possibly even regretting having given up his prize.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Do you ever regret showing mercy, doing right, or making peace? If life is like a baseball game, what do you think - should we attend expecting or not expecting a foul ball to come our way?

3 Steps from Psalm 139 to Declutter Your Heart..... By Kia Stephens

 3 Steps from Psalm 139 to Declutter Your Heart

By Kia Stephens

If we’re not careful, our hearts can become like double-sided tape, picking up slights and hurts with increasing ease. And God is never duped by our outward appearance. He, better than anyone, knows that no human being is exempt from needing to declutter our hearts.

Even David, described as a man after God’s own heart, asked God to examine the contents of his soul in Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV).

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

His prayer gives us three practical steps to follow in decluttering our hearts.

#1 Ask God

David courageously asked God to conduct an internal excavation. This was a brave request considering God knows all things, even that which we hide from ourselves.

And though the combination of our mind, will, and emotions may look like a long overdue garage sale, He is not hesitant to delve inside. He is not repelled by the complexity of our soul. Fully aware of the sum total of who we are, He delights in us.

#2 Listen to God

David not only asked, but was prepared to listen to all that God would reveal to him about his heart. This was evident by his words “See if there is any offensive way in me.” David wanted to know God’s opinion of who he was at his core.

If we choose, like David, to declutter our hearts, we need to be prepare for what God has to say about us. He may ask us to part with a piece of ourselves we feel intimately connected to. Though it may be difficult, we can rest in the truth that God loves us extravagantly.

He is a master heart pruner, who purges because He knows it will make us better. Gently he persistently prompts us to release the jumbled hodgepodge of clutter we’ve piled up in our hearts. As our Creator, we can trust He has a purpose when He says “Let it go.”

He alone knows what needs to be kept or discarded.

#3 Follow God

David ends his Psalm by saying “. . . Lead me into the way of everlasting.” If you are like me, sometimes I think I am a shepherd instead of a sheep. Foolishly, I get confused into thinking I can do a better job leading myself; but I can’t.

This is futile because a self-led person is headed for ruin. It is better to be led by God who sees our beginning and our end. If He can speak to the waves and bring peace then he can speak to our cluttered souls and bring order. We must surrender to Him: believing His infinite understanding of who we are is far superior than our finite perspective.

A Prayer for When Grief Makes Praying Hard..... By Kimberly Carroll

 A Prayer for When Grief Makes Praying Hard

By Kimberly Carroll

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalm 34:18

What happens when grief makes praying hard? When prayers of surrender feel the sting of fear? When worry whispers, “But what if God takes them too?” When prayers of praise are layered with anger and disappointment underneath? When prayers that once flowed with ease now feel sucked dry and empty of words? When God’s peace once kept your heart at ease but now He suddenly feels absent and unreachable? When the weight of it all feels crushing but people expect you to be OK because you know Jesus? These are all feelings and questions with which the grieving often wrestle.

For those fighting to hold onto their faith, this pressure to suppress the darker side of grief can trigger enormous guilt. I’m a Christian—I’m not supposed to be afraid. I’m not supposed to doubt God’s provision. I’m supposed to be stronger than this! Heartbroken from loss and ashamed of wrestling spiritually, grief can make even genuine believers feel alone and separated from God.

If this is you today, you have my deepest empathy. Please know you are not alone. Coping with loss is inexplicably hard! If you find praying difficult in the presence of grief, may these words encourage you to let go of your guilt, take off your mask, and just breathe in the love of God for a moment. You don’t have to be perfect here. You just have to be real.

Let’s pray together:

“Jesus, my pain is so deep. My anger is fierce, my fear is crippling. And then in the midst of all of these emotions, numbness sets in. I struggle to know how to pray or where to begin! So I’m going to remind myself of truth. I know you are here with me in my grief. I know you are mending the brokenness in ways I can’t always see. Lord, hold me in your arms, take this pain and help me bear it. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.”

Be Thankful for People ..... by Robin Dugall

 Be Thankful for People

 by Robin Dugall

I thank my God every time I remember you. 
—Philippians 1:3 

Thanksgiving season is here, and across our country, pastors will preach sermons pointing out the need for Christ-followers to be thankful people. As a pastor, I’ve made impassioned pleas for Christ-followers to rise above our culture… to resist the temptation for the holiday season to be simply another opportunity for us to be self-focused and self-indulgent. Thanksgiving isn't just about eating to the brink of explosion; shopping to the brink of bankruptcy; watching television to the brink of insanity. I've tried to make the point that Thanksgiving for a person who loves God can be so much more.

Even so, I discovered in my own life that despite what I've preached, I have missed a crucial element in the process of being a thankful follower of Jesus in my own life. I found that over the years I have been mostly thankful for the THINGS in my life; for food, finances, the house I have lived in, the clothes I have worn, and so on. While there’s nothing wrong with being thankful for these things, I have missed the boat on giving thanks for the biggest blessings of God in my life… PEOPLE.

Consider how empty, purposeless, and meaningless our lives would be without relationships. Relationships have shaped who we are and who we are becoming. Without exception, everyone I know has been positively influenced by other people. While it is easy to thank God for the THINGS in our lives, we should remember to be equally thankful for the PEOPLE God has placed in our lives as well!

Let me give you just one example. I am thankful for my Aunt Patty. She had suffered a brain injury when she was a small child severe enough that by the time I was born, she had become mentally disabled. But, when I was a child, she would play games and entertain me for hours. She loved me unconditionally. We would play Beatles records and pretend to be Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was her love for music that infected my soul for the rest of my life. I thank God for her!

How about you? Who do you thank God for? Today, take a few moments and thank God for the relationships in your life. Truthfully, it can revolutionize your life. Happy Thanksgiving!

GOING DEEPER:

1. Make a list of the people who have shaped your life. Share the list with your friends and family.

2. How easy is it to just thank God for things in your life? How can you live a lifestyle of thankfulness more consistently?

FURTHER READING:

[Psalms 150; Philemon 1]