Streams in the Desert

 Streams in the Desert

Thou hast shewed thy people hard things (Ps. 60:3).

I have always been glad that the Psalmist said to God that some things were hard. There is no mistake about it; there are hard things in life.

Some beautiful pink flowers were given me this summer, and as I took them I said, "What are they?" And the answer came, "They are rock flowers; they grow and bloom only on rocks where you can see no soil." Then  I thought of God's flowers growing in hard places; and I feel, somehow, that He may have a peculiar tenderness for His "rock flowers" that He may not have for His lilies and roses.
--Margaret Bottome

The tests of life are to make, not break us. Trouble may demolish a man's business but build up his character. The blow at the outward man may be the greatest blessing to the inner man. If God, then, puts or permits anything hard in our lives, be sure that the real peril, the real trouble, is what we shall lose if we flinch or rebel.
--Maltbie D. Babcock

Heroes are forged on anvils hot with pain,
And splendid courage comes but with the test.
Some natures ripen and some natures bloom
Only on blood-wet soil, some souls prove great
Only in moments dark with death or doom.
God gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction.

Our Heavenly Father..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Our Heavenly Father

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 6:8-13

When Christ taught His disciples to pray, He told them to address God as "Our Father." They had previously heard Jesus say, "My Father," but now they, too, shared in that privileged family relationship. All of us who has been born again into the household of God have this same right.

Since our concepts of God are shaped by our earthly fathers, we all have different perceptions of Him, but Jesus is the only one who has a completely accurate understanding of the heavenly Father. Consider some of the ways He cares for His children:

• Loves: God's love is unconditional, since it's based on His nature rather than our performance (1 John 4:16).

• Listens: When we pray, He gives us His full attention (Ps. 55:16-17).

• Provides: The Father assumes responsibility for meeting all our needs (Phil. 4:19).

* Guides: He is the one who directs our path when we trust in Him (Prov. 3:5-6).

• Protects: The Lord shields us spiritually, emotionally, and physically, sifting every experience through His sovereign fingers. (Ps. 121:1-8).

• Stays: He's not an absentee parent, since He'll never leave or forsake us (Deut. 31:8).

•  Disciplines: The Lord disciplines us
for our good, so that we may share in His holiness (Heb. 12:5-11).

Though experiences with our earthly dads may have distorted our view of the heavenly Father, we can learn to see Him as He truly is. By viewing Him through the truth of Scripture instead of our preconceptions, we will see evidence of His loving care and discover a security we've never known before.

We Can Trust the Lord With Our Future..... BETH BELL

 We Can Trust the Lord With Our Future

BETH BELL

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

I was devastated. I hung up the phone stunned after hearing that the company I had invested in — and given my heart and soul to for five years — was closing its doors.

Our team had been building a startup concept from the ground up, and we saw so much potential! And now it was gone; all of our dreams came to a halt overnight. I immediately found myself in a pity party, irritable toward my incredibly tolerant husband and everyone around me.

What was God doing?

That job was my calling. It gave me purpose and was a perfect fit for that stage of my life. My identity was entirely wrapped up in my work, and I believed it was God-ordained and of the utmost importance … wasn’t it?

You see, I’m a type-A control freak by nature. I thrive on a good plan for the future, and I want and need a Kingdom purpose in my life. Yet, I found myself without control or vision of a path forward. How would I find my purpose again?

This wasn’t the first time I found myself doubting God’s plan and thinking I had a better one.

My type-A nature kicks in a lot, and it can be very hard to let go of my ideas, my vision and my plans. Even though God taught me long ago that His plan is infinitely better than any plan I could conceive, I continually fall into old ways.

So, while grieving the loss of this calling I loved, I turned to my favorite Scripture passage. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

I may have felt lost, but what a comfort to know I was not left alone to figure everything out! Through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, we are guided lovingly through life with plans that are for our good, even if we sometimes feel lost and alone. It’s such a tremendous relief to know I don’t have to come up with the plan! I can take one step forward each day, trusting God will guide me.

Author Lori Gottlieb writes, “We can’t have change without loss, which is why so often people say they want change but nonetheless stay exactly the same.” Sometimes God brings us toward His plan through loss. And as hard as it may seem at the time, His plan is always perfect.

Friend, God has the perfect plan for your life. Perhaps you are suffering a loss … of a calling, a loved one, a certain future. Does it seem your plan has fallen apart? You can trust God will use that struggle and that He has a beautiful life planned for you, even amidst all the many uncertainties in our world today. Trust that God will carry you through the pain if you’ll let Him, knowing that Christ Jesus is with you every step of the way.

Sure enough, God led me to my next calling. Now I am blessed to lead a ministry serving women overcoming trafficking, abuse, addiction, incarceration, poverty and persecution. We empower these women to realize their dreams through purposeful work in jewelry and accessory making, while helping them find God’s calling for their lives. In hindsight, I can see God’s plan so clearly. It all makes sense now!

It’s human nature to worry about the future, but God doesn’t want that stress in our lives. May the peace that surpasses all understanding embrace you each and every day. I pray you will find joy in God’s plan for your life, trusting in His will, even amidst life’s uncertainties.

Heavenly Father, help me to trust in Your will over my own, knowing that Your plan is infinitely better than mine. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who is with us always, and for Your Spirit who dwells within us as we navigate life’s uncertainties. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Matthew 28:20b, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)

The Time for Radical Action Is Now..... by Alex Crain

 The Time for Radical Action Is Now

by Alex Crain

"...if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."- Romans 8:13 

Aron Ralston's grisly experience during a climbing expedition illustrates a spiritual truth that makes me wince. If you aren't familiar with the story, take a look at his book, Between a Rock and a Hard Place (© 2004 Simon & Schuster), which is a detailed tell-all of his ordeal that occurred in late April 2003.

The experienced 27-year-old outdoorsman jumped into his truck that spring morning, bringing just enough food and water for the day. He took off by himself, driving 150 miles south of Salt Lake City to his favorite spot—a remote canyon area that used to be the hideout for wild-west outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

By afternoon, he was suspended seventy-five feet high off the canyon floor—climbing in a crevice that was just a few feet wide. It was a near perfect day. But then without warning, a boulder suddenly broke loose from the rock wall above him, hurtled down and trapped Ralston's right arm against the wall, completely crushing his hand. At that instant, Aron's hand—one of his greatest assets—had now become his greatest liability.

Five whole days passed as he tried various ways to free himself—all to no avail. His efforts to chip away at the boulder with a pocket knife only made a small dent. Rigging up a pulley system to move the boulder proved fruitless.

Finally, a moment of decisive clarity came. The thoughts came fast and furious: he could break his forearm, cut through the muscle with his dirty pocket knife, detach his arm, and use a piece of rope as a tourniquet.

Aron explains that he was driven by "some sort of autopilot" as he went about the gruesome task of amputating his own right arm just below the elbow. After he was finished, Aron lowered himself down and began trudging slowly in the direction of his truck. Later, he stumbled across two hikers who used a mobile phone to call in a rescue helicopter. Amputating his right arm was a radical act, but it was one that saved his life and reunited him with his family.

God calls us to deal with sin in our life in a way that is surprisingly similar. The Bible doesn't offer a laid-back, live-and-let-live approach at all. It's so radical, that we don't really like hearing about it or talking about it. Recall what Jesus said in Matthew 5:30, "If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." While Jesus was not literally talking about physical amputation, He was saying that sin's deadly effects call for extreme measures. Even though it hurts, we must rid sin from our lives. In fact, our eternal destiny hinges on how we deal with sin.

Really? Well, why else would Jesus talk about hell in the same breath that He talks about how we are to deal with sin if He didn't mean to teach that our eternal destiny hangs in the balance? Clearly, it's a matter of preferring one destiny over the other. Outward behavior indicates what the heart primarily loves. If Aron Ralston had stayed there on the canyon wall with his hand pinned down by the boulder, he would have died. But because he was willing to kill his hand, his life was saved.

The same goes with us as we deal with sin. It really comes down to what we value most. Colossians 3:5 says, "Put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." The world may tell us to laugh about sin, to lighten up about it, to tolerate it, and just let it be… that it's not idolatry; it's not an issue of worship. God says the opposite is true.

Intersecting Faith & Life: What has you pinned down? What are you trying to hang on to that is robbing you of the blessings of abundant life or, perhaps, preventing you from being restored to a brother or sister in Christ? What is keeping you from treasuring the Lord above all other things? Read the first two links below as you have time, but most of all pray for grace to heed God's radical call to amputate sin from your life.

Further Reading
Romans 8:10

When Do You Thank God?..... By: Anne Peterson

 When Do You Thank God? (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

By: Anne Peterson

Today’s Bible Verse: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

God tells us godliness with contentment is great gain, but being content is not always easy to do (1 Timothy 6:6). It’s often difficult because we’re looking around at others, wondering if what we have compares with what they have.

Paul said he learned how to be content in whatever state he found himself (Philippians 4:11). Paul didn’t just talk about it, he showed us. There he was in prison, all shackled up, and what was he doing? Having a pity party? No, he was singing praises to God. Too often we choose to praise God after has answered our prayers. And while there’s nothing wrong with thanking God for answered prayer, we miss out, if that’s the only time we praise him with thanksgiving. God is good. It’s impossible for God to be anything less than good. It’s his character.

I often think of when Jesus visited Mary and Martha after their brother, Lazarus died. Even though Jesus went there after Lazarus was already dead, he still had a plan.

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” - John 11:41-42

I always found it interesting that Jesus thanked God for hearing his prayer before Lazarus took one step. Years ago, I made a mental note of that. God is worthy of praise. We don’t have to wait to see if God delivers on something we ask him before we thank him. And if God chooses to say, “No,” that doesn’t mean God is less worthy of our praise.

God’s Word tells us it’s impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). When we choose to be thankful and praise God at all times, we are exercising faith. We are praising God because we know God is capable of doing everything we ask and then so much more. When we thank God, we are pleasing our heavenly Father.

God is worthy of praise. Just because he’s God. It pleases God when we praise him ahead of time because we’re saying, God, whether or not you choose to answer my prayers, I praise you for who you are. I thank you for all you’ve given me. And Lord, even when you choose to say “no” to my requests, I know you have your reasons. You know the beginning from the end. Your thoughts are much higher than my thoughts and your ways are higher too (Isaiah 55:8-9). And Lord, if you withhold something I’m asking you for, then maybe the thing is not good for me, or the timing is not right.  I know it’s not good because you’ve said you will not withhold any good thing from me (Psalm 84:11). God, I trust you.

We can choose to be thankful in all things. Simply because God is all-wise and he allows what he does with his wisdom. And when things look like they will never work out, those impossible times are God’s specialty. The things that are impossible with man are possible with God (Luke 18:27). I love it when God does what seems impossible, because there’s no question at all who did it. And when we get discouraged because of our circumstances, God promises that in all things he can work for the good, for us (Romans 8:28).

We can rejoice always because we know the Almighty God, the everlasting Father. We can pray continually, because he invites us to bring our cares to Him, because he cares for us (1Peter 5:7). And we can give thanks in all circumstances because it is God’s will. We also know none of God’s plans can be thwarted (Job 42:2).  I’m pretty certain that when Paul sang to the Lord from behind bars, it was one of the most beautiful praises ever heard. And we can do the same.

Safely Through

“I don’t know which way to go,”

I told the Lord, today.

He answered, “That’s the problem,

You keep trying to find your way.

My thoughts are different than your thoughts,

My ways are higher, too.

So you just need to take my hand;

I’ll see you safely through.”

- Anne Peterson © 2020

A Prayer for America..... By Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer for America

By Debbie McDaniel

It is “God who changes the times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” - Daniel 2:21

Sometimes in the midst of heated political battles and uncertain times, it's difficult to even know how to pray or where to begin. We just know we have a deep ache in our hearts that cries out for God's mercy, and a longing to see him heal our land. Maybe other times we wonder how effective our prayers even are.

Yet God is faithful, no matter how we feel, and His Presence of power and peace still reigns over all that swirls around us in our nation today.

That same power that broke prison chains, raised Lazarus from the dead, and parted the Red Sea, the same power that healed the blind man, and delivered the delirious from demons, that same power is at work even today. He is the same. Yesterday, today, and forever.

May we stand together in unity as believers in Christ, and pray for God to heal our land, and strengthen His people. May we pray for all those in authority. May we pray for God’s miraculous intervening, for blind eyes to be opened, for many to see the power of our Lord as never before.

Dear God,

Thank you for your great power.  We praise you for your Truth.  We’re grateful that you have set us free from the clutching grasp of sin and death.

Would you be with your people, extending your grace, granting your freedom, providing your protection, and empowering with your strength.  We ask that you'd bring about an awakening of your presence as never seen before.  We ask that your Name be proclaimed, that all plans to silence the Name of Jesus would be thwarted and crushed.

We pray that many would come to know you as Lord and Savior, we pray that many would see your Light, that you would open blind eyes and release those still imprisoned.

We pray that you would unify your people for the glory of your Name, that all who call themselves Christians would rise up, believing your great Truth.

Wake us up Lord! Remind us to live aware, to redeem the time, to listen to your words, to be willing to make a difference in this land.

We pray for all those in authority, that you would give them your wisdom and discernment as they lead. We ask that you would appoint strong, faithful men and women to serve this nation and our people.

We pray for your great healing on our land. Shine your face on us dear God. We need you now, more than ever before. Our times are in your hands.

Thank you that you are rich in mercy and full of grace. Thank you that you are forgiving and merciful. Thank you that you are strong and mighty. Thank you that you are for us and that you fight for us still today.

Bring honor to your Name, Oh Lord, for You alone are worthy.

In the Powerful Name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

Why I Give Thanks to God..... By Keneesha Saunders-Liddie

 Why I Give Thanks to God

By Keneesha Saunders-Liddie

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. - 1 Chronicles 16:34

There are times that, because of God’s extraordinary goodness, I overflow with thanks. One such time, I was about 13 years old when I got off at the wrong stop while traveling to see my aunt. It was supposed to be a simple and very short trip across the ocean, from one island to the next. But I got off at the wrong port.

At the time I didn’t realize that the island had two ports, and I picked the wrong one. It was around 3 pm in the afternoon, and everyone who disembarked with me was picked up. I didn’t think anything about it until I realized that it was about 6 pm. At the time, the little flip phone I had was unable to make calls, and I wasn’t receiving calls either.

I sat there until it was about 10 pm. I tried calling my aunt’s house several times with a payphone until I ran out of quarters. A family drove into the lot and exchanged their vehicle for another one. When the mom spotted me sitting there, she stopped the car and asked me, “Do you know where the person that was supposed to pick you up lives?”

Despite my fear and the gnawing in my belly, I decided to accept the lift. They took me straight there.

That night before I went to sleep (after being scolded by every possible family member from near and far), I thanked God for his goodness.

Anything could have happened to me. But God. I was sitting by the side of a closed building while the sun descended. It was literally a dead end, just a parking lot full of cars. And yet, God’s love is enduring. It is particular. Do you understand what that means? It means that, he loves you. And his love never ends.

All your earthly relationships, the love of your mama or husband or fiancé will never, ever be able to compare to the enduring love of God.

This is why I give thanks. When I look back on his goodness over my life that night, I have to give my God thanks and praise. I could have easily become a statistic. I would have been another unsolved murder or just disappeared without a trace, but God.

Look at your life and honestly ask yourself, “Are you truly thankful for all that God has done, is doing and will continue to do for you?” If we are honest, we know that the answer is no. Every day is a gift, an opportunity that we have been given to thank God for his goodness and his enduring love.

It pays to remember that there is none who is good and no one that seeks after God (Romans 3:10-11). This is why we shouldn’t downplay or take for granted the goodness of God. He is a good God and he alone can carry the title of good. He is the definition of the word ‘good’ and he is our father. I’m thankful for all that he has done and will continue to do, are you? Then give him the glory that is due him.

Dear Jesus,

Right now, I want you to know just how thankful I am that you are my God. I am so grateful that you are so good to me and that the love you have for me is enduring. In Jesus’ name, Amen.