Streams in the Desert.....

 Streams in the Desert

Take the arrows... Smite upon the ground. And he smote twice and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times (2 Kings 13:18-19).

How striking and eloquent the message of these words! Jehoash thought he had done very well when he duplicated and triplicated what to him was certainly an extraordinary act of faith. But the Lord and the prophet were bitterly disappointed because he had stopped half way.

He got something. He got much. He got exactly what he believed for in the final test, but he did not get all that the prophet meant and the Lord wanted to bestow. He missed much of the meaning of the promise and the fullness of the blessing. He got something better than the human, but he did not get God's best.

Beloved, how solemn is the application! How heartsearching the message of God to us! How important that we should learn to pray through! Shall we claim all the fullness of the promise and all the possibilities of believing prayer?
--A. B. Simpson

"Unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20).

There is no other such piling up of words in Paul's writings as these, "exceeding abundantly above all," and each word is packed with infinite love and power to "do" for His praying saints. There is one limitation, "according to the power that worketh in us." He will do just as much for us as we let Him do in us. The power that saved us, washed us with His own blood, filled us with might by His Spirit, kept us in manifold temptations, will work for us, meeting every emergency, every crisis, every circumstance, and every adversary.
--The Alliance

Remembering God's Blessings ..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Remembering God's Blessings

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 9:1-2

We are given amazing privileges when we trust in Jesus. Recalling these promises is a good way to maintain a thankful heart, even when facing challenges in other areas. Consider four such blessings:

1. Christ’s gift of salvation. No matter what trial we’re facing, it is microscopic next to the enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. The cross was a steep price to pay, but the Savior willingly took our place in order to offer us forgiveness and eternal life.
2. Assurance of God’s love. The Lord cares for us unconditionally—that is His very character (1 John 4:16). Unfortunately, the storms of life can cause us to question this, but Romans 8:31–39 unequivocally tells us that nothing can separate us from God’s love.
3. Answered prayer. We have the awesome privilege of talking to the Father about anything burdening us—and He never grows tired of listening to His children. Our omnipotent, omniscient God is not only able to help us in any situation; He also knows the best possible way to do so.
4. A personalized plan. The Lord has a will, plan, and purpose for our lives that He will accomplish if we obey Him. No one is exempt from adversity, but we can trust God to bring good from everything He permits to come our way.

Hardships, temptations, and tests will touch us all, but the Lord allows difficulty for a reason—even when we don’t understand why (Rom. 8:28). Therefore, submit yourself to the Father, thank Him for His wisdom, and be confident that He will accomplish His purposes for you.

Life Is Too Short To Live Unhappy..... TRACIE MILES

 Life Is Too Short To Live Unhappy

TRACIE MILES

“Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.” Psalm 90:12 (CEV)

I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw a large SUV headed straight for my car at a breakneck speed. My heart and mind started racing, and panic instantly set in.

With fear in my voice, I started saying out loud, “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” rendering my friend who was with me immediately bewildered. I was convinced that within mere seconds, we were going to be slammed from behind by a reckless vehicle clearly going over 100 miles per hour in heavy traffic.

Unable to change lanes or speed up because of cars on all sides, I winced and braced myself for the impact. By the sheer grace of God alone, the driver missed hitting my car by a literal inch as he skidded into the lane beside me, nearly hitting another vehicle, tires screeching and burning, filling the air with clouds of smoke. He continued darting in and out of traffic, causing more near-collisions, then quickly disappeared into the distance.

As I sat there stunned, loosening my fingers from the white-knuckle grip I had on the steering wheel, my friend and I began to talk about what if we had been hit. How life could have been changed in an instant — or even ended — had God not miraculously stopped the driver from hitting my car in the nick of time.

I thought about my precious children. My family. Things undone. I wondered if I would have regrets had that been my last day. I began to ponder if I was truly enjoying and embracing the life God had given me, even if it hadn’t turned out the way I thought it would or should. I couldn’t help but ask myself if I was inadvertently taking for granted the sheer blessing of waking up every morning and being given another day, and if I was spending time being unhappy because of difficult circumstances instead of living with joy.

In Psalm 90:12, the psalmist reminds us that all of our days are numbered and none of us know how many we will have: “Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.” Therefore, we should all live as if the present day is our last. If we actually did this, would we live differently? We might:

• Think more positively.
• Forgive quicker.
• Step out of our comfort zones and do that thing God has been calling us to do.
• Start that new career.
• Spend more time with loved ones.
• Make more time for ourselves.
• Allow ourselves to have fun.
• Live happily and full of His joy no matter what each day holds.

As we drove in silence for a while, this verse and question continued to swirl in my mind. I was vividly reminded of the fragility of life as well as the importance of appreciating every single moment God’s given us and living life with a happy heart instead of a heavy one. What a shame we might waste the only life we have being grumpy all the time because we allow our problems and disappointments to steal our joy and shift our daily focus from thankfulness to disgruntledness.

Whether we’re facing a divorce, illness, financial hardships, loss of loved ones, relationship problems, unemployment, disappointment, crushed dreams — we can still make the intentional choice to be thankful for the life we have, even if it looks different than we want it to. We can still determine to enjoy the life God has given us and remember to thank Him every day for what we do have instead of focusing on what we don’t. We can still choose to be happy, despite our circumstances.

Time is precious. We need to use the time we have in this life wisely and commit to waking up each day with the joy of Christ in our hearts and a smile on our faces. Wasting time being unhappy about the way life turns out is something I want to avoid — God wants us to enjoy the life He has designed for us.

Lord, I have allowed myself to get into a pattern of being unhappy due to my circumstances, even though You have given me so many blessings I often take for granted. Forgive my ungratefulness. Help me embrace Your gifts of true joy and peace and remember to choose happiness every day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 51:12,“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” (ESV) 

Making it Easier to Apologize..... By Meg Bucher

 Making it Easier to Apologize

By Meg Bucher

Anyone with children can relate to the desire for an all-access pass to a lie-detector. The look of bewilderment becomes them when accused of withholding the truth. They glance in our direction as if we’ve lost our minds. We know what’s true! So, why do they stronghold us? Why don’t they just admit they’re wrong and apologize? Especially when they know they’ll be forgiven?

It’s not easy to admit we’re wrong. Truth is more difficult to execute than it seems. “Tell the truth,” is a lot harder to flesh out when we’re the ones in the wrong.

We are really good at telling the truths we like to admit to and want to be responsible for, but claiming hurt we’ve caused and retracting false statements and ugly gossip aren’t things we’re known for excitedly admitting and confessing out loud.

“To the Jews who had believe him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31 NIV

Today’s verse tells us to listen for His voice and spend time in His Word. That’s how we hold to His teachings as He instructs in verse 31. Prayer and time in the Word are irreplaceable ways to guide our hearts on a truthful and honest path and guard our hearts from the pride that threatens to kidnap our apologies. It’s only when we are talking to Him that we can listen for His response. And it’s only when we are looking to His Truth for instruction that we can allow the Living Word to translate the truth to our hearts.

The Voice paraphrase reads, “ If you hear My voice and abide in My word, you are truly My disciples; you will know the truth, and that truth will give you freedom.” John 8:31-32

Jesus says when we operate in this fashion, “we are truly His disciples.” Our walk with Jesus will be humbly honest when we seek Him with all of our hearts. It doesn’t just happen. Seek is a verb. Pray is a verb. Abide is a verb. Verbs are actions. He promises to meet us there, but we have to get up and go.

Wafting through life unknowingly hurting people with dishonest intentions, or living a doormat existence because we can’t sense when to move on from being toyed with, is much less joyful than living a life full of Christ. When we seek and apply His Truth to our everyday lives, we will adopt a different outlook on life. A perspective that seeks to serve, not to be served. To love outright, not keep score.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

Many days the battle begins between our ears. There’s no filter for incoming thoughts, but we can control which ones we center our lives around. Wake up and seek Him first. Stay aligned. Keep your thoughts in check, and your heart full of Truth. When we know the Truth, we can dump the lies and live freely in our unique purpose. “I’m sorry,” isn’t so hard when the gentle strength of the Holy Spirit humbles our hearts. There’s nothing weak about it. Just powerfully captivating and extremely kind. It’s living, loved.

Father, Praise You for Your Word! Thank You for guiding us in truth! Forgive us for our blindness to it, and our dishonest notions to others. Help us to seek you, pray, and abide in Your Word to live within Your will for our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Why Being Thankful Is a Powerful Way to Live Free..... By Debbie McDaniel

 Why Being Thankful Is a Powerful Way to Live Free

By Debbie McDaniel

The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.” Psalms 28:7

We have so much to be grateful for in this life, every single day. But reality is that sometimes constant life demands, battles, and worries give more room to defeat than to a heart of thanks. Or we forget, in the midst of busyness and pressures, just to pause and give thanks for all that God has done and continues to do in our lives.

Sometimes it really is a sacrifice to offer praise and thanks. We may not feel like it. We’re struggling. We’re weary. Or maybe, we feel like He let us down. We think God seems distant, like he’s far away, or doesn’t really care about what’s troubling us. Painful life blows and losses might have recently sent us spiraling.

But here’s what can make a lasting difference. We have a choice, every day, to give him thanks. And with a heart of thanksgiving, we realize that no matter what we face, God doesn’t just work to change our situations and help us through our problems. He does more. He changes our hearts. His power, through hearts of gratitude and focused minds on Him, releases the grip our struggles have over us. We’re strengthened by His peace, refueled by His joy.

No matter what our current situation, or the struggles we may be facing, here’s what choosing to be thankful does:

• It gets our eyes off ourselves, and helps us to focus back on God.
• It reminds us we’re not in control, but that we serve a Mighty God who is. It keeps us in a place of humility and dependency on Him, as we recognize how much we need Him.
• It helps us to recognize we have so much to be thankful for, even all the little things, which often we may forget to thank Him for. It takes our attention off our problems and helps us instead to reflect on the goodness of His many blessings.
• It reminds us that God is the Giver of all good gifts. We were never intended to be fully self-sufficient in this life. A grateful heart reminds us that ultimately God is our Provider, that all blessings and gifts are graciously given to us by His hand.

Here are just a few more truths to remember about thankfulness:

• A heart of gratitude leaves no room for complaining. For it is impossible to be truly thankful and filled with negativity and ungratefulness at the same time.
• It makes the enemy flee. The forces of darkness can’t stand to be around hearts that give thanks and honor to God. Our praise and thanksgiving will make them flee.
• It opens the door for continued blessings. It invites His presence. God loves to give good gifts to His children. He delights in our thankfulness and pours out His Spirit and favor over those who give honor and gratitude to Him.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Maybe you’re in a hard place right now. Maybe you feel like God has left you on your own, to fend for yourself, or the battle seems too hard. Maybe there’s never enough money left at the end of the month and you can’t figure out how to make things work. No matter what, in it all, be assured that God is with you and He cares. Choose a heart of gratefulness today. Make a list of all that God has blessed and filled your life with, that it’s been easy to take for granted at times. Trust He knows what concerns you and is at work even now, to bring you through this uncertain season. Thank Him for providing all you need.

Further Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Psalms 136, Psalms 103:1-5

Thanksgiving with a Flourish..... by Sheri Schofield

Thanksgiving with a Flourish

by Sheri Schofield

 

It’s harvest time in America. Pumpkins overflow the grocery stores’ produce areas. Wheat is reaped for baking in the year ahead. Rosy apples, satiny-smooth plums, and all those delicious garden vegetables are everywhere. Giant zucchinis appear as though by magic on doorsteps…and in one’s car if one forgets to lock the doors! 

 

Thanksgiving is near! Families gather to eat, share their lives, and watch football. Many times the only remembrance of God is said at the blessing. In many homes, even this is omitted. As this day approaches, we have an incredible opportunity to redeem Thanksgiving and turn it into a great blessing for our families and friends. With a little bit of planning, we can make a memory that will impact those in our homes that day.

 

Consider the first Thanksgiving: On the Hebrew calendar, harvest marks the Feast of Tabernacles, or Booths, when Israel celebrates the blessings God has given them. It is a time of joy and celebration, a time of thanksgiving for how God has blessed them. It is a time of prayer, repentance from sin, and petitions for blessings in the coming year. It also looks forward to the coming Messiah.

 

Moses wrote: “Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your feast – you, your sons and daughters… For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete” (Deuteronomy 16:13-15, NIV).

When America was founded, the settlers also celebrated with a time of feasting at the end of harvest, thanking God for all he had provided, and asking for his continued blessing. Presidents down through the years would sometimes call for days of thanksgiving to refocus the nation on God and his blessings.

 

During the terrible days of the Civil War, in which an estimated 620,000 men died[1], Abraham Lincoln called upon the nation to give thanks to God, who had blessed the harvest. He wrote in part:

 

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.[2]

 

Then Abraham Lincoln established a permanent Thanksgiving Day. Yes, in the midst of all that grief! He turned America’s attention back to God, their Creator, in whose name they had established this nation.

 

Once again, America finds itself in the midst of great civil unrest. As Thanksgiving approaches, our spiritual leaders have urgently called upon us to repent, to turn from our selfish pursuits, to seek God with all our hearts[3]. For our nation is in grave danger of destruction because of our sins. In our time of national desperation, with our nation on the brink, consider the full scope of God’s week of thanksgiving. Let it be both a time of repentance and a time of celebration, for the sake of our country’s future.

 

Ask the Lord what activities you can do to re-focus your family on God on this special day. Do you want to re-enact the Feast of Tabernacles? Or the first Thanksgiving Day in America? Could you have everyone write down how God has blessed them this past year and put it in a memory book? With a little creativity, you may spark something awesome in someone’s life. This can be a Thanksgiving like never before: It can be the beginning of revival!