Streams in the Desert.....

 Streams in the Desert

Trust in the Lord and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! —Ps 37:3

The word trust is the heart word of faith. It is the Old Testament word, the word given to the early and infant stage of faith. The word faith expresses more the act of the will, the word belief the act of the mind or intellect, but trust is the language of the heart. The other has reference more to a truth believed or a thing expected.

Trust implies more than this, it sees and feels, and leans upon a person, a great, true, living heart of love. So let us “trust also in him,” through all the delays, in spite of all the difficulties, in the face of all the denials, notwithstanding all the seemings, even when we cannot understand the way, and know not the issue; still “trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.” The way will open, the right issue will come, the end will be peace, the cloud will be lifted, and the light of an eternal noonday shall shine at last.

“Trust and rest when all around thee
Puts thy faith to sorest test;
Let no fear or foe confound thee,
Wait for God and trust and rest.

“Trust and rest with heart abiding,
Like a birdling in its nest,
Underneath His feathers hiding,
Fold thy wings and trust and rest.”

Trusting in God's Faithfulness..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Trusting in God's Faithfulness

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Is there something God has told you to do that seems just too difficult? You can be sure that if He has called you to carry out His will, He’s going to be faithful to accomplish it through His Spirit living and working in you. So if you tell Him, “I can’t do that, Lord—what if I fail?” you’re really saying, “God doesn’t keep His word.” And yet, our total expectation should be in Him—not in our own energy, ability, or experience.

When you doubt God’s trustworthiness, that unbelief becomes a gap in your spiritual armor, and you can be sure that’s exactly where Satan will attack you. You’ll begin to doubt even more about God’s character, such as His goodness—and that distrust will become a heavy load of baggage you’ll needlessly drag through every area of your life.

You might feel that you do not have enough faith to obey, but the Lord isn’t asking you to have faith in favorable circumstances. He’s asking you to trust that He is who He says He is.

Do you believe that God is a liar? It’s really that simple: either He is truthful or He’s not. But if you believe that faithfulness is His character, then you can do anything He requires. You’ll be strengthened by your dependence on Him—whether a deluge or trials or a flood of blessing comes.

It’s actually when life gets rough and rugged that the sweetness of God’s faithfulness makes itself real in your heart. As you walk through those storms in complete reliance on His strength, your trust in His character becomes part of who you are and strengthens from within.

Giving in a Year That Keeps on Taking ..... SAMI MACDONALD

 Giving in a Year That Keeps on Taking

SAMI MACDONALD

“For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.” 2 Corinthians 8:12 (NIV) 

Each time I think about generous giving this Christmas — both to those across the world and those dear to me — a knot forms in my stomach. How are we supposed to get in the spirit of giving and exercise generosity when many of us are financially and emotionally drained from the effects of 2020?

This year has taken so much from every one of us, and from some more than others. Jobs have been lost; good health has been hijacked; and weddings, graduations, travel plans and other once-in-a-lifetime events have been downsized, postponed or canceled. And for some, loved ones have passed unexpectedly into eternity.

It’s disappointing enough looking at my own children and knowing that our family Christmas will look a little different, as I’m sure yours will too. Fewer gifts under the tree, visiting grandparents and other elderly relatives looks different and we won’t be able to partake in memorable traditions like cookie exchanges and neighborhood caroling. Mom guilt creeps in as I think of the memories being stolen from their childhood and the little time I have left with my little ones.

I want to be generous. I really do. But this year has made me feel like I don’t have much to give. How do I give when all I feel is lack?

One morning, when all of this was stirring in my heavy heart, I read 2 Corinthians 8:12, which tells us, “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.”

In that moment, I felt so much relief. As disappointment slowly lifted from my heart, God whispered to me, “All I ask is that you’re willing to give.”

Willingness is all God asks of us — willingness to lay a little of what we have in His hands and watch Him transform it into something beautiful. The amount of the gift doesn’t matter. Just like the widow with only a mite, (Mark 12:41-44) we may be scraping the bottom of our purses to give this year. And when we come up with the little we have left because of the much that COVID-19 has taken, and humbly offer it to God, He does with it exactly what Jesus did with the little boy’s five loaves and two fish. (John 6:1-14) He multiplies our little beyond our comprehension.

What did the widow and the little boy have in common that made their giving so dear and pleasing to God? The answer is their hearts. They had the same willing heart behind their generosity.

We serve a God of abundance who cares more about the heart of the giver than the gift itself.

Our plans may be canceled, but our calling to be generous is not. Will you join me in asking the Lord to make us willing to be used in whatever way He sees fit?

One place I know my gifts will have an eternal impact is by giving Truth to women who need it most. When I hear the fact that one in three women don’t know how to read the Bible they own, I realize just how many are hurting without the Word of God in their lives. I think back to that morning when God spoke to me through 2 Corinthians 8:12, and I wonder how heavy my heart might still be if it hadn’t been washed in God’s Word. At Proverbs 31 Ministries, our every day is spent eradicating this biblical poverty, bringing easily accessible Truth into the homes of millions of women.

Even if our baking, singing, gathering and serving looks much different this holiday season, let’s share “according to what we have.” Whether you have $10, $100 or $1,000 to give to a woman who needs it most, know that giving Truth is a timeless gift … one that even a hard year can’t cancel.

Dear Father, thank You for all You’ve graciously given to me. My desire is to give back to You with a willing heart that brings You glory. Help me focus on what I do have this Christmas season that I may give out of the abundance of which You’ve given me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Mark 12:43-44, “Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’” (NIV)

John 6:9, 11, “‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’ … Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.” (NIV)

What Does it Mean to Offer God a “Sacrifice of Praise”?..... By Debbie McDaniel

 What Does it Mean to Offer God a “Sacrifice of Praise”? 

By Debbie McDaniel

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. – Hebrews 13:15

We have so much to praise God for every day, there's great power in giving honor to Him. The Bible is filled with examples of praise and worship when we see His power released, life-changing miracles, dramatic stories of the enemy being halted or defeated, hearts being changed and drawn closer to Him.

Yet the reality is that way too often, daily struggles or constant life demands can crowd out our praise and worship to God. We might check the “go to worship” box at church and somehow think we’re good for the week. And yet, all the while, with souls distant and cold, we sing words, we listen to music and words, and then we go home. Unchanged.

Sometimes it really is a sacrifice to offer praise. We may not feel like it. We’re struggling. We're weary. Or maybe, we feel like God has let us down. He may seem distant to us, like He doesn't really care about what we’re struggling through or worrying about. Painful life blows and losses may have recently sent us spiraling. We’re still trying to get our feet on the ground and put broken pieces back together again.

Here’s what can make a lasting difference. When we make that decision to fix our eyes on Him, and daily give Him praise, no matter what's staring us straight in the face, we suddenly realize that God has already begun to release the grip those struggles can have over us.

We have a choice every day in this life. We can choose to live absorbed in worry and stress, on the fast track of busy, focused only on what surrounds us, and tuned into the roar of the world.

Or we can ask God to help us take our eyes off all that may be swirling around, our problems and mess, and the voices of others. We can look up to Him, the One who holds it all together, and who holds us in His hands.

God desires our whole heart. He waits for us to return if we’ve drifted away. He longs for us to know the power of His presence in and through our lives. He desires to bless us more than we could ever imagine. His Spirit urges us onward, calling us closer.

May He help us to look up again today, to remember His goodness and power in our lives, and to offer Him worship and praise.

It's Delightful..... By Shawn McEvoy

 It's Delightful

By Shawn McEvoy

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.- Psalms 37:4

Today's verse is one of the first I ever learned as a Christian. You probably know it by heart, too. Seems like everyone quotes it. When I learned it as a kid, I couldn't help but thinking it sounded really good, with overtones of blessings and whatever my heart desired, which in later years came to be symbolized in my own mind as a Corvette... even though I would always be one of the first to tell people that's not what it meant.

But it wasn't until the last few years that I came to understand it on another level. Fatherhood will do that to a guy in a lot of ways. When my kids were infants and dependent upon me and my wife for absolutely everything, I saw our own dependence upon God in a whole new light. Now that the kids are four and two, I'm getting a new take on what it is to "delight" in the Lord.

I'd of course recognized there should be joy in following God, and that He was in all ways wonderful. But never did I come into His presence like my children now regularly come into mine, especially when I come home from work. The screaming, the jumping up and down, the laughing. The rush to tell me everything about their days, both the triumphs and the things they got in trouble for. The hugs, the requests to be tossed in the air or chased, the search in my briefcase to see if any treasures have found their way home with me, it all comes with a priceless gleam in their eyes as they search me to know themselves better.

That's delight.

And, the Bible says that's what causes God to give us the desires of our heart? Honestly, that kind of delight, that kind of amazing high, is kind of a euphoric state of its own. I mean, what more does one need but to feel like that about God? Most days, I'd give anything to feel that kind of rush it seems my kids must feel.

It's almost like that's my heart's desire.

And it's like this verse is saying that desire is right here for the very taking, that all I have to do is act on it. I'm a child of the King, and He's never away at work. I don't even have to wait for him to come home. I'm welcome to come boldly into the throne room and praise the wow out of Him. To marvel, wonder, and laugh giddily at His creative handiwork and what He's done for me. To rush to tell him everything about my day, both the triumphs and the spots where I got myself into trouble.

Admittedly, though, we do have other desires, such as physical needs being met, love, etc., and I don't mean to suggest that they're unimportant. Just that here on the cusp of another new year, I'm thinking about what the desires of my heart have actually been, and almost unilaterally, they've been about freedom. At various times in my life, I desired to be free... from depression, from sinfulness of all kinds, from lack of understanding, from loneliness, from fear. And looking back at how God set me free in each circumstance, I honestly see that I never even had to enter in to those places of searching to be filled or delighted in the first place. He was all I needed, I just wasn't seeing Him as one to delight over.

This year is going to pose more challenges for me and my family, but also more growth, more freedom, and more delight. It's like they are all interwoven and dependent upon each other, just like the two parts of this verse.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Today, consider what your own definition of "delight" involves, and meditate on how that meshes with the truest, deepest, most meaningful desires of your heart.

Further Reading

Isaiah 58:10-14

A Prayer to Embrace Freedom over Shame..... By Meg Bucher

 A Prayer to Embrace Freedom over Shame

By Meg Bucher

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” - Galatians 5:1 NIV

The juices in my stomach gurgled in protest as I scrolled through social media’s thick layer of shame. Paul’s words rang in my ears: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” We aren’t bound to news feeds, opinions and news reports. Statistics don’t have the final say on our lives. Jesus does. He reigns over all because He defeated death on our account. Seated at the right hand of the Father, the name above every other name, Jesus Christ determines our freedom.

2020 is a year most of us will never forget, but it isn’t the first time a generation has looked their liberty in eye and wondered what would become of it. God reigns over all that threatens to steel our peace, hope, and freedom. Christ left the very Spirit of God with us to sustain us and guide us. The Holy Spirit is often called, The Comforter. Christ, our Savior, promised never to leave us. And though our world feels out of control, God holds the reigns. We may not understand what’s happening, or know who or what to believe on this earth. But we can unwaveringly trust God. He is unchanging, rock-solid, dependable, and is not unaware of what is happening on earth.

My prayer for 2020 is that we refuse to forget where our true freedom comes from. Not a country. Not leaders, nor policies. It isn’t dependent on a clean bill of health or an accumulation of wealth, nor does it fluctuate with current circumstances. Freedom was established on the cross, through Jesus’ death and resurrection. He sits at the right hand of the Father, over all. Our hope is not in this willy-nilly world full of false hope and pretenses built on shaky ground. No, our freedom is in Christ. Lord over all. Savior of the world. He has already won the battle. And when we live each day in pursuit of Jesus, we get to experience pure freedom and hope.

Father,

Freedom is something we are tempted to let the world define, and we mustn’t fall victim to its false pretenses. It is in Christ we find true freedom, redefined by the grace of Jesus. As we struggle through a year that has brought many of our daily routines, lives, and jobs to a halt, we pray for Your encouragement and wisdom. Help us to hear Your truth above all of the noise and news. Give us the ability to know what is true, and what to do. Guide our next steps and fill our hearts with grace and compassion towards each other.

When we disagree, empower us to embrace each other for the children of God we all are, regardless of which side of the issue we stand on. Jesus died to erase shame, let us not pile it upon each other. Give us the courage to face disappointments, losses, and heartaches. May we embrace the people in our lives, instead of building walls of division. Lord Jesus, fill us with Your grace. Flow through us like a raging river, and let Your freedom and grace spill out of us and onto everyone that touches our lives.

In Your powerful Name we pray,

Amen.

One Thing God Wants You to Remember at Christmas..... Sharon Jaynes

 One Thing God Wants You to Remember at Christmas

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV).

Friend to Friend

With Christmas, it’s easy to get so busy with the cooking, decorating and shopping that we forget why we’re doing all this in the first place. Sometimes, the very people we love get lost in the hustle and bustle of packed schedules, holiday parties, and Christmas musicals.

Several years ago I wrote a Christmas version of 1 Corinthians 13 to help me keep my focus on what Paul deemed most important of all… love. As part of our family tradition, I pull it out and post it somewhere in our home as a reminder of what’s really important during the holiday season. And since you are now part of the family, I’m pulling it out for you.

1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Style

©By Sharon Jaynes

If I decorate my house perfectly with lovely plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn’t envy another home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of your way.

Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, on that starry night in Bethlehem. I am still amazed at Your great love for me. May I never lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas, but celebrate Jesus’ birth with joy! Help me to give as You gave—with love.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

What are some ways that you can make sure to love your family well this holiday season?

Are there any activities that you need to eliminate from your busy schedule in order to alleviate over commitment? If so, what are they?