Streams in the Desert.....

Streams in the Desert

Lord, there is none beside thee to help. (2 Chronicles 14:11, RV).

Remind God of His entire responsibility. "There is none beside thee to help." The odds against Asa were enormous. There was a million of men in arms against him, besides three hundred chariots. It seemed impossible to hold his own against that vast multitude. There were no allies who would come to his help; his only hope, therefore, was in God.

It may be that your difficulties have been allowed to come to so alarming a pitch that you may be compelled to renounce all creature aid, to which in lesser trials you have had recourse, and cast yourself back on your Almighty Friend. Put God between yourself and the foe.

To Asa's faith, Jehovah seemed to stand between the might of Zerah and himself, as one who had no strength. Nor was he mistaken. We are told that the Ethiopians were destroyed before the Lord and before His host, as though celestial combatants flung themselves against the foe in Israel's behalf, and put the large host to rout, so that Israel had only to follow up and gather the spoil. Our God is Jehovah of hosts, who can summon unexpected reinforcements at any moment to aid His people. Believe that He is there between you and your difficulty, and what baffles you will flee before Him, as clouds before the gale.
--F. B. Meyer

When nothing whereon to lean remains,
When strongholds crumble to dust;
When nothing is sure but that God still reigns,
That is just the time to trust.
'Tis better to walk by faith than sight,
In this path of yours and mine;
And the pitch-black night, when there's no outer light
Is the time for faith to shine.

Abraham believed God, and said to sight, "Stand back!" and to the laws of nature, "Hold your peace!" and to a misgiving heart, "Silence, thou lying tempter!" He believed God.
--Joseph Parker

We Have a Trustworthy Guide..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 We Have a Trustworthy Guide

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 32:8-9

Hanging on my office wall is a print that I’ve had for nearly 60 years. It shows the Lord Jesus standing behind a young man whose eyes are focused in the direction that the Master is pointing. Jesus’ hand is on the man’s shoulder, and I imagine He is saying, “This is the way we’re going. I will get you to the destination.” Although the road will be marked with both joy and suffering, the Lord leads His followers all the way to their eternal home.

Anyone who is honest will admit that he or she is ill-equipped to go through life alone. Our all-knowing God created us with a need for His guidance. In our own strength, knowledge, and reasoning power, we are simply not able to figure out how to make the wisest decisions. But the Lord’s assuring hand at our shoulder can lead us down right paths to good choices.

The Lord is willing and able to guide us, if we will let Him. It isn’t difficult to fall in step with Him. Acknowledge that you have wandered down paths of life that led to sin and disobedience. Choose to follow His lead instead by reading the Word of God and applying biblical principles to your life. And learn to pray through both large and small decisions as you seek the path He has set for you.

Just beyond our last heartbeat lies eternity. That’s where our Savior is pointing us. The path may not be clear to our eyes, but Jesus is leading us there with a steady and sure hand. Our part is to follow in obedience so that we may reach heaven and hear the Father say, “Well done.”

Dead Stumps Grow Back and Thrive, and so Can You..... TRACIE MILES

 Dead Stumps Grow Back and Thrive, and so Can You

TRACIE MILES

“There is hope for a tree that has been cut down; it can come back to life and sprout.” Job 14:7 (GNT)

They all started out in little 10-inch pots, but after 23 years, each had grown 15 feet tall with a 6-foot circumference. These four massive holly trees were now overtaking the front of my house, even blocking my kitchen window.

I finally took the plunge and hired someone to cut them all down, but didn’t realize they would leave the tree stumps in the ground. My uninformed-self just assumed I could cover them with pine needles and forget about them. Which I did. Until a few months later when little twigs and sprouts started poking up between the mounds of needles on all four stumps.

After a little research, I discovered that unless you kill the root of the tree by treating the stump, rain and sunshine will bring life back to it, and the tree can begin growing again. It suddenly struck me how my life was similar to those stumps.

After my husband of 25 years abruptly left our marriage and our family, I felt just like one of those stumps — chopped down as low as I could go and feeling like life was over. Discarded and damaged. Covered up by darkness and despair, wondering why God had allowed these painful circumstances in my life. Heartbroken, scared and uncertain of the future, all because — in one unforgettable day — my entire life was turned upside down and forever changed.

In Scripture, we read Job’s story and can wonder if he felt the exact same way. He was a wealthy man who had everything, and life was good. Until it wasn’t.

Job lost his 10 children, livestock, servants and health. Although he was once like a massive tree full of life, in the course of one unforgettable day, he had been rendered nothing short of an old, dead stump.

Yet, despite Satan’s temptations to bring him down, these losses brought Job down to his knees before God instead. Rather than turning against God as his friends and wife told him to do, he turned toward God, clinging to a hope that seemed impossible in his circumstances.

Job was only human, and we read in Scripture how devastated and upset he was, even cursing the day he was born. His pain, thoughts and emotions ran deep. But he still kept his faith, and eventually, in today’s key verse, we see where he began to speak words of hope, believing that with God by his side, he could endure these tragic circumstances and grow and thrive again: “There is hope for a tree that has been cut down; it can come back to life and sprout” (Job 14:7). Job believed that despite the fact he had lost everything, God was still God, and he would survive. 

Life circumstances can feel so hard, unrelenting and devastating. Whether it’s divorce, health issues, financial struggles, loss of a loved one, unemployment or some other personal difficulty, we often can’t help but question why God allows us to suffer. We can’t understand why He takes away the very things we treasured most.

Maybe you’re feeling like an old, dead stump, wondering if you can ever sprout twigs of life and happiness again, feeling hopeless and fearful about the future.

Yet, just like Job, we can decide to believe that despite our pain, God is still a good God and let our faith serve as hydration for our spirits and sunshine for our souls so growth and new life can begin again.

Over time, God restored Job’s health, gave him new children, provided him with twice the property he had lost and offered him a long, happy life. God has also brought about great restoration in my own life, and hanging on to hope is what has carried me through the last few years.

That same hope is yours for the taking.

Dear Jesus, my soul is tired. So many difficult circumstances have brought me down. Please fill me with the peace of knowing You see me and are still in control, and equip me to hang on to hope in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Romans 15:13, “May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (GNT)

Psalm 39:7, “And so, LORD, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.” (NLT) 

It’s Gonna Be Alright..... Melissa Spoelstra

 It’s Gonna Be Alright

Melissa Spoelstra

Today’s Truth
“It is all right,” the Lord replied. “Do not be afraid. You will not die.” And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the Lord is peace”). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day. (Judges 6:23-24, NLT).

Friend to Friend
Life can be so stressful. The American Psychological Institute reports that 77 percent of Americans say that they regularly experience physical symptoms from stress. The top four symptoms they reported were fatigue, headache, upset stomach, and muscle tension. Psychological symptoms of stress were also reported, including feeling irritable, angry, nervous, lack of energy, and as though you could cry.

I know I can relate to many of those symptoms! How about you? I wonder if you have encountered some stressors already in this new year. We all lack peace from time to time. Fear and worry can creep in when we least expect them, leaving us awake at night. Maybe we think peace will descend upon us once our relational problems or financial worries are resolved. Other times we may think peace will come through having the right leaders in our government, job, or church. Our culture often hints that we need to create peace in our lives with a better time-management plan, more self-esteem, or an escape to a tropical island.

Yet God reveals Himself to us in the Bible as Yahweh Shalom, The Lord is Peace. Because of this truth, we don’t create peace; we receive it from God. We can’t engineer peace through work, play, or even rest. True peace can be found only through a relationship with God. The Hebrew word Shalom means “completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.” Yahweh is the Self-Existent One whose name is I AM. Through this name He is saying:

I AM peace.

 This peace isn’t a quick fix to temporal problems but a wholeness of mind, body, and soul in the midst of challenges. While peace is a pervasive topic in Scripture, the name Yahweh Shalom appears only once, and we find this mention in the Book of Judges. God revealed Himself as peace to a man named Gideon during the time of the judges.

An army of Midianites threatened God’s people, and the Lord appeared to Gideon with a message of hope in troubled times. He called Gideon to lead the people of Israel, but Gideon wasn’t sure he was the man for the job. He asked God for a sign of confirmation. I’ve had many times when I wasn’t sure whether God was calling me to do something or it was my own imagination. I’m glad that God didn’t shame Gideon for needing some confirmation.

God revealed His name Yahweh Shalom as the God of peace in the time Gideon most needed assurances of peace. Many English versions translate the beginning of Judges 6:23 with the word “peace.” The New Living Translation puts it this way: “It is all right.” God reminded Gideon that not only was He with Gideon, He was for him. Yahweh Shalom wants us to know that as well. He is not just with us, He is for us. Shalom isn’t something we create. We receive it by faith.

Yahweh Shalom offers us true peace that embodies health and wholeness. This shalom can fill us with an inner calm even when problems abound. God knows our tendency toward fear, worry, and stress, and He wants to calm our hearts and minds. He says that if we put our trust in Him, it will be all right.

Let’s Pray
Yahweh Shalom, You are my peace. Help me not to look for peace in the wrong places. I need Your presence and power for all that I have going on right now. Thank you for reminding me that with You – It will be all right. Even if my circumstances don’t change, give me Your peace in the midst of them.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

When Life Doesn’t Go Your Way..... By: Dr. Roger Barrier

 When Life Doesn’t Go Your Way

By: Dr. Roger Barrier

“When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:7-9).

Once upon a time there were two missionaries named Paul and Silas. They were like superheroes as they lived out their adventures sharing the message of Jesus throughout Turkey.

I don’t imagine that life turned out like they imagined either. They didn’t get “first best;” they had to make do with second. What they did with second best changed the world.

The gospel of Jesus was roaring through Turkey when Paul decided it was time to go to Bithynia, the largest, richest and most influential city in all Turkey. This was Paul’s homeland. This was his country. This was first best. He hardly could wait.

And then God said, “No. I want you in Macedonia.”

We can imagine Paul on the seashore near Troas looking across the Aegean Sea toward Macedonia while thinking, “I really don’t want to go to Macedonia. Bithynia is my first choice. I’ll just have to see what I can do with second-best.”

In Macedonia, Paul performed his most significant service with the leftovers of a broken plan.

Wanting Bithynia and getting Macedonia, how familiar is that? But to take the leftovers of disappointed expectation and to make of it the greatest opportunity that we ever have, how impressive is that!

Every Christian experiences closed doors at one time or other-- some more than others: unexpected illness; lingering sickness; drawn-out recovery after surgery; depression that begins to set in; financial reverse; divorce; loss of a job; an unexpected move; disappointments at school or work; discouragements to come from the low times of life; children begin to have deep personal problems; dealing with necessities and other things that demand our attention while the mainstream of life seems to be passing us by; a career where that’s boring you to tears.

Some of you are there right now. What happens next depends totally to you. Let me give you some thoughts about handling life’s second bests:

Don’t panic, no one lives out their entire life with first best.

I believe that God has a life plan for us all. I call it, “Plan A”. But I don’t know anyone who goes from birth to glory on Plan A, all the way. Often, when we get off track God says, “Okay we can get back to Plan A.” On the other hand, there are times when we make choices and behave poorly and God has to say, “I’m sorry,” we can’t get back to Plan A from here. We must jump to Plan B. Thank God he has a Plan B. But the truth is that many of us are living on Plan X Triple Prime. Thank God for grace.

Keep your faith intact. God has a plan for your life.

One of the best tests of a person’s faith is when we see him or her, wanting Bithynia and getting Macedonia, and yet is still certain that there’s a purpose for his or her life.

Faith Worth Remembering.....by Katherine Britton

 Faith Worth Remembering 

by Katherine Britton

Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." - Matthew 26:10-13  

The woman with the alabaster jar knew something that I don't fully grasp.

She knew she didn't belong with Jesus. She knew that he had every right to shun her, to see her life of sin, and turn away. Comparing Matthew's account with other gospels, she was probably Mary Magdalene, the fallen woman. Even by our cultural standards, her lifestyle barred her from polite company; in her day, her gender prevented her from coming too close to the honored guest. She had no right to enter that dinner, and she knew it. So why does this woman win such a place in Jesus' narrative?

I tried to unravel her story in one of my few stints as a short story author. Picture a woman entering a room full of men, all of whom notice her impertinence. Perhaps she second-guessed her intentions for a moment. But I bet that once her eyes settled on Jesus, she never looked away. Not this woman, Mary. I can't think of any other compelling reason for her to walk forward, break a jar that cost a year's salary, and pour it over the head and feet of Christ.

What did she know that today's Christians, me included, miss?

I think that answer lies in where she looked. She kept her eyes trained on Jesus, refusing to look at her own moral standing and flaws. It's not that she wasn't aware of them - that's the very reason she loved Jesus so much. But she didn't allow herself to dwell on the laws she had broken and the time she hadn't spent loving him. She was too caught up in his face to notice anything about herself.

When I approach God on Sunday mornings, I must admit that my heart drags its feet, coming with eyes downcast. What I consider most often are the ways I fail—how I didn't read my Bible enough or I wasn't patient or loving or whatever enough. And yet, my focus is still on… me.

The woman with the alabaster jar died to herself long before she entered that dining room. She had denied herself and decided to focus only on Jesus. Her self faded into the background as focused on delighting in her Lord. She was one of the first people to understand what it meant to take up the cross and follow Jesus. For that, Jesus promised that her story would be told "wherever this gospel is heard." That's faith worth remembering.

Intersecting Faith & Life: How hard is it to enjoy your best friend's company? Or do you focus on all the ways you could be a better friend but fail? When we're in the presence of people we love, the meeting becomes less about us and more about enjoying their company. How would our lives be transformed if we took that same approach to our faith? In 2016, I pray that we will remember the woman with the alabaster jar and follow her example. Let's train our eyes on the face of Jesus.

A Prayer for When You’ve Lost Everything..... By Jennifer Maggio

 A Prayer for When You’ve Lost Everything

By Jennifer Maggio

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” – 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

It was 3:30 in the morning when I received the call that changed everything. “Jennifer, you need to get out of the house. Your neighborhood is flooding,” my friend sobbed hysterically. Unsure if I was dreaming, I stumbled from my bed, down the hall, and out my front door. Floodwaters were pouring into my neighborhood, more quickly than I can even describe. Within 20 minutes, we were loaded in the car and fleeing the scene. It took only a matter of hours for the Great Louisiana Flood of 2016 to overtake my home and wash away virtually everything I owned – baby pictures, wedding albums, my children’s first letters, everything.

There is someone reading this who is there, right now. You have lost everything; you feel you can’t go on, you are certain no one sees you. I’m writing this for you, today. I’m writing to tell you some important things for you to know when you lose everything.

You haven’t lost everything. It may seem like it, today. It may seem like the dark cloud has followed you way too long. Maybe you’ve lost a great deal in a short period of time. Maybe you’ve lost your job and your health is failing, and your mom just died. I don’t know what your loss looks like today and I wouldn’t dare minimize it. Take your time to grieve the loss. Take your time; let time heal the wounds of the loss. But please know: you haven’t lost everything. God is with you. As a born-again child of the King, your salvation isn’t lost. Your future beyond this earth is secure.

It doesn’t matter how you feel today. It doesn’t matter if you can’t feel God’s presence. Feelings are temporal and fleeting. What is true is that He is with you. Satan would like nothing more than to convince you otherwise. There are thousands of lies that Satan will whisper in your ear. But that’s just it. They are lies - lies from the pit of Hell, designed strategically to hold you down, destroy you, steal you your hope, and kill the joy of your future. Do not stand for it.

You have been given the authority to stand firm against the lies of the enemy. You have the authority to cast down his plans of attack against you. Know that you are God’s beloved. He sees you. He loves you. You are not alone.

A Prayer for When You’ve Lost Everything:

Lord, I’ll just be honest: I feel like everything good has been taken from me. And I feel like You’ve let it happen. Can I admit that to You? Thank you for being big enough to handle all my fears, angers, and uncertainties.

Lord, thank you for this truth: I am afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, struck down but not destroyed. 

Lord, help me- give me Your Spirit, help me know Your goodness even in the midst of this pain. Help me out of this pit, Lord, and onto steady ground. 

Thank You, God for never leaving me. Help me only have hope in You. 

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

How to Prioritize Prayer in Your Crazy Busy Life..... by Amy Carroll

 How to Prioritize Prayer in Your Crazy Busy Life

by Amy Carroll

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

Although I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions, I’ve come to adore adopting a single word each year to guide me toward spiritual growth.

Last January as I sought God for my new word, I sensed Him leading me to the word “pray.” Terror is too mild a word to describe the way I felt about that particular directive.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve made daily prayer a practice for decades, but I knew it was still a weak link in my spiritual life. Bible study is one of my great loves, and I adore getting out to serve. But during my prayer times, my mind wanders, my faith wavers and I never feel as if I cover all the needs. Guilt and a sense of falling short typically describe my prayer life.

Have you struggled with prayer too? If you’re like me, maybe you know prayer is important, but it’s hard to wrap your mind around such a powerful, invisible force. It’s challenging to prioritize time for something so intangible with results that demand waiting.

As I surrendered and embraced “pray” with a trembling heart at the beginning of 2018, I pictured success as reading stacks of books from the 1700s. I imagined developing callouses on my knees from hours on them in the dark of early morning. But those images left me resistant instead of motivated. Truthfully, I couldn’t fathom fitting those assignments into my current schedule. Surely this was going to be the worst word-of-the-year ever.

I’m excited to report that’s not how God worked at all. Yes, He challenged me to grow in ways that required intention. He asked me to set more time aside for prayer, but He brought some beautiful, simple tools into my life that have allowed me to find peace and even joy in prayer. God directed me to:

Instagram, where I found a pre-prayer journal routine that settles my thoughts and quiets my mind.

A book that led me to pray one God-inspired verse for each of my sons every day.

A calendar with daily out-of-the-box prompts that leads me to pray for areas I wouldn’t have thought to cover.

A friend who encouraged me to set reminders throughout the day on my phone to pray for people I want to intercede for every week.

A group in the First 5 app where I write out my prayers based on that day’s Scripture.

A mentor who modeled on-the-spot prayer for those with a request: the best guarantee for follow-through instead of forgetting. Voila! Guilt free.

In a gentle yet persistent way, God brought Colossians 4:2 alive in my life in 2018: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Now my one word “pray” is an invitation for ongoing conversation with God.

As a rule-follower and reforming perfectionist, I used to look for formulas and how-to’s. Now, instead of limiting myself to a set number of minutes of prayer in a prescribed routine, the simple tools above allow prayer to permeate my thoughts. They’ve created a watchfulness in me that lasts throughout the day. I’m constantly looking for opportunities to pray, which leads to true devotion to the practice and thankfulness as I watch God at work. There are so many moments that beg for prayer!

If you long for talk with God that changes things, prayer is not as hard as you might think. Ask Him to send some simple tools your way, and let the dialogue begin.

Lord, I want to develop devotion to prayer because I long for a never-ending conversation with You. Please teach me to pray by showing me truths in Your Word and giving me the determination to use the tools You send my way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 17:6, “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.” (NIV)

Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (NIV)