Streams in the Desert

When thou passest through the waters... they shall not overflow thee (Isaiah 43:2).

God does not open paths for us in advance of our coming. He does not promise help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are on the edge of our need, God's hand is stretched out.

Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do it only step by step as they may need. You must get to the waters and into their floods before you can claim the promise. Many people dread death, and lament that they have not "dying grace." Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life's duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need then, living grace; then dying grace when they come to die.
--J. R. M.

"When thou passest through the waters"
Deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge,
And His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it,
He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters
Thou shalt not go down, BUT THROUGH."
Seas of sorrow, seas of trial,
Bitterest anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation
Sweeping over heart and brain
They shall never overflow us
For we know His word is true;
All His waves and all His billows
He will lead us safely through.
Threatening breakers of destruction,
Doubt's insidious undertow,
Shall not sink us, shall not drag us
Out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise shall sustain us,
Praise the Lord, whose Word is true!
We shall not go down, or under,
For He saith, "Thou passest THROUGH."
--Annie Johnson Flint

 

The Body of Christ..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Body of Christ

Dr. Charles Stanley

Ephesians 4:11-16

As we saw yesterday, all the people who gather to worship in churches around the world form one body—the body of Christ. Jesus is the head. Paul described Him as "the beginning, the first-born from the dead" (Col. 1:18). He takes priority in the church and in the lives of every believer.

At salvation, you become a part of the body, no matter what your local church's membership rules may be. By receiving the Savior, a person is made one with Jesus. Therefore, if you're a believer, you are a breathing and active part of Christ, who is at work on earth through His followers. The church is Jesus' feet to carry the gospel message, His arms to care for those in need of love, and His hands to uphold the weak.

Christ's physical body underwent terrible pain and persecution. His church body cannot expect a cozy, easy existence either. Being Jesus to the world means making sacrifices, accepting ridicule, and loving our enemies (Heb. 13:16, Matt. 5:44). God called us to spread the gospel, but that doesn't mean people always like what we have to say. Sin and accountability aren't popular messages. Yet being trendy and well liked is not the point. We're here to carry out the work and mission of God, even when doing so is uncomfortable.

The spiritual makeup of the church is linked to its mission. The gospel cannot be spread except through the strength and wisdom of Jesus Christ, the head. The body of believers is united with Him through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. He reaches the world through His church and its members.

Staying Devoted When Our Souls Are Depleted..... KAT ARMSTRONG

 Staying Devoted When Our Souls Are Depleted

KAT ARMSTRONG

“…‘If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.’ He said this about the Spirit.” John 7:37-39a (HCSB) 

Before 2020, I would have told you I was already in a state of emotional crisis. I was at my breaking point.

Among other things, I was struggling with burnout. Now, there are different levels of exhaustion. There’s “stretched thin,” “tired of the daily grind,” or “in need of an extended vacation.” I was way past that, even two years ago. Suddenly, the fuel of passion that had filled my tank and kept me going for a decade in ministry was merely fumes. Working a full-time job — while homeschooling and self-quarantining with no end in sight — left me depleted.

Burnout reminded me of the time I ran out of gas late one night on a near-empty highway between two small towns. My cellphone battery was dead, the red gas light had been staring at me for miles, and there was no gas station in sight. If you’ve ever found yourself parking your car on the side of the road and walking to the nearest gas station, you know what I’m talking about.

I remember the moment the car started to slow down, even though I was flooring the gas pedal. Picture me stomping the gas pedal in futility, and keep in mind it was a metaphor for what my life became. There was simply nothing left in the tank.

What did your life look like before all the unexpectedness of 2020? Were you struggling with something already hard enough? Me too.

In spite of burnout and grief over ruined plans, I have had to find a way to carry on. But I didn’t find the willpower or some reservoir of resilience. Not even close. Remember, my tank was already empty. Instead, I was forced to rely on God’s real-time presence for forward motion.

When Jesus explained to His disciples He would be leaving earth, His disciples panicked. (John 14:1-5) Several times in the Gospels, it seems as if the disciples were just starting to understand the ways of God’s Kingdom, inaugurated through Jesus, their ever-present help in time of need. But if Jesus was “going away,” how would they survive?

In our passage, He promises the Holy Spirit, the great Counselor, and says the Spirit will be with His followers forever. (vv. 16-18) Jesus does not abandon us like orphans in a cruel world. He ensures God’s presence will never leave us because of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling power in our lives. (vv. 25-28)

If we feel stuck, overwhelmed or riddled with doubts, the Spirit is with us and will fill our tanks. “…‘If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.’ He said this about the Spirit” (John 7:37-39a).

If we see no way forward and lack the energy to try again, the Spirit is with us. More importantly, the Spirit does not suffer burnout or depletion. To experience the Holy Spirit is to enjoy resurrection power, the same power that conquered death and sin, living in you and sustaining you through every impossible circumstance.

You and I have an incredible invitation from Jesus that we can take hold of when we feel depleted.

God, I feel depleted. Help me replenish my weary soul by Your Holy Spirit’s power. Make me more aware of Your presence, and help me carry on in devotion to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 42:1-2a, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (NRSV)

Psalm 36:7-9, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (NRSV)

He Will Provide..... By Keneesha Saunders-Liddie

 He Will Provide

By Keneesha Saunders-Liddie

But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19

I have a problem with waiting. Like most people, I want instant gratification. When I go through a drive-thru, I expect to have my food by a certain time, and when 30 minutes have passed and I’ve got nothing to show I’ll complain, “Isn’t this FAST food? Why then is it so slow?” I have waited on God for many things and I have to say that in hindsight I always conclude his timing is perfect.

I got married at the age of 25 but I wanted to get married at an earlier age like 20-22 but when I was ready to jump the broom I didn’t have any potential candidates. So when I passed the age of 22 I figured that marriage probably wasn’t what God wanted for me.

Did you know that God has a great sense of humor? He must’ve looked down at me and said, ‘great now that you’re done looking, I can send someone your way.’ The person that he sent wasn’t someone that I was interested in because I didn’t think he was ready for marriage so I resisted.

Well glory be to God my husband was persistent and he told me even if he wasn’t ready for marriage, he would still marry me because he not only loved me but he saw that I could be his good thing.

When I least expected it God saw my needs and provided for me. He gave me what I couldn’t give myself and he receives all of the glory for it.

Have you waited patiently on God for a need that you’ve prayed for constantly? Usually, when you are on the brink of giving up that’s when God steps in and gifts us with much more than we ever thought we needed?

There is a key-word in this passage and it is all. I once heard someone say, all means all and that’s all that all means. Your God is for you and he wants to provide all of your needs. If you are honest and you start counting your blessings you will realize that he provides much more than our needs.

He also provides our wants.

Ice, cream, fancy restaurant dinners, new clothing, most of these things are not needs but we want them and he blesses us with much more than we even realize.

As believers we sometimes walk around defeated, acting like God isn’t on the throne and he isn’t for us. However, he is for us, he is for you and if you ask for food he won’t give you a snake. I’m guilty of thinking that I know what’s best for my life until God shows up.

When he shows up and I compare my choices against his, without a doubt, his choices are always the best. When Paul wrote this verse, he was in jail. His needs were met through the people of God in the surrounding area. And as a result of his needs being met, he blessed the people by pronouncing this truthful blessing over their lives.

Do you believe in the pronouncement of Paul? Even when you don’t know where the money will come from to pay your bills? Even when you don’t know who will hire you? Trust that God will provide. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. If even the death of a sparrow is important to God, how much more are we as his beloved children and image-bearers.

Dear God,

I am so grateful that I can turn to you anytime. Help me to remember that you are the giver of all things good. You are the owner of this entire universe and you will supply my needs according to your riches in glory.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Made for This (Acts 17:26-27) ..... By: Amanda Idleman

 Made for This (Acts 17:26-27)

By: Amanda Idleman

Today’s Bible Verse: From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. - Acts 17:26-27

Did you realize that the Bible tells us God predetermined the time and place that you would live? Truly, you are where you are on purpose. The God-who-sees-you determined where and when you would be breathed into life. He has a plan for your life and is not surprised by the twists and turns that rise up in each of our stories.

John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible articulates it this way, “in which every man was, or is to come into the world, is fixed and determined by God; nor can, nor does anyone come into the world sooner or later than that time; and also the particular country, city, town, and spot of ground where he shall dwell; and the term of time how long he shall dwell there, and then remove to another place, or be removed by death."

You were made for this time and this place in history! What comfort we can gain in knowing that God has not placed us in our current circumstances by accident. He is not far from any one of us and not surprised when life surprises us!

God made you in such a manner so that you “would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him.” Meaning, God has crafted your life in such a way that you would have the best chance of knowing him. What if we examined our circumstances both good and bad from this perspective? God is at work in the good and bad of our lives, hoping that through it all, we would reach out to him and find him.

When we face challenging circumstances, it can be easy to let bitterness push us away from faith. What if you instead let your troubles be a catalyst for a deeper dependence on your Creator? He alone has control over the days that your life contains. He alone can use the hard things we go through and transform them into a testimony of God’s faithful love that carries us through the storms.

Consider Harriet Tubman. She faced many hardships including slavery, abuse, a debilitating head injury, and many other heartbreaking trials. She could have seen her life and place in time in history as a burden too great that would push her away from doing hard things or having a strong faith in a good God. Instead, it was her faith that gave her the strength to do heroic things for others stuck in the bondage of slavery.

She saw her time and very difficult place in history as a chance to reach out to God and hold on in the face of the scariest of circumstances. She viewed slavery as the “next thing to hell” and she boldly helped to free others from that hell with the help of God.

We can trust God for the strength that we need to live our lives well no matter what trials we face. 1 Peter 1:7 says, “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

God even uses our trials to grow up in us a genuine faith. When we face unrest in our lives we can stand firm in the knowledge that when we reach out to God it will be there waiting to be found by us.

A Mathful God?..... By Shawn McEvoy

 A Mathful God? 

By Shawn McEvoy

God doesn't count us; he calls us by name. Arithmetic is not his focus.
Romans 9:28, The Message

Thank God that he calls us by name, that our names have been written in the Book of Life. He knows us intimately. We are not just numbers to him, as the verse above reminds.

That said, have you ever looked at the face of a calculator and marveled at how completely God is involved in all of those functions? He adds, he subtracts, he multiplies, he divides. Positives, negatives, rationals, irrationals, imaginaries, radicals, constants... all indicate some aspect of God and what he does, how he interacts with his creation.

Let's take a look at some examples of the most basic of these functions, and how they suggest a perfect sum of completeness and trust. He's worked it all out. The numbers add up. The whole world - its time and history and future - is well calculated, and safe in his hands.

ADDITION

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. --Acts 2:46-47, NAS

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. --1 Corinthians 3:7, KJV

"Nothing in Scripture and in the life of Christ could be clearer: Wealth is not an objective of the spiritual life. When we encounter money on the path of life, we are encouraged to do one of three things with it: Turn and walk in the other direction; pick it up and give it away; or use it for the necessities of life. It's this last part that I think has become skewed over time. Our list of 'needs' is much greater today than it was in 1900 and their list of needs were certainly greater than during the time when Christ walked the Earth. Now I know that here in the year [2014], it is countercultural to give money away. It is countercultural to seek your security in things that aren't man-made. But, remember what Jesus promised, 'But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you' (Matthew 6:33, NKJV)."  --Steve Scalici, "Should Christians Strive for the American Dream?"

SUBTRACTION

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! --John 1:29, NAS

If you subtract from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will subtract your part from the Tree of Life and the Holy City that are written in this book. --Revelation 22:19, MSG

"Our spiritual engrafting provides an eternity of new life. While the struggles of our present earthly existence cause momentary, light affliction, the life to come for those who are in Christ Jesus will last forever. There will be no more heartaches, no more pain. He has taken our heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh. He died so that we might live."  --Peter Beck, "Engrafted for Life"

MULTIPLICATION

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. --Hebrews 6:13-14, KJV

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. --2 Corinthians 9:10, NAS

"I would be afraid to bring children into this world if I did not know God. But because I know God, I am free to encourage you to have children... God's people are the ones who ought to be bringing a godly seed into this world. What does the world need? Jesus. How are they going to hear if the light goes out?"  --Adrian Rogers, "Bringing Children into the World"

DIVISION

So you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. --Ezekiel 47:21, NAS

And the people of all the nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. --Matthew 25:32, GNT

"God is in the business of division. As in creation, He divided whatever was necessary in order to bring order. He divides light and darkness today also. That is why His people are in this world but not of it. God's children are separated from the world as they are sanctified, or set apart, for the things of God. As Christians, we think of the Lord as One who wants to make "everything ok" or to bring peace to a given situation. However, the Lord Jesus clearly said that He came to divide. 'Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword' (Matt. 10:34)."  --Tonilee Adamson & Bobbye Brooks, "Division"

The Sum of the Equation

I know that whatever God does will last forever; there is nothing to add or subtract from it; and God has done it so that people will fear him. --Ecclesiastes 3:14, CJB

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." -- Job 1:21, NAS

You can't take any of this stuff with you. Enjoy it and praise God for all of it. Instead of counting widgets, count blessings, count it all joy. Let him do the math of your life: accountant, buyer, salesman, financial planner, marketer, measurer and profiteer.

A Prayer for God to Search and Know Me..... By Victoria Riollano

 A Prayer for God to Search and Know Me

By Victoria Riollano

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. -Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, Lord.

I will never forget the first time I stumbled across this passage of scripture. It immediately struck me as one of the most dangerous prayers one could ever pray. Not only does the writer, David, ask the Lord to search his heart, he also asks him to find every offensive way. On the surface, this seemed like an easy thing to ask of the Lord. Yet, the more I prayed the prayer, the more I started to feel discomfort. No matter how holy and blameless I believed I was, the Lord was reminding me there was more work to be done. My offensive ways were many, but God’s grace was more plentiful than I could imagine.

As I researched this psalm, I found it of interest that David would be the writer of this prayer, who implored the Lord to “search him and find every offensive way.” David, a murderer, adulterer, and a man with many imperfections, took time to seek the Lord for the truth about himself. In a time where David could have blamed the world around him, he made a choice to take ownership of his faults and ask the Lord to expose them. He recognized that even on his best day his righteousness were like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

In my own life, I’ve been the opposite of Psalm 139. If I’m honest, my prayers were that God would search them. The issues I encountered were surely a reflection of everyone else’s flaws, not my own.

Marriage issues were my husband’s fault.

Parenting problems reflected my children’s temperament.

Friendship woes were due to their disloyalty or poor behavior.

My prayers to the Lord were directed at them. I needed the Lord to fix them so that my life could be better. I am certain that I am not the only one.

Whether we like it or not, we must come to accept that we are not perfect. We act from our flesh, we dishonor the Lord, we fall prey to idols, and this doesn’t even include the secret sins hidden within our heart. As the Apostle Paul declared, “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19). This generational struggle of flesh versus spirit has been present from the beginning of time and tries to get the best of us. Yet, with the Lord we can overcome these struggles daily.

The key to doing so goes beyond saying a prayer. We must be willing to address our current heart condition and what displeases the Lord. In doing so, we must also be aware that what the world finds offensive and what God sees as offensive may be different. For this reason, we seek the Lord for His guidance on what honors Him and dishonors Him. Not only this, when the Lord shows us an area that needs to be transformed, we must choose to not allow pride or shame to keep us from changing. Instead, our heart cry should reflect wanting to live a life that honors Him in every way, even when it is uncomfortable. May the prayer of our heart today be, “Search me Lord.”

Lord,

I thank you that you see all and that you know all. Search me, Lord. I give you access and full reign over every part of my life. I thank you for revealing my offensive ways and giving me wisdom on how to change. I accept my imperfection and embrace your grace in these moments. I need you Lord to do a work in me. Help me to never grow tired of your correction.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.

Choose to Trust God in This New Year..... By Rick Warren

 Choose to Trust God in This New Year

By Rick Warren

“It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before” (Hebrews 11:7 NLT).

Faith is obedience when you don’t understand it. In just the New Testament alone, there are 1,050 commands, and they’re all there for your benefit. God says things like, “Love your enemies” and “Forgive the people who hurt you.” That’s not easy! There are a lot of commands in the Bible that seem difficult, unreasonable, unrealistic, unachievable, or even impossible. But when God says things like, “You should save sex for marriage,” he’s not being mean. He says it because he knows best and knows what will make you happy more than you do.

Every time God tells you to do something, it’s a test of your faith. The question is this: Do you trust God, or do you trust your gut? Do you trust the Word, or do you trust the world?

We’re starting a new year, and these are important question to ask. How will we answer them this year? Will we trust God, or will we do what we think we should do, regardless of God’s direction? Will we trust the Word of God, or will we trust what the world says we should do?

As a kid, did your parents ever ask you to do something that seemed unreasonable? When you asked them, “Why should I do this?” they would say, “Because I said so!"

Looking back at some of the things your parents told you to do “because they said so,” was it the right thing? Yes. Can you see in hindsight now how they were wise? God will say the same thing the rest of your life, not just when you’re a kid. When you’re 80 years old, God is going to be saying, “I want you to do this.” And you’re going to go, “Why? That doesn’t make sense.” And God will say, “Because I said so.”

It is a test. Faith is believing when you don’t see it, but it’s also obeying when you don’t understand it. If you do not learn to obey, you’ll miss so many blessings in life that God has in store for you.

But if you learn to do what God tells you to do without question, even when it seems absurd and the exact opposite of your natural tendency, then you’re going to grow in faith, and you’re going to get blessed.

Let’s make responding in faith our focus for this New Year!

Talk It Over

What is something God has told you to do that you did not believe was possible?

Why do you think God asks us to do things that are not possible in our own strength?

What steps of faith can you take this year in obedience to God?