Streams in the Desert.....

 Streams in the Desert

Stablish, strengthen, settle you (1 Peter 5:10).

In taking Christ in any new relationship, we must first have sufficient intellectual light to satisfy our mind that we are entitled to stand in this relationship. The shadow of a question here will wreck our confidence. Then, having seen this, we must make the venture, the committal, the choice, and take the place just as definitely as the tree is planted in the soil, or the bride gives herself away at the marriage altar. It must be once for all, without reserve, without recall.

Then there is a season of establishing, settling and testing, during which we must "stay put" until the new relationship gets so fixed as to become a permanent habit. It is just the same as when the surgeon sets the broken arm. He puts it in splints to keep it from vibration. So God has His spiritual splints that He wants to put upon His children and keep them quiet and unmoved until they pass the first stage of faith. It is not always easy work for us, "but the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after that ye have suffered awhile, stablish, strengthen, settle you."
--A. B. Simpson

There is a natural law in sin and sickness; and if we just let ourselves go and sink into the trend of circumstances, we shall go down and sink under the power of the tempter. But there is another law of spiritual life and of physical life in Christ Jesus to which we can rise, and through which we can counterpoise and overcome the other law that bears us down.

But to do this requires real spiritual energy and fixed purpose and a settled posture and habit of faith. It is just the same as when we use the power in our factory. We must turn on the belt and keep it on. The power is there, but we must keep the connection; and while we do so, the higher power will work and all the machinery will be in operation.

There is a spiritual law of choosing, believing, abiding, and holding steady in our walk with God, which is essential to the working of the Holy Ghost either in our sanctification or healing.
--Days of Heaven upon Earth

Our Great Mission..... Dr.Charles Stanley

 Our Great Mission

Dr.Charles Stanley

Matthew 28:18-20

If you’re a believer, you are part of the awesome body of Christ, which is called to bring His light to the world both individually and corporately. Though many see the church as a social organization, that’s not what the Bible says it is. Sometimes we forget that our purpose isn’t simply to have fellowship, sing, preach, and worship. Jesus entrusted us with good news of the true life He offers to everyone. This calling isn’t just for foreign “missionaries”—it’s for every believer. Your mission field includes your family, friends, coworkers, and perhaps even a people group God puts on your heart, often right in your community.

Before returning to heaven, Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission, in which He promised to be with believers to the end of the age. That pledge still stands. He doesn’t send us out to do His work on our own. Vowing never to leave us, He gave the assurance that all tasks He assigns will be achieved through us by His Holy Spirit.

What an honor to be included in the Lord’s redemptive plan for the world! He invites you to have a vital part in His kingdom work of transforming what is broken and giving new life. Everything you do in obedience is an opportunity for His Spirit to work powerfully through you!

He is still speaking His message of assurance to us: You’ll have Me as your companion, your captain, your victory. You’ll have Me as your resource, your energy, your anointing. Everything you need, you’ll find in Me. How does recognizing the greatness of your calling change the way you see your daily life?

Our Source of Hope When Life Hurts GRACE FOX

 Our Source of Hope When Life Hurts

GRACE FOX

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13 (ESV)

I knew something was seriously wrong the moment I answered my phone. My sister-in-law choked back tears as she told me a doctor had just diagnosed my 88-year-old mother with a life-threatening condition. “She has 20 minutes to talk with each of her kids and decide whether or not to have surgery,” my sister-in-law said. Twenty minutes to choose between life or death. The clock was ticking.

When I woke early that morning, I had no reason to suspect crisis would strike my family before noon. I would never have guessed that within hours, I’d leave home to sit vigil at Mom’s bedside until she took her last breath on earth a week later.

Life is unpredictable. Last year at this time, my mother was an active senior who drove and lived independently. And none of us suspected a mystery virus was about to strike and bring division, disappointment and loss. Who could have guessed a pandemic would force us into isolation, upend our plans, throw us into turmoil and leave us longing for hope?

Life changes in a nanosecond, and it deals blows we don’t expect. It’s so easy to find ourselves in a place of despair, longing for some type of comfort. I’ve struggled too, as I’ve grieved for my mom and for the losses suffered by so many around the world.

Thankfully, in my time of grief, I’ve found Romans 15:13 to be especially meaningful: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Hope is mentioned not once, but twice in this verse. One Bible dictionary defines it as “trustful expectation, particularly with reference to the fulfillment of God’s promises. Biblical hope is the anticipation of a favorable outcome under God’s guidance.” This contrasts to a dictionary definition of hope as “a feeling that what we want to happen will happen.”

The first mention of hope in today’s verse refers to God as the origin of hope. We anticipate a favorable outcome not based on circumstances, but on His person. We will face disappointments or life-altering detours. We will experience the death of a dream or the loss of a loved one. But no matter how difficult our circumstances, we can have hope because of who God is: powerful, wise, sovereign and good.

God is our guide, our comforter, our rock that remains steadfast when everything around us crumbles. He’s our constant companion who has promised never to leave us, not even for a moment.

The second mention of hope refers to us as the recipients. God pours hope into us when we choose to believe He is who He says He is and that He always keeps His promises. When we do this, He gifts us not with a flimsy optimism that everything will somehow work out OK, but with a rock-solid anticipation of a favorable outcome under His guidance.

And because we live among humanity desperately seeking hope, He wants our supply to spill over and splash those around us, creating in them a curiosity to know our secret. We can’t concoct this hope in our own strength; God makes hope possible by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. Imagine — this is the same power that raised Christ from the dead! (Romans 8:11; Ephesians 1:19, 20)

The more I meditate on Romans 15:13, the more God heals my hurting heart. He wants to do the same for you, my friend. We can hang on to hope knowing that someday, Jesus will return and set everything right. Someday, He will wipe every tear from our eyes. (Revelation 21:4) In the meantime, we can live in hope because the source of hope lives in us.

Dear God, we acknowledge You as the reason for hope. When life hurts, help us keep our thoughts fixed on the Truth about who You are. Remind us that You live in us by the power of Your Holy Spirit. And fill us to overflowing with a hope that reflects You to those around us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 39:7, “And now, O LORD, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” (ESV)

The Life That Is the Light (John 1:4-5)..... By: Amanda Idleman

 The Life That Is the Light (John 1:4-5)

By: Amanda Idleman

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 1:4-5

As believers, we have the joy of celebrating the life that is the light of all mankind! Our hearts swell with gratitude because light came down in the form of a precious baby to pierce the darkness that troubles this world. God was faithful to the promise he made to his people. He promised that we would not be left alone chained to a hopeless fate of sin and death but rather we would be saved by the sacrifice of a great rescuer!

In him was life and this speaks of the entirety of creation. It is through him that all creation was called into existence. Humanity was the highest creature made “in the image of God.” The Bible tells us that God, “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).

John is pointing to how Jesus was present at the beginning, in the Garden. From the moment sin entered the scene, he came up with a rescue plan for his beloved creation.

Even though our sin doomed us to experience death and suffering, God loved us so much that he was unwilling to leave us to our deserved fate. All the life that fills our planet and most importantly humanity came into existence because God spoke it into being. He desires to be with us and hates the way our sin and pride separates us from our Maker.

God sent his Son to be our light. He is the one absolute truth. Jesus is free from sin, full of all wisdom, and knowledge. Our source of life is the light that mankind needs to break us free from the lies that keep us bound up and lead us towards destruction.

That light came into our dark world and despite every effort of the darkness, it was not able to stop God’s plan from coming to pass. No matter how bleak our circumstances seem when we have Jesus there is always hope. Not even death has the last word as we are given an eternal hope of Heaven when we accept Jesus into our lives.

The beautiful truth is that when we accept Jesus as our Savior he uses us to be a part of the light that pierces the darkness. We get to be those who reflect the light and life that created us. Matthew 6:10 says, “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” When we believe we become a partner in being the answer to this prayer. We can be a people who bring heaven down to earth.

Let’s pause to thank God for not leaving us in the dark.

Thank you, God, for loving us so much that you did not want anyone to perish but want us all to accept your gift of eternal life (John 3:16). We thank you, God, for the light and life that pierced the darkness and continues to offer us access to unshakable hope. Help us see your light clearly wherever we walk today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Be Careful What You Think..... By Debbie McDaniel

 Be Careful What You Think

By Debbie McDaniel

“Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.” Proverbs 4:23 NCV

This verse from Prov. 4:23 = so true.

Our inner thoughts, our words, even what's spoken to ourselves, it really matters. For it can hold the power to run our lives and dictate our choices. All the more reason to make sure that our "thinking" is based on Truth, on what God says.

When we fill our minds, our thoughts, our hearts with the right things, the wrong things won't have any room to enter. His Word, His Truth offers a protection, a guard over our hearts and lives, for our decisions and thoughts.

It’s not easy sometimes. The world can be really great at throwing stones, insults, and discouraging words our way. We might get off track. We get distracted. We look to other sources to give us wisdom and direction. Or to make us feel better about ourselves. Many times, we start buying the lie and speaking negativity or defeat over our own lives, and those around us. We start sinking deeper. And believing it’s all true.

God knows how vulnerable we are to attack, in allowing our thoughts and words to work against us, and in causing division or strife with others. Maybe that’s why He gives this wisdom, to set a guard, a gate, over our hearts and minds, so that we don’t allow just any thought or word to enter in.

Another version says it like this, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Prov. 4:23 NIV

- “Above all else” - with constant awareness and diligence, like a watchman

- “guard” - protect, to keep safe

- “your heart” – your innermost being, which represents the very core of your thoughts, your mind, your actions and decisions

- “for everything you do flows from it” - it is the wellspring of life, it's that vital

It’s a choice we make every day. All day. To protect our hearts and be careful with our thinking. To make sure our affections and energies are focused on the right things. To concentrate on the desires that push us towards God and along a wise path.

All of our life, depends on it.

May God help us to walk in His wisdom and grace, so that our thoughts and words, all that we focus on, would bring honor to him and strength to our days.

Intersecting Faith & Life: What thoughts do you need God’s help to change today? Ask Him to help you guard and protect your heart from wrong thoughts, defeat, and lies. Pray for His Spirit to fill you afresh and give your wisdom to hold on to His Truth.

Further Reading:
Proverbs 23:7
Luke 6:45
Mark 7:14-23
Colossians 4:6

A Prayer for Freedom from Guilt..... By: Kristine Brown

 A Prayer for Freedom from Guilt

By: Kristine Brown

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 NLT

Scanning through social media, I landed on a post about a group of misbehaving teens. The comments that followed showed frustration with their actions.

As I read, a knot grew in the pit of my stomach because it brought back memories of my own questionable choices. Choices I wish I could take back or at least get a do-over. But I couldn’t. So those feelings of guilt came creeping back without warning.

When we give our lives over to Jesus and accept God’s gift of eternal life, God forgives us. No doubt about it. Yet the consequences of past sins may last beyond what our grieving hearts can handle. So, what do we do when guilt surfaces, long after we’ve become new creations in Christ? Is there a way to live in peace, knowing the wrongs of our past?

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 NLT

Knowing the truth of God’s wonderful forgiveness will not remove all memories of our past, but it will help us live in freedom. Guilt can draw us deeper into the pit of self-condemnation, or it can compel us to share the love of our Savior with others. It’s our choice.

Guilt comes in many forms. We may feel guilt over a past we’re ashamed to claim, or a decision that affected someone else, like a family member or friend. Wherever the guilt originated, the choices we make today can determine whether we shine a light on unforgiveness, or on the redeeming power of Jesus. Let’s embrace freedom from guilt today with this prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

When I committed my life to Your son Jesus and asked Him to come live in my heart, You forgave me for my past sins. I am grateful for that forgiveness, but sometimes those memories resurface. I feel guilty over any pain I caused and struggle to forgive myself.

Lord, I know Your Word says you “removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12 NLT) Help me to remember this truth when guilt keeps me bound to the problems from my past. Help me to understand I am a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). You removed the old and created something new in me. I give you praise for this awesome gift.

As I go through today and all the days ahead of me, I will look to Your Word for help as I focus on sharing the redeeming love of Jesus. I refuse to stay chained to the person I once was, but instead will embrace freedom through Christ. The grace you gave me, I now choose to give to others. Thank you for unending mercy.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.