When Influential Trouble Comes in Waves.....By Meg Bucher

 When Influential Trouble Comes in Waves

By Meg Bucher

“Troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray.” -  Deuteronomy 13:13 NIV

Much like hard times come in seasons, trouble comes in waves. The tricky part about determining a bad influence is weeding out our assumptions. We may tend to honor older people as wiser, louder people deserving of our ear, younger people as having nothing to add to our experience, and so on and so on. We all kind of jockey around for position in this life, don’t we? And when it gets turned on its head, it makes us feel uncomfortable and confused. It often blindsides us, and sometimes traps us.

Before we allow our lives to be swayed, it’s wise to determine the direction of the waves. Captains navigate following seas, a shallow-water chop and oncoming rollers differently. So should we, expect to handle, recognize, or navigate trouble.

troublemaker - a person who causes difficulties, distress, worry, etc., for others, especially one who does so habitually as a matter of malice. -dictionary.com

Trouble doesn’t always announce itself. Quite the opposite, it often looks appealing and sounds very convincing. Today’s verse takes us back to a time in the Old Testament when God’s people were being warned of ‘troublemakers.’ Those that attempted to pry people away, maliciously or not, from God.

“Troublemaker,” translated to “worthless” in the New American Standard Bible, is taken from the Hebrew word beliyya`al, which means, worthlessness …worthless, good for nothing, unprofitable, base fellow …wicked …ruin, destruction.

What happens when trouble is permitted to seep through a leaky crack? As the definition above states: destruction. Just because we didn’t realize trouble when we followed it doesn’t mean we’re not liable for what we do under its influence.

Walking with Christ allows us to double-check for trouble, including a scan of our own thoughts and intentions. Jesus died to open the flood gates of forgiveness, in an extension of God’s grace. When we know Him, the Spirit stirs us. To warn us, nudge us, and protect us. But we have to be listening to head the warning. We have to be in the Word and in prayerful conversation with Him. When we let go of His hand we leave space for trouble to cause trouble.

Later, this word (beliyya’al in Hebrew) was used as a name for Satan (2Co 6:15; Greek Beliar, a variant of Belial), who is the personification of wickedness and lawlessness. -NIV Study Bible Notes.

Wickedness and lawlessness. That’s not what I want creeping in the back door of my awareness. But it does. And he will …take every advantage of our thrown-down guard, our relationships, and every weakness he can get his hands on in order to trample and ruin as much as he can. As followers of Christ, it’s wise to be very wary of who we entertain and encourage.“Pray about everything,” and that’s how we’ll know what to do.

Father, Praise You for altering us to danger… to trouble. Thank You for Jesus, that we may receive Your guidance in conversation through the gift of Your Holy Spirit. We confess letting trouble sneak up on us, on account of our lack of listening skills. Please bless us to make time for You and Your Word, so that we can hear You.

In Jesus’ Name,

Identity of the Heart.....Denison Ministries

 Identity of the Heart

Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

So often we view God as an enforcer of religious rules. We see the commands of Scripture as a list of to-dos rather than a path leading to abundant life. But those perceptions aren’t the truth of Scripture. Those beliefs are founded on misguided notions of God’s character. God is after the heart. More than he wants us to do right, he wants us to see him rightly. He wants going to church, reading the Bible, worshipping, serving the poor, and living righteously to come from a heart filled with a true revelation of his loving-kindness. May your heart be wholly God’s this week.

Scripture:

“I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

Devotional:    

Many of us spend our entire lives just trying to answer one simple question: “Who am I?” We look to our accolades and our strengths and weaknesses to define us. We look to other people to determine who it is we are. We allow circumstances and open or closed doors to tell us who we’re supposed to be. We look everywhere but to the One who actually knows the true answer.

But God says to you and me, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). 1 John 3:1 says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” And in Ephesians 2:19 Scripture says, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

We need a renewing of our identity. We need to look at the word of God and choose to believe that we truly are who he says we are entirely. We need to let our Creator define the identity of his creation. You serve a God who has called you his child. Regardless of anything you’ve done well or poorly, regardless of your successes or failures, you are first and foremost the redeemed child of the Most High God. It’s time to anchor your identity to the unshakable truth of Scripture.

You see, it’s not enough just to know what Scripture says. It’s not enough to be able to recite verses like, “we should be called the children of God; and so we are.” Until in your heart of hearts you believe the truth of Scripture, you will base your entire life on whatever it is you value most. If you value the opinion of man over God’s word, your identity will be founded on the fleeting and fickle opinions of others. If you look to your circumstances to define you, then your identity will change with the passing of seasons. But if the identity you believe in your heart is founded on God’s truth, then your self-worth, perspectives, decisions, insecurities, and beliefs will be unshakable and yield abundant life.

Take time today to assess your own heart. Look honestly at your beliefs. Where are you looking for your identity? Place your trust in the truth of God’s word that the identity of your heart would come from your loving Creator. May your time in guided prayer be marked by a powerful revelation of truth.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the truth of your identity.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” Isaiah 43:1

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” 1 John 3:1

2. What are you allowing to define you? What, in your heart of hearts, do you value above the truth of Scripture?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit for a heart-level revelation of who you are in Christ. Open your heart to God that he might reveal to you the truth of his perspective. Align your beliefs with the truth of Scripture.

It’s absolutely critical to take an honest assessment of your heart when it comes to your identity. Don’t let going to church, talking about Scripture, or even spending time reading God’s word be enough. Take a look at what is actually sinking into your heart and changing your life. Don’t rest until your life—your emotions, actions, and beliefs—align with God’s truth. May you be energized and renewed to seek out the fullness of life God has in store for you.

Extended Reading: Psalm 139

To the One Who Longs To Feel Known..BRENDA BRADFORD OTTINGER

 To the One Who Longs To Feel Known

BRENDA BRADFORD OTTINGER 

“‘Mary!’ Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, ‘Rabboni!’ (which is Hebrew for ‘Teacher’).” John 20:16 (NLT)

Songs of soft praise laced with the warm scent of coffee hovered in the air as cheerful ladies trickled through the doors and walked toward the sound of their names, beckoned by familiar voices.

I was new in town and had barely talked myself into attending the Ladies’ Night at church, where no one knew my name.

As I scanned the clusters of women laughing and nodding with familiarity, I quietly hoped someone would invite me into their circle of conversation.

More than anything that night, I longed to feel known.

That evening is now a bygone memory, but even today, after two years of social distancing, I find myself longing to know and feel known in more intimate ways again.

Whether we’re new to a group, a job or a season of life, whether we’re the introverts who struggle to reach out or the ones who’ve been through so much that we’re unsure who to trust and let in, a common cry of the human heart is to feel known.

Recently, a verse I’d once overlooked in the Bible captured my heart. Three days after Jesus’ crucifixion, Mary Magdalene, a friend and follower of Jesus, returned to His tomb to anoint His body with burial spices, but to her troubled surprise, she found an empty grave.

As Mary turned to walk away, she saw Jesus standing there. Not recognizing Him in His resurrected state, Mary mistook the risen Savior for a gardener, saying, “Sir … if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him” (John 20:15d, NLT).

But then: “‘Mary!’ Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, ‘Rabboni!’ (which is Hebrew for ‘Teacher’)” (John 20:16).

The One whom Mary had sought among the dead now breathed her name into the sunrise of a glorious new day!

Immediately, Mary’s heart recognized what her eyes had failed to see. The voice that had rescued her, casting seven evil spirits from her (Luke 8:2) — the voice of the One she followed, served and loved — called her by name. Jesus knew her name, and she knew His voice.

When reading this passage before, I’d only considered that Mary was the first to witness the resurrected Jesus. Now, for the first time, I consider what it must have been like for Mary to hear the voice of Jesus uttering her name.

Yet this wasn’t an unfamiliar sound for Mary. “Rabboni,” the term she shouts upon recognizing Jesus (John 20:16), is a more personal reference for “teacher,” less formal than the title “rabbi.” Since the day she met Jesus, Mary faithfully followed Him, which wasn’t simply a figure of speech; she was among a group of believers who actually followed Jesus from town to town, supporting Him and His disciples.

Because Mary had spent so much time with Jesus, she instantly recognized the sound of her name on His lips. Likewise, the more time we spend with Jesus in prayer and in His Word, the more our ears are tuned to His voice in our lives. Oh, to know Him more.

Closing my eyes, I place my name in this verse where Mary’s appears and listen as the tender voice of the risen Savior speaks every syllable of my name. Suddenly, the longing to feel known is quelled by the reminder that I’m intimately known by the One who overpowered death and walked out of that grave, victorious, so I could spend eternity in heaven with Him. (John 3:16; Matthew 28:6-7; Romans 5)

Oh, sweet friend, when you feel unknown by the world around you, take heart — you are fully known and altogether adored by the Lord.

Close your eyes; listen as the voice of the Savior tenderly breathes into your spirit every syllable of your name today.

Dear Lord, thank You that, in seasons when I feel unknown by others, You’re always here, knowing and loving me well. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Thoughtful Living.....Dr. Charles Stanley

 Thoughtful Living

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 25:8-15

Are you living thoughtfully and intentionally—or automatically? It’s so easy to get up each morning, do our work, enjoy some relaxation or entertainment, and fall into bed each night without giving any thought to God’s involvement in our lives. But to be ignorant of how He has blessed, guided, protected, and warned us is a foolish way to live. Just consider the benefits of keeping our spiritual eyes and ears open throughout the day.

Those who are aware of the Lord’s presence during their daily activities enjoy the peace of knowing that He is always in control and working to accomplish His good purposes. Every day’s experiences with Him teach them to know and love Him more.

When we learn to see God’s footprints in our days, we will become aware of the scope of His involvement in our lives. Maybe He strengthened you for a task or opened a door of opportunity. Perhaps He guided your decisions or helped you respond in a godly way to a difficult person.

If our ears are open to the Lord’s warnings and instructions, we won’t repeat the same mistakes again and again. But those who are deaf to His voice will continue in unhealthy thought patterns, negative emotions, and foolish responses.

Each night before you go to sleep, take some time to reflect on the day’s activities. The Lord is constantly with you, guarding and guiding your way. He wants you to see Him in everything and understand life from His perspective as you rely on His wisdom and power to face any challenge.

The King's Test.....by Ryan Duncan

 The King's Test

by Ryan Duncan

The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out. - Proverbs 10:9

There’s an old folktale I’d like to share today.

Once upon a time, there lived a king who was beloved by all his subjects. Though he was a wise and just ruler he was also old, and had no heir to take his place when he died. The king decided to hold a contest so that he might choose a successor, and sent out a decree for all the kingdom’s children to gather at his palace. Once the last boy and girl had arrived, the king placed them all in single-file and gave to each of them a seed.

“Take these seeds and plant them in good soil.” He commanded, “In one year’s time, return to the palace with your flowers. I will examine how much they have grown and how well you have cared for them, the one who impresses me the most will become the new king.”

So the children set off into the land and the kingdom waited eagerly for a year to pass. On the day of their return, a large crowd gathered at the palace to try and guess which shrub the king would choose. Some of the children appeared holding giant flowers with strong stalks, others had beautiful petals that gave off a sweet aroma. The king examined them all with great interest until he came upon a boy holding nothing but a jar of dirt.

“What have we here?” asked the king, “Didn’t I say to go plant your seed and return with it in a year’s time?”

“My king,” the boy answered timidly, “I did everything you told me to do. I planted your seed in the best soil I could find. I gave it plenty of sunlight, and made sure it was watered every day, but it wouldn’t grow no matter what I did! So I’ve brought you all I’ve managed to accomplish, please forgive me.”

The king smiled broadly and raised his voice to address the crowd,

“The contest is over. This boy shall become my heir. The seeds I gave the children a year ago had been cooked and died, they could never have taken root or bloomed. Many children brought me beautiful plants today, but only one came with integrity, and for that he shall be rewarded.”

We live in a world that puts a lot of value in how things appear, but God is looking for followers who speak honestly and live with integrity. When we live a lifestyle that honors truth, we’re living a life that honors God.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Remember that God desires Christians to live their lives openly and without shame. Are you doing so?

Further Reading: Titus 2:1-14

A Prayer for a Heart of Wisdom.....By: Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer for a Heart of Wisdom

By: Tiffany Thibault

So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom. - Psalm 90:12

Each of us is given a certain number of days to live out our life. How we choose to live each day is pretty much our own decision, though we are understandably influenced by those around us, our desire to find happiness and our own personal expectations. We also live in a society that repeatedly tells us these things: “Be the best!,” “Achieve,” and “You deserve it.” While all these sayings are indeed motivational, we can run into the danger of losing our life if we chase the vision of what others dictate that our life should be.

As Christ-followers, our desire ought to be to live out our days walking with the Lord and honoring Him in our choices. That often happens in the small moments of each day. Those moments can absolutely make an impact on the rest of each day and then ultimately your life.

The words in our verse say: “So teach us to number our days.” As we seek the Lord for each new day, praying for direction and wisdom, we are asking the Lord to teach us to value each moment and each situation that comes our way. What happens in your day is for a reason.

As we seek the Lord for each new day, a sense of holy purpose will fill us. We are here to worship Him. We should not take a single day for granted. We are here to make each day count for eternity. And while we absolutely should be all that God has made us to be, and strive to always do our very best in every situation, our focus should be pointing others to Jesus and not ourselves.

When we ask the Lord to help teach us to number our days, we begin to see the value of every situation. Our hearts begin to change as we grow wiser. This godly wisdom gives us the understanding and discernment we need to make sense of each of our days. The more we seek the Lord in this area, the more we get to know Him. The more we know Him, the more we will begin to allow Him to work through our words, our faith and through each of our days. 

“So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom” should be our focus if we are longing to make each of our remaining days matter. We are only guaranteed this one moment, not the next. Why not choose to make this moment be about the Lord? Seek Him in prayer and trust Him for each detail for the rest of today. Trust Him to guide you, to direct you, and to fill your heart with wisdom so that each of your days takes on a holy purpose.

Dear Lord, 

Thank you for this day, and for the rest of the days that you have for me to live. Help me Lord to trust you for each moment. Help me to seek you for each situation. Fill my heart with wisdom that my life may glorify You and point others to you. Lord, will you guide and direct my steps today. Help me become more and more aware of your presence with me, and may I grow in my ability to surrender each day to you and your plans.

In your name I pray, 

Amen

Waiting for Resurrection.....Streams in the Desert

 

Waiting for Resurrection

Streams in the Desert

And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre  (Matthew 27:61).

How strangely stupid is grief. It neither learns nor knows nor wishes to learn or know. When the sorrowing sisters sat over against the door of God's sepulchre, did they see the two thousand years that have passed triumphing away? Did they see any thing but this: "Our Christ is gone!"

Your Christ and my Christ came from their loss; Myriad mourning hearts have had resurrection in the midst of their grief; and yet the sorrowing watchers looked at the seed-form of this result, and saw nothing. What they regarded as the end of life was the very preparation for coronation; for Christ was silent that He might live again in tenfold power.

They saw it not. They mourned, they wept, and went away, and came again, driven by their hearts to the sepulchre. Still it was a sepulchre, unprophetic, voiceless, lusterless.

So with us. Every man sits over against the sepulchre in his garden, in the first instance, and says, "This woe is irremediable. I see no benefit in it. I will take no comfort in it." And yet, right in our deepest and worst mishaps, often, our Christ is lying, waiting for resurrection.

Where our death seems to be, there our Saviour is. Where the end of hope is, there is the brightest beginning of fruition. Where the darkness is thickest, there the bright beaming light that never is set is about to emerge. When the whole experience is consummated, then we find that a garden is not disfigured by a sepulchre. Our joys are made better if there be sorrow in the midst of them. And our sorrows are made bright by the joys that God has planted around about them. The flowers may not be pleasing to us, they may not be such as we are fond of plucking, but they are heart-flowers, love, hope, faith, joy, peace--these are flowers which are planted around about every grave that is sunk in the Christian heart.

'Twas by a path of sorrows drear
Christ entered into rest;
And shall I look for roses here,
Or think that earth is blessed?
Heaven's whitest lilies blow
From earth's sharp crown of woe.
Who here his cross can meekly bear,
 Shall wear the kingly purple there.