When Trouble Comes.....By Katie Westenberg

 When Trouble Comes

By Katie Westenberg

“He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.” Psalms 91:4

I have always loved the unique picture this verse calls to mind. I think of this powerful bird with its expansive wings tucked and fluffed into a cocoon of warmth and safety. For me. Protective and fierce, yet gentle and attentive; this is exactly the refuge I desire.

But I rarely consider what might be beyond this ambient environment. The very nature of the word refuge suggests being sheltered from something and Psalm 91 does not neglect what that might be.

From the trap. Fatal and epidemic disease. Terrors of the night. Arrows that fly by day. Destruction. Plagues that stalk and ravage, in the night and throughout the day. The word pictures here are equally as vivid as the feathered nest I was just wrapped in. It is easy for me to stop at verse four and look away from this part. But the hope we need is as much here as it is in the shelter.

This is what He is protecting us from. This is what He is protecting usthrough. This is what He is protecting us in the midst of. Verse 15 tells us he will be with us in trouble. He will deliver us. 

Often when trouble comes we ask God why. Why do violent crimes happen to innocent people? Why do faithful people struggle with finances, marriages, children, hope. Tucked under His wing, we like to think the dangers, all that we fear, will cease around us. But His word never promises that. He promises us safety, Himself, in and amidst it all.

This psalm opens with a firm and fervent declaration. “The one who lives under the protection of the Most High, dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say concerning the Lord, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust…” (Psalm 91:1-2)

In trouble or at peace, the psalmist is making a bold and stubborn declaration. When we make the Lord our dwelling place (v. 9) his shelter through horrifying trouble is our hope. He is our hope.

May we not confuse the two. Trouble will come, but so will refuge for those have set their hearts on Christ. He will give His angels charge over thee and answer when we call. We were never promised a life without hardship, a life with out very real terrors and danger, but we are promised His presence with us, the security of His refuge around us.

We need not fear when trouble comes, or despair the horrors around us when we set our hearts firmly on the hope of His shelter, His deliverance, through it all.

Facade.....Denison Ministries

 Facade 

Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Honesty is more than the words we say. It’s a posture of the heart. We weren’t made to try and be something we’re not. God never asks us to keep up appearances. He longs for us to have the courage to be vulnerable. He longs for us to be so founded in his unconditional love that we live honestly. May you experience new levels of peace and joy this week as we discover God’s heart for honesty.

Scripture:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27

Devotional:    

The greatest testimony you could possibly give is to have the audacity to live honestly. It takes courage to be yourself. It takes security in the unconditional love of your heavenly Father to acknowledge not just your strengths and successes, but also your weaknesses and failures. But in doing so your life will proclaim the powerful, beautiful work of God. And in doing so you will experience the peace and joy only freedom from building a facade can produce.

A facade is “an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.” So often, to cover up what we know to be imperfect we devote ourselves to creating a false picture for others. We even devote so much energy to building a facade that we try and deceive ourselves. We muster up our pride and look only at what we’ve done well, all the while ignoring what we need help with. As a result, we spend all our time living a life apart from reality. And to live apart from reality is to live apart from the grace and love of our ever-present, wholly real Father.

In Matthew 23:27, Jesus passionately rebukes those who try and build facades: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” God solely cares about the heart. He’s not worried about perception. He’s not worried about status or societal acceptance. He cares about what is real. He knows that any energy spent devoted to building a facade is energy you can’t devote to receiving help, healing, and grace for what’s real and important. He knows that all your efforts to be accepted aren’t of value because the opinions of others are nothing in comparison to his unconditional love for you. And he knows that ultimately all facades will be torn down, and we will be seen and known by him for who we truly are.

God longs for you to live fully known and fully loved. He longs for you to live out a revelation of his love and grace rather than striving for affection and acceptance by building up facades. Take time to experience his love and grace today. Assess your heart and tear down your walls. May freedom burst forth in your life today as you proclaim the glory of God’s grace by being who you really are.

Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on the importance of living in reality. Allow Jesus’ words to stir up your desire to tear down any facade you’ve built up.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27

2. Where are you striving for acceptance or affection by building up facades? Where are you portraying yourself to be something you aren’t? Why are you doing it?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit for the courage to be yourself today. Tell others of your weaknesses today. Don’t be afraid to be yourself with all your strengths, successes, weaknesses, and failures.

May God’s grace and love empower you today as you live honestly. May you stop devoting your energy to appearances and give yourself to what’s real. And in doing so may you encounter the unconditional acceptance and affection of your loving Father.

Extended Reading: Matthew 23

You Can Do This.....By Ryan Duncan

 You Can Do This

By Ryan Duncan

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. – Luke 6:30

Every other day, just after finishing with work, I head to the gym and spend some time exercising. I like to work out. It’s a great way to stay healthy and burn off stress at the same time.

My routine is pretty simple. I start by running on a treadmill, then I wander around the free-weight section for a variety of exercises. Finally, I try to finish off by swimming a few laps in the pool. When it’s over I always feel tired and sore, but good that I completed such a full workout.

One day, I was invited to work out with a friend of mine. As we made our way around the weight room, my friend stopped at the bench press and placed two huge weights on the side of the bar. Immediately, I became nervous. I had done the bench press before, but never with that much weight. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to lift it. Pride got the better of me though. Instead of saying something, I just braced myself and lifted the bar with all my strength.

To my surprise, it wasn’t that heavy. Sure, it took more effort than usual, but I realized my continuous workouts had made me a lot stronger. I had underestimated my own strength.

I think Christians can sometimes have the same problem when it comes to their faith. We keep telling ourselves we are not ready, that we need just a little more time to prepare ourselves. We underestimate our ability to be of service to God. Take a moment to read this excerpt from the book of Acts.

After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. – Acts 18: 1-3

Acts continues to explain that while Paul ministered in Corinth, Aquila and Priscilla opened their home, helped with his teaching, and even followed him on some of his travels. Now read the verse again. Aquila and Pricilla weren’t anything special, they were tentmakers. If anyone had an excuse to think they weren’t ready for ministry, it was them. Instead, they gave what they had while serving where they could and God did amazing things through them.

So, instead of wondering if you're ready to serve, ask yourself: what could you do to serve?

Intersecting Faith & Life: Make a list of your strengths. How can these be used to serve God?

A Prayer for When You Feel Offended.....By: Kristine Brown

 A Prayer for When You Feel Offended

By: Kristine Brown

“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” - Proverbs 19:11 NIV

The other day I called a friend I hadn’t talked to in a while. As we spoke, I guarded my words carefully. We held opposing views on recent issues, and I didn’t want to offend her. I knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of offensive words. It hurts, and I certainly didn’t want to be responsible for hurting someone else.

As our conversation continued, I realized something. I let frustration and tension take over while I struggled to enjoy our long-distance chat. I was choosing my words based on being wronged by someone else. I hadn’t dealt with my feelings, and I was letting them affect my current relationships. I needed to pray about whatever or whoever offended me and move forward in freedom.

Whether it’s friends, family, social media, or opposing views. We will all experience times on the giving and receiving end of feeling offended.

An offensive word can make us feel like we’re under personal attack. We might feel as if the offender set out to cause harm, but that may not be true. In many cases, we feel offended based on a perceived wrong. The other person isn’t aware of it. So instead of seeking forgiveness, they go on about their business as if nothing happened. Meanwhile, our feelings grow into frustration, hurt, or even anger.

God knows the depth of our emotions. He created them. We can give Him thanks today for providing guidance in His Word to help us when those emotions become fragile because of an offense. We can claim power over them through Jesus.

When feeling offended leads to turmoil in our hearts, Proverbs 19:11 gives us a much-needed dose of peace. “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”

I love how God shared practical insight through King Solomon in this verse, urging us not to suppress the offense, but to overlook it. In other words, move on. Don’t worry about it. When we learn to move past being offended, we will grow in maturity and wisdom as Christ-followers.

We should always season our speech with salt and pray that we won’t offend others. But even with the best intention, offense will happen. Thankfully God helps us live beyond the hurt. As we seek Him more through prayer, the love of Jesus will set us free from feelings of offense.

If someone you know has offended you, let today’s prayer give you freedom. God has great things planned for His people when we let go of feeling offended and choose peace instead.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I struggle with feeling offended. Sometimes people do or say things that hurt me, and I have a hard time getting over it. Thank you for allowing me to bring those feelings to you in prayer. Thank you for always hearing me.

I know many times people don’t even realize when they’ve caused hurt. Your Word teaches me to “overlook an offense.” Help me remember this truth when I feel offended. As I seek more of you, I will grow in wisdom and experience more of your peace.

Lord, please forgive me for those times when I’ve offended someone else. You know my heart, God. I never want to cause pain for any of your children with what I say or do. Let your Holy Spirit guide my speech so that it draws people to you. Thank you for offering freedom from offense. Thank you for giving your precious son, Jesus, so that we may live in that freedom every day. I praise you today, Father.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.