When You Worry, Look to the Birds.....By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

 When You Worry, Look to the Birds

By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” - Matthew 6:25-26 (ESV)

A few weeks ago, I quite randomly decided to walk through a local museum’s beautiful botanical gardens while killing time before school carpool line. I was roaming up the back path to return to my car when I heard a flutter of wings. I noticed a tiny bird inside the tall feeder posted on the side of the path. I paused to consider his plight, and the longer I looked, the quicker I realized he couldn’t get out.

I snapped a picture on my phone and took my cell inside the museum to find him some help. The whole staff was puzzled as to how the little guy got in there in the first place, and immediately went on a staff-wide texting craze to find the gardener to go get him out. They thanked me profusely for taking the time to tell them and sprang into action. But all I could think about was how God cares for the sparrows—and the Gardener comes to set us free.

I left the museum in tears. Perhaps someone would have seen the little bird later and done the same thing I did—but God used me to notice, because you know what? I really needed that reminder.

The Bible is full of the command not to worry, not to be anxious…and I fail at that regularly. I’m an author, so my imagination churns 24/7 and can conjure up some great plots that are perfect for fiction, but somewhat terrifying to apply to real life! It’s a battle to control the “what-if’s” and the “if-not’s” and the “now-what’s” of my heart and mind. But this command not to worry from the Lord isn’t harsh, it’s assuring. It’s comforting. He’s reminding us that worry is pointless—not because we’re all doomed and can’t do anything about it, because He’s in charge. Because He watches over the birds and provides for them, and He will do the same for us.

Provision doesn’t always come in the form we expect. I’m pretty certain that little bird didn’t expect a brunette in her 30’s with a cell phone to save him. If anything, I’d imagine he expected to be able to work his own way back out. But he couldn’t. Only the Gardener held the key to freedom.

The same is true in our life. We can’t work and strive our way out of worry and anxiety. Frantically flapping our wings (or our mouths!) won’t free us. Neither will denial or insisting that we’re fine, we’re not trapped.

Only the Gardener can set us free.

If you’re worrying today, about the plight of our nation or the amount in your bank account or the state of your child’s heart or the condition of your marriage, please remember—do not be anxious. Turn your worry into prayers and wait for the Gardener! It might be a little uncomfortable in the meantime, and the rescue might not look exactly like you anticipated, but He’ll come. He always comes.

Worry? It’s for the birds.

Fully Loved.....Denison Ministries

 Fully Loved

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:

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you.” Isaiah 54:10

Devotional:   

The ultimate result of honesty—the reason for being fully known—is that we might be fully loved. You weren’t made to live without a continuous, total revelation of God’s love for you. His love is the foundation. It’s the reason for being. Without his love we have nothing. And without honesty we’ll never fully experience his vast wealth of affection for us.

Isaiah 54:10 is God’s promise for you and me today. He says to us, “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you.” The question today is not whether God loves us. And the question is not whether we have the ability to experience his love. Scripture commands us in Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” The question is whether we’re receiving the love already made available to us.

You see, unless we come before God fully honest we only present part of ourselves for him to love. Unless we let him in to every area of our lives, we’ll live with a separated notion of God’s love. Most of us know that he loves us when we worship. We know he loves us when we serve. We’ve experienced his love when we engage in community, read Scripture, and pray. But do we know he loves us when we fail? Do we know he loves us when we say the wrong thing, doubt him, miss an opportunity to share the gospel, or run away from him?

God doesn’t just love us part of the time. He doesn’t just love us when we succeed. His love is complete and transcendent of us. He is love. He loves all the time. Romans 5:8 says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God has loved you at your worst. If he loved you enough to die for you while you were without one ounce of good, he will love you now.

If you want to experience the full depth of God’s love for you, you must come to him fully. You must let him in to every part of your day. You must let him in to your past, your present, and your future. You must live out of a revelation of his unconditional love for you rather than living a works-based relationship with him.

May you encounter the fullness of God’s love for you today as you enter into guided prayer. And may his love for you draw you deeper into the unhindered communion that’s already available to you. 

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the unconditional nature of God’s love. Allow Scripture to paint the picture of who God is rather than our limited, worldly perspective.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

2. Come before God and be fully known. Open every part of your heart to him. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal how God wants to love you today. Journal his response.

“But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” 1 Corinthians 8:3

3. Take some time to simply receive and rest in God’s love. Experience the unconditional nature of his love. Let his love lead you to a life founded on grace rather than works.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

To live by grace is to choose to believe God at his word. It’s choosing to live based on Scripture over everything we’ve known from the world. Grace isn’t found here. It’s a product of heaven alone. But God has ransomed us from a life based on the ways of the world. We belong to heaven now. And we have so much more available to us than the world offers. We are totally and fully loved regardless of our weaknesses and failures. May you live out of a revelation of grace and receive God’s love in every part of your day.

Extended Reading: Romans 8

Finding God in the Scars..... Amina

 Finding God in the Scars

Amina from northeast Nigeria 

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)

I thank God I grew up reading the Bible and that the Bible didn’t hide from me anything about persecution. I would read about Paul and how he suffered. He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, arrested, and imprisoned again and again. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)

But through it all, he walked with and trusted Jesus, knowing that the trials revealed the strength of Jesus in his life. Jesus’ power in Paul’s life gave him strength to stand, as the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:10:

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

From Scripture, I learned that anything can happen anytime, anywhere. Looking back, I know God’s Word prepared me to face my trials.

I lived with my husband, Daniel, and our five kids — four sons and one daughter — in the northeast region of Nigeria, in Maiduguri, a city of 1 million people.

But that was before October 2, 2012. That evening, our whole family was inside watching TV, trying to get away from the 90-degree heat outside, when we began to hear pounding on the front gate. In seconds, men with guns had forced their way inside, shouting at us. It was chaos.

They told Daniel, “Today is your day; tomorrow is not yours.”

When I heard this, I started praying, God, I do not want to be a widow; please help me, Lord!

They took Daniel and my sons outside and told them to denounce Christ. When my husband and sons refused, the attackers told them, “If you are not going to denounce Christ, we are going to kill you today.”

That day, I became a widow. The Lord spared the lives of my sons. Praise God! They were in the hospital for a month with severe injuries, but they are with me today. My sons say the scars from the attack are their testimonies — evidence of the existence of God.

Five years after that, I had no idea my faith would also be tested in the same way as my husband’s. I was on my way to a funeral, traveling with 15 other people, when we heard gunshots. We all fell on the floor of the van, and I silently prayed Psalm 118:17: “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD” (KJV).

The terrorists took most of the women into the Sambisa Forest, where we lived in captivity for the next five weeks. Each day, we spent most of our time fasting and praying. They would send their imam (Muslim teacher) to preach to us, and after, they would ask: “Who amongst you wants to denounce Christ?”

Each time we said, “No,” I knew that breath might be my last. Philippians 1:21 became our verse: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (NIV). I believe the years I spent studying the Bible gave me strength for these days in captivity.

Eventually, after negotiations with the government, we were freed. The day we came home, I remember going into a room by myself, kneeling and thanking God, praising Him through tears. I came out of the room singing the words of a song I now sing often:

By His grace, I am alive.
That’s why I’m singing.
Jehovah saved my life.

By God’s grace, I have slowly learned to live without my husband and be a single parent. All these things that happened to me make me come closer to Jesus, more and more.

Like Paul, I understand that my trials can reveal Jesus’ strength if I stay with Him and walk with Him. Sometimes I feel so weak and weary, but I know that it is Jesus’ strength that holds me up.

I want to ask you, my sister, to pray for me. Pray for wisdom as I raise and take care of my family. Pray for protection and for God to continue to give us strong hearts. What these men did has forever changed our lives. But through God’s grace and provision, the physical and emotional scars continue to heal in me and my family. Our scars continue to draw us even more deeply to Christ.

God, thank You for Your healing and restoration as I live with my scars. May I see my scars as testimonies of Your grace and strength. Please work in the lives of Amina and her family and the rest of my suffering brothers and sisters around the world who are persecuted because of their deep faith in You. I ask that You give them Your courage — reminding them that Your Spirit lives inside them. And because of that, they can walk in Your power and peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Value of Seeking the Lord.....Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Value of Seeking the Lord

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 119:1-8

We all have ambitions and desires. And while these are not necessarily wrong, we should analyze our priorities: Where do I invest my time and energy? What or who occupies my thoughts? As important as our earthly pursuits, responsibilities, and relationships may be, they cannot compare to the value of a life spent seeking the Lord.

First of all, consider what it means to seek something. The word connotes a strong desire and an energetic quest to achieve it.Suppose you discovered a very productive vein of gold on your property. You wouldn’t just stroll out and look at it occasionally. No, you would gather some equipment and diligently go out each day to chip away at the rocks and collect the precious metal.

In the same way, seeking the Lord is not a quick and occasional encounter, but a wholehearted effort to know Him more intimately and follow Him more closely. Those who unreservedly pursue this kind of fellowship with God are determined to spend time with Him; they also want to forsake anything that could hinder growth in their relationship with the Lord. God’s committed followers boldly claim His promises and trust Him to fulfill His Word. Their experiences with the Lord bring amazing satisfaction yet cause them to hunger for more of Him.

The Christian life is meant to be a pursuit of God. To walk through the door of salvation and stand still, never drawing any closer to Him, is to miss the treasures that are available in Christ. Those who seek Him soon discover that knowing Him is the greatest reward of all.

Seven Habits of Truly Effective Living .....by Alex Crain

 Seven Habits of Truly Effective Living 

by Alex Crain

"They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green." Psalms 92:14

The phrase, "begin with the end in mind" may sound familiar if you've read the popular life management book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. But even if you aren't familiar with the phrase (or the book), you get the general idea. Simply stated, before you begin a task or project, it's a good idea to ask the question "How do I want this to turn out?" This question helps sharpen your focus and should produce effective action. What is missing from the book, however, is the God-sized perspective that we see in Psalm 92.

If your only source of vision and motivation is the self, frustration will actually result; even though you may lead a life of effective action and reach your goals. 

People typically envision the ideal life as one that's surrounded by beauty, valuable things, and great people. We want plenty of leisure time and the health to enjoy these things. But without God, such a life is depicted in Scripture as empty and deceptive. It is a self-absorbed dream that springs from a heart tainted by sin. If we are to be truly effective at living, we must humbly begin with God's end foremost in our minds.

In Psalm 92, the ideal end that God depicts for our life is that of being a righteous person who is filled with spiritual vitality. As Psalm 92:14 says, "full of sap and very green." Even at the end of life when the temptation to grumble and express radical selfishness is often the strongest, we are to be full of spiritual health. Instead of complaining, his lips are filled with praise—declaring that there is no unrighteousness in God, his Rock (v. 15).

The roots for such vigor of soul are woven throughout the preceding verses where we see seven habits of truly effective living unfolded. They are:

#1 Seeing thankfulness and praise to God as desirable, not as duty (v. 1).

#2 Focusing on God's lovingkindness in the morning and His faithfulness at night
(v. 2). For the righteous man, each day begins and ends with God, implying that God is central in his thoughts throughout the entire day. Literally, lovingkindness refers to God's covenant loyal love, which features His promise of salvation. The righteous person is not self-righteous, or just externally moral. Rather, he looks to God's promises and unchanging character as the basis for his right standing before his Creator-Judge.

Twentieth-century author, Francis Schaeffer, speaks of this in chapter eight of his book True Spirituality: "It is not honoring to the finished work of Christ to worry about [forgiven sins] as far as our relationship to God is concerned. Indeed, to worry about them is to do despite to the infinite value of the death of the Son of God. My fellowship with God is restored upon the basis of the value of the blood of Jesus Christ."

#3 Enjoying resounding music and singing for joy at God's great works (vv. 1, 3-4).

#4 Pondering the deep thoughts of God (v. 5)—that is, not being characterized by a shallow, pragmatic view of God that sees Him merely as a means to get other things.

#5 Praising the transcendence of God—declaring that God is the "Most High" who is above all His creatures. The righteous one realizes that man is in no way equal to God. Thus, he can never legitimately view God with suspicion or call Him into judgment (v. 8).

#6 Resting securely in the fact that, in the end, God will have the final say on all matters. He will deal justice to the enemies of righteousness (vv. 9-11).

#7 Depending continuously upon God for strength—for "fresh oil" (v. 10), knowing that yesterday's supply never carries over to today.

Perhaps you know an older believer who embodies these seven habits. My own 'eighty-something' grandmother, "Meme," is one such saint. At the time of this writing, she was in a hospital bed, and having serious health problems. But during a phone call with her, she talked to me not about her pain but about her delight in truths she read that morning in her well-worn Bible. She asked me about my family, my work, and what I've been reading and learning. She spoke of hymns and songs she had been singing throughout the day. Her prayer at the close of our conversation was full of gratitude and praise to the Lord, evidencing a deep, personal knowledge of and trust in God. While I listened, I thought to myself: This is what Psalm 92 is all about. Here is a person who, by God's grace, has learned to practice the habits of truly effective living.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Let's ask ourselves honestly: how regularly are these seven habits in Psalm 92 seen and practiced in my daily life? Given the way I am right now, will I spend my latter days of life on this earth in spiritual vitality? If not, what is the source of the problem? Do I not know God? Is there an idol in my life? Re-read habits 1-7 above to reflect again on what the psalmist delighted in.

Further Reading:

Philippians 2:12-18
Numbers 14

A Prayer to Stop Drifting from God.....By Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer to Stop Drifting from God

By Debbie McDaniel

We see it all around us, in headline news stories, or from the lives of those we know and maybe once trusted. And even so often, in our very own lives.

Sometimes it happens before we realize what’s occurred. It’s unintentional. We don’t plan it. Lulled by the slow pull away, swayed by other things we start deeming more important, we wake up one day and realize things seem different. We find ourselves in a place we’d never intended to go.

The drift.

Happens.

5 Dangers of Drifting:

-We begin to pull away from godly influences. Marriages suffer. Trust gets broken. We lose our heart for others. We fall away from close fellowship with other believers. We neglect accountability and connection with those who would encourage our walk in Christ. Matthew 22:37-40

- We stop praying. We’re too busy. We’re weary. Or simply overwhelmed. We shoot a few prayers up His way, like, “Lord, bless our day,” but we’re unaffected by the lack of closeness we have with our Creator. Constantly wired to electronic devices, we’re more in tune to what others are saying and doing, the constant media chatter, than we are to what is on God’s heart for the day. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

- We lose focus, or desire, for His Words. We’re no longer reading or hearing it. We’re distracted by all that calls our name through the day.  To-do lists beckon us from the moment we wake up, crazy schedules leave no room for moments with Him. Or maybe we find ourselves just disconnected completely. Stone cold, distant, withdrawn, His words of life and truth fall on deaf ears and hardened hearts. Matthew13:14-15

- We lose our heart for worship. We stop going to church and fill our minds with excuses of why we can’t. Or why it’s not that important. Or maybe we still go so we can check the church box. We sing words, hear words, then we go home. Yet not really singing and not really hearing. Unaffected. Distant. All the while, our hearts feel a million miles away. Hebrews10:25

- The spiritual things that once concerned us, no longer concern us. We’re more easily influenced by the opinions of the world instead of the truth of God’s Word. Compassion for people wanes. His Spirit within us is stifled. Our heart for God is dulled. The pull towards sin increases. We begin to see life through selfish motives, blurred by pride, and our quest to live happy, on our terms. We find ourselves twisting truth to meet our own needs. We become numb to the danger that surrounds us, often until it’s too late to avoid great consequences that follow our choices. 1 John 2:16, 2 Timothy 4:4

But we don't have to live that way, we can choose differently...

And that’s not always easy. Because often, it's easier to just go with the flow. It takes effort, hard work, not to drift away. Knowing "of" truth isn't the same as immersing ourselves "in" truth. One will keep us aware and close to our Safety, the other may allow us to drift slowly in the wrong direction.

Dear God,

Forgive us for drifting away from you, for allowing other things to become more important in our lives. Help us to live aware, to choose wisely, to stay close to you, and anchored in your Truth. Apart from you, we have no hope. Thank you for your great love and mercy, thank you that you wait for us, that you call us to yourself, and you strengthen us in our weakness. Thank you that you alone are our Refuge and Safety, and you fill us with hope. We come to you today, choosing to walk in your Presence and Light.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Easter Means No More Condemnation.....By Rick Warren

 Easter Means No More Condemnation

By Rick Warren 

“Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us” (Ephesians 1:7 CEV).

Have you ever wondered who put Jesus on the cross? 

It wasn’t Judas or Caiaphas. It wasn’t Pilate. It wasn’t even the religious leaders who hated Jesus.

This may shock you, but there are two answers.

First, it was God. The Bible says it was his plan from the very beginning. It’s the reason he came to earth. The Bible had predicted his death hundreds of years earlier.

But the other answer is us. You put Jesus on the cross, and so did I. If we had never sinned, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to die. Romans 4:25 says, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (NIV). 

Because Jesus died on the cross, our sins are forgiven.

We’re all imperfect. We have sin that makes us feel guilty about our past. We have regrets. But God doesn’t want us to live with that guilt. That’s why Jesus died!

Ephesians 1:7 says, “Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us” (CEV).

Guilt wastes a ton of energy. It wears us out and robs us of peace of mind.

Too many believers are saved but don’t act like it. They’re full of shame and guilt. It dominates everything they do. They believe in Jesus, but they haven’t been set free from the condemnation of sin.

Romans 8:1 says, “Now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (NLT).

“No condemnation” means God doesn’t judge you for all the things you’ve done wrong if you’ve trusted in Christ Jesus. He took your punishment on the cross. God doesn’t have to condemn you, because Jesus took your condemnation.  

That’s what Easter is all about. You’re forgiven. Jesus died for you. You can live with hope and not condemnation.

You can be free.