How could he make such a claim? Was this true just for him? Was this promise of seeing the Lord’s goodness on this side of heaven meant for me too?

With a doubt-filled spirit, I wrote out these two verses and asked God to prove Himself. Show me Your goodness, Lord, I prayed. Each day, I read the verses out loud. There were days my voice held a hint of sarcasm.

But little by little, the goodness of the Lord started to show up. In my son’s giggles. In the arms of my husband. In the beauty of creation. In moments of authentic conversation over coffee.

I started to realize the Lord’s goodness had been surrounding me all along. Perhaps David wasn’t claiming a change in his circumstances. He was willing his heart to see what was already there. And he was waiting for God to display His goodness again. Willing and waiting.

These verses started to chip away at the negativity of my soul. I started to be willing to see the Lord’s goodness and even anticipate it.

God’s goodness does exist on earth because God is good. Despite my circumstances, my hurts and my fickle feelings.

Whenever I walk through a difficult season, my pessimistic mind often anticipates the worst. But the Holy Spirit uses David’s words, and my favorite photo, to remind me that even in hard times, this side of eternity is filled with God’s goodness.

I need only to be willing and waiting to see it.

Father, You are good. You called all that You created “good.” Help the eyes of my heart to see Your goodness in the world around me. Hold me close while I wait for the good You are working out through all of my circumstances. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Matthew 28:16-20 says, “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” Jesus shares with us the authority that’s been given to him. God’s made incredible promises to his people, and he wants us to join him in seeing his promises come to fruition.

We get to share with the world a message like Peter’s in Acts 2:38,“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” and bring to fruition the promise of Jesus that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17). How incredible! You have the opportunity to see God’s promise of salvation come to those around you through working with God!

You can also co-labor with God in his desire to meet the felt needs of those around you. God says in Deuteronomy 15:11, “There will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’” The church in Acts brought about God’s desire to meet needs. Acts 4:34-35 says, “There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” God longs to use you like he did his church in Acts. You get to work with God in seeing his longing to provide for people come to pass. You get to be the hands and feet of our Savior and co-labor with Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 says, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” As the child of God, you’ve been set apart for the works of your Father. You’ve been entrusted with the incredible “message of reconciliation.” There is no other work in life that will fill you with more joy and purpose than seeing God's promises fulfilled through your own hands. What an incredible God we have, that in all his power and wisdom he would choose to use us as his hands and feet. Your God loves you and empowers you for incredible works that will satisfy the desires of your heart and the needs of others. Spend time in his presence today being fueled by his love. Follow the leading of the Spirit as he shows you where he is working and what he would have you do to see his promises come to fruition through your life.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire to use you to bring about his message of reconciliation.

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

2. Ask the Spirit to show you where and how he would have you minister today. Who do you know that needs God’s love today? What can you do to see God's promises come to pass in the lives of others?

“There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” Acts 4:34-35

3. Commit yourself to do what the Lord shows you. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to accomplish the works he’s set before you. Receive his presence and let God’s love fuel you toward all that he has in store for you.

God’s intention is not to burden you with the work he’s set before you. His intention is actually to lead you to a better and more fulfilling life. He knows that you will only be truly satisfied when you partner with him to see his kingdom come to earth. You are meant for good works. You are meant to co-labor with your heavenly Father. Any time you feel burdened, simply cast your cares on God. Ask him to share his heart with you. Minister from his anointing and not your own strength. May you find today a lifestyle of good works that leads you to joy, peace, and purpose in the Spirit.

Extended Reading: 2 Corinthians 5

Willing and Waiting..CARRIE ZEILSTRA

 Willing and Waiting

CARRIE ZEILSTRA

“Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” Psalm 27:13-14 (NLT)

My favorite photo of me with my son is far from the best picture of the two of us. It’s not Instagram-worthy or even very flattering.

But whenever I see this particular picture, I remember the moment it was taken — childlike giggles tumbling out of me, tears of joy caught in my eyelashes, and my heart feeling light in that moment. To me, this is a picture of God’s goodness.

Nearly two years before my husband snapped that picture, we had experienced the loss of our infant daughter.

Grief overwhelmed me. My family would never be complete on this side of heaven, so I couldn’t imagine happiness on this earthly soil. In an effort to make sense of it all, I formed a belief that God’s goodness must be reserved for heaven. That life on this earth was meant to be survived like a prison sentence.

In the months following the loss of my daughter, God drew me to the psalms in Scripture. I craved the real and raw writings of poets like David, who lamented to the Lord yet also chose to worship Him. I felt my soul connect with David. But then I got to these verses:

“Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD” (Psalm 27:13-14).

How could he make such a claim? Was this true just for him? Was this promise of seeing the Lord’s goodness on this side of heaven meant for me too?

With a doubt-filled spirit, I wrote out these two verses and asked God to prove Himself. Show me Your goodness, Lord, I prayed. Each day, I read the verses out loud. There were days my voice held a hint of sarcasm.

But little by little, the goodness of the Lord started to show up. In my son’s giggles. In the arms of my husband. In the beauty of creation. In moments of authentic conversation over coffee.

I started to realize the Lord’s goodness had been surrounding me all along. Perhaps David wasn’t claiming a change in his circumstances. He was willing his heart to see what was already there. And he was waiting for God to display His goodness again. Willing and waiting.

These verses started to chip away at the negativity of my soul. I started to be willing to see the Lord’s goodness and even anticipate it.

God’s goodness does exist on earth because God is good. Despite my circumstances, my hurts and my fickle feelings.

Whenever I walk through a difficult season, my pessimistic mind often anticipates the worst. But the Holy Spirit uses David’s words, and my favorite photo, to remind me that even in hard times, this side of eternity is filled with God’s goodness.

I need only to be willing and waiting to see it.

Father, You are good. You called all that You created “good.” Help the eyes of my heart to see Your goodness in the world around me. Hold me close while I wait for the good You are working out through all of my circumstances. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Controlling Our Appetites..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Controlling Our Appetites

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

What words would you use to describe our society? Materialistic, sensual, impatient, indulgent, undisciplined--these are just a few. We're also a "have it now" culture. Satan specializes in presenting us with opportunities for instant gratification while promising us that indulging our appetites will bring us the satisfaction we seek.

Human appetites, in themselves, are not sinful. In fact, they're God-given. However, because of our fleshly weaknesses, they need to be controlled. When our appetites rule us, we're in trouble. Paul likened the Christian life to that of athletes who are so focused on winning the race that they exercise self-control in every area of their lives.

That's exactly how we're called to live, yet we lack the motivation, determination, and power to do so in our own strength. For this reason, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit within us. If we yield our lives to Him and step out in obedience to His promptings, we'll have the strength to say no when fleshly desires feel overpowering (Gal. 5:16).

Another key to success is keeping our focus on the eternal instead of the temporal. Many decisions that seem mundane are in fact spiritually significant. Are you indulging an appetite that could result in the sacrifice of an imperishable reward in heaven.

When the Enemy tempts us, he always tries to keep our attention on our desire and the pleasure of indulgence rather than on the eternal rewards and blessings we're forfeiting. Just remind yourself how quickly immediate gratification wanes and how long eternity lasts.

The Power of the Word..Meg Bucher

 The Power of the Word 

By Meg Bucher

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 ESV

The search. Over and under and around every thought, every circumstance. Yet, clarity remained elusive. Re-playing the situation as it was, or with alternate endings, only kept me tossing and turning in the middle of the night. I didn’t want to be rehashing situations in my mind at that hour …I wanted to be sleeping peacefully. My mind held me captive …because I was letting it. 

Slowly and obediently, I began to see the scenarios coming and re-route them to the dead end of God’s Truth. One by one, until every trail led to the power of God’s Word, and sleep peacefully took over my mind once again. 

Taking our thoughts captive is impossible on our own accord. We’re simply not strong enough to fight the battle of our mind by ourselves. God’s Word has the power to fight the rogue thought-trails which keep us up at night. His Word is living and active, meaning it meets us in our current circumstances with exactly what we need to win. Sharper than any two-edged sword, it cuts through to the heart of the matter and dissects what is true and what is a lie. Piercing the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. There is no place in our minds or this world God’s Word cannot reach and sort out. The power of the Holy Spirit in every Christ follower allows us to the perspective to apply God’s Word and remember it when we need it.

Jesus is the Living Word of God. He’s already defeated death. There is no battle of the mind He cannot win. God’s Word is powerful. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12 NLT

There’s no need to hide what we’re feeling from God. It may not be appropriate to air out every grievance into the ears around us, but we can always bring the minute details to God. He already sees and knows what’s happening, plus He knows our hearts and everyone else’s completely. His perspective on our situation is perfect, and through His Word, He gives us the wise advice we need. The correct counsel for every situation is at our fingertips. But sadly, most of us choose to go it alone. 

Each day, we have a choice. We can go to God and seek His perfect advice in every situation, or we can grab hold of it and handle it the way our sinful flesh and our enemies and his surrounding army want us to handle it. There’s no way to have it both ways. We are either sold out to God or being used as a pawn in the enemy’s schemes. God can see all of that, too, and desires to keep us from trouble and pain. But …will we allow Him to? 

Free will gives us the freedom to choose. To live in the power of the Word of God, all we have to do is prayerfully study it. When we’re sick, we go to the doctor, and we listen to advice. When our bodies are hurt, we undergo therapy and surgery to heal. We follow advice all of the time. Daily, we can find time to read the Bible. God is the Author of time, and when we come close to Him, He is able to stretch our minutes to meet with Him. The Creator of the Universe wants to talk to us …with us. Even though He can see all and knows all …He wants to hear it from us …share it with us.

Our innermost thoughts and desires are not sentiments we share with everyone. God already knows. He meets us where we are with compassion and understanding and powerful wisdom through His Word. Each day, let’s seek to meet Him for what we need. One day at a time, we will find ourselves closer and closer to Him.

Further Reading:

• Psalm 139:23
• Hebrews 4:2

 

Believing God Is for Us..Lynette Kittle

Believing God Is for Us (Romans 8:31)
By Lynette Kittle

Today's Bible Verse: “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” - Romans 8:31

Constantly changing events and breaking headlines can cause us to feel anxious and concerned about how our lives will be affected, worried by what’s taking place in our nation and communities. It can seem like our whole world has been turned upside down, especially if we’ve been faithfully praying for different outcomes, ones we believe are God’s will and in line with biblical truth.

When we see different results happening than what we were praying and hoping for, we may feel like God let us down, dashing our hopes and leaving us disillusioned.

Our disappointment can be difficult to navigate, and it takes time to recover. This is a journey that causes some to spiral down in despair and feel disconnected, unloved, and abandoned by God.

These heartbreaking feelings of defeat can shake a person’s faith to the very core. It can cause much doubt and questioning as to whether or not God really cares about what happens to us.

Today's Bible Verse: “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” - Romans 8:31

Constantly changing events and breaking headlines can cause us to feel anxious and concerned about how our lives will be affected, worried by what’s taking place in our nation and communities. It can seem like our whole world has been turned upside down, especially if we’ve been faithfully praying for different outcomes, ones we believe are God’s will and in line with biblical truth.

When we see different results happening than what we were praying and hoping for, we may feel like God let us down, dashing our hopes and leaving us disillusioned.

Our disappointment can be difficult to navigate, and it takes time to recover. This is a journey that causes some to spiral down in despair and feel disconnected, unloved, and abandoned by God.

These heartbreaking feelings of defeat can shake a person’s faith to the very core. It can cause much doubt and questioning as to whether or not God really cares about what happens to us.

In times like these, the enemy swoops in to try and turn hearts against God, telling us untruths to doubt His faithfulness and His Word, to lead us to despair and to go off course in our walk with Him.

But we don’t have to follow his devious lead. Psalm 136 reassures us over and over again that God's love never fails.

4 Truths to Tell Yourself for Daily Reassurance

Because God is truly for us, we don’t have to wonder day-by-day whether it’s true or not but can look to His word to daily reassure ourselves. Below are four Scriptures to help us believe God is for us.

1. Remember Who lives within us. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the One who is in the world.”

The enemy tries to tell us we have been forgotten by God but 1 John 4:4 reminds us where we come from and whom we serve.

2. Dwell on God’s faithfulness. Psalm 108:4 explains, “For great is Your love, higher than the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.”

Chaotic times urge us to take our eyes off God and look at what’s going on around us. But rather than focus on earthly circumstances, we can dwell on all the ways He has shown His faithfulness to us all throughout our lives.

3. Consider God’s love. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22,23).

Although the world offers a kind of love that fluctuates on people’s up-and-down feelings, here one day and gone the next, God’s love for us remains steadfast.

4. Believe God is with us. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Even when the world around us is shaken, God will not abandon us.

A Prayer for the Hopeless..Jessica Van Roekel

 A Prayer for the Hopeless

By Jessica Van Roekel

"Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again." - 2 Corinthians 1:9-10, ESV

When trials come, do you tend to blame God, run away from him, or turn to him? Sometimes I do all three. The mentality of, “I’m a child of God, so why am I experiencing this?” runs through our minds. So, we stomp our feet and demand God fix it like a little toddler throwing a tantrum. Other times, we turn away from faith in him. Sometimes we turn to our religious duties of church and decide relationship with God is too risky, so we keep him at arm’s length.

Hopelessness creeps into our hearts and leaves barrenness in its wake. It strips us of spiritual growth and tempts us to think we are all alone. We reach for independence and self-sufficiency and tuck our disappointments into a little box in our hearts. Call me an incurable optimist, but when things seem hopeless, I search for treasure. It’s messy and hard, but sometimes it’s found when I open the box of my unmet expectations because God shows me how he’s there in the good times and the bad.

We don’t have to let hopelessness define the situation. God can use our circumstances in our life to refine us if we allow him to draw us to him, have eyes to see him, and ears to hear him. Even though turning away from him can be a natural response to our pain, the best response is to turn toward him. Asking him our hard questions and letting him answer them in whatever way he deems right for us is one way we can exchange hopelessness for hope.

Our perspective on the purpose of trials may need refinement. God doesn’t waste our hurts and disappointments. At times this is so hard to believe because the devastation we feel overwhelms us. We ask, “How can we trust God if he allows so much pain?” The answer to this is to look to Jesus and the cross. We can remember what Jesus experienced and realize that redemption comes through pain. When we choose to put our hope in him in the middle of our pain, God helps us exchange hopelessness for hope.

Self-sufficiency and independence are helpful traits until they lead us away from reliance on God. Our strength is insufficient for our todays. But when we can walk through this life with our hope planted in God, we begin to rely on him in new ways. We discover his guidance and his encouragement. He becomes our peace in the chaos. He is our rest when we’re weary. When we surrender to him, we discover immeasurable hope.

In this passage from 2 Corinthians, Paul relates the devastating circumstances that led him to feel as though hope was lost. Paul experienced desperate times. He was shipwrecked, stoned, slandered, imprisoned, and yet, he continues to urge believers to hope in God. Even those who are faithful and obedient in their walk with God will sometimes face circumstances that threaten their hope.

When these kinds of things happen, we don’t have to believe that God has abandoned us. Instead, we can remember how severe troubles have happened to God’s faithful people throughout history. These men and women can show us how relying on God grows our testimony of his goodness and faithfulness in our lives. When we recall how God is with us through it all, he gives us the hope to endure. He brings us through it. We only need to look to him in faith.

Let’s pray:

Holy God,
I feel hopeless. I don’t know how I’m going to make it through. My world has crumbled, and I am reeling from devastating disappointments. I need you more than ever. I’m sorry for accusing you of abandoning me. Please forgive me for looking to myself or others for hope. You are there. You are for me. Would you please fill me with your hope and help me fix my eyes on you? I love you and want to live for you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen

The Life-Changing Power of the Cross and the Resurrection..Debbie McDaniel

 The Life-Changing Power of the Cross and the Resurrection

By Debbie McDaniel

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

The cross is empty and so is the tomb.

You can try to bury Power, but it won't stay there. You can try to bury Truth, but it is not dead. You can try to bury Love, but it cannot be contained.

Jesus is alive, He won the victory of sin and death.  And He’s still the same, even in all the days after the Easter weekend. He never changes.

He made a way for us to live free.

No other truth in history has the ability to change our lives and affect our future like this. Yet so many still choose to reject Christ’s sacrifice and love. He offers us a choice today, and it’s the best decision you could ever make.

What Christ’s Death on the Cross and the Power of His Resurrection Offers:

-It provides a bridge, a way, to God. It gives us an opportunity to have a personal relationship with the very God who made us and loves us more than we could imagine. Without the cross, there is no way to cross over to the other side of relationship with him. Any attempt will fail. He is the Only Way.

-It provides opportunity for forgiveness of sin. Through the price that Jesus paid on Calvary, we have the chance to be forgiven of our own sin. He took our sin and shame upon his very shoulders. He took the blows on our behalf so we wouldn’t have to suffer. Such incredible love. Such amazing sacrifice.

-It provides freedom to all those who believe. Freedom from the shackles of sin. Freedom from shame. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from hopelessness. Freedom from despair. Freedom from addiction. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from darkness and eternal separation from God.

-It provides new life. We are not only forgiven and set free, but we have a whole new life and destiny through Christ. We are changed, from the inside. He renews our minds. He changes our hearts and desires. He gives us fresh purpose for every day set before us.

-It provides power for us to live today. When Jesus died on the cross, and was buried, it didn’t stop there. The final picture of all that the cross provides lies in the powerful Resurrection of our Lord. He won. He didn’t stay dead. His power broke through, and that same power is alive within us today. As believers, God gives us the power of the Holy Spirit, living and moving through us each day.

-It provides the way to have victory over the enemy. We don’t have to fear him or his attacks. As we live aware of his traps, the power of Christ over our lives gives us a covering and protection from his evil schemes. We’re not left to fend for ourselves. We don’t fight in our own strength. We can stand strong in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ.

-It provides for us an eternal heavenly home. We never need to fear about what will happen when we die. In Christ we have been given the gift of eternal life. This earth is only our temporary home. God is preparing a place for us, with him, to live forever. And you can be assured it will be far greater than we could ever imagine.

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor.15:57

Intersecting Faith & Life: Dear God, thank you for your great gift of love and sacrifice, so that we can live free. Thank you for the power of the cross and the Resurrection. We ask that the truth of it all sinks deeply into our hearts and changes us forever. Fill us fresh with your Spirit today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Further Reading:
2 Corinthians 5:17
John 8:36
Ephesians 1:7
Acts 1:8