Keep on Asking...Meg Bucher

 Keep on Asking. 

By Meg Bucher

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 NLT

Distraught by the emergencies rattling my mind, a piece of truth broke through my panic. When life is caving in, and we stand falsely accused, abused, and reeling from misunderstanding … we wield a powerful weapon …the power of God. 

“Pray in the name of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit in you.” 

The power of God alone can mend a broken heart, a messed up mind, or a hurting soul. Powerful prayer gets shoved under the proverbial rug of our scramble to be someone we know we can never be for the people in our lives. In the midst of our messes, we often forgot their brokenness is not ours to piece back together. We all have to find Jesus for ourselves, and none of us can substitute for Him. 

Today’s verses from the Gospel of Matthew remind us of the power of our efforts to call on the Name above all Names and the ability our faith in God has to move life’s mountains.

The Effort to Ask

“You parents- if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! - Matthew 7:9-10 NLT

Today’s verse repeats the phrase, “Keep on …” Prayer is a continual effort, not a one and done wish list. Paul reminded the early church to pray continuously, be grateful and joyful always. We have a power in us through the Holy Spirit to sustain a constant connection to God in prayer. The Spirit intercedes for us, taking our words and untranslatable cries to the feet of God. God not only hears our prayers, but He has begun answering on our behalf before we are done petitioning Him. Author of our lives, He knows what we need before we ask, and sometimes in spite of what we think we need to pray for. His faithfulness is never-ending, the depths of His love for us unreachable. 

Matthew records Jesus’ wisdom to keep on …never give up hope, and always be in prayer with God. He is our good Father. He isn’t going to give us a snake when we ask for a fish, as the previous verse implies. He sent Jesus out of His love for us in order to make a way for us. Our Father in heaven has a good plan for our lives.

The Willingness to Receive

“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” - Matthew 7:11 NLT

Everyone is also repeated in today’s key verses: Everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be open. Everyone. Jesus was sent to earth for everyone. God loves everyone. He has no favorites. Each person on this earth was created and crafted by Him, with a specific purpose and a good plan for their lives. 

If only everyone saw everyone for who they actually are, through the eyes of God and the lens of Love. Valued, cherished and hopefully headed home to the Father in heaven for eternity. Our humanity begs us to compare and contrast our lives, but all jealousy and selfishness do is blind us from the beauty of the human landscape. Amidst the great suffering is great joy. Though the world is fading away, hope has already won. Our willingness to receive Christ Jesus, not only at salvation but each day of our lives, changes the way we live. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” - Matthew 7:12 NLT

The Golden Rule follows on the heels of today’s verses in the Gospel of Matthew. It’s easy to treat the easy people in our lives this way. But others means everyone. Do to everyone what you would like them to do to you. This includes ourselves. Do to you as you would like others to do to you. Realize the unique, remarkable creation each of us are to our Father in heaven. We are each, and everyone loved, purposed, and welcomed into the Kingdom of God. The effort we make in asking …knocking …and seeking …unlocks the full life Jesus died so we would live. Our willingness to receive Him, fully submitting our lives into His hands, pulls the rug out from the enemy- who is here to kill and destroy us. Keep on asking. Live to the full. 

Further Reading:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
• Isaiah 62:6
• Luke 6:27-35

 

A Prayer for When You Don’t Feel Good Enough..Molly Law

 A Prayer for When You Don’t Feel Good Enough

By Molly Law

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. -Psalm 139:13-14

This is something that affects me acutely, and I know that it is something that everyone feels at least once in their lifetime, if not more. As a type-A perfectionist, I can feel “not good enough” several times a day. I’ve even noticed how it affects my interactions with my family and friends. I’m constantly filling in the blanks of what I imagine their thoughts are of me. Even in conversation, I will stop myself — I will literally stop the flow of our conversation — to correct myself, justify or defend what I just said, or add a cliff note, so that they know that I have a good heart or so that they do not detect even a hint of weakness within me.

During one of these long conversations, my good friend caught onto this formed trait of mine and said, “You know, you don’t have to edit yourself for me. You can speak freely and without judgment.” When my friend said this to me, tears began to bud at the rims of my eyes. This was the first time I had heard those words out loud. I had never been given permission or given myself permission to just be me.

The freedom I felt at that moment was the greatest feeling I had ever experienced. This made me think, “Why do I do this? Why do I value myself so little when no one around me feels this way about me?” And if no one around me sees me this way, then I know that my Father in heaven doesn’t either.

I realized that this was learned and formed behavior. Growing up in a broken family, chaos followed us wherever we went. So, to cope with the rejection of my father and the inconsistency of everyday life, I thought that if I could be perfect, if I could control every situation, then nothing bad would ever happen to us again.

But the fallen world doesn’t allow this. There is so much out of our control. This fact, along with the overwhelming standards of beauty, performance, and success, produces a perfect storm of anxiety about not being good enough. I know so many people feel this way, which stems from a variety of reasons and causes, but, as Christians, we know that this is really a lie from the enemy.

Although we may know this in our heads, it is hard to drown out the loud voices and deep-seated feelings to the contrary. This is where the truth of Scripture comes into play. This is where God’s own words penetrate the darkness to tell us how loved we are, how beautiful we are, and how we are so important to the Lord Almighty that he meticulously formed us and bore the scorn of the cross for us.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, 
Thank you for your love and pursuit of who we are. Thank you for loving us so much that you created us and saved us so that we can be with you for eternity. Thank you for finding us when the darkness overtakes us. I praise you for loving me just the way I am — without altering myself to be perfect. I pray that when the world is shouting at us to be thinner, to fit their standards of attractiveness, and to reach their levels of success that we dive into your presence and your Word so that the only thing we see and hear is your truth.

You tell us that “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways” (Psalm 139:1-3). How loved we are by you! Please let us not forget this — the enormity of possessing your love and the knowledge of our worth through your eyes.

We love and trust you with all of our hearts, our Creator and Savior.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

The Lord of Hosts..Jennifer Waddle

 The Lord of Hosts (Amos 4:13)

By Jennifer Waddle

Today’s Bible Verse - For behold, He who forms mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth—The Lord God of hosts is His name. - Amos 4:13, NKJV

As we read through different Bible books and passages, it’s easy to overlook certain words or phrases, especially when they occur repetitively.

In a recent Bible study, the title “Lord of Hosts” came up in our text and was emphasized several times within a few verses. It caused us to stop and consider the significance of this title and learn what it meant. From our research, we discovered that the Lord of Hosts is used more than 250 times in the Old Testament and means God of armies. This can refer to angel armies, human armies, and even the heavenly hosts, such as sun, moon, and stars. In a nutshell, The Lord of Hosts emphasizes that God is sovereign over all.

The incredible thing is, God not only rules over heaven and earth, He communes with us and invites into His presence. The thought of God commanding angel armies to fight for us, yet, at the same time, reaching down in sweet fellowship with us, is both awe-inspiring and humbling.

“For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” - Psalm 91:11

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” - Psalm 34:7

This awesome picture of God orchestrating heaven’s armies to surround us and protect us shows the amazing nature of our loving, powerful, and personal Lord. And as we stand in awe and wonder of the Lord of Hosts, we know that one day we will join Him in heaven and live with Him forever.

I pray this is a great encouragement to you today, as you are reminded of God’s sovereignty and intimacy with His creation. For our God is not too far removed or too busy ruling the universe to interact with us. Instead, He dwells within us by His Spirit, comforting, guiding, and protecting.

As you read through Old Testament passages and come across the title, Lord of Hosts, pause for a moment and thank God for His absolute authority and His involvement in your personal life. After all, it is nothing short of amazing.

Heavenly Father, 

Thank You for being our Sovereign God and our personal Lord. We are amazed by You! We give You all the glory, honor, and praise, as we declare Your name—the Lord of Hosts. Thank You for commanding angel armies to fight for us. We stand under the covering of Your grace and provision. You are an incredible God and we love You with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength—in Jesus’ holy name. 

Amen.

Streams in the Desert..L.B. Cowman

  Streams in the Desert 

L.B. Cowman

The land whither ye go to possess it is a land of hills and valleys and drinketh water of the rain of heaven; a land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year. (Deuteronomy 11:11-12)

Today, dear friends, we stand upon the verge of the unknown. There lies before us the new year and we are going forth to possess it. Who can tell what we shall find? What new experiences, what changes shall come, what new needs shall arise? But here is the cheering, comforting, gladdening message from our Heavenly Father, "The Lord thy God careth for it."

All our supply is to come from the Lord. Here are springs that shall never dry; here are fountains and streams that shall never be cut off. Here anxious one, is the gracious pledge of the Heavenly Father. If He be the Source of our mercies they can never fail us. No heat, no drought can parch that river, "the streams whereof make glad the city of God."

The land is a land of hills and valleys. It is not all smooth nor all down hill. If life were all one dead level the dull sameness would oppress us; we want the hills and the valleys. The hills collect the rain for a hundred fruitful valleys. Ah, so it is grace and brings down the shower of blessing; the hills, the bleak hills of life that we wonder at and perhaps grumble at, bring down showers. How many have perished in the wilderness, buried under its golden sands, who would have lived and thriven in the hill-country; how many would have been killed by the frost, blighted with winds, swept desolate of tree and fruit but for the hill- stern, hard, rugged, so steep to climb. God's hills are a gracious protection for His people against their foes!

We cannot tell what loss and sorrow and trial are doing. Trust only. The Father comes near to take our hand and lead us on our way today. It shall be a good, a blessed new year!

He leads us on by paths we did not know;
Upward He leads us, though our steps be slow,
Though oft we faint and falter on the way,
Though storms and darkness oft obscure the day;
Yet when the clouds are gone,
We know He leads us on.
He leads us on through all the unquiet years;
Past all our dreamland hopes, and doubts and fears,
He guides our steps, through all the tangled maze
Of losses, sorrows, and o’er clouded days;
We know His will is done;
And still He leads us on.
--Nicholaus Ludwig Zinzendorf