Month: February 2025

Lost

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Jesus said, “If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?” Matthew 18:12

We easily become lost in life and don’t even realize it. We let stress take over and as a result our decisions become sketchy or our health begins to suffer. Then we do our best to bury the issue in a dark closet and try to forget that we have lost our way.

Enter Jesus.

Thankfully we have a Savior. You may not realize that you are lost in some area of your life, but know today that Jesus has just what you are looking for. Better yet, He’s already looking for you to realize He’s right there with you.

Wonder-filled Life

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“I will praise the Lord with my whole heart…” Psalm 111:1

Praise keeps coming to the top of my mind these days for Praise is something we were created to do. There is a divine nature dwelling in each of us. Our part is to acknowledge that God is God and invite Him into our lives, for that’s when faith moves from concept to reality and becomes tangible. Once you have tasted the power of faith,

Praising God Will Become Second Nature To you.

Psalm 111 says to praise the Lord with our whole heart. Imagine the wonder of having a relationship so close with the Creator of the universe that every waking minute you are in communion with Him! Your life will become a wonder of wonders, and the cares of this world will soon begin to fade in the power of His grace!  

Mountain Moving

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Jesus said, “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed you can say to your mountain move, and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

All of us face mountains. Some mountains look so insurmountable that we try to ignore them, or trek the long way around them rather than trying to scale them. Scripture is filled with examples of impossible mountains: the Israelites backed up against the Red Sea with the Egyptian Army bearing down, David facing Goliath, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego being thrown into a burning hot furnace, Lazarus family seeing him die, the disciples as they watched Christ nailed to a cross. There is no shortage of “mountain” stories in scripture. And yet,

God Moved Each Mountain.

Perhaps not as we would expect, but in each case perfectly according to God’s will. How do you and I learn mountain moving faith? Christ tells us that if we have faith no larger than a grain of mustard seed that we can say to our mountain move and it will move. Mountain moving faith is possible and prayer is the key! If you want mountain moving faith, build your prayer life. Spend time with your Creator. As you do, the mountains in your life will start to move.  

Rest Assured

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“And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.” Isaiah 32:17

Righteousness is a word we do not often come across. In a nutshell it means, ‘seeking to do God’s will’. So, try this on for size: The result of ‘seeking to do God’s will’ shall be peace, and the effect of ‘seeking to do God’s will’, shall be quietness and assurance.

Peace And Assurance Can Be Yours

Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you”, not the least of which will be a life filled with peace.

Praise, Anyway

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“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:22

A messenger comes to Job with distressing news that his herd of five hundred oxen had just been stolen and the servants tending them had been killed in the raid. Then another messenger tells him fire from the heavens just burned up his herd of seven thousand sheep. Still another messenger tells him that thieves have stolen his herd of three thousand camels. Still another tell Job that his seven sons and three daughters have been killed. A distraught Job tears his robe, shaves his head, then falls to his knees in worship to God, saying, “Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.

Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord!” 

I cannot imagine the incredible loss that Job experienced. Yet every time we experience loss in our lives the devastation feels overwhelming to us in that moment. In such times let us learn something from Job. Try falling to your knees and saying, “the Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away, Blessed be the name of the Lord.” When you find yourself in a pit of despair, the only way out is to look up.

Grace

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“But by the grace of God I am what I am” 1 Corinthians 15:10

Paul’s words in 1st Corinthians 15 is an ever present reminder of who I could be outside of Christ. In Paul’s case, he was a torturer and murderer. Someone who had made a vow to stamp out this new religion called Christianity, to tear at its very fibers until all who believed recanted their faith. God had other plans. He met Paul on a dusty road to Damascus with a light so bright it literally blinded Paul as he heard the voice of Christ say, “…why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). Paul was never the same,

Transformed In An Instant.

Each of us has a story, some more dramatic than others, but all very real. All of us know life without faith, and the very real change that faith ushers in once the seeds are planted. Like Paul, it doesn’t matter where we start, it matters where we finish. God’s grace is sufficient.

   

Long And Winding Road

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Jesus said, “For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me.” John 16:27

The Beatles famously sang, “The long and winding road, leads me back to your door.” Life is indeed a long and winding road. Wouldn’t we all love to take an eraser to the winding roads and messy bits in our lives and just enjoy the good times?

God Loves To Erase The Messy Bits.

Think of it this way. God knows tomorrow as well as you know yesterday. He knew every mistake you would make. He knew every time you have or will take His name in vain. He knew every time you will or have sinned against Him. Yet with all of that knowledge, God still sent His Son Jesus as a sacrifice for all you’ve done, or will ever do. God’s amazing eraser is there to bless you when you simply say “yes” to Jesus.

Anchor

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“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? Psalm 139:7

Where can we flee from God’s presence? If we go into the heavens, God is there. If we sinks to the depths, God is there also. There is nowhere we can go, nor depths we can sink to, that we can escape from God’s presence. Think about it this way,

When You Hit Rock Bottom, That’s Where Your Anchor Is.

God is your anchor and the chain that connects you to Him is called prayer. Just when you think you have nowhere to turn, God is waiting for you to realize He’s right there waiting for you to reach out and call His name.

Peace

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God said, “Do not fear, for I am with you…” Isaiah 41:10…

There is an age old news axiom that says, “if it bleeds, it leads.” The more tragic, horrific or fear inducing the stories are, the faster they will make the front page or lead the newscast. There is a reason Jesus said many times in scripture, “Do not fear,” for God knows that fear is just what the world loves to serve up on a silver platter. Thankfully, we have the antidote for such daily doses of fear: quoting scripture. Try saying out loud Isaiah 46:1, “God is my refuge and strength, my very help in times of trouble. Therefore,

I Will Not Fear.”

God also said in Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear for I am with you.” Every day, we have a choice to make. We can give in to the fear the world loves to pump into our eyes and ears, or, we can believe God’s promises. Faith is a decision that comes with an amazing level of peace. Hand your fears over to God, and let Him hand you a life worth living.

Chains

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“I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.” Philippians 1:2

What’s the view look like to you when you’re dealing with strife? Do you turn inward, shut down, put up walls between you and your friends and family. Perhaps you feel you’ve been treated unjustly and become bitter, seeking ways to lash out or extract payback against the world. Or maybe you’re believing that God has forgotten about you and things will never be better than they are at the moment. We’ve all been there. When you are, remember this powerful reminder from worship leader Tasha Cobbs,

“There Is Power In The Name Of Jesus,

To Break Every Chain.”

We CAN choose faith. In this particular verse in Philippians, Paul is referencing the fact that even as he’s writing these words he’s sitting in a jail cell. Paul says, “It has become evident to the whole palace guard that my chains are in Christ (yet) my chains are much more bold to speak (God’s) word without fear.”  Indeed, that’s the kind of an attitude that turns scars into stars. When you choose to proclaim your positive faith, even in the midst of suffering, there is no doubt that you will change the lives of others. Many will see your faith in action and new seeds of faith will be planted. When that happens, congratulations! You’ve just begun to change the world.