Table Setting

“You (God) prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Psalm 23:5

David, the author of this Psalm 23, once stood before Goliath with a slingshot and five stones. He did not need five stones to take out Goliath, the other four stones were for Goliath’s brothers (go back and read the story in 1 Samuel 17). One stone each was all it would take for David fully understood more than anyone what it meant for God to prepare a table before him in the presence of his enemies.

God Is All You Need.

David further expounds this concept a few chapters later in Psalm 46, where he says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear.” Indeed, God has prepared a table before you in the very presence of your enemies. And who are your enemies? Don’t always assume its people. How about fear? Worry? Guilt? We wrestle with a lot of enemies in our minds every single day. Just remember, God sits with you at the table He has set before you. Trust Him.

It’s Personal

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “God enters by a private door into every individual.” No one else can make the decision for you, or live your life of faith for you.

Faith Is A Very Personal Decision.

A life of faith is a decision we choose to make every day. It’s a life that’s worked for me, and I can highly recommend it. It’s as personal to me as breathing. Jesus name is never far from my lips, and I feel His presence like a warm blanket every hour of every day. The elusive substance and evidence spoken of in Hebrews 11 will somehow become very real to you when you say yes to Jesus. I can’t explain it other than to say the decision yours to make.

A New Season

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

For everything there is indeed a season. However, scripture tells us over and over and over again that we can change our seasons. We’re not stuck unless we want to be. Don’t believe me, then press rewind and read through the 1,000 or so daily devotionals in this blog. Jesus is the One who said,

“I Have Come That You May Have Life...

and have it abundantly!” I don’t know about you but I’ll sign up for that. Care to join me? Reach out in faith today because Jesus also said, “with men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Imagine

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” Isaiah 64:4 (and repeated in 1 Corinthians 2:9)

Read this verse several times then try to wrap your mind around the promise that God is making here.

Imagine The Wonders God Has In Store For You

God has demonstrated incredible power and creativity and beauty in His creation, and His wonderful love for us by sending His Son to demonstrate His love toward us. I can only imagine the things He yet has in store for you and for me. That’s why in Faith, everyday, I believe the best is yet to come.

Keep It Simple

“Seek first the kingdom of God…and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

We are a society enamored with the future, so much so that it shapes and overshadows living today. Jesus addresses this topic head on in Matthew 6 where he instructs us not to worry about tomorrow, for today has enough troubles of its own. The plain truth is,

We Worry Because We Want Control

Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and all that we worry about will be taken care of. The prescription for kingdom living is actually fairly simple. “Love the Lord with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself”. Strive for this every day then watch how the needs you spend so much time worrying about suddenly get taken care of. That’s how God’s promises work. He instructs, we follow, He fulfills his promises.

Kingdom

“Let Your kingdom come…” Matthew 6:10

What must God’s kingdom look like? We read various verses in the Bible describing mansions and streets of gold, yet for me God’s kingdom is not hard to image. Simply look at the extraordinary vistas all around us; a breathtaking flower field, a sunrise filled with color, a waterfall cascading into a clear ocean. How about someone unselfishly giving a hand to another who is down on their luck, or speaking a kind word to lift someone’s spirits, or a friend forgiving another the unforgivable.

God’s Kingdom Is All Around Us.

We just have to know where to look, and then realize that we’ve not even scratched the surface of the awesomeness of God’s kingdom. He’s only given us a little glimpse. When Jesus friends asked Him how they should pray, He gave to them 53 words in Matthew chapter 6 as the model prayer, commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer”. Four of those words say, “Let Your kingdom come.” What power would be unleashed in this world of ours if we passionately and sincerely prayed these four words. I would expect we’d begin to see a closer view of God’s kingdom pour all over our lives.

Time For Peace

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

This may be strange for you to hear but peace is a choice. We can choose to have peace, or not have it. It really comes down to a matter of trust. I’ve chosen to trust in Jesus, for everything. Trust no matter what the circumstances of my life are telling me. Trust no matter what news comes my way. Trust no matter how my body feels. When Jesus said “Peace I leave with you….do not let your heart be troubled” that is a promise. God, our creator, has made a promise and I’ve chosen to accept it. There is no adequate way to explain the peace that I have experienced as a result.

The Peace Jesus Speaks Of Is Very Real.

If you’re one that trusts in Jesus for your salvation, why not go “all in” and also trust him with your today. There is peace you won’t be able to explain any other way waiting for you when you do.

Amazing Love

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1

Many decades ago, at the tender age of ten, my step father came into my life. He was older and had already raised three boys who were married by the time I came into his life. Above his laughter and his endless good natured teasing, I cherish most the unselfish love he gave to my sister and I who just needed a dad to be there for them. Then one day he came to me and said, you know, it’s up to you but you’re more than welcome to take my name if you’d like. It’s your choice. For me it was a no brainer. This man standing before me,

Loved Me Enough To Let Me Be Called His Own.

How much more has our Heavenly Father given to us that we may be called His children.

Possible

God said, “For I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.” Jeremiah 1:12

There are a myriad of scripture verses that point to God fulfilling His promises and performing the impossible. One such example comes from Jesus words in Matthew 19:26, where He says, “with man it is impossible, but

With God All Things Are Possible.”

God said, “I am active and alert, watching over My word to perform it.” In other words, God means what He says. If He said it, if He promised it, He will be faithful to complete it!

The Potter

God said, “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand.” Jeremiah 18:6

God created us, then immediately gave to us a remarkable freedom called ‘free will’. We can choose the life we wish to lead. We can choose faith, or we can choose not to believe. Yet something remarkable happens when we chose faith. We have the opportunity to,

Have Our Lives Shaped By Our Creator

Over and over again in scripture, God says, if we will let Him, He will mold us, and shape us, and use us in remarkable ways we never thought possible. As the old Hymn from my childhood says, “Have Thine own way Lord, have Thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, after Thy will. While I am waiting, yielded and still”