Bible Reading: Exodus 16

It is so easy for us 21^st century Christians to judge those 1st-century children of Israel. I mean they woke up every day to manna in the morning and quail in the evening, just waiting for them. They didn’t have to look for it; they didn’t have to work for it; they didn’t have to store up any and figure out how to manage it – well except for the 6^th day, they were just required to collect a double portion of what they would normally get. Simple enough, right? They had it made, but why was it so darn hard for them to just follow directions?

…because it was something new, something they weren’t used to. They had come from a place that was so much different from where they were currently.  And, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never taken a test that didn’t have some level of challenge to it (Exodus 16:4).

It’s so easy for us to say, “God rain bread down from heaven, for you, you had it made.” That is until we have to trust God DAILY for direction and provision. It seems that it would be so simple until you actually have to do it.

Put yourself in the shoes of the children of Israel for a minute: You left everything you knew to go to a foreign place, a place you know nothing about. Yes, your former place may not have been the best place for you, there may have been abuse there, there may have been bondage there… but you knew that abuse, you knew that bondage, and you learned how to cope with it so it didn’t seem so bad, especially now that you are in this new place, a place that you know absolutely nothing about.

Now you have to learn everything over again. Some things you may have known for years, but now you are being told something different. Does that still seem so easy?

What do you do when God is taking you out of that familiar place you once knew, to explore all new territory? What do you do when after you have surrendered to the new thing and done everything He has instructed you to do, the outcome is not what you expected? Will you, like the children of Israel, want to go back to Egypt, the place of familiarity?

You may want to, but I guarantee you, deliverance is better than what’s familiar. So what do you do while you are navigating this new place? You pray like Jesus instructs in Matthew 6:11, “Lord give me this day, my daily bread…” You believe that God didn’t deliver you in 2015, for you to go back in 2016. You wake up daily and say, “What are we doing today God?” You ask Him for His strength and courage for today while knowing that tomorrow will worry about itself (Matthew 6:34).

Prayer: Father God, thank you. Thank You for providing for me even when I don’t know that’s what You are doing. Thank You for doing exceedingly, abundantly above, all I could ever ask or think, even when I don’t understand. Forgive me for wanting to go back to what was familiar and not appreciating where You are elevating me to. Open my eyes, so that I see spiritually in the midst of natural frustration. Thank You for continually being good to me. It is in Your Son, Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 17: 31-37

Focus Verse:  Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted and defied the armies of the living God.” 1 Samuel 17:36

When David was a shepherd, looking after his father’s sheep, protecting them from lions and bears, he didn’t realize he was indeed preparing daily to ultimately fight for the freedom of Israel.

Don’t despise where you are now; considering it a small task, the sheep you’ve been entrusted with. The very place that you are serving faithfully, consistently showing up to is the training ground for you to defeat your “Goliath” and ultimately usher you into your “Kingship”.

What have you been wrestling with? Possibly thinking God has forgotten about you? You have been serving faithfully, waiting for your turn. Others have gone before you, causing you to think you have been overlooked.

David’s brothers were chosen for battle, while he was left behind to tend to the sheep. Some may have looked at David’s life and thought it of no significant value to God’s Kingdom. But David was ultimately accounted for being a “man after God’s own heart.” See Acts 13: 22

What are you preparing for?

Prayer: Holy Father, thank You for never forgetting about me. The place that You have me now, is exactly where I need to be. I am not here by accident. Every assignment in my life in preparation for something. Help me to remember that You work all things together for the good of those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. I embrace this preparation period. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen!

 

Focus Scripture: In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will prepare [a prayer and a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]. Psalm 5:3 (AMP)

I had been praying for direction, guidance, and wisdom in a particular area of my life. One morning, while I was reading the Word, I was lead to three different scriptures:

For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry. Habakkuk 2:3

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Psalm 37:7

Now at first, when I “read” these verses, I didn’t really READ them, because I felt like I was already familiar with them. I mean, I had heard them all before, none of them were new to me. But, as I continued to read over them, I realized the theme of each of these verses was, wait. The New King James Version specifically uses the word “wait”, in each verse. As I was meditating on each scripture, I realized, this was the answer to the prayers I had been praying!

I began to thank God for answering my prayers and resolved in my spirit that at this moment, I just needed to wait; and I would until God gave me further instructions.

But, because God’s love and care for His people exceed far beyond anything we could ever hope or imagine, He didn’t just tell me to wait. After focusing on each verse, I realized God was showing me 3 things:

1) The posture in which to wait. Psalm 37:7

2) The purpose in the wait. Isaiah 40:31

3) The waiting period does not last forever. Habakkuk 2:3

Have you been praying for direction, guidance, and wisdom for a particular area of your life? Have you been waiting for an answer from God? Have you been coming across a certain verse regularly? What is God saying to you, regarding the concerns of your heart?

Prayer: God, You are so amazing! Thank You so much for hearing my prayers and answering them, with so much care and attention. Thank You for Your Living Word that I can go to for guidance regarding my everyday concerns. Your Word says that You are concerned about the things that concern me. So I bring all of my concerns to You, and I will wait with expectation for how You will settle them. It is in Your Son, Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

Bible Reading: Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me; but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for[My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively]in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (AMP)

Often times when God is transitioning you from one place to another, He will make your current place uncomfortable. The place that once was home and everything once was familiar, is no longer that way.

I can recall a time in my life where I was so frustrated with my current situation. I would often pray and ask God to allow me to get back to where I used to be when life was less confusing and I experienced less frustration. I just wanted to go back. Like the Children of Isreal when they were in the wilderness, I found myself often times fanaticizing about when my life was much simpler. Quickly forgetting that I actually prayed for the new life and everything that comes along with it!

However, with that transition to my new life also comes His grace. I wasn’t able to see it at first because I was too busy complaining about what I didn’t have. The free time that wasn’t as available. The responsibility that became greater. The assignment that required more discipline. I was blinded by these things and unable to see the abundant grace He gave to me with every new task, every new responsibility, and every new assignment. His grace carried me from place to place as I got familiar with the transition to my new life.

And His grace will do the same for you. I don’t know what new transition you are in, but I would encourage you to not look at it through natural eyes, but with spiritual eye and see just how much grace abound in your life!

Prayer: Father, I thank You for Your lovingkindness and mercy You show towards me. Thank You for all the blessing and lessons You are showing me in this new transition. Forgive me for not seeing it as a blessing. I give You all the glory because You have truly been carrying my through. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!

 

 

 

Bible Reading: Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want; for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. Philippians 4:11-13

For a while, this was something that I really struggled with, like really struggled. Often times, I would go back and forth with myself, questioning if I was really content or not. One day I felt like I was, but other days, not so much. I tried to read every “living a life of contentment” book I could find. Hoping that the next book would be the one, the one that would finally get me to a place where I consistently felt content.

And then one day the Lord spoke to me and said, “contentment is not a destination, it’s a decision.” Your choice to live a content life is not based on a feeling you have daily, but instead the decisions you make daily, in spite of how you feel. Here I was waiting to have this overwhelming feeling of contentment come over me, not realizing that all along, I was already living a life of contentment and it was evident in the daily decisions that I made.

Paul, in Philippians 4, was in a place that many of us have never experienced before, prison. I don’t know about you, but the feeling that I get when I hear the word “prison”, surely, isn’t contentment. As a matter of fact, it’s the complete opposite, discontentment. Despite Paul’s physical condition, he had gotten to a place where he was so in tune with following Christ, that despite how he may have felt from time to time, he had learned how to live a life of contentment. He had learned how to be fine with having a lot or having a little, being in prison or being a free man.

As human beings, we live eternally as a spirit, we have a soul, and we dwell in a body. Our soul is the part of our being where our emotions are housed. Emotions are God-giving feelings of pleasantness or unpleasantness. They are reactions to internal or external stimuli. Emotions are not good or bad; we make the choice whether we use emotions to honor Christ or to harm ourselves or others.

Emotions are an essential part of our personality. Life without emotions would be pretty uninteresting. If we did not have emotions, we would not experience anger or anxiety, but we also would not experience joy or love. God created us to experience a variety of emotions. Knowing this truth, we have to understand that our decisions can’t be based on how we feel, because how we feel, or our emotions, are spontaneous responses to our values and beliefs.

Because our feelings and emotions are spontaneous and are changing so often, we must learn to get to a place, like Paul, where we choose to be content in whatever state we are in, despite the way we feel or what may be going on externally.

Have you been struggling with contentment, warring back and forth with how you feel and juggling different emotions? Do you, like myself, feel content some days and then discontentment others? Make a decision today, that you are not going to entertain those feelings and thoughts of discontentment that arise, but instead, you will choose to be content and base your contentment on the truth of God!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for Your truth. At times, I feel good and other, not so much. Thank you for revealing to me that my position of contentment is not based on how I feel, but a decision that I make daily, based on Your Word for me. Forgive me for not always looking to You, but instead sometimes allowing my feelings to control my actions. By Your power, I declare today, that I will walk in contentment, in Jesus name I Pray, Amen!

*Note- Today’s Devo, is a repost from a previous one.*

Focus Verse: Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:5 (NIV)

We are going into the second half of the year and so many things have happened since January 1, 2017. A number of people are experiencing transition. New relationships have begun, old ones have ended. Some have started new careers and business. While others call new locations home.

And then there are those of us who have witnessed the transition of others, eagerly encouraging and cheering those close to us along. We continue moving in the direction we hear God calling us to while not fully understanding or seeing the full picture.

Are you too at that place? You recognize that God is doing some amazing things in your life right now, even though you don’t fully understand it all.

Can I give you a bit of encouragement? It’s ok. It’s ok that you don’t understand. It’s ok that you don’t have a clear vision of where you are going. It’s ok that you don’t have it all figured out. It is perfectly ok.

Blessings to those of you who are in your stride and moving full speed ahead through 2017, but to those of you who just don’t know, you are not alone.

As we go into the second part of this year, I encourage you to leave behind the pressure of KNOWING and embrace the UNKNOWN, while trusting The One who is all knowing; because not knowing is ok!

Prayer: Father God, this year had been filled with so many ups and downs. Sometimes it’s hard to see ahead of me and sometimes I feel pressured into figuring everything out. Thank You for reminding me that it’s not my job to try to figure it out, but to just trust You. Help me to remember as long as I know who, I don’t have to worry about how, because You already have that covered. I put all of my trust in You and fully embrace the unknown so that You can be fully manifested in my life. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen!

Focus Scripture: For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20

“You don’t have to compete for what’s already yours.” –God

Last year was a really emotionally draining year for me. My faith was, and still is currently being tested. Many times, I found myself questioning if I even wanted to continue to believe and fight for the promises of God in my life.

One particular time, I recall myself getting anxious and conjuring a plan that, I thought would speed up the process, because God was just taking entirely too long. As I was replaying the plan in my mind the Holy Spirit said, “Just rest, you don’t have to compete for what’s already yours.”

How many times have you found yourself plotting and scheming, trying to get things to happen the way you want them to, while foolishly tricking yourself into thinking that you are innocently helping God?

We can’t put a deadline on God’s promises for our lives. After all, they aren’t ours, to begin with. Our life is not our own and we were bought with a price, declares 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. God’s promise before God’s timing is not God’s promise.

A lot of the pain and anxiety we experience in our life, we bring on ourselves because of our eagerness to do what we want. And God is saying, “I never intended for you to have to go through that. But because you were so adamant about it and I am a gentle God, I allowed it, but that doesn’t mean I was in it.”

Declare on today that you will stop giving in to the desires to compete and try to force God’s hand. God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Numbers 23:19

Repeat after me: I don’t have to worry about what I see because I know what You said.  

Prayer: Dear God, You are all powerful and all knowing. Thank You for your faithfulness towards me. There are times that I want to get ahead of You because I feel like You aren’t working fast enough, please forgive me. Allow me to remember that Your time is best. God, I declare on today that I will walk by faith and see with my spiritual eyes. I will not worry about what I see because I know what You said. It is in Your son Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14:26 (NKJV)

When Jesus was preparing the Disciples for His departure, He shared with them that when He leaves, the Father will send the Holy Spirit to be their Helper. Jesus knew that when He left, the World would be lost without divine guidance. And the same thing He shared with the Disciples, is true for you too.

Jesus wants to help you!

There are so many great things that God has in store for you. Some of which you may be seeking and questioning. But who are you asking? From where are you seeking guidance? The Holy Spirit is the only one that can reveal to you what the Father’s desire is for you.

It is wise to seek counsel from wise individuals, for direction and guidance, the bible encourages that. (See Proverbs 19:20) However, directly following that verse is a reminder that although we may have plans and seek counsel regarding them, God should be our ultimate counsel:

There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. Proverbs 19:21

It is the Holy Spirit’s job to reveal to you everything that the Father wants to share with you. (See John 16:13) It is not God’s desire to conceal from you His will for your life. He desires nothing more than for you to operate in it.

I challenge you today, whatever you are seeking direction and guidance for, ask God what His will and desire is for you in that area of your life. And then WAIT to see what He says.

Prayer: Father God, thank You so much for sending the Holy Spirit to help me. There are so many plans and dreams that I desire to achieve, but if they are not Your will for my life, I don’t want it. Lord, there are so many times that I have consulted everyone else except for You, please forgive me. Help me to remember that You are my ultimate counsel. In the name of Jesus, Amen!