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Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The Tax Collector and the Pharisee
“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’” (Luke 18:13).
This may come as a surprise to some people, but God is not mad at sinners. Rather, God is mad about us. He loves us.
What angers God is when someone who thinks they’re spiritual or call themselves religious stand in the way of a sinner coming to believe. We find a story in the New Testament about a sinner who went to pray. This man was a tax collector, and tax collectors were not loved a lot in those days.
But there also was another person who went to pray that day, and he was a Pharisee. He said, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:11).
Interestingly, the King James Version describes him as praying “thus with himself” (verse 11). I think, in reality, that his prayers didn’t go any higher than the ceiling because that wasn’t a prayer to God; that was a boast.
Meanwhile, the man who knew he was a sinner simply said, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (verse 13). Another way to translate it would be, “God be merciful to me, the sinner.” He knew who he was.
Jesus said of him, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (verse 14).
Really, for the Savior to forgive you of all your sin, that’s all you have to say: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” You can know with certainty that you will go to Heaven when you die. You can be ready for Christ’s return. You can enter into a relationship with the God in Heaven who loves you; the God in Heaven who has a plan for you.
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1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
The Benefits of Being Right with God
“The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever” (Isaiah 32:17).
Years ago, before I began preaching, I was a graphic designer and did an album cover that illustrated this verse from Isaiah 55: “For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (verse 12).
That is how God leads us. He leads us with peace, and we go out with joy. It’s the result of a relationship with Him.
You see, living right with God results in experiencing the peace of God. Isaiah also tells us, “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever” (32:17).
At age 17, I heard what it meant to become a follower of Jesus and what Jesus could do for me. So I prayed and asked Christ to come into my life. And that day I remember feeling as though a massive weight had been lifted off me.
I realized later that it was the weight of my sin. Everyone carries a weight like that. Now, some people have sinned more than others, but one sin is enough to keep you out of Heaven. Every one of us has sinned. Every one of us has broken God's commandments. And every one of us has fallen short of God’s standards.
That is why Jesus died on the cross. The Bible says, “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
God punished Jesus, if you will, in the way that you and I should have been punished. Jesus bore the weight of our sins. He was our substitution. He died in our place. Jesus came to pay a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay.
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2 Corinthians 5:14-15
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Right Thinking and Praying
“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
If you want to overcome worry, it starts with right praying.
The apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Paul used a military term for the word guard. He was saying, “God’s peace will stand guard around your heart and protect you.” So when your mind is flooded with worry, you can say, “Lord, I cast all of my care upon You because Your Word tells me that You care for me, and Your peace will guard my heart and mind.”
God’s peace will stand guard over the two areas of your life that cause worry: the heart, which represents our emotions and feeling, and the mind, which refers to our thinking.
Not only do we need right praying, but we also need right thinking. Paul went on to say, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (verse 8).
The Message puts it this way: “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse”.
What we think about ultimately affects what we do, so we need to remind ourselves of what is true. We all will have moments of despair, lapses of faith, and times in our lives when we don't understand what is going on. That’s why we need to turn to the word of God.
When we pray instead of worry and rejoice instead of panic, we will have peace.
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Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
Turning Worry into Worship
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).
Remember what it was like when you first learned how to drive a car? You were so excited, but then you got behind the wheel and realized there were so many things to remember.
When you’re coming to a turn, for example, you have to remember to signal your turn. Then you have to remember to turn the signal off afterward. But once you’ve driven for a while, you don’t even think about these things because you’ve developed a conditioned reflex.
A conditioned reflex is something we’ve learned to do. On the other hand, a natural reflex is something we feel immediately without being told that we should feel it. For instance, if I put my hand close to a fire, I’ll immediately pull it back because it’s hot and hurts. That’s a natural reflex.
Now let’s apply this to worry. We need to develop a conditioned reflex and get into the habit of turning to God when we feel worried. When trouble comes our way, and it will, our first inclination—our natural reflex, if you will—is to worry.
We need to teach ourselves to pray instead. The moment you start to panic, turn your panic into prayer. Turn your worry into worship. Turn to God immediately.
That is what the apostle Paul was saying when he wrote, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
We pray about the big things, but let’s not forget about the little things. Little problems can turn into big problems, especially if we neglect them.
Maybe you’ve thought, “I can handle this, and it will never be a problem for me.” But then one day you realize it’s a big problem. Little things turn into big things. So, the next time you’re tempted to worry, pray instead.
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Psalm 14:1
For the director of music. Of David.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
Win Your Battle with Worry
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34).
The apostle Paul faced an uncertain future. He was arrested for preaching the gospel, but as a Roman citizen, he had the right to appeal to Caesar. As a result, Paul was living under house arrest, awaiting an appearance before the leader of Rome.
Paul didn’t know whether his appeal would bring about his acquittal or his beheading. But instead of worrying and complaining, he was rejoicing and living in great peace.
Writing to the believers in Philippi, he said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! . . . Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (4:4, 6-7).
Rejoicing is a scriptural command, not a suggestion. To fail to rejoice is actual disobedience to God. But notice that Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord,” not rejoice in your circumstances.
Some Christians think that whatever happens, they should rejoice in it. No, we should rejoice in the fact that God is still on the throne and still loves us. We should rejoice in the fact that, according to Romans 8:28, “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them”.
When we worry, it’s a failure on our part to trust God. Jesus said, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34).
The word worry comes from a term that means “to choke.” And that’s what worry does. It creates mental and emotional strangulation in your life. Worry actually makes things worse, because when you worry about the future, you cripple yourself in the present.
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Isaiah 53:5-6
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Why the Wait?
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24).
The most difficult response to accept is no response at all.
When we pray for something repeatedly, it’s hard to understand why God doesn’t answer us in the affirmative. One possibility is there may be something going on behind the scenes. There may be a spiritual battle raging that we know nothing about.
We find an interesting story in Daniel 10 where an angel appeared to Daniel and said he had been dispatched from Heaven with an answer to Daniel’s prayer, but he was delayed for 21 days by “the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia” (verse 13). As a result, God sent Michael the archangel to come to his rescue.
Another reason God may not answer our prayer in the affirmative is that we have unconfessed sin in our lives. The psalmist wrote, “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18).
Isaiah 59:1–2 tells us, “Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore”.
It’s a good idea to pray what the psalmist prayed: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; . . . point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24).
God cannot forgive the sin we will not confess. We should regularly pause before the Lord in prayer and say, “Lord, if there’s anything in my life that is displeasing to You, if I’m engaged in any pursuit that is outside of Your will, would You show that to me?”
I believe that’s a prayer God will hear and answer in the affirmative.
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Isaiah 53:3-4
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
On the Right Path
“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it” (Proverbs 22:6).
A father and his son were hiking up a mountain when they came to a difficult place on the trail. While the father was contemplating which way he should go, he heard his son say, “Choose the right path, Dad. I’m coming right behind you.”
As parents, we have a direct influence on our children. Our children are watching us. They listen to what we say, but more importantly, they watch what we do.
Let’s say, for instance, that you drink in front of your children. Then one day your children have a problem with alcohol, and you wonder why. Or perhaps you fight with your spouse in front of your children and maybe even ask them to take sides in the argument (which is always a horrible idea). Then you’re shocked when your adult children have the same issues in their marriages.
When the Bible talks about the sins of the parents being visited on the children, it isn’t describing a mystical curse that is passed on from generation to generation. Rather, it’s simply talking about the repeated behavior of sin that can be passed on.
For example, if parents are divorced, chances are far greater that their children will end up divorced. However, if both parents attend church regularly, chances are far greater that their children will attend regularly as well.
So, not only can we pass sins on to our children, but we can pass blessings on to them as well. And it’s a lot easier to build a child than to repair an adult. Be the godly example. Be the godly leader. Read the Bible to your children before they go to bed at night. Pray with them. As you do that, you’re modeling what it is to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
Live a life with Christ that will make your children desire the same relationship with Him.
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2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The Definition of Faith
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Everyone has a measure of faith. Now, their faith may not be in God, but they do have faith in something. They might have faith in themselves, which will be disappointing. Or maybe they have faith in a political system, which will be even more disappointing.
What, then, is faith, and how does it work?
Hebrews 11:1 gives us an excellent definition of faith: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Faith isn’t just believing something; it’s acting on what you believe in.
You can give mere intellectual assent to something and say, “I believe this is true.” Yet the Bible says, “Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19).
Real faith in God is belief plus action. Faith does things. If you have real faith, you will do something with it. Hebrews 11 talks about what various people did with their faith. For example, Abel offered a sacrifice, Noah prepared an ark, and Abraham obeyed.
Faith with no works is a faith that doesn’t work.
Everything in our lives revolves around faith. We are saved by faith. Ephesians 2 tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (verses 8–9).
Not only are we saved by faith, but we live by faith and not by feelings. The Bible says, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). If we build our Christian lives on our emotions, then we’ll be riding a roller coaster, if you will, because sometimes we’re up emotionally and sometimes we’re down.
Faith, on the other hand, is steady, because we believe the Word of God regardless of our emotions. And there is no safer place to put our faith than in God.
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1 Timothy 2:5-6
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
A Commendation from Jesus
“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (Jeremiah 29:13).
It’s a pretty big deal when Jesus calls someone out in a positive way and says, “Great is your faith.” After all, He was an expert on the subject of faith.
In Matthew 15, we read of Jesus specifically commenting on the faith of someone who didn’t have the privilege of walking and talking with Him, hearing His great teaching, or seeing His powerful miracles. More to the point, she was a Canaanite, and she had a demon-possessed daughter.
She was the mother who wouldn’t give up, because nothing would stop her from getting to Jesus. However, she didn’t come to Him with demands but instead begged for mercy (see Matthew 15:21).
Jesus knew that she had amazing faith, and He wanted to draw her faith out. So, He put up a hurdle, if you will. He said, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel” (verse 24).
But she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Again, she asked Him for help, and He told her, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs” (verse 26). In the original language Jesus used a word for “dogs” that we could translate “puppies.”
She could have been offended, but I think she knew exactly what was going on. She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table” (verse 27).
She easily cleared the hurdle, and Jesus told her, “Dear woman, your faith is great. Your request is granted” (verse 28).
The door was shut in her face, but this woman kept on knocking. She wouldn’t give up. She wasn’t going home without an answer.
Her story serves as a reminder that no matter what, we need to bring our problems to Jesus.
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1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Disastrous Disobedience
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7).
Moses was fed up. And he was in no mood to speak to some rock.
In the past, God had directed Moses to go to a rock and strike it with his staff, and then water gushed out. But this time the God didn’t tell him to do that. He told Moses to just speak to the rock, and water would flow out to satisfy the thirst of the people and the livestock.
Moses, however, wanted to hit something. Therefore, he didn’t speak to the rock. He didn’t even whack it once like he had before. No, he said to the people, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10). Then he lifted his staff, struck the rock twice, and water came pouring out of it.
There are a number of things that went wrong here, but clearly Moses hadn’t done what the Lord called him to do. As a result, God said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” (verse 12).
In the same way, we can’t select the things in the Bible that we want to follow and then ignore the rest. Jesus said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14).
Someone might say, “Well, I like this part of the Bible and that other part of the Bible, but this one passage of Scripture? I don’t know if I agree with that.”
However, Jesus didn’t say, “You are My friends if you do whatever you find easy or personally agree with.” By the way, who are we to offer an opinion on the Bible? It is absolute truth. The Bible is right, and we need to align our thoughts with what the Scripture teaches.
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Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Don’t Take God’s Glory
“God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:28-29).
A while back I spoke with someone who works in hospice care. She was talking with a patient who was close to entering into eternity and decided to begin reading my book Jesus Revolution to him. She said it impacted him to the point that he became a Christian.
What a wonderful thing. This woman is in a position to reach people for Jesus Christ whom I could never reach. You, too, are in a position to reach people that no one else can reach. God wants to use you. And when He does, make sure that you give Him the glory.
When the apostle Paul and Barnabas were preaching in Lystra, a man there who had been unable to walk from birth was listening to Paul preach. Paul could see that this man had the faith to be healed. So Paul said to him, “Stand up straight on your feet!” (Acts 14:10).
And right there, this man who never had walked before jumped to his feet and began walking and leaping. This astonished the people who were watching, and they exclaimed, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” (verse 11).
The Bible goes on to say they were planning to bring sacrifices to them. But Paul and Barnabas, tore their clothes and cried out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God” (verse 15).
In other words, “Don’t give us the credit! Don’t give us the glory! We are here to tell you to turn away from putting your faith in people, idols, or anything else.”
Do you want to be used by God? If you will dare to pray this prayer, you’ll find that God will answer it. Simply say, “Lord, use me today.” He just may answer sooner than you expect.
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James 1:12
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
A Powerful Witness to a Lost World
“Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back” (Proverbs 29:11).
The coronavirus combined with the economy and the politics of the day has created almost a perfect storm of anger for many people.
I have no doubt that social media feeds this frenzy. People spend too much time looking at their phones and tablets and following their favorite websites, which further inflames them.
We know that people are uptight. We know that people lose their tempers. But if you’re a Christian, then you should be different. Christians should not get caught up in the anger that so many people are expressing today.
In fact, the Bible says that the person who loses his temper is a fool (see Proverbs 29:11). It also tells us that as followers of Christ, we are to love others and make every effort to be at peace with them.
Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35).
As believers, we need to show love and forgiveness. And if we don’t, we will grieve the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God. Therefore, it’s possible for us to lie to the Holy Spirit, resist the Holy Spirit, insult the Holy Spirit, and yes, even grieve the Holy Spirit.
The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus, “And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. . . . Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior” (Ephesians 4:30-31).
When Christians love one another, it’s a powerful witness to a lost world. On the other hand, when Christians fight with one another, it’s a poor witness to a lost world.
If you’re truly a godly person, then you will be humble and loving—not someone who’s filled with anger and rage.
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Ephesians 6:10-11
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
When Fear Overwhelms
“Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” (Numbers 14:9).
Have you ever been so discouraged that you wanted to die? That’s how the Israelites felt. They had come to the very brink of entering the Promised Land, but they were allowing their fear to overwhelm them.
Faith and worry can’t coexist. When faith walks in, worry walks out. And when worry steps in, faith walks out. They don’t get along.
Have you ever planned to have people over for dinner, but you knew that some of them wouldn’t get along? You couldn’t invite this person or that person because they’re always getting into an argument.
That’s how faith and worry are. They cancel each other out.
The children of Israel had lost perspective. But Caleb and Joshua, who brought an encouraging report about the Promised Land, urged them, “Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” (Numbers 14:9).
These people were facing difficulty, just as every Christian will. The Christian life is not a cakewalk; it’s a conflict. The Christian life is not a playground; it’s a battleground.
God doesn’t want us to run from the giants in our lives. He wants us to attack them. For example, let’s say that you’re facing the giant of addiction. Bring your giant out in the open into the light of day. Make yourself accountable to someone. Realize that you can’t defeat this giant in your own strength. Call on God and pray for His power.
Deal with your giants. Don’t let them conquer you.
We want faith in our lives, not worry. Someone has wisely said that when you trust, you do not worry, and when you worry, you do not trust. Let’s face the obstacles before us with great faith.
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Jeremiah 17:7-8
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
It’s the Objective, Not the Obstacle
“But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. ‘Let’s go at once to take the land,’ he said. ‘We can certainly conquer it!’” (Numbers 13:30).
The Israelites had come to the very brink of the Promised Land and were poised to enter in. So God commanded Moses to send in 12 spies to check things out and see what was ahead of them.
The men came back with a grape cluster that was so incredibly large, it took two of them to carry it. They told Moses, “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. . . . But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!” (Numbers 13:27-28).
But Caleb, one of the 12 spies, saw things in a more positive light: “‘Let’s go at once to take the land,’ he said. ‘We can certainly conquer it!’” (verse 30 NLT).
Ten of the spies, however, spread negative reports. They said, “We can’t go up against them! . . . . The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there” (verses 31–32).
Twelve spies went in, but only two—Joshua and Caleb—gave an encouraging report. It all came down to how they looked at things. God had promised that He would give them the land. But the other spies didn’t see God for who He is. They ignored His words and only saw problems.
Meanwhile, Joshua and Caleb saw the same obstacles. But they also saw opportunities and great victories if they went into the land.
We all face obstacles, but can we see them in the light of who God is? When we fix our attention on the obstacles rather than on the objective, fear always will eclipse our faith. Don’t look at God in the light of your problem. Look at your problem in the light of God.
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Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God Is Bigger Than Your Giant
“Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26).
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is the story of David and Goliath. But it isn’t a fairytale; it really happened. David’s father, Jesse, sent him on an errand. David’s brothers had gone to war, and Jesse wanted David to take some food to them.
When he arrived at the camp of the Israelites, David heard the voice of an oversized man down in the Valley of Elah, bellowing for someone to come and fight him. The man’s name was Goliath, and he was nine-feet-six-inches of solid muscle.
Certainly no one was willing to go and fight him—that is, until David showed up.
What’s interesting about the story is that Goliath wasn’t simply hanging around in the valley, shouting at the Israelites. Instead, he was coming up to their camp and taunting them there.
That is how giants are. When you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile.
You might be facing some kind of giant in your life, such as a giant problem, a giant challenge, or a giant addiction. And as the days go by, your giant seems to get bigger and bigger, taunting you relentlessly.
For instance, it could be a giant of fear. And no wonder. It’s easy to watch or read the news and become paralyzed with fear.
You might be facing a giant of personal sin, a certain area of your life where you have fallen repeatedly. You can’t seem to get victory.
A giant, if you will, is anyone or anything that seeks to control you, hurt you, destroy you, or torment you in life.
The good news is that God is bigger than your giant. The key is understanding and seeing God as you ought to. Then you will see your problems for what they are. God is bigger than what you’re facing.
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Psalm 23:1-3
A psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Curse or Blessing?
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
After God gave Moses a special blessing for the priests to pronounce over the children of Israel, He said, “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:27).
The Lord was effectively saying to the spiritual leaders, “You have spiritual oversight. I want you to pronounce this blessing on the people, and I’m going to live up to it in their lives. In other words, don’t make excuses for Me. Don’t be afraid that I won’t back it up. You tell them I will bless them, I will keep them, I will make My face shine upon them, and I will give them peace. I want you to tell them this again and again.”
If you’re a believer, you can have the assurance that wherever you are, God is smiling on you. He’s gracious and attentive to you. He wants to give you His peace.
But this promise is only for the child of God. The blessings of the Bible are only for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus was cursed so that we could be blessed. He died so that we could live. And He was forsaken so we could be forgiven.
The Bible says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’)” (Galatians 3:13).
The choice is yours. Do you want to face the curse of your sin? Or, do you want the blessing of God in your life? God says, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. . . . Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
God has made it clear. He wants to bless you. He wants to come into your life.
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Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
He Knows All about It
“The Lord lift up His countenance upon you” (Numbers 6:26).
Have you ever wondered whether God was really paying attention? Does He know what you’re going though?
I wonder if Joseph ever felt as though God had forgotten about him. His brothers sold him into slavery for no good reason. Then a man named Potiphar, the Egyptian equivalent to the head of the Secret Service, took him into his house. But Potiphar had a wife who was preying on Joseph, trying to seduce him.
Joseph resisted her advances, but one day she caught him alone, grabbed him by his clothes, and effectively said, “Have sexual relations with me.” So Joseph ran for his life. But Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of rape, and Joseph went to prison.
How easily Joseph could have thought that God had surely forgotten about him. But God was preparing Joseph for a greater work, because ultimately, he was elevated into a place of great influence in Egypt.
In Numbers 6 we read that God gave a special blessing for the priests to pronounce over the children of Israel: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (verses 24–26).
The phrase “the Lord lift up His countenance upon you” means “to lift up His face” or, literally, “to look, to see, to know, to be interested, and to have one's full attention.”
The promise of God is that He is attentive to you. He’s watching you. You have his full attention. He’s watching out for you each day. He’s aware of what you’re going through. He knows all about it.
So even though it may seem like God isn’t watching, He actually is. And He’s in control of your life today and every day.
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Acts 4:10,12
then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
Getting What We Don’t Deserve
“May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you” (Numbers 6:25).
Let’s imagine for a moment that I loaned my motorcycle to a friend, and he went out and dumped it. Worse yet, he totaled it. So I said, “I want you to get me a brand-new bike.” That would be justice.
But let’s say, for example, that I dealt with my friend in mercy and said, “You don’t have to get me a brand-new bike. I forgive you.”
Now, if I dealt with him in grace, I not only would refuse his offer to buy a new bike for me, but I would take him out to dinner and then buy him his own Harley.
Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. And grace is getting what we don’t deserve.
The Bible says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Grace is God’s unmerited favor, and we need God’s grace because we sin every day. In fact, we sin more than we think we do. The Bible says, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth” (1 John 1:18).
We think we sin when we do things like lose our temper or think a lustful thought. And yes, those are sins. But we also can sin when we say no to God’s prompting to open His Word and read it. We can sin when God leads us to pray or share the gospel with someone, and we refuse.
We need God’s grace every day. Just as surely as we need God’s daily provision, we need His daily forgiveness as well. That’s where grace comes in.
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2 Peter 1:5-8
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Walking Partners
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 1:21).
Some Christians think they could never fall away from their faith. But they could. Any believer can.
Jude wrote in his epistle, “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 1:21).
Though God’s love is unsought, undeserved, and unconditional, we can be out of harmony with it. So, what does it mean to keep ourselves in the love of God? It means we should keep ourselves in a place where God can bless us.
It also implies that we keep ourselves out of the places where we would not receive the blessing of God, perhaps through our disobedience. We don’t keep ourselves saved, but we do keep ourselves safe. We all are vulnerable to certain things, and we know we could fall into sin.
And even Christians will go through hardships. Actually, Christians will face unique hardships and challenges because they’re Christians. God never promises to airlift us out of all our problems, but He does promise to be with us through them.
Remember what David wrote in Psalm 23: “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” (verse 4).
But what about when an accident or tragedy happens in the life of a child of God? Where’s the keeping power of God then? In asking a question like that, we’re assuming that somehow, we have the inherent right to live long, easy lives and die peacefully in our sleep one day.
The Bible, however, says that our times are in His hands (see Psalm 31:15). That means the Lord will walk with us through life, no matter what we’re facing. And we’ll never be alone.
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Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Your Father’s Good Pleasure
“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
How does God look at you and me? Does He look upon us with approval or disapproval?
In the Old Testament book of Numbers, we find a blessing that the Lord commanded the priests to pronounce over the children of Israel. This familiar passage shows us who God is and His feelings toward us.
The Israelites were making their way through the wilderness to the Promised Land when God gave these words to Moses: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:11).
In fact, God wanted the priests to pronounce this blessing over the people again and again. He wanted it ingrained in their brains and etched on their hearts as they journeyed through the wilderness.
We, too, are in a wilderness of sorts. Like the children of Israel, we are passing through to another place. We all face trials. We all make mistakes. And we all face threats every day.
Of course, there’s the threat of COVID and its variants. But then there are the normal concerns of our lives like our livelihoods, our health, our families, and our future. We are fallen people living in a fallen world, and we’re in need of a lot of help.
Jesus said, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
The word blessing is a spiritual word, and it’s something that only a child of God can experience. Another way to translate the word blessed is “happy.” So if you have Christ in your heart, you can be a happy person.
God wants to bless us and loves to bless us. Isn’t that great to know?
www.harvest.org