New Things

“Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.”  -Isaiah 43:19

Has God recently done something new in your life?  Often when we’re going through the drudgery of life, in what can seem like a wilderness, we need Him to!  When we’re stuck in a rut we can’t wait for God to show up to show us what He has.   When we’ve stayed steady when our hand to the plow but haven’t seen any results, when we’ve been faithful with little but haven’t seen a return on our investment, we may begin to wonder when our ship will come in.  But, are we looking in the right place?  Are we looking for the new thing?  Or are we looking in the same place, perhaps the most likely place, doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result? 

It’s so interesting to me in the verse above that God makes “a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”  In my mind, the last place I’d be looking for a road would be in the wilderness.  And the last place I’d be looking for a stream would be in a desert. But that’s where God says they are!  Are we looking for a move of God not just in likely places, but in the most unlikely places as well?  Are we not limiting ourselves in the ways God can provide?  Are we allowing ourselves to be open to His plan?  It’s often not what we think.  That’s why trusting Him is so important. 

When my dad began writing his TGIF devotional he had no idea it would turn into a “stream” in the desert.  In his mind, it was the most unlikely thing that God could’ve used to affect other people.  But, it was that “new thing” that God was doing in his life.

What new thing is God doing in your life? Look for God’s activity in the most unlikely places.   Be open to His movement in your life.  You might be surprised where His Spirit leads you. 

Love One Another

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." -John 13:34&35

Life can get stressful at times. The bills need paying, the job is insane or isn't quite what we hoped for; the kids are running around crazy, we've gotten a cold. During these times of pressure is when we're pushed to our limits-and our true colors show. Whatever is in us comes out of us - and it can be quite revealing - and embarrassing.

But what we need to remember during these times of pressure is what really matters. Seeds may have been planted early on  in our lives to suggest we're nothing without stellar performance, we're nothing without money, we're nothing without achievement, we're nothing without beauty & a sleek physic. Yes, these things are nice to have, and we should set goals for our lives. But the reality is, without LOVE, it means nothing.

What remains in our lives after we're gone and all is said and done is our love for others. The Bible says only three things will remain - faith, hope, and love- the greatest of these being love. So the next time we are tempted to think our performance is what matters, the amount of money that we make is what matters, or how much we've achieved is what really makes us count, we need to think again. Love is the only thing that truly matters. Have love, and we win the world over. Lose love, and we lose all that Jesus died for.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." -1 Cor 13:13

The Art of War

"Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle." -Ps 144:1

 
"I am just so fed up!" said my friend. "I don't understand why all this negative stuff keeps happening to me. I am so tired of things working out for others and not working out for me. What am I doing wrong?!?" I thought for a moment, giving the question some space.
 
"You know what I think?" I said.
 
"What?" she said.
 
"I think He's training your hands for war."
 
Sometimes we run around in circles, hoping for a different answer to our problems. We try to move forward in our lives only to discover we have come up against the same wall, the same unfulfilled dream, the same obstacle in our lives. What now? Do we blame God for our inability to get past our obstacle? No. Do we blame ourselves? Not necessarily. We need to discover God's process in preparing our hands for battle.
 
When there are giants, obstacles, or enemies in front of us, we need to treat the situation strategically. Doesn't an army come up with a battle plan? Likewise, we need to sit before God to find out what it is we should do to get past our obstacle, much like the Israelites did when they were about to enter the Promised Land. Is it time to wait, or is it time to move forward? Is it time to fast and pray, or is it time to take action? When we aren't certain some sort of movement is usually helpful.
 
But, the most important part of this strategic process is how to fight in the spiritual realm. Is there negativity we're listening to in our minds? Are we speaking negative words aloud? Are we living with discouragement? We need to deal with those things first before we can be effective in conquering our giants. Then and only then can God give us a battle plan. Our spiritual enemies need to be bound.
 

If you find yourself running in circles, it could be that God is training your hands for war. Spend time with Him to hear His perspective on the situation. We will come away with a much different perspective when we view our lives through His eyes.

We Are What We Think

"As a man thinks... so is he." -Proverbs 23:7

Have you ever had a hard time with the way you think about yourself? I know I have. Fat, ugly, stupid, never good enough - it seems I've "subconsciously" called myself everything. Of course, those things couldn't be further from the truth!

 
In reality, most of us think things that are not true about ourselves, resulting in insecurities, fears, and doubts - doubts about how others see us, about our own lives, and about our futures in God. But do you know what this does? It reinforces the lies the enemy tries to make us believe. We can't expect to ask other people to value our worth if we already think we are not worth anything. They will most likely come to that same conclusion as we have. Why? "As a man thinks, so is he."
 
How have you thought about yourself lately? How have you thought of other people? More often than not, these two are related. If we tend to have a negative perspective about ourselves, then this will manifest itself in our lives. We are a mirror for the world around us. Weird, huh. Don't believe it? Ask a jealous person how they feel on the inside. More than likely, (and I've been there), the majority of the time, they will feel as though they have no worth. 


 
The truth of the matter is, we have so much to offer. We don't need to continue to believe the lies about ourselves that we are without value. What do you have to offer? If you can't think of anything, begin with the fact that you are first a child of God.
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father... So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31
 
Don't let the enemy steal your destiny from you. Own your worth in Him today. You'll feel much better seeing yourself through God's eyes.


Keeping Good Company

"Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you, don't go along with them." -Proverbs 1:10

I'm sure you've heard the saying, you are what you eat. Well, you could say the same is true for the type of company we keep.

I've noticed in my own life that if I hang out with someone long enough, I may start to develop some of their characteristics.  For instance, if I'm hanging out with my husband a lot, I might get to sounding a little more southern! 

But the Bible makes clear mention to be careful who we hang out with, and to chose our friends wisely.  "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray." Proverbs 12:26  Do you hang out with people who build you up?  Do they have characteristics you admire, or do they encourage you in the right direction? If so, you are blessed!  If not, perhaps you haven't struck gold yet.

I remember of a time in my life that was very lonely.  That was when God was working out some things in my heart.  But then, as God kept leading me, I found my way to some great relationships.  I know some of these friendships will be there through thick and thin - they already been proven!  

When times get tough, you need positive, God-fearing people who can help you along the way.  Church is a great place to foster these relationships, although it's not the only place.  We need to remember that the type of company we keep directly relates to the type of person we will be.  This doesn't excuse us to reach out to those who need a hand up or who may not know Jesus yet.  But we also shouldn't have too many of those types of relationships so we don't get pulled back down.

Are you hanging out with the right crowd? May God continue to bring you authentic friendships that are lasting, and may He grow those relationships into fruitfulness to impact the lives of others.

Hearing God’s Voice

"Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." -Proverbs 3:6

It was Monday morning, during our staff bible study time.  My dad asked, “How do you hear God?”  Out came a myriad of responses.

“A thought pops into my mind of someone, and that’s how I know I’m supposed to pray for them.”

“I get a sense of His Spirit, then I get a word or a phrase.” 

“I hear Him when I’m driving in the car.  It mostly comes in pieces throughout the day, but then all the pieces link together to form a picture.” 

“When I’m talking to someone, I get a certain emotion.  It’s like God gives me empathy for that person and I know what to pray on their behalf.” 

Have you ever thought about the fact that we all hear God differently? 

Because each of us is wired uniquely, with different gifts and talents, we will not all hear God the same way.  God speaks to each of us in a way that we can understand Him, often through our gifts or love language.

Learning to hear God’s voice is a unique process of reading the word, perceiving God around us, and “opening our ears”, so to speak, to be able to hear what He’s saying to us.  It took me a while to learn to hear God, because I didn’t know what was me and what was Him.  But, after we learn God’s character and how He operates, through reading the Word and being discipled, we begin to discern His voice from ours. 

Are you able to hear God’s voice in your life?  Seek this out – it is the most valuable attribute of a Christian – to be able to hear the voice of our heavenly Father in our lives.

Two-Faced

"When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the 'sinners' and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: 'Why does he eat with tax collectors and "sinners"?' On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" Mark 2:16-18

I love the character of Two-face in Batman movies. I know it may sound a little morbid, but to me he identifies with the reality and compromise of life in the flesh. "I do what I don't want to do!" Paul cries, identifying with the human condition. But although we are in desperate need of God's grace to live a life of holiness and love, did you know that God created us this way with His very purpose in mind, to be "two-faced?"
 
There is a pastor in Singapore who, after several years of being in ministry felt called to the Arts. "God, are you for real?" he quiried, quite perplexed by his awkward predicament. No sane Baptist pastor would try to pursue this avenue, it was of the devil!
 
But still, he felt the Holy Spirit's promptings. He and his daughter decided to start to rehearse magic shows they had put on for friends and family but on a grander scale. Soon, they had opportunities to perform in auditoriums. And not long after, they sold out the largest venue in downtown Singapore for their magic show, "The Magic of Love."
 
Thousands came to Singapore to see them perform. And although this loving pastor did not directly share the gospel during the show, his faith was evident in the way he conducted himself, and he was able to share with fans afterward.
 
His story is a great testimony for how God can use all of us to be two-faced to reach the world for Him.
 
 
 


*If you feel called to the arts and the media world, you might enjoy this book. It's called Give Me the Multitudes by Lawrence Khong.