Category: Daily Bread

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Stay Prepared

 

If you’ve read a few of our devotionals, you know that The Hobbit is one of my favorite trilogies. One thing I love in the series is how Dain, Thorin’s cousin, comes prepared to battle the elves, specifically. See, the elves are masters at hand to hand combat, but they are also masters at archery. Their archers send perfectly coordinated arrows into the air at their opponent, that it takes out much of the army before the even reach the elves. Dain’s army prepared for this.

They created large arrows that spun a large chain of sorts around the arrow like a propeller. When the elves shot their arrows, the dwarves shot these special arrows that destroyed the elve’s arrows, and the large arrows impact killed many elves when it landed.

The dwarves studied their enemies. They knew their gameplan, so they prepared for it. They planned for it and when the time came, they defeated their enemy. We have to do the same.

See, we are not unaware of the Devil’s schemes. We know how he attacks. What his go to jabs are, so we have to prepare for them. We have to get ourselves ready. We train our spirit man through prayer, fasting, memorizing Scripture, worship. We memorize Scriptures that help us when we are tempted. We know what the Devil likes to attack, so we prepare for it their Scripture. That way we are never caught unaware. Never caught by surprise. Always prepared to defend ourselves no matter what comes our way.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stay Prepared.

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Stand On Childlike Faith

Matthew 18:2-4

[2] And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them [3] and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus tells His followers that they have to have childlike faith. Why? Because children believe easier and faster than adults do. A child will believe anything, an adult, not so much so.

We are called to childlike faith so that we might easily belief the impossible, for all things are possible through Christ who gives me strength. Children believe you when you tell them who they are and what they can accomplish.

Jesus’ statement wasn’t about fun, but innocent belief without constraint so that miracles might be prevalent in your life.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stand On Childlike Faith.

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Walk With God

8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? ~ Micah 6:8

Enoch walked and talked with God, then God took him. This is one of the very first examples of a spiritual walk in Scripture. In fact, I’d venture to say that it’s the first spiritual walk that ends with achieving the ultimate goal that is recorded in Scripture. That now begs the question, what exactly is a spiritual walk?

Our Spiritual Walk is our personal, individual journey with Jesus. Our personal connection and understanding of who Jesus is and what His sacrifice on Calvary did for us as individuals, and how we should respond. It’s personal.

Our walk with Jesus does not end when we say, “I believe, please forgive me, amen.” It is a lifelong walk, a struggle even. It is a seeking, searching, asking, knocking, a total dependence upon Jesus, it’s living by faith, walking by faith, talking by faith, and seeing by faith. Genesis 5:24 tells us that Enoch walked faithfully with God, or as the NLT puts it, walking in close fellowship with God. Do not begin to say to yourself that God is up in heaven, and I am here on the earth, so there’s no way to seek Him or to truly know Him.

God said through Isaiah, “…I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found…” (Isaiah 45:19b NLT). God has revealed Himself to us, so that we might find Him if we but diligently seek His face and call upon His Name. He can be found by anyone willing to seek Him. And when you find Him, He will walk with you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Walk With God.

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Remember His Steadfast Love

29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. 30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. 31 Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God. ~ Ezekiel 22:29-31

God makes a long list of wrongs and calls out the iniquities that both the people and the priests are all guilty of. But He doesn’t want to bring a swift and terrible punishment on them as He would be justified in doing. He doesn’t do it because He does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked. Neither does He find delight in punishing the guilty.

God would rather bless than curse. Give than take. Help than hinder. Forgive than punish. Because His love is a steadfast love. Therefore, God looked for someone, anyone who would stand in the gap and intercede for those wayward people, but He could find none. His first thought was not execution of His justice, but pardon was the first thing that came to His mind. “Forgive them, for they know not what they do,” Jesus cried out from the cross (Luke 23:34).

And why is that? It is because of The Steadfast Love of God. I’m talking about the unbiased love of God that we’ve been talking about. So unbiased that He causes His sun to rise on the wicked as well as the good. And He sends His rain on the just as well as the unjust (Matthew 5:44). This word translated steadfast love also means great kindness and could also mean loyalty.

In other words, God’s steadfast love is grounded in great kindness and lathered with loyalty. He will never leave you nor will He ever forsake you. God will never leave you holding the bag, as they say, for his steadfast love is filled with mercy and grace.

Here is the good thing about it. It doesn’t matter who we are, where we came from, or what we have done. It doesn’t matter our station in life. It doesn’t matter whether we’re rich or poor, white or black, red or yellow. God’s steadfast love is poured out in abundant grace upon all.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Remember His Steadfast Love.

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A Key To Success

Proverbs 6:6-11

[6]  Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. [7]  Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, [8] she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. [9]  How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? [10]  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, [11]  and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

Success can be fleeting, or it can be seized through focus, action, and purposeful intent. Success is drawn to the diligent and the hardworking, but it avoids—and even evades—the sluggard and the faint of heart, slipping past those who hesitate like sand through the fingers, leaving only memories of what could have been.

It refuses to come to those who merely call from a distance, but runs swiftly toward those who chase and pursue it with relentless diligence, like a river rushing to fill a dry and weary land.

In short… success responds to intentional effort, not passive desire. So… get up and chase it. Don’t wait for it to knock or for everything to be perfect; it never will.

Success is a stubborn heifer that refuses to plow if left unprodded; therefore, chase success with all your strength and with the full intention of capturing it, no matter the cost.

Wake up every morning with success on your mind and in your heart, aligned with what God has for your life. But never sacrifice your relationship with God or your family, or your integrity.

Our Christian success is not independent of God, but is centered in God. Therefore, our vision and our goals must be rooted in Christ. They must find their existence in Him because we find our existence in Him, “For in Him we live and move and have our being…” (Acts 17:28a).

We don’t bring our plans to God and demand that He bless them, but instead, we come to God and ask Him to bless us with His plans and vision for our lives and our ministry.

So, today, let us apprehend that for which we have been apprehended, as Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippian Church (Philippians 3:12). Because, in reality, Christian success is not self-made, but is fulfilling the purpose that Christ has apprehended, or saved us for. Therefore, when you become as desperate for God and for Jesus, as for your next breath of fresh air, then success is halfway achieved.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Do Not Sacrifice Him. 

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Devour The Speared

 

Lionfish is an invasive species that is overpopulating the western north Atlantic region, like the coasts of Florida. They have since spread to the Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) and the Caribbean. These Lionfish are destroying the natural ecosystems in these areas. Why? Because they don’t belong, so they have no natural predator to keep them at bay.

The Lionfish are a lot like sin. Sin isn’t natural not intended. And it has no natural predators within us. This is where Christ comes in. He, being God, isn’t bound to our weaknesses. He knows how to overcome sin. He is strong enough to overcome sin. So, we depend on Him.

The local wildlife don’t know how to hunt the Lionfish or kill them, but if a diver/fisherman stuns or kills the Lionfish, the bigger fish, sharks, eels, etc. can safely grab and consume the Lionfish.

We can’t overcome sin on our own. We need the LORD to intervene in order to overcome. Just like the animals cannot naturally kill and devour Lionfish without help, neither can we overcome sin without the help of Christ. He is our spearman.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Devour The Speared.

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Understand The Relationship

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ~ Psalms 23:1

Psalms 23 is the most well-known psalm written. It includes some of the most recited verses in all of Scripture. In it, David described the LORD as his shepherd. In describes a very personal, intimate, loving relationship between him and God. He doesn’t say the LORD is my master; I shall not want. He doesn’t say the LORD is my King; I shall not want. No. David says the LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In other words, because the LORD is my shepherd, I have everything that I need. I don’t have to worry about anything because He has me.

David chose this analogy because he understood the love of God. See, David was a shepherd himself. He understood how much the shepherd loved his flock. He knew that the shepherd would do anything to protect the flock, including putting himself in harm’s way in order to defend the flock. David knew this firsthand. He killed the lion. He killed the bear. Not just for the sake of hunting, but for the sake of defending his flock.

David, a shepherd, compared the relationship between the LORD and us to that of a shepherd and his flock because David didn’t just know the love of a shepherd, but the dependency of a sheep. See, the she-bear is ferocious. She will destroy anything that comes towards her cub, BUT the cub will one day grow up and no longer need the she-bear to protect it. One day, it will outgrow its mother. The sheep, however, never outgrow their shepherd.

They are dependent on that shepherd. They will forever need that shepherd because they only come when that shepherd calls. If they wander off, they need to depend on that shepherd coming to find them, or they’ll be destroyed by predators. They have to depend on the shepherd to defend them from lions, bears, wolves. The sheep always need the shepherd, which is why our shepherd will forever and ever dwell with us on the New Earth for all eternity.

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Revelation 21:1-8

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Understand The Relationship.

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Follow Gad

19 Raiders shall raid Gad, but he shall raid at their heels. ~ Genesis 49:19

Jacob said that raiders would raid Gad, BUT Gad would raid them at their heels. In other words, Gad would see times of great difficulty. He would see times of trouble and distress, BUT he would never remain down. He would never remain defeated. He would always get back up again, no matter what happened. No matter who had attacked. No matter how bad it was, it would never overcome him.

We are much like Gad. For

8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; (Corinthians 4:8-9)

We may be attacked. We may be afflicted. Persecuted. Struck down. Raided. But we are not destroyed. So, when we are attacked. When the enemy comes against us, we don’t just remain down. We don’t just tuck our tail and lick our wounds. We are to attack back, in the spiritual.

We fast. We pray. We bring it before God. We spiritually close doors. We self-reflect. We build our spirit-man so that when the enemy comes again, we’ll be stronger and better prepared.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Follow Gad.

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Connect Your Gift

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ~ 1 Peter 4:10-11

Each of us is given a gift from God. Something that we are naturally good at. That gift, when used correctly as God intended it, will propel you to your call. And your call will always be built on your God-given gifts. Therefore, your goals and passions should never be random; they should always reflect your God-given gifts and talents.

Don Corder, in his book, “Minding His Business”, wrote something like this: “If you have a tree-climbing job to do, don’t hire a dog, which can be trained to climb a tree, but rather, hire a squirrel, which was born to climb a tree.”

In other words, when we operate within our own giftings, we position ourselves on The Road to Success. BUT as you are all very well aware of, even when operating within your giftings, talents, and experiences, problems will still arise, because there is an enemy who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Therefore, problems don’t scream “Wrong path, wrong mission,” but, on the contrary, they are probably very good indicators that you are on the right track.

Someone once said that if you are not butting heads with the devil, it means you two are heading in the same direction. So, here’s the thing. Problems will arise. Situations will come up. Discouragement will try to weasel its way into your life. But you must shut it down and conquer it with your problem-solving skills.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Connect Your Gift.

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Love Souls

18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ~ Ephesians 6:18

The story of Pinocchio was written as a warning tale. One to sound the alarm, “Hey! If you continue living your life in this way, there will be major consequences that you won’t be ready for. Stop! Change! Do better!” We all know Pinocchio learns his lesson, does good, and is rewarded with his dream being a reality. Pinocchio becomes a real boy. His friend, Lucignolo (Candlewick), was not so lucky.

What made Pinocchio so lucky? Well, it wasn’t really luck. It was that Pinocchio had someone looking out for him. Pinocchio meets and gains the friendship of a fairy with turquoise hair who tries to teach him right from wrong and show him the right way. Pinocchio continuously messes up. Each and every time you think he’s about to hit his breakthrough, he gets distracted by something else. He’s easily persuaded and led astray by others. The night before he is to be turned into a real boy, Lucignolo (Candlewick) convinces him to leave with him to Toyland.

Toyland is where both of them turn into donkeys and are sold to different people. Pinocchio is ultimately freed from this horrible fate and saved from the life of a slave circus donkey by his fairy. Lucignolo (Candlewick), however, dies as a donkey who was worked to death by his owner. There was no one looking out for him. No one intervening in his life the way the fairy with turquoise hair did in Pinocchio’s life.

This is the same fate that many face today. There are many Lucignolos (Candlewicks) in the world. Here’s what I mean. Lucignolo (Candlewick) represents those people who don’t have anyone praying for them. Both Pinocchio and Lucignolo (Candlewick) continuously got themselves into trouble. Were rude. Disobedient. And ultimately ran away from home so that they’d never have to work or study again, but could relax and play all day, every day. Lucignolo’s (Candlewick’s) decisions were no worse than Pinocchio’s decision. The only difference was that Pinocchio had someone watching over him. Someone who loved and cared about him, who could do something to help him, whereas Lucignolo (Candlewick) did not.

The prayers of a righteous person availeth much. Our prayers can make all the difference in someone’s life. Because prayer isn’t just empty words or good thoughts sent towards someone to make them feel better. Prayer is communicating with the God of the Universe. The Creator. It’s pleading, begging, and seeking the LORD God Almighty for His Divine intervention. So, why don’t we do it more? Think about it this way, for every prayer you pray for another person, might just save the soul of the person you pray for. There is nothing more important to the LORD than saving souls because He loves those souls.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Love Souls.

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