Category: Daily Bread

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Trust God

“7 Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead. Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9 So he demanded, ‘Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!’ And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. 10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, ‘What is this you have done?’” ~ 1 Samuel 16:1-4 NLT

Saul waited for Samuel as instructed until time seemed to be running out. Saul began to panic. His men were afraid. He was afraid. He couldn’t see all that God had done for him and through him. So he moved without God. He didn’t wait for Samuel as commanded, he waited as long as he saw fit to wait. He moved without God, and often times we do the same thing. We see the giants in the land, the enemy moving quickly, your company’s failing, your job’s hanging on by a tight thread, you don’t know how your gonna get through this storm. So we move on our own because we feel like God is late.

Fear grips us by the throat and refuses to let go. But Fear trembles in the presence of the LORD our God. We don’t have to be afraid of all the craziness going on around us. We don’t have to fear the war that we’re in because God is fighting for us. God is with us. We have to learn to listen to faith instead of fear. God will never let you down, He loves you more than you will ever know.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Trust God.

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Use Your Stick

“45 David replied to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the Name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and He will give you to us!’” ~ 1 Samuel 17:45-47

I want you to understand the scene. David is just a boy. A shepherd. Not a warrior. Not a strong man. Goliath, on the other hand, is a grown man. Fighting from his youth. The Philistine Champion. Did I mention he’s 9 ft tall? And his chain mail alone weighed 125 lbs? Or that his spearhead alone weighed 15 lbs? And David went to him with a stick…

David didn’t go with the armor offered by the king, it was too big for him. David is so small that the King’s armor doesn’t fit him. And yet he is so confident in who his God is, that he goes to this 9 ft tall man of war with a stick and a stone. Most of us would see this as a suicide mission, but David knew His God. He knew how He protected him from the lion and the bear. He never forgot where God had brought him from. He spent that quiet time with God so that when it was time to put his faith into action, he was able to do so without doubt or fear.

At some point, we will all stand before our own Goliaths but will be able to overcome them with the stick God gave us or fail with the man-made sword we gave ourselves. Trust God. You don’t need to add to what God gave you. He gave you everything you need. Your job is to trust Him and fight.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Use Your Stick.

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Ask For Confirmation

“One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors. 2 David asked the Lord, ‘Should I go and attack them?’ ‘Yes, go and save Keilah,’ the Lord told him. 3 But David’s men said, ‘We’re afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don’t want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!’ 4 So David asked the Lord again, and again the Lord replied, ‘Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.’ 5 So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah.” ~ 1 Samuel 23:1-5

Even though David just heard from God to go attack the Philistines and save Keilah, David’s men were afraid. They were terrified that them being few in number, would allow the whole Philistine army to obliterate them in battle. So what did David do? He asked God a second time. God didn’t get upset. He didn’t say, “Didn’t I just tell you what to do? What’s wrong with you?” No, He told them to go, and then added more, verse 4, “So David asked the Lord again, and again the Lord replied, ‘Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.’”

David’s men couldn’t see how they would be able to defeat such a large army being so small. They had to stories of Joshua and Caleb and the Nephilim, they had the stories of Exodus, they had the stories of Samson, but still fear was able to penetrate their heart. Fear was able to poison them with doubt, so God in His love and compassion reassured them that they wouldn’t be fighting alone. Instead, God would fight through them. God would defeat the Philistines for them.

How amazing is that? God would fight through them, so they had no reason to fear. God doesn’t change, so if He fought for them, He’ll fight for you. He’ll fight through you. When fear comes in with his lies and twisted self-image, ask God for confirmation, and He will remind you exactly who He is.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Ask For Confirmation.

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Risk It All

“23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him. 24 She fell at his feet and said, ‘I accept all blame in this matter, my lord. Please listen to what I have to say. 25 I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests. But I never even saw the young men you sent.’” ~ 1 Samuel 25:23-25

A little background, David is fleeing from King Saul. He is staying in the Wilderness of Paran with very little provisions. So he reaches out to a wealthy man, Nabal, who was preparing to celebrate a feast and asks for any leftover provisions he can spare. Nabal’s response is basically, “What? Who is he that I should give him a scrap? Who does this David think he is?” This insult riles David up, and he gathers about 400 of his men to go wipe out Nabal and his entire household so that there is no longer any question who David is.

This is now where this verse picks up. Abigail, Nabal’s wife, goes to David before he slaughters her and her entire household and pleads for mercy. She reminds him that it wasn’t them who insulted him, but only her husband. Abigail could have been killed then and there for all she knew, but she didn’t care. She had to at least try. She had to at least attempt to save her family.

How many of us are willing to risk everything to save our family from Eternal Death? Too often, we’re afraid to offend family members and push them away by speaking Truth to them. We’re afraid to offend the world by speaking Truth. Intercede for your family because if you don’t, who will? God said He looked for one man to stand in the gap and found none. Intercede for your family before God. Speak to them face to face. What is prayer without action? Too often, we just pray once or twice for them, and never take that next step of actually witnessing to them. Don’t be afraid of their reaction, place it before God as Abigail did, and trust that He will protect you and also water all the seeds you planted in prayer.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Risk It All.

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No Man’s Debtor: The Obedient

“And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’” ~ Luke 5:4

In part 1, we looked at how God rewards people for doing His will even if they don’t realize it, or even if it was something they would want to do naturally. In Part 2, let’s look at the obedience of someone who might not necessarily want to do God’s will, but does it out of obedience.

Jesus was preaching by the lake of Gennesaret on one occasion when the crowds became too big and started pressing in on Him. He spotted two empty boats and saw their owners washing their nets as they listened to the sermon. Their faces were probably tired and withdrawn from the disappointment of the night because they had caught no fish.

Jesus gets into Simon Peter’s boat and asks him to push off from the shore so He could finish up His message. After the benediction, Jesus wants to pay for the use of the boat. He isn’t carrying a money pouch with gold or silver coins in, so He does the next best thing, He gives them what he does have, a miracle. He instructs Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his nets for a catch.

This is a seasoned fisherman here. He was toiling all night and caught nothing. Now the tide has changed, and the fish have stopped biting. Besides, he had just finished washing and cleaning his nets. He knows there is no fish out there, and the thought of cleaning those nets again is overwhelming. Nonetheless, Peter responds, “And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word, I will let down the nets’” (Luke 5:5). Peter was a good Jewish boy, taught to be respectful to the Rabbi.

Though he did not want to do it, though he did not have a whole lot of faith in it, he did it anyway in obedience. The result? Well, let’s just say he didn’t just need to wash those nets because the catch was so huge the nets began to break. He had to signal for his partners to come and give him a hand with all the fish.

I’m telling you, God is no man’s debtor, He will pay for whatever He uses, including your time. So, “…stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58).

Our Heavenly Father, thank you for being a good, good Father. Thank you that You do not use us up and then disregard us. You not only take note, but you repay us according to what You’ve used, and then You will overpay us. Help us to be steadfast in good works. Look and see LORD, at what we do LORD and repay us according to Your heavenly standard.

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No Man’s Debtor

“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth, plundering everything it has so he can pay his army. Yes, I have given him the land of Egypt as a reward for his work, says the Sovereign Lord, because he was working for me when he destroyed Tyre.” ~ Ezekiel 29:19-20 NLT

God uses people to accomplish His will on the earth. In the Scripture above, God used king Nebuchadnezzar to bring judgment on Tyre. God also used them to bring judgment on His people Judah. Even though the Babylonians were a conquering people, bent on expansion, they accomplished what God had in mind doing what they wanted to do anyway. So for their efforts, God said He was going to pay King Nebuchadnezzar for carrying out His plans.

If God will see to it that a murderous, heathen king is repaid for his work, how much more the child of God? That is why Paul could boldly and adamantly declare to the Corinthians, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58). So, keep on doing good, and the LORD will reward you for your work because He is no man’s debtor.

Heavenly Father, I ask You to help us not to become weary with doing what You have called us to do. But help us to be immovable and steadfast in work for You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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Embracing Your Cross?

“23 Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” ~ Luke 9:23

In the movie “Passion of the Christ,” one of the thieves that was crucified with Jesus ridiculed Him saying, “Why do you embrace your cross, fool?”

Well, Jesus stated it twice in the book of Matthew, once in Mark, and two more times in the book of Luke. The purpose of embracing, or taking up your cross daily, is to deny ourselves and put Jesus first by putting others first. Paul takes up the torch on this as well when he instructs us to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil 2:3).

So what does it mean to embrace your cross? In its simplest form, it means to do things you do not want to do, like forgiving others for slight as well as grievous offenses done against you. It means that when others curse you, you bless them. Do not return railing for railing, or insult for insult, but rather offer words of hope, encouragement, and avoid word wars at all cost. If we do these things, we will do well.

Father, thank You for the blessing of reconciliation. Help us to count the cost and to pick up our cross and follow Jesus daily. Help us not to tire of doing good. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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He Makes All Things New

“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” ~ Revelation 21:5

Every year on Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, the sins of the nation were rolled forward another year, and everything was made new. This is our New Year, a chance for a new start, new opportunities, and new or renewed dreams. Let’s put the bad things, the hurtful things, and the things that caused us to lose heart or to lose sight of our dreams behind us and look forward to our new opportunities.

Father, thank you for new opportunities and for second chances. Make this a year for Your people to succeed and for dreams to come true. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Let God Lead

“8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:8

As 2019 comes to a close, let us end the year strong. Let us end the year with God leading us into 2020, that we may start 2020 off right. That we may know what to do. Where to go. And every step in-between.

Allow God to lead you out of 2019 and into a prosperous and blessed 2020. Let’s let go of every tear, pain, heartbreak, offensive, and disappointment that kept us down in 2019. Let’s thrive in 2020.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let God Lead.

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Follow Your Shepherd

“15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God.” ~ Ezekiel 34:15

God, Himself, is our shepherd. When we run away, He comes looking for us. When we’re in danger, He protects us. There is nothing our Good Shepherd won’t do for us. So don’t be discouraged, your Heavenly Father will guide you in all things. All you have to do is to follow Him.

No disaster. No fear. No chaos or discouragement could ever separate you from your Shepherd. He will protect you, keep you, and hold you in times of trouble. So do not be afraid, nor be let your hearts be troubled for you shepherd is the God of all gods. The King of all kings. The LORD of all lords. The Creator of everything and everyone.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Follow Your Shepherd.

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