Devotionals Archives

October 9, 2020October 6, 2020

Fast Like Esther and Mordecai

¹²And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. ¹³Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace, you will escape any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

¹⁵Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, ¹⁶“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” ~ Esther 4:12-16

Esther had to have been terrified to hear that the Jews would be destroyed, but even more so that Mordecai wanted her to go before the king without being called. I mean, Esther’s call was scary. She was basically playing with death. No matter which choice she chose, the outcome could have resulted in death, but she knew that if she brought it before God, that’s what would make the difference. If she had God on her side, how could she fail?

I learned three main things from reading these verses: 1st, no matter how high up you are in your field, no matter how important you are in your community, if you are a threat to the enemy, then you are at risk. 2nd, if you are called to do something, and you do not do it, God will rise up another because God’s overall will will be fulfilled. 3rd, there is power in fasting, no matter how short the fast is because there is strength in numbers. Esther called for every one of the Jews to fast alongside her. They didn’t fast 40 days, they didn’t fast 21 days, they only fasted 3 days, and that was enough.

I wonder how many more prayers would be answered if entire families came together in fasting and prayer for specific things, instead of one person fasting by themselves and keeping it to themselves. May we learn to fast as Esther and Mordecai did.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fast Like Esther and Mordecai.

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October 8, 2020October 6, 2020

God’s Timing

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.” ~ Isaiah 40:31

When trouble comes, and problems arise, the hardest thing to do is to just sit still and wait. But if we rush off to do our own thing without first seeking God on the matter, then, in reality, we are taking God out of the equation, and we are now taking His place. Besides, by doing that, we normally make things worse.

Because whose wisdom can compare with the wisdom of God? And who can deliver like God can? Just take the time to earnestly seek Him and wait for Him. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. It may not happen when you think it should, but it won’t happen a second too late, either.

Heavenly Father, help us to wait upon You for an answer. Help us not to run off to do our own thing. Guide our steps and our thoughts so that we may know Your good and perfect will. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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October 6, 2020September 28, 2020

Wait With Hope

“Though the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” ~ Habakkuk 3:17-18

Habakkuk was complaining to the LORD about injustice. He was praying and calling on the name of the LORD, but no answer. He went as far as to say that he has heard of God’s fame, but apparently, he was not familiar with it. So he prayed for God to renew His mighty deeds in his time. Then he got a revelation of who God is, and that changed his whole perspective of things.

Yes, we want our fields producing and our pens and stalls filled, but even if there are no figs, or grapes, or olives, neither if there are no sheep or cattle, even if we see no immediate answer to prayer, we will rejoice in our salvation. Because we don’t serve God for what we can get here on earth only, and if we don’t get it, we take our ball and go home. No, our reward is an eternal one, one that does fail but will last forever. So we wait on the LORD for the answer awaits an appointed time, even though it lingers we will wait in hope; for it will certainly come and will not delay.

Heavenly Father, give us a divine revelation of who You are. Show us Your deeds and extend Your mercy. Strengthen the weak and lift up the brokenhearted. Bring hope to those who are in despair, that You might receive honor and glory for You are worthy of our praise and worship. In Jesus name, I pray, amen.

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Take Your Head Out Of The Sand

“²For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

⁵For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. ⁶So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. ⁷For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. ⁸But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:2-8

No matter where you go in the world our biggest enemy is apathy. We no longer care what the Bible says, whether it’s the creation of the world, the end times, or even just what’s right and what’s wrong. We don’t know and we don’t care. No one wants to talk about it. No one wants to hear about it. All we want to do is put our head in the sand as if that will protect us from whatever is here or whatever is coming. We’d rather watch mindless television than read our Bible. We’d rather live in a bubble than actually learn what’s going on with the world. Why? Why don’t we want to face what’s right in front of us?

We’ve gotten to a point where we no longer want to even define sin because that could be offensive to those who live in sin. We have become apathetic to the things of God, but to the world, we give our full attention and time. Whether we like it or not, sin is crouching at our door, and it desires to overcome us and devour us, and if we’re not careful, it will do just that. If we don’t pay attention to what’s going on in the world, we will be devoured. If we don’t pay attention to how the Bible tells us to live, we will be devoured. We have to care whether the Bible says it’s right or wrong, and we have to care what the Bible says will happen in the future. Because with apathy, we have no chance of spiritual survival.

Keeping your head in the sand won’t keep you safe, it won’t protect you, and it won’t make it okay. We have to make a choice to stand firm. Don’t be deceived by the world, but look to God and He will open your eyes. He will remove all the sand from your eyes that you have accumulated over the years. He will make you aware, and when He does, He will give you His peace, so that it will not overcome you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Take Your Head Out Of The Sand.

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October 4, 2020September 28, 2020

Turn Your Ear

“Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.” ~ Psalm 31:2-3

The Scriptures teach us that we are to take everything that concerns us to the LORD in prayer. He wants us to cast our cares on Him, for He cares for us. And when we take it to Him in prayer, let us not pick it back up when we have finished praying. Give Him your worries, pain, fear, and let Him guide you to something better. Through prayer, reading your Bible, worship, quiet time. If we listen, He will speak.

Dear Heavenly Father, hear the petitions of Your people today and come quickly to our rescue less we perish. Be our protection and our shield, for You are our God and our hope is in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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October 3, 2020September 28, 2020

Stand Confident

“If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He is to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” ~ Leviticus 1:3-5

God is giving Moses detailed instructions on how to present atonement offerings. When we read this, we don’t normally imagine what is actually going on. We think that the worshiper brings the animal, gives it to the priest who slaughters it, and presents the blood on his behalf. Then the worshiper goes away nice and clean and forgiven. But nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is the worshiper himself has to present the offering, lay his hands on the animal’s head, then with his own hand, cut the throat of the animal with all the gory details – blood everywhere, on his hands, his clothes, etc.

He sees first hand the cost of sinful disobedience, the bloody mess we are spared. What I’m getting at is, it would not be as easy after experiencing all of that to continue in a luke-warm situation and use the worn-out excuse: “God understands.” For Jesus, who purchased our salvation, was a bloody mess, beaten almost unrecognizable for our salvation, peace, and healing. Let us, therefore, fight the good fight of faith, pressing on toward the prize wholeheartedly and without excuse or apology. Put on your full Armor of God and prepare yourselves daily for the Spiritual Warfare that is before you. Be confident in your stance for Jesus and all that He stood for.

Heavenly Father, grant us the boldness and the confidence to proclaim Your Word, that others may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, I pray amen.

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One of our favorite songs on confidence

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October 2, 2020September 28, 2020

Hide His Word

“¹¹I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” ~ Proverbs 119:11

Today we live in a world that is run by sin. We see it at every turn. In every show or movie. Every book. Every news story. Sin has become the norm. We no longer read our Bibles. We don’t even know what our Bible says, so how could we ever expect to live without sin. Is that even possible? I believe it is. Jesus believed it is. His disciples believed it was. The first Church believed it was. It’s only this generation of the Church that has a different belief. A new belief that says sin is normal. Sin is impossible to overcome because we were born with sin. And that sin, no matter what it is, is who we are.

We are not our sin. We are not what the world says we are. The only one that defines us is our Creator. Why? Because He created us. He designed us by hand. God formed us in our mother’s womb and gave us all our features. He gave us our skills and interests. He gave us a perfect plan for our lives, but we don’t always follow that plan. We ignore the fact that God even knows best. Or even cares what we do with our own bodies because we have stopped reading our Bible, and in turn, we have stopped learning right and wrong. We’ve blurred the lines and created grey areas when God created right and wrong in black and white so we wouldn’t be confused or deceived.

I invite you to open your bible, don’t just take my word for it, don’t just take someone else’s word for it, search the scriptures for yourself and learn what is right and what is wrong. Because at the end of the day, it’s not me who will stand before God for you, it’s not your pastor; it’s not your best friend, it’s not your favorite celebrity, it’s you. One day we will each stand before God and give an account of our lives. Don’t be one of those who will be afraid, but be one who will be rejoicing, for we will have peace and joy forever. Make a choice today for yourself. Where is God’s word? On your night table or in your heart? Wake up from your spiritual slumber.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hide His Word.

Give Thanks

“¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

A verse that can easily be taken out of context and misunderstood. Bad things will happen. That’s life. But bad things happening, isn’t the will of God. “¹¹For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 is just one example that God only wants what’s good for you. Then why do bad things happen? Because we live in a world run by sin. God gave us this Earth as our home, but we gave the deed over to the enemy when Adam and Eve ate of the Forbidden Fruit. The Earth is no longer good. The world has corrupted it, so bad things will happen. But God’s will is that no matter what happens, you give thanks.

153,424 people die every day. As someone who recently lost a very close loved one, it would be a lot easier to be mad at God, myself, the world. It would be easier to become bitter and angry, but that’s not God’s will. Give thanks in all circumstances, not because they’re gone, but because of the time you had with them. The impact they made on your life. The love they showed you. The things they taught you. And the legacy they left behind. Be thankful even when it’s difficult.

When you are poor, but at least you have a roof over your head. When you are falsely accused, but still breathing. When you’ve lost everything, but still have your life. Give thanks. But don’t become complacent. Always strive for better, but remember to be thankful for what you have now so that when you have more, you can be thankful for that too.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Give Thanks.

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Destroy Strongholds

“³For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” ~ 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

Pride. Compulsive Lies. Addictions. Greed. Gluttony. Religiosity. Sexual Fetishes. Homosexuality. Trans-Gender/Species. Everything that stops you from fulfilling your calling and living your life one hundred percent to the fullest is a stronghold. You can’t enjoy the blessing of God when you are chained down by strongholds. We often make the excuse that we can’t change. That we were born this way. Or that it’s too hard. But if we look to scripture, God has given us everything we need to successfully break down and destroy strongholds.

God didn’t leave us defenseless. He didn’t leave us weak and unprotected. God gave us His scripture, His Spirit, His Peace, and so much more. We don’t have to live hurt, confused, discouraged. That was never His plan. That was never His desire. God created each and every one of us in His image. Sometimes it takes the miraculous to see that. Do you believe in the miraculous? The miracle you need may not have been recorded in the Scriptures, but I guarantee it is possible. Jesus said that we would do greater things than even He did, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father,” John 14:12.

So if Jesus could raise the dead, walk on water, rescue captives out of the center of the Earth, heal the sick, cast out demons, make the blind see, and the deaf hear; what could you do? Don’t allow culture or religious traditions hold you back. God Himself promised you these things; don’t take the word of man over the Word of God. Believe. Have faith, and you will see the miraculous happen.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Destroy Strongholds.

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Build On Jesus

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” ~ Luke 6:46 – 49

Contrary to popular belief, Jesus didn’t just preach grace. Jesus taught grace, but just like everything, grace has a limit as well. Many called Him LORD and said they followed Him, and you know what Jesus did? Jesus looked at them and explained what would happen to them. He explained when you have grace and how to have grace. We love to paint Jesus as a free loving; everything goes, hippy. But He’s not. He wasn’t. And He will never be.

When people called Him LORD, He didn’t just say thank and then let them go back to sinning. He told them they needed to make a stand if they wanted to follow Him. Jesus even took it a step further by explaining who that person is like and what would happen to them. He explained that even though you call me LORD, that doesn’t mean when the storm comes, I’ll be there. Now that sounds harsh, but let’s put this into perspective, shall we?

When we meet a celebrity and tell them we’re their biggest fan, know everything about them, would follow them anywhere, and bow down to them, they don’t suddenly go “oh my gosh yes! Need anything, hit me up! I got you!” No, you need to have a relationship with them if you want their help. So if you have to be friends with a celebrity to be able to call them and they come to get you, and Jesus is higher than any celebrity, why do you think Jesus doesn’t have the same or higher standards?

Jesus doesn’t just rescue everyone from the storm. It would nice to think like that, but it’s just not true. Jesus doesn’t move unless you call Him. But in order to call Him, you have to know His number. Get to know Him. Spend time with Him daily. Follow His commands. Build your foundation on the rock, so that when the rains and floods come, He’ll be there with you and your house won’t be destroyed.

How is Jesus there with you? He’s the rock you built your house on. Jesus is the one holding your house, your life, your mind, your soul, your person from being destroyed. He holds His people. But the only way you become one of His people is by crucifying your flesh every day, carrying your cross, and following Him. It isn’t easy, it isn’t clean, it isn’t fun, but it’s worth it in the end.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Build on Jesus.

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