Soak in the streams!

Victorious Suffering

"Out of the spoils won in battle did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord" (1 Chron. 26:27).

Physical force is stored in the bowels of the earth, in the coal mines, which came from the fiery heat that burned up great forests in ancient ages; and so spiritual force is stored in the depths of our being, through the very pain which we cannot understand.

Some day we shall find that the spoils we have won from our trials were just preparing us to become true "Great Hearts" in the Pilgrim's Progress, and to lead our fellow pilgrims triumphantly through trial to the city of the King.

But let us never forget that the source of helping other people must be victorious suffering. The whining, murmuring pang never does anybody any good.

Paul did not carry a cemetery with him, but a chorus of victorious praise; and the harder the trial, the more he trusted and rejoiced, shouting from the very altar of sacrifice. He said, "Yea, and if I be offered upon the service and sacrifice of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all." Lord, help me this day to draw strength from all that comes to me! --Days of Heaven upon Earth

"He placed me in a little cage,

Away from gardens fair;

But I must sing the sweetest songs

Because He placed me there.

Not beat my wings against the cage

If it's my Maker's will,

But raise my voice to heaven's gate

And sing the louder still!"

Website: www.in.geocities.com and www.crosswalk.com

Eternal Perspective

Psalm 126

When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”

The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

A growing number of people in the US have lost their home, and more are about to. (Last month set a record for foreclosures, and the only good news is that the rate of new foreclosures seems to be slowing.)

I know how that feels. There was a point in my life when I was exactly one day from being homeless. Only a year earlier I had been convinced that nothing could keep us from achieving our goal of a one million dollar net worth. (This was back when a million dollars was a lot of money. Now Oprah makes that much every day.) As a result we’d begun living as if we already had it. But not only had I not achieved that goal, everything was gone and we were being ordered out of our house.

That afternoon two remarkable things happened. First, friends of ours who wanted the house had finally been approved for their financing and could close that very day, and the money we’d get from the sale would be sufficient to pay off a creditor in the final stages of foreclosure and give us enough to rent an apartment. And second, the signed closing documents persuaded the creditor to wait the three days necessary for the bank to fund the buyer’s loan, and we were off the hook. Our last asset was gone, but at least we had avoided having a foreclosure on our record.

I had one final embarrassing situation to endure. In full view of the neighbors, I had to carry our clothing and stuff two doors down the street to the small apartment we rented. It was in a building we had actually owned a month earlier. You see, I was going to get rich in real estate and had bitten off way more than I could chew when the market turned downward and I was caught. It wasn’t a pretty sight. 35 apartments and an office building gone in less than a year.

The million dollars I was so proudly accumulating was coming partly from cash we had invested, but mostly from the benefits of an inflationary spiral in the local housing market. I never did get the paper gains back, but within the span of two years the Lord had returned all of our cash and enough extra to pay off our remaining creditors. After making a solid down payment we were moving into a new house at a price we could easily afford.

So I not only have real empathy for people losing their homes now, I also have some understanding of how the Israelites felt when they were released from the Babylonian captivity and returned to Jerusalem. Like them I too had friends who visited our new home and remarked about what great things the Lord had done for us.

But the greatest thing he did was unseen by the world around us and had nothing to do with houses or money. The greatest thing He did was to decide to do whatever it took to get my attention. Because as I had come to the realization that everything was coming apart and there was nothing I could do to stop it, I had sat there like Job in the ashes of my self made disaster and finally cried out to Him.

And He came and sat down beside me and said, “Are you ready to listen now? Because I want to tell you about something greater than this, greater than anything you’ve ever imagined.” I was and He did and my life was forever changed. I no longer cared about the house or the million dollars, but for the first time I truly felt wealthy because I had seen what’s in store for us. He had given me an eternal perspective and It’s beyond comprehension.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 cor. 2:9)

God is Faithful!

Psalm 125

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.

Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.

This Psalm has its New Testament counterpart in a verse from 1st Corinthians. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Cor 10:13) Just as He knew that leaving His people under the influence of their wicked neighbors for too long would cause them to fall into wickedness themselves, so He knows the limits of our ability to resist temptation. Accordingly, He will not stand idly by watching us try to endure more than we’re capable of.

There’s an old law that said, “A master who knowingly subjects his slave to temptation that exceeds his ability to resist has no recourse when the slave succumbs.” The Lord derives no pleasure in watching us fall. That’s a lose-lose deal. If the truth be known, He isn’t the author of our temptation at all. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. (James 1:13-14)

A friend of mine jokingly says, “I can resist anything but temptation.” It’s our own evil desires that cause us to be tempted, and our enemy knows just which strings to pull and just when to pull them to trigger those desires.

When we were little, our earthly fathers often watched closely as we learned lessons about our capabilities, always ready to step in and help to keep us from injuring ourselves, or becoming so discouraged that we’d stop trying. Just so, the Lord watches as we learn the limits of our ability to resist temptation, and will always have an escape ready to prevent us from exceeding those limits.

Some learn that their ability to resist drunkenness is shattered after one drink and learn to depend on Him to help them say no to the first one. Others realize that one throw of the dice, one puff of a cigarette, one hit off a joint, or one look at a pornographic picture is one too many, and trust Him to help them turn away before it’s too late.

But no matter what the level of our tolerance is, the key to resisting temptation is found in one simple verse, masterfully demonstrated for us by its Author in the Wilderness Temptation. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) It worked for Him and it’ll work for us.

God's Plan is the Best!

Choosing God's Plans

 

 Tracie Miles

 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)   

    

Devotion:

Several years ago, I was sitting in a management meeting, when my manager suggested we kick off the meeting by allowing each person the opportunity to say what they felt was their most important contribution to the company.  

 

One by one, each person spoke, stating things like, "to decrease overall expenses"; "to lower headcount"; etc.  When my turn came, my heart fluttered, and I felt compelled to share that I felt my primary purpose was to counsel employees, encourage them, and help them work through personal or work related issues.  You could have heard a pin drop in that room, as everyone stared at me with blank faces.

 

You see, the months leading up to this meeting, there had been a lot of issues going on in the company.  There were office politics, power struggles, lofty egos, and people had been hurt. 

 

As a result of my position, people would often come to me for guidance. God had been leading unexpected people into my office for weeks and opened the door for me to minister to believers and non-believers with the love of Christ. He'd also given me the desire and courage to be a light for Him, in an environment that didn't operate under Christian principles.  He had ordained opportunities for me to share how Jesus gives true peace and acceptance, even when people and politics cause pain and disappointment.

 

My supervisor was not a believer, so he didn't appreciate my answer to his question.  He wanted to hear how I was going to streamline procedures and improve his department, not what was on my heart, and as a result, our relationship went downhill from there.

 

A year or so later, I resigned from that position.  The atmosphere had simply become too difficult, but more importantly, I knew God had been nudging me to make a change. I felt called to serve in ministry and to be a stay at home mom. All that time, I had been walking in disobedience. 

 

When I resigned, it felt like a sacrifice. However, I quickly discovered that God's plan was so much better than mine.  I realized that I had been unable to understand His plan, until I was willing to lay aside my own, and that I had to choose Him, before He could show me His will for my life. Had I simply said what I knew my boss wanted to hear in that meeting, I might still be working there, climbing the corporate ladder, and striving to reach my career goals.

 

But God had been working on my heart for years, preparing me for that moment.  He had gradually shifted my desires to building His kingdom, more so than building my resume.  He had inspired me to see the hearts of the people in my office, not just the problems in the people.  And He had helped me to see that lasting success and happiness could be found in Him alone, not through my own accomplishments.

 

Was making that change easy? Or course not. Did I have to make difficult sacrifices? Most definitely.  But was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! 

 

Regardless of where you work, you can make a spiritual difference in people's lives. Whether you work in corporate offices or a Christian ministry, when facing a difficult choice, you can trust that God has prepared and equipped you for such a time as this. 

Pray for strength to stand up for God's truth, even against all odds, and ask Him to lead you in your decisions.

 

Choosing Christ's plans, over our own plans, will always result in more peace or blessing than we could never imagine.

 

Dear Lord, it is not always easy to stand up for you in the face of opposition, or to make choices that seem outside of our understanding.  I seek your guidance, and your divine wisdom and discernment regarding the decisions in my life. I do desire to do your will.  Thank you for never leaving me. Please help me to be strong in You, and for you.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

 

Visit Tracie Miles' blog

 

Reinventing Your Rainbow by Tracie Miles

What Happens When Woman Walk in Faith, by Lysa TerKeurst

 

Application Steps: 

Consider a hard decision that God has been calling you to make, and pray for His wisdom.

Write down the steps you can take to begin working towards a goal that God has placed in your heart.

 

Reflections: 

Is God calling me to make a change or a decision that requires sacrifice? 

Do I trust that God ordains all things?

 

Power Verses:

1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my dear brothers, 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." (NIV)

 

1 Corinthians 16:13, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong." (NIV)

 

© 2008 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.

 

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

Faith!

Genuine Faith

 Micca Monda Campbell

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit"        Titus 3:5 (NKJV)

Devotion:

Today if you were to ask someone what a genuine Christian is, you might hear something like this: "They are someone who is at church every time the doors open. They serve on committees, teach Sunday school, sing in the choir, feed the hungry and pray for the needy. They never get discouraged, never doubt, but have little time for fun. They're too busy working for the Lord."

I think Satan has deceived us with the illusion that a busy Christian is a genuine Christian. It's just not true.

Don't misunderstand. I'm not saying these are not good things to do, but I fear we've turned our walk with God into a frenzied pace by adding to our faith a lot of extra baggage that we don't need. We need to get back to real, genuine faith.

The trouble is we are no different than the Galatians. They started with faith, but then added works as well. In Galatians 3:3, Paul asks the people this question: "Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?" (NLT)

Good question. I can't tell you how long I lived doing that same thing. I tried to live for God by my own efforts instead of allowing Him to live in and through me by faith.

Genuine faith is not about doing. It's about believing God.It's a relationship between us and God that begins by faith, is lived by faith, and ends in faith. It's that simple. Everything else - such as good works - flows from the source of this relationship.

However, some Christians fall into the trap of organized religion instead of practicing simple, genuine faith. This kind of oppression is growing in our world today because nothing is simple anymore, especially our faith. We do a lot of extra stuff for all the wrong reasons, such as impressing others or trying to win God's approval. It's not that we shouldn't do good deeds, but we need to ask ourselves, "Why am I doing what I'm doing, and who am I doing it for?" We just might surprise ourselves with the answer.

Life is heavy enough with the responsibilities God has given us. I'm finding that women today are burned out from trying to do it all and then feeling guilty because they can't. I know. I was a lot like the The Little Engine That Could. Do you remember that children's story? At some point in my life, I adopted the engine's motto as my life's purpose. "I think I can, I think I can..." Whenever someone asked me to do something - especially at church - I quickly responded, "I think I can!"  Only to discover, I can't do it all.

I had the same problem that plagued the Galatians. I was practicing religion instead of relationship.

Genuine faith is not a long list of performances we do to impress others. It's about maintaining our relationship with God. This is the secret to the Christian life.

Perhaps you've been trying to do all the work yourself. If you and I will daily stay connected to our source, then the natural outcome will be a simple life of genuine faith.

Dear Lord, I humbly lay all my works, efforts, and life before You today. I long to pursue You. Draw me closer to You, Lord. Teach me to live by simple, genuine faith in You alone. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

Related Resources:

Do you know Him?

 

Piecing It All Together CD by Micca Campbell

 

Pre-Order your copy of Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl

by Lysa TerKeurst

 

Visit Micca's blog for step by steps instructions on how to maintain your relationship with God.  Make sure to check out her other resources here!

 

Application Steps: 

Cultivate your relationship with God through daily prayer; join a Bible Study; fellowship with other believers; walk in obedience to God's Word. Finally, trust God to produce in you the fruit of His character found in Galatians 5:22.

 

Reflections: 

Ask yourself, "Why am I doing what I'm doing and who am I doing it for?"

Are you trying to win God's approval or impress others with your works?

 

Power Verses:  

1 Timothy 1:19, "Holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith." (NIV)

Jeremiah 17:7, "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." (NIV)

2009 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org