I Am Safe in the Lord

By: Michele Cushatt, faithgateway

They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. — Ezekiel 34:28b

I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. — John 10:28

By the time he was five years old, my dad had discovered that the world is not safe.

He was the youngest of three children, and his boyhood was traumatic. After his parents divorced, Dad found himself pulled between two dysfunctional homes. In one, alcoholism wreaked havoc. In the other, mental illness and promiscuity. I’ll spare you the details, but trust me, it was nothing a child should ever know.

Somehow he stumbled through grade school and high school and made it to college before spending two years in the army and the Vietnam War. More pain, more trauma.

Until the day his life was spared when it shouldn’t have been. Somewhere outside of Phu Loi, Vietnam, the companies in front of and behind his were ambushed. His unit was spared. Months later he returned home to his young wife with a Bronze Star, physically unscathed. Less than a year later, I was born.

But Dad was never the same. He returned from war a different man, both for good and for bad. War, especially a politically charged one like Vietnam, has a way of tearing at the fabric of a man’s soul. Even so, a small spark of new life had also taken hold. In spite of a lifetime of pain, he believed there had to be a reason he was still alive. So he started searching for its source, for the God his faith-filled grandma had often told him about.

A year later, a coworker invited him to church.

And that’s when God started rebuilding the broken boy turned man. The world still wasn’t safe, Dad knew that. He faced plenty more challenges, as we all do. But he’d found a refuge. A God who had laid down His life to save another’s.

Some of you discovered that the world wasn’t safe early in life, too. Perhaps you had a parent with mental illness. Or maybe a neighbor who took advantage of you. For some it was a teacher who constantly criticized or a foster care system that failed. The possibilities are so varied and painful, I can hardly write them out. Even beyond the acute traumas, ordinary days can be riddled with the unexpected.

Busy streets, sharp objects, threatening strangers. With each passing year, each step closer to adulthood, a child’s fear is confirmed again and again. Danger is everywhere and hardship cannot be avoided.

This life can be dangerous and terrifying.

Psalm 91 gives us a glimpse of the various sufferings we can expect:

• “the fowler’s snare” (Psalm 91:3)
• “deadly pestilence” (Psalm 91:3)
• “the terror of night” (Psalm 91:5)
• “the arrow that flies by day” (Psalm 91:5)
• “the pestilence that stalks in the darkness” (Psalm 91:6)
• “the plague that destroys at midday” (Psalm 91:6)
• “a thousand may fall at your side” (v. 7)

That about covers it, don’t you think? Disease. Conflict. Terrorism. Unrelenting fear. Injustice. Death. At morning, midday, and night. Under the cover of darkness or in the bright light of day. Pain will come. Period.

It sounds morbid and overwhelming. And it is. Unless we find the one place of safety even a war can’t crush.

The psalmist knew this, which is why he doesn’t leave us in a pit of despair. Instead, he describes a refuge so secure we can rest in spite of the war.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” — Psalm 91:12

Several chapters earlier, the writer in Psalm 31:2 said something similar:

Your granite cave a hiding place, your high cliff aerie a place of safety. — MSG

There are seasons, however, when even this comfort doesn’t make me feel better. Bad things happen, pain comes, loss steals life right out of my hand. And I wonder, Where is the safety of God in all this? The truth is I want a life free from pain. I want a marriage that doesn’t ever struggle, children who always behave, a body that stays healthy, and relationships that are easy and uncomplicated. I don’t want storms or wars or conflicts.

But I’m learning something, even as I fight against the fear.

Safety isn’t the absence of suffering. It’s finding rest in the middle of it.

‘In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world, Jesus said. — John 16:33

Choosing God as your safety doesn’t mean the struggles will cease. The cave doesn’t lessen the intensity of the storm outside. It doesn’t still the thunder or cease the lightning or keep the rain from falling.

The cave provides a place of peace. Even when the storm continues to swirl.

This is what Dad discovered as he fought wars both at home and abroad. No, the world is not a safe place.

But there is no refuge like our God.

Away, then, all fears. The Kingdom is safe in the King’s hands. — Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

Walking in Obedience

By: Wendy Blight, proverbs31

 “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.” 1 John 2:3 (NIV)

Do you ever experience times where you know what you’re saying is wrong, but you say it anyway? Especially when you believe it’s justified? I’ve had those days.

While at a social event one night, I observed one of our local Bible study leaders engaging in behavior that shocked me. My stomach churned in a mix of grief and anger. Her blatant disobedience to what she knew was right left me frustrated and angry.

Righteous anger. The kind God allows, right? Ever experienced it? That justifiable anger that rises up when you know someone is not acting the way God instructs. That anger Jesus expressed when He walked into the Temple and found the moneychangers doing their business in God’s house, defiling its holy ground.

Righteous anger is a good thing. However, what we do with that anger is another matter.

Rather than going directly to the leader, I shared my feelings with a few other leaders at dinner one night. Was I gossiping? In the moment, I didn’t think so. In fact, I felt justified since she’d engaged in ungodly behavior that not only reflected badly on her, but on our Bible study and our church.

Our dinner conversation validated my feelings because the other leaders agreed. I took comfort in how good it felt that I wasn’t alone.

However, the next morning, as I sat in church, God spoke directly to my “righteous” anger. Our pastor spoke about idle gossip, character assassination and how our words matter.

Each word penetrated my heart like a double-edged sword.

I, too, was a spiritual leader. And I, too, had flagrantly disobeyed God’s Word as I judged my friend and leader in the presence of others. Righteous anger? Not quite.

Idle gossip? Yes. Character assassination? Sadly, yes.

In the quietness of that moment, I felt conviction.

Not shame. Not condemnation. But conviction. Necessary conviction.

The distinction is significant. Oftentimes, shame and condemnation can be self-focused, unproductive emotions that leave us stagnant, in a bad place with God and others.

Conviction, on the other hand, is God-focused and productive. It’s spurred on by the Holy Spirit to point out our sin, speak truth into our hearts and empower us to change so we live in a way that’s pleasing to Him.

That day in worship, God reminded me of a truth that I have now committed to memory.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29, NIV).

I promised the Lord that morning that I would walk in obedience … that I would keep His commands and honor His Word. As we see in 1 John 2:3, “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.”

Within each of us lie weaknesses — temptations that cause us to struggle.

The key is the ability to recognize our weaknesses and temptations. If we can’t recognize them, we certainly can’t address them or properly fight our enemy, the devil. I don’t know about you, but sometimes that’s hard for me — especially when I feel I can justify my sin.

The moment we invite Christ into our hearts, we’re “born again.” These two words sometimes carry a negative connotation in the world, when in reality it’s the best news ever! It’s more than a fresh start or a new beginning. It’s a rebirth. The old is gone and the new has come. We receive a new nature, a new heart, a new name and a new lineage.

The more we expose our hearts to God’s heart and His Word, the more He renews our minds. Our renewed minds view the world through an entirely new lens. That healthy perspective leads to life transformation. We begin to think and act differently.

Through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, the inward changes eventually translate into outward changes. Our transformed hearts and God’s love for us leads us to speak and respond in completely new ways that enable us to honor and glorify God in every area of our lives.

Setting Christ-Centered Goals

By: Kevin Nuber, cbn.com

Have you heard them yet? Scores of people talking about “New Year’s resolutions?” Have you tried making those kinds of promises to yourself, only to find that they usually never last beyond January 31st?

Shortly after becoming a Christian, I began making resolutions “before God” and declaring everything from losing weight and eating better, to reading more good books and turning off the television.

Dare I say it? They didn’t last long. What happens? How do our good intentions derail so easily? Should Christians even engage in the practice of making resolutions? We would probably all be surprised how many do not.

Obviously, resolutions are helpful and productive when they are accompanied by heartfelt “resolve.” This is perhaps the problem that confronts too many of us — we are simply not serious enough to change. We get caught up in the moment, making some declarations we don’t really mean, and are not willing to follow through to fulfillment. But we desire to change. We sense a need to change. Every January 1st brings another opportunity to effect change. So, what happens to the change?

For centuries, January 1st has marked more than the beginning of the Gregorian calendar year. This date holds an almost spiritual sense of completion (of the previous year) and expectation (of the coming year). There is a natural awareness of change at this time of year. Even those tradtional symbols of year end — the old man with the long beard, and the baby in diapers — spell newness and impending change. But how does this relate to the believer? Can we anticipate change just because of the new calendar year? Is God motivated by our calendar observances?

“For I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6, NKJV). We take great comfort in knowing that the Ancient of Days never changes. The Alpha and the Omega has no beginning and no end. We rejoice in the revelation that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 12:8). Changelessness is part of the very nature of God. But change IS part of the nature of man. God has created us to change, and His revealed will for mankind changes, not because of a character flaw on His part, but because our nature requires and thrives on change.

Consider God’s revelation to Jeremiah (29:11):

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Imagine God thinking about our future! He desires us to have hope — a confident expectation of blessing and provision in the days ahead. Hope causes us to walk forward into our future with faith and anticipation, even though we don’t know every detail concerning our future.

Someone once said that if God showed us every detail of our lives, all at one time, we would sit down at that point and refuse to face another day! We were not created to contain omniscience (the quality of knowing everything) like God. So, He reveals our future to us in portions we can digest — like a loving parent feeding their child only the texture and amount of food that their child can sustain. God wisely only reveals what we can understand, perceive, and apply at that time.

Knowing this, I am intrigued by the scriptures that speak of God declaring and doing “new” things:

• “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them” (Isaiah 42:9).

• “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?” (Isaiah 43:18-19).

• “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’ … indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it” (Isaiah 46:9-11).

Careful and thoughtful study of these scriptures show us that God is not intending to do something capricious or whimsical. He is deliberately leading each of us to specific moments of destiny with which He is already completely familiar!

Several years ago, I listened intently to a Christian teacher ministering from Habakkuk 2:1-4 concerning living by vision, and learning to establish God-centered goals for our lives. This teacher very passionately taught that we must first discern the vision of God for our lives by taking time to hear God’s voice in prayer. From that point, as Habakkuk records, we should “write the vision and make it plain…” so that “…he may run who reads it.” The teacher taught that God’s vision is His will for our lives, and that we should write on paper what we perceive His will and destiny for us to be. We must also be careful to note that:

“the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry (forever).”

From this place of perceiving God’s will, the Christian teacher suggested that we should all begin to establish God-centered goals from His perceived will as a means of ensuring accountability and productivity. I began then to see that setting goals wasn’t about what I wanted to do, but what I believed God could do through me!

We must understand that God is sovereignly in control of our today and our tomorrow! So then, He enables us by grace to point ourselves toward the target of His perceived will for our life. With His will in mind, we can make a measurable impact in His Kingdom and significantly change our world by making goals that agree with God. What about Providence, you ask? All the time that we pursue our goals, we remain mindful that He has ultimate say in our destiny. His destiny for us doesn’t change each day. But our destiny is a journey, and our perception may become clouded by sin, doubt or ungodly assumptions. These areas must be corrected — minor course changes along the journey.

The Apostle James taught us to make plans with the qualifier “if the Lord wills” (James 4:13-17). Surely we’ve heard that response from someone asked about their plans: “Well, Lord willing, and if the creek don’t rise!” We must understandably make sufficient room in our goals and objectives for God’s course changes and adjustments. But the sovereignty of God is no excuse for human inactivity, procrastination, or irresponsibility. God is much bigger and mightier than our missteps. Wouldn’t we all rather be pursuing a spiritual goal that might need adjustment, than to be doing nothing for the Kingdom out of fear that we might miss His will?

Will this year be full of spiritual milestones and accomplishments, or another year of “shoulda-coulda-woulda?” Someone once said that “Goals are the rudder of our lives, and God’s wisdom is the wind filling the sails.” I suggest that our year will be more fulfilling if we are able to recognize significant Kingdom exploits (Daniel 11:32) made by setting godly goals! If we will challenge our hearts to trust in what we perceive God’s will to be for our lives, and write down several motivating thoughts concerning His will, in January 2003 we will sense His peace and pleasure.

The box to the right is a suggested format for areas to set goals in our Christian life. I encourage you to print this portion, or copy to another document for your careful and prayerful consideration. We are not just spiritual or just physical beings. Our goals should encompass many areas of our life: spiritual, physical, mental, social relationships, and stewardship. Now, formulate one or two goal statements for each area and write them in the spaces provided.

Remember to make your goals S.M.A.R.T. — Specific (not just lose weight, but instead “lose 35 pounds”); Measurable (can you tangibly show you met the goal?); Attainable (“bring about world peace” is WAY too lofty!); Realistic (“never eat chocolate again” — gallant thought, but better to say limit it to one day a week!); and Timely (set a date — not too soon, and not too late — but time constraints are helpful to bring about change).

Ready to set a goal focus for this year? Make this faith declaration with me:

“In agreement with God’s Word that says God intends to give me ‘a future and a hope,’ I offer these goals and plans to Him as a gift from my heart. I challenge myself to see exploits done for His Kingdom through my life. I will ‘redeem the time’ during this next year. I fully understand that all goals are subject to change and to the perfect will of God. By His help these dreams of my heart shall become reality!”

The Depth of God’s Love for Us

From: Crosswalk.com

We have a great High Priest who constantly intercedes on our behalf. The Son of God and Man loves you more deeply than you can fathom. He prays for you, that you might walk in the abundant life his death affords you. And in John 17 we get a glimpse into the fullness of his desire for all those who would believe in him. As we dive deeply into the riches of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer this week, may your heart be awakened and your life be transformed by the riches of God’s love.

Scripture:“O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:25-26

Devotional:

There is no force more powerful than the love our heavenly Father has for us, his children. His love can move mountains, stop the roaring seas, heal broken bones and wounded hearts, transform lives, and set free those held captive by sin and shame. So great is his love for you and me that he sent his only Son to die that we might live through him. And in John 17:25-26, Jesus makes an unfathomable statement about how great the depth of God’s love is for us:

O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Do you know that God loves you the way he loves Jesus? His heart is full of affection for you. Jesus always prays perfectly in line with the will of the Father because they are one. So when Jesus prays for God to love us with the same love he has been given, his prayer is in perfect alignment with the heart of our Father.

Romans 8:37-39 says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Through the death of Christ, the barrier between us and  relationship with God was torn in two. The wrath of God was satisfied with Jesus’ death, and now we can experience the full depth of his love. Through Christ, we have been made new so that we can finally walk in unhindered fellowship and oneness with a holy, perfect God.

God loves you simply because he loves you. You don’t have to work for his affection. You don’t have to set yourself straight before God can pour out his love over you. The father in the prodigal son story ran out to meet his son before anything had ever been set right. He didn’t know his son was there to apologize. He didn’t care. He simply wanted to love his child. Your heavenly Father feels the same way about you. He longs to love you right where you are, as you are. He longs to fill you with love to overflowing. He longs for us to experience this love and oneness just as Jesus did when he walked the earth.

As you enter into guided prayer, open up your heart and allow God’s grace to settle in. Allow him to free you from works-based religion and guide you to a lifestyle of relationship. God is not an angry taskmaster who shows affection only when you succeed. He is a loving Father who will always love you no matter what. Take time to receive the depth of his love for you today. Allow his love to heal you, transform you, free you, and lead you to the abundant life he has always longed to give.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the depth of God’s love for you.

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16

2. Where do you need a fresh revelation of God’s grace today? What’s keeping you from receiving the depth of God’s love? In what ways do you need him to show you how good of a Father he truly is?

3. Ask the Spirit to give you a revelation of God’s grace and love for you. Receive God’s presence and rest in his love. Meditate on and renew your mind to how deeply your heavenly Father loves you.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

“So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45

May the whole of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer be true in your life. May you come into the fullness of what Jesus died to give you. May your life be a wonderful reflection of his love. And may you experience the depth of his love for you in every season. You are a child of the Most High, loving God. He will never leave you nor forsake you. His love is powerful, real, and available. May your day be full of joy, peace, and purpose in light of God’s glorious grace.

Learning to Lean Hard on Jesus … in Me

By: Anne Graham Lotz, proverbs31

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)

As a young girl, I was deeply impressed by Solomon’s request for wisdom.

I read the Old Testament story of Solomon, the heir to his father King David’s throne. Following David’s death, Solomon became king and was overcome with the weight of his new responsibility. So Solomon asked God, “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (2 Chronicles 1:10, NIV). In response, God poured out His blessing on Solomon and granted him an abundance of wisdom and knowledge unmatched by any earthly king before or after him.

If Solomon could ask God to give him wisdom, then why couldn’t I do the same? So I began praying. Continually. Consistently. And I believe God has answered my prayer as I’ve opened my heart, mind and life to the One who is the Counselor: God’s Holy Spirit.

I’ve never been more grateful for the Counselor’s guidance than I was when I learned I had breast cancer last year. The diagnosis plunged me into a deep dependency on the Lord, caught up in a whole new world of options and decisions that would shape my journey through cancer treatment.

Not just in my cancer journey but also in my faith journey, I’ve realized every major decision — especially ones involving others — needs to be confirmed by Scripture to ensure I am indeed hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. Although I can never be absolutely certain I have heard the Spirit accurately, as I take Him at His Word and act on it by faith, the decision is confirmed by circumstances that follow and by confirmation within my own spirit.

Have I ever made wrong, unwise decisions? Oh my, yes!

The unwise ones loom so large in my memory that I can easily feel swept into a downward spiral. But I have learned, and am still learning, to lean hard on the Holy Spirit — my Counselor — even in letting go of the past. I’ve realized if God said, Anne, I forgive you, and He has, then who am I to say back to Him, Thank You, God, but I can’t forgive myself? Are my standards higher than His? So I’ve simply had to bow my head and allow His grace to wash over me.

The writer of Proverbs (which many believe was King Solomon) encourages us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). I must lean on Him in utter dependency as I intentionally, specifically and personally ask for His counsel, claiming His promise from James 1:5 that He gives wisdom without finding fault.

The best adviser, the best business manager, the best life coach is the Counselor God Himself. He is readily available. 24/7. Without charge. If we want to live our very best lives, we cannot go our own way, follow our own logic or somehow conclude we know best. If we follow the Spirit’s leading, there’s no reason to think we’ll end up with less than if we do it our way. Or that getting what we want will make us happier than what He wants. Or that we don’t need Him for every decision.

What do you need the Counselor for right now?

Are you confronting cancer, as I have, and the related choices of doctors, surgery, treatments and follow-up? Or maybe you need wisdom for other pending decisions? A relationship. Career. Education. Friendship.

Do you need direction? Discretion? Discernment? Deliverance? Talk to your Counselor. Pour out your heart. Be honest. Transparent. Lean hard on the One who is Jesus in you.