Crushing the Head of the Enemy

Devotion:  Psalm 74:10-14

I hate snakes! After my morning walk on a Saturday, I came up the sidewalk at the back of the house, to see a copperhead stretched out on the back deck.  Yikes!  He wasn’t a baby; however, he was about teenage size, which tells me there are probably more where he came from.   I honestly believe he was asleep.

I ran in the house and called Ben to get up.  While I grabbed a shovel from the garage, he got dressed and out the door we went.  While trying to slither away off the small deck; Ben got him in his middle and I went to grab another shovel so we could get him closer to his head.  I’ve heard they can actually regrow their bodies if you don’t get the head.

My hero husband squashed his head while this devil was trying to bite the shovel.  Goodness, he put up a fight.  Ben picked him up with the shovel and that rascal was still moving.

Our enemy’s head was crushed but he was trying to resurrect.  That’s how our adversary, the devil works.  You kill one area of sin and another rears its ugly head, trying to poison another area of weakness.

What’s a person to do?

Get out the Sword of the Lord, the Word of God.  “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”  His Word is more powerful than any two edged sword.  It will bring you courage, conviction and comfort, sometimes all at the same time.  Jesus, the Word made flesh, has the ability to destroy negative thoughts and fleshly reactions.  Use this most powerful tool God has provided for His children to destroy our enemy.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord, thank You for Your powerful Sword.  I pray Your people “called by Your Name will humble themselves and pray and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways.  Then You will hear from heaven and forgive our sins and heal our land.” In the Mighty Name of Jesus I offer up this prayer.  Amen

Sacred or Secular

Devotion:  James 1:7-8

The world tries to combine the secular with the sacred and they do not mix very well.  Like oil and water they separate immediately when poured together.  The heavier one sinks and the other rises to the top.  They will not blend no matter what you do to them.

In life, many believers want it both ways.  They try hard to live a secular life through the week and a sacred life on Sunday.  We are supposed to be the same everywhere, all the time, displaying the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit, whether in the market place, the neighborhood, the home or the church.  But do we?  Only you can answer that question.

Believe me, the world notices.  That is why they call us hypocrites.  They observe us trying to be sacred one minute and secular along with them the next.  It ends up being confusing to them and in their eyes; we seem to have a divided mind.  Even the world knows it just doesn’t add up.  It seems false because it is false.  Another name for it is being two faced.

I used to go to a chiropractor who was known for always being the same.  He was not easily ruffled.  People would say he is always the same; whether at church, at home or adjusting a patient.  This is how all Christians are supposed to be, not boring, not cookie cutter in any way but also not living like the world one minute and like Christ the next.  Christ is immutable both now and forever more.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, I thank You that the sacred holiness of You shines through many believers, shining the light of the world to all who care to look on.  We want to bring comfort and joy to the world.  May they see Jesus in us.  Amen.

 

 

 

Tent of Meeting

Devotion:  Exodus 33:1-23

After Ben and I had been dating for a while; I was seventeen and he was eighteen, my mom and dad allowed me to go on vacation with Ben’s family.  Ben’s family tent camped.  My mom was appalled that I wanted to camp because we always stayed in a hotel.  In my mom’s defense, she grew up poor as Job’s turkey.  (Who knew Job even had a  turkey and that it was poor?)

I looked at tent camping as an adventure and besides; I was enamored with my now husband of soon to be forty eight years.  Woah!  How’d that happen?  Goodness, I thought we were forty eight years old, but then we couldn’t have two sons in their forties.

The thought of pitching a tent was a real adventure for this “citified” girl.  There’s a whole process from putting the stakes in the ground to the poles that hold those large tents in place.

Moses pitched a tent for the Israelites outside the camp, a place for all to go who wanted to consult the LORD.  Moses and Joshua would go inside of this tent to consult the LORD on behalf of others.

The Israelites would stand outside and watch Moses go in and come out.  Moses was serious about seeing the glory of the LORD.  God said you can’t see my face but you can see my glory pass by.  “I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.”  This is the story about an adventure with God that all started with pitching a tent.  It was a very good thing.

Prayer in Motion:

Thank You Lord for the tent of meeting and what it meant for the Israelites and was such a historical moment for us looking back.

Picking Up Sticks

Devotion:  1 Kings 17:8-16

We have a gazillion trees that surround our little house.  Thus, we have lots and lots of sticks on the ground.  I can never quite keep them all picked up.  I always have a big ole pile when I do pick up the larger ones as well as those that beckon me to retrieve them.  There is something gratifying about seeing the sticks at the end of my drive way; knowing they will be removed every Friday.

These verses leave us with a lesson that God will provide when you give to Him and to others.  When we desperately try to hold onto what we have whether it’s a little or a lot, He will always provide.  This story turns out well for the widow and her son.  Tomorrow, I will share the rest of the story.  For today, let’s focus on the widow’s obedience to God.

She took what she had, a handful of flour, a little oil, and a couple of sticks.  Dear reader; what is in your hand?  Are you willing to give  what you have to God and to those in need?  When you do, the Bible promises He will give back to you “pressed down, shaken together and running over.”  Will you trust Him to provide?  Allow Him to increase your faith.  What is faith in God?  (the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen). If “faith the grain of a mustard seed can move mountains, then why do you have so little faith?  Ask Him to increase your faith.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, thank You for the stories You wrote down for my good.  Help me to apply these truths daily.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

Corruption Happens Quickly

Devotion:  Exodus 32: 1-24

Have you ever had someone you were really close to, someone you thought was on your side; go in an opposing direction?  You feel so perplexed at the action of the person you thought you knew so well, one with whom you had always been in unity.

Thus was the story of Moses and Aaron.  Aaron had helped to hold up the hands of Moses during the war.  He had watched the staff of God be held up as the Red Sea parted.  He had watched that same staff turn into a snake and back again.  He knew the Lord personally and had seen Him do great and mighty things while the Israelites were held captive in Egypt.

It only took the people a short amount of time to question the whereabouts of Moses. Why would they ask Aaron to make gods for them when they had seen the mighty hand of God deliver them from their captivity?  People are fickle.  I think it’s safe to say that many Christians are fickle. I can be fickle. The moment life becomes hard;  we can turn from the God we have served our whole life.  We’ve seen answers to prayer and yet easily replace Him with other idols.  How sad!

Aaron was the one who created the image of a calf out of all the gold he took from the people.  God was not happy with this scenario. He was so angry He was ready to destroy the people. He told Moses to go down at once and deal with these corrupt people.  Corrupt?  I’d say that word is fitting.

Moses had the patience of Job.  He asked God to remember the promises He had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to multiply the nation.  “So the LORD relented concerning the disaster He had said He would bring on His people.”

Prayer in Motion:

Lord, I am so sorry for all the times I have followed my own heart and not Yours.  Please forgive me for all the times I have sinned against You and every way that I have acted corruptly.  I want to love You more fully and trust You more now than ever.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

Reveal the Hidden Things

Devotion:  Daniel 2:22

“God, please reveal the hidden things!”  I heard myself cry these words out to Jesus.  Let me tell you, when you cry the Word of God out to Jesus, He hears and He answers that heart felt cry. He is the Word made flesh.  Be prepared, because the hidden things He reveals may be HARD, really hard for you to hear and receive.

God will reveal the hidden things in His time and in His own way.   He promises; “If we seek Him, we will find Him when we search for Him with all of heart.”  What wisdom are you seeking from God?  Are you being still before Him and taking time to listen.

The Lord your God is Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent.  He knows everything.  He is with you and He is with the person for whom you are praying.  He is all powerful and can accomplish anything that concerns you or the person for whom you are praying.

The God of the Universe wants to talk with you about the things that concern you.  Do you believe that to be truth?   He told us; “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Maybe your burden feels less than light.  Dear one, if we will only yoke with our Burden Bearer, the Lord Jesus Himself; will go with us through every trial and every tribulation that comes.  He will carry us after the hidden things have been revealed.  He has.  He does and He will.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing the hidden things, even the ones I was not ready to have revealed.  You are from everlasting to everlasting and I have experienced the goodness of God in the land of the living.  You are my best forever friend and I thank You for drawing nigh to me as I draw nigh to You.

 

 

 

 

The Calling of God

Devotion:  Acts 13:1-7

At the end of the church service on a Sunday at Christ Community Church in Huntersville, NC; the announcement came that Pastor Matt is leaving to move to Arkansas.  He has accepted the call to his home church, the church where he was saved and called to preach.  What a huge blessing for him and his family but sad loss for Christ Community.

Matt is such an amazing theologian and teacher of the Word of God.  He is going to be missed sorely by his staff and friends at CCC.  We must obey God’s calling on our lives so when He asks us to move, we must obey.  The people in Arkansas are in for a great blessing to sit under Matt’s teaching and preaching.  He will also fulfill the role of dean of students at the school there.  His calling will be carried out in a different location and with a broader definition.  It’s the calling of God on Matt’s life.

What has God called you to do?  Are you afraid of moving outside of your comfort zone or maybe not up to the task?  I promise if you obey God’s calling on your life, step out in faith; God will help you with the learning process.  Why would He call you to something you absolutely could not do?  He would not.

Do not be afraid; for the Lord your God will lead you, guide you and teach you how to carry out His calling.  “Faithful is He who called you; He will bring it to pass.”

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your calling on my life.  I trust You to always lead me where I should go.  Where you lead me, I will follow.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

Blood of the Covenant

Devotion:  Exodus 24: 1-18

Covenants that were made in Bible times were taken very seriously.  There was always blood involved, the blood of goats and bulls, lambs and pigeons.

The Israelites made promises over and over that they could not keep.  They meant them when they made the covenant vows and then they would break them.  As you just read; Moses splattered the blood of the covenant that the Lord made with the people concerning the ten commandments.

We are the same.  We certainly mean to keep the Lord’s commandments; but we break them all the time.  Most of us have not physically killed anyone, or bowed before a physical god.  Have we ever taken the name of the Lord our God in vain?  Have we always kept the Sabbath day holy?  Have we always honored our Father and our Mother?  We may not have committed adultery or stolen but have we borne false witness against our neighbor or coveted something that belongs to them?  You get the idea.  We cannot judge the Israelites because of the sin in our own camp.

1 John 1:9 says “We all sin and fall short of the glory of God.”  That’s why Jesus came.  There is no longer need for the blood of bulls and goats because our Savior died once for all.  His blood covers our sins when we ask Him to forgive us our sin.  He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord, thank You for Your blood that covers all of my sin and unrighteousness.  I trust You and love You more with each passing day.  Help me Lord to take our covenant seriously.  Thank You Jesus.  It’s in Your Name I offer up this prayer.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

From Zero to God

Devotion:  Ephesians 3:17-19

I had never heard the term from zero to God before.  Jen Wilkins used it in her book None Like Him, one of my new favorites.  She used this phrase when she refers to depth of spiritual insight.  “She states;  “We are at a loss to comprehend the timing of the One who transcends yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”

Believers are called to redeem the time.  I remember longing for a time before the bad news arrived.  Jen says, “We are allowed to grieve the passing of happy seasons, but we are not allowed to resent their loss.”  Jen calls it the difference between missing the past and coveting the past.

Today is a gift.  That’s why it’s called the present.  May we constantly remember to let go of the past and live in the present.  We cannot possibly live in the future.  We can pray for the future but we cannot live in it.  We can only trust the future to God.

I loved Jen’s quote about practicing stillness. “We must redeem the present by leaving time to observe the practice of stillness and the precept of Sabbath, taking on the trusting posture of one who sits at the feet of her Lord.”

How many scars do you have carved into your body?  Some are left from your own accidents.  Other scars are left by doctor’s knives when there was something that screamed to be removed.  I love the song “The Only Scars in Heaven.”  We know they only belong to Jesus.  There will be no more brokenness, no sorrow, grief or pain.

“What a day that will be when our Jesus we shall see.  When we look upon His face, the One who saved us by His grace.  When He takes us by the hand and leads us through the promised land.  What a day, glorious day that will be.”

Prayer in Motion:

Lord, thank You for holding my hand with Your righteous One.  I don’t have words to express my gratitude.  “The longer I serve You the sweeter You grow.  The more that I love You, more love You bestow.  Each day is like heaven.  My heart over flows.  The longer I serve You, the sweeter You grow.”  In Jesus Name.  Amen

 

 

 

Complaining to Celebrating

Devotion:  Exodus 17:1-16

I’m so thirsty I could just die!  I’ve made this statement more times than I care to remember.  Moses already knew that being the leader of the nation of Israel was no easy task.  He had listened to God’s people complain and complain the whole time they were in the wilderness.

Moses was so weary from hearing God’s people grumble.  He said, “Why are you complaining to me?  Why are you testing the LORD?”  As before; they began to complain that Moses had delivered them from Egypt. What?  They honestly would rather go back to captivity?  Truth be told, they were complaining against God.  He was the One who miraculously delivered them through the Red Sea and out of Egypt.

Weary Moses went before the LORD to ask what should I do with these people?  God told Moses; “Take up the staff I gave you and go strike the Rock at Horeb.”  Water will come out of it for the people to drink.

Over forty years ago, my dad built our little family a house in Mooresboro, NC.  There was an existing well on the property with an underground spring that ran through rock.  The water was cold and delicious; so I imagine the water God put there for the Israelites was quite tasty as well.

I’ll bet these Israelites were so happy!  Complaining must have turned to rejoicing and celebrating!  If you’ve ever been inside out thirsty; you can understand why they would have been so incredibly happy to have a fresh cold drink of water.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, forgive me for complaining and I ask that You would bring me to a time of celebrating all the great and mighty things You have done and are going to do.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.