Blessings

Blessing by Association

“But Laban said to him, ‘If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.’ He added, ‘Name your wages, and I will pay them.’” – Genesis 30:27 Yesterday, we talked about the favor of God, and for the next couple of days, I want to share with you my favorite Biblical example of it. If you’ve been listening to me or reading these devotions for any length of time, you know that I love Jacob. Though he was somewhat rogue, this man of God was bold and persistent in his faith, and he was blessed because of it. In fact, he had a reputation for being divinely favored, and no one was more aware of this than his father-in-law Laban. You may recall that Laban was a trickster, and after he promised to give Jacob

February 7, 2021 No Comments

Love is Favor

“Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” – Psalm 5:12 There’s nothing like the love of a grandparent. While parents get to deal with all the tough parts of raising kids, grandma and grandpa get to do the fun stuff. Though not true across the board, most grandparents take joy in spoiling their grandchildren, whether it means buying them gifts, taking them on outings, getting their favorite food, or sharing a hobby or craft with them. Since they are typically older and less busy than mom and dad, they can give the kids their undivided attention and spend focused time with them (often to the delight of their parents). If you’re wondering where I’m going with this, the fact is that I believe envisioning the lavish and unconditional love of a grandparent better equips us to understand the role of God’s

February 6, 2021 2 Comments

Do The Right Thing

“Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, ‘Why stay here until we die? If we say, “We’ll go into the city”—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.’” – 2 Kings 7:3,4 Yesterday, we talked about how Elisha fed enemy troops in the middle of Samaria before sending them back to their leader, the King of Aram. Because the Arameans were at war with the Israelites, this profound demonstration of divine power humiliated the king and made him all the more determined to defeat them. In an effort to fully destroy the Jewish population, he surrounded the city and assaulted the people so they were

January 31, 2021 No Comments

On Earth as It Is in Heaven

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10 Not only do I love the Lord’s Prayer because it’s the perfect model for us to follow as we approach our Heavenly Father but also because it reflects the heart of God. Jesus taught us to pray: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Though it’s easy to gloss over that phrase, it actually paints a very powerful picture of the manner in which the Lord of Creation wants His will, priorities, and power to prevail on this planet. Many of us get so focused on reaching eternity that we forget there is work to do here and now. While it’s tempting to discard the future of the world, especially when it looks chaotic and uncertain, it’s important to remember that as Christ’s disciples, we are

January 27, 2021 No Comments

Remain in Him

“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” – Isaiah 55:12 There are many benefits of abiding with the Lord. When we choose to stay with Him and continually acknowledge that He is with us, the world takes on a new vibrancy. Perhaps this is why Jesus told us to remain in Him and offered a corresponding promise that doing so will cause us to bear fruit. In fact, the Bible gives us specifics about the type of harvest we can enjoy when we practice His presence, and Galatians 5 tells us that the crops we will cultivate are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Thankfully, choosing to abide with God doesn’t demand that we be super-Christians or that we spend three

January 22, 2021 1 Comment

Stretch Your Tent

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” – Isaiah 54:2 Our God is the God of redemption and restoration. Though His people were in captivity in Babylon for many years, He never ceased reminding them that He would ultimately bring them home to Israel, and that when He did, their lives would be even better than before they were exiled. While what they could perceive with their physical senses spoke of defeat, He invited them to assume spiritual vision that could see beyond their immediate circumstances. Since they lived in tents, He advised them to expand their dwelling places, embrace their new home, and expect Him to move in their midst to broaden their strength and influence. In fact, this account is the root of a spiritual principle that can benefit us today — we should

January 21, 2021 No Comments

Death Brings Greater Life

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” – Philippians 3:10,11 Well, we made it to the last day of 2020. I’m almost certain that there has never been a greater sigh of relief among so many as the end of a year approaches. Last January, as we made our resolutions and reflected on the days behind us, none of us had any idea what was waiting just months down the road. We’ve all been challenged, stretched, and tested in the past 365 days, and some of us have endured loss that is throbbing and stinging even now. Nevertheless, I am confident that as hard and unconventional as things have been this year, there has been a gift in the experience. One of the most

December 31, 2020 No Comments

Do What’s Right

“To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” – Proverbs 21:3 Sometimes doing the next right thing can be difficult. I remember one summer during high school, when I was living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, my friend Josh — who just loved to fish — would ask me nearly every day to go with him. Now, if you know anything about Tulsa, you know that summertime is not just hot, but humid — it’s like going into hundred degree weather wrapped in a blanket that you’re trying to breathe through. That said, because I minded the heat, each time he would call and want me to go, I would say no. I much preferred lying on the couch in the air conditioning, sipping a Coke, and watching my favorite T.V. shows. Nevertheless, Josh was persistent, and when I finally said yes and accompanied him,

December 13, 2020 1 Comment

“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” – 2 Timothy 2:11-13 The Bible says even when we are faithless, He remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself. Blessing does mean heaven and you will be blessed for eternity. However, blessings can be material as well. A blessing means health. It means thriving. It means being blessed in your relationships. It means living every day with joy. It means being successful. It means being a good leader. It means growing personally. These are things God really wants for you, and that’s what the Bible says. A lot of people take a lot of pride in what they don’t have, but God wants

May 29, 2017 No Comments

Blessings

Blessing by Association

Love is Favor

Do The Right Thing

On Earth as It Is in Heaven

Remain in Him

Stretch Your Tent

Death Brings Greater Life

Do What’s Right

Blessings

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