Giant Slayer!

If you live long enough, there will be times in your life when you will face unforeseen situations or circumstances. There can be times when life brings challenges that make you feel small. In these times you must ask your Heavenly Father for the strength to stand up and fight, even when everything in you makes you want to run.

Let’s consider story of David in the Bible. I Samuel 17 tells us the story of a courageous young boy, David. By all accounts David was “scrawny” and appears to be very weak! However when the Philistine army was facing the challenge of sending someone to fight the giant Goliath, they were scrawny in heart! The entire army of well-trained men who were fully suited in armor and ready for battle all stood there terrified.

Now I don’t know about you, but I have faced some giant situations in my life that have caused me to stop in my tracks and consider running in the opposite direction, spiritually.  David heard Goliath challenging the army of Israel and instead of “tucking tail,” he stood up ready to fight. Everyone around him looked at him like he was crazy. After all he was just a young boy and didn’t even have a suit of armor.

David didn’t consider his size, the opinions of those around him, or the fact that he was weaponless. He just saw a sudden challenge and he “stepped up to the plate!” How many of us are prayed up enough to go right into warfare mode when spiritual issues arise in our lives? Are we quick to fight, or are we always finding ourselves caught off guard and scrambling when trials come our way?

David may have looked weaponless to everyone else, but he had a battle plan in mind right away. He refused the king’s heavy artillery and opted for a simple sling and five smooth stones. Sometimes we neglect the simple power of prayer, and daily study that can make demons tremble. Standing on faith and determination, David not only approached but quickly defeated Goliath leaving everyone in awe.

David was a giant slayer and we can do likewise. David knew something that we all quote more often than we actually believe and that is what Philippians 4:13 says, which is, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Remember that the next time you face a giant!

Think about it!

D.I.R.T

Life is a beautiful thing. After cold winter chills, and the rainy months that often follow, comes spring. With spring there is a promise of new beginning for flowers that have been dead or bare. The blooming process reminds me a lot of human life.

Initially there is just a lonely seed in the soil waiting for the water, sun and nutrients it needs to grow. Soon the seed begins to sprout and a stem starts making its way upward from the soil. As the sun shines upon the stem, leaves emerge. Finally the process is complete when a bud blossoms into a beautiful flower.

In life there are many seeds planted in us. We must nurture the seeds that will help us push upward into our new beginnings and sprout from beneath the soil or “dirt” of our situations. Though the ultimate goal is to spring up from the “ground,” bud, then blossom into a beautiful creation, one key factor in the equation is DIRT.

Many think that living a Christian lifestyle is (no pun intended) all “rosy.” But without dirt, flowers couldn’t exist. It is the dirt that helps the flowers stay firmly planted. Likewise I believe that difficult times come in our lives that we could consider “dirt.” These challenging times come to make us strong.

James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” There are many types of temptations. We can be tempted to lie, cheat, steal or even tempted to simply stop trusting God in our times of adversities.

It is in the “dirtiest” times in our lives that we must be determined to move forward in spite of what we see or even feel.  We should choose to trust God no matter what challenges we face. In order to walk into your new beginning, remember, always allow the “d.i.r.t” in your life to help you blossom so that you can be Delivered In Righteousness and Truth! 

Think about it!

Chain Breaker!

Gospel recording artist Tasha Cobb has a beautiful song called “Break Every Chain.” The lyrics begin, “There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain!” This song rings true to my heart every time I hear it. Acts 16 tells us the story of two powerful biblical praisers, Paul and Silas.

After casting a demon of divination off a young girl, they accused of teaching unlawful customs and imprisoned. They were stripped naked, beaten, and chained. Have you ever been there. “Stripped naked” or humiliated before your family, co-workers, or peers? “Beaten down” by financial despair or other circumstance beyond your control? “Chained” by depression, worries, or doubt?

Despite the fact that they were chained in stocks, Paul and Silas still had a heart of praise and worship. They began singing hymns to the Lord and their praise shook the foundation of the prison. They worshiped and praised with such convection, compassion and authority that they got God’s attention. Is your praise bringing forth results? When you pray and when you praise, are you getting God’s attention? Or are you praying out of routine without adoration and praising out of habit without reverence?

Verse 26 says, “Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” Paul and Silas’ praise was so powerful others received benefits from it. Now that’s a powerful praise that can not only bless and set you free but also can set free those in your midst! This is the type praise God craves every Sunday morning at every church on the planet. He is worthy to be praised in this manner every day, not just Sunday. Imagine if every true Christian on earth would lift their voices and praised God with all their hearts more often. Think about how many souls would be saved and lives would be changed.

In verse 30, the jailer falls before Paul and Silas and asks, “What must I do to be saved?”  Their praise caused him to want salvation for himself and his family. What a powerful witness a praise like this can be. If we just stop listening to music in our cars and on our computers or i-Pods and send forth praises to God that alone can cause others to want to be converted.

When they see how praise moves God in our lives, they won’t be able to help but to want it for themselves.   So let us always carry a ready praise in our hearts and not just praise or prayer in times of adversities. Let us send forth chain-breaking praise daily!

Think about it!

Grasshopper Thinking!

Faith is a very important attribute to possess. I won’t bore you with my theories; I’ll go straight to scripture to prove this point.  Hebrews 11 shares stories of many faith-believing biblical giants like Noah, Abraham, and Enoch. Verse six tells us “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

To me this is very clear. Without faith we can’t please God. It is God we should aim to please if we desire to be blessed and live productive lives. But faith is not enough. James 2:14 says, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?”

In order to receive what God has ordained for us to have naturally and spiritually, it’s going to take the awesome combination of faith and works. What is faith then you may ask. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.”

If you work your faith properly, the things you don’t see will become the things you possess. However you must be prepared to use your faith to the fullest and let go of doubt, discouragement, and “grasshopper thinking.”

In Numbers 13 God told Moses to send spies to check out the land He had promised His people. At that time the Promised Land was inhabited by another tribe. In verses 31-33 the spies basically told Moses and the people, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.” “WE SEEMED LIKE GRASSHOPPERS IN OUR OWN EYES, AND WE LOOKED THE SAME TO THEM.”  The spies frightened God’s people out of going to claim what by faith was already rightfully theirs. They even started talking negatively about the blessing God had set aside for them.

Instead of using their faith coupled with work to receive their blessing, the people of God allowed fear to overtake them thus missing out on what God had planned for them to have. How many of us want to start a new business, get a better job, or purchase a house yet we allow fear and doubt to make us feel like grasshoppers? In order to partake in God’s divine blessings, we must use our faith and step out, put in the work, and get what God has waiting on us! Do away with grasshopper thinking and “leap into your destiny by faith!”

Think about it!

"Will you Marry me?"

“Will you marry me?” some women dream of hearing these words from their “prince charming,” as little girls. Who am I kidding; some men dream of hearing or saying these words to their long-awaited “queen.” These four words are never taken lightly, or at least they shouldn’t be. It is pretty obvious that our Lord considers marriage a blessed state to be in.

Hebrews 13:4 says in part, “Marriage is honorable among all...” In Genesis 2:18 God said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Verse 24 says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” These scriptures alone show us the importance God has placed on holy matrimony between man and woman. And though this article is about marriage, it’s not the marriage between man and woman that I want to focus on. Don’t get scared; I firmly believe God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and…well you fill in the blank.

At any rate, it is spiritual marriage that I want to talk about. A marriage is a covenant agreement between two people, and a covenant is quite simply put a promise. I’m sure we have all heard the marital vows, “to love, honor, and obey.” Here is where I want to begin looking at spiritual marriage. Hosea 54:5 says, “For your Master is your husband. The Lord of hosts is His name.” Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.” We all know what “gave Himself for her” means, right? Christ loved the “church”/“us” so much that He gave His life so that we might live eternally. Who could ask for more than that in a husband?

But here is my favorite part of this scenario concerning Christ’s love. His love is not just reserved for the church. His love is not reserved for lowly sinners who have never known or loved Him. Christ’s love is so perfect, it is even available to those who have known and loved him yet turned their backs on Him and His unmerited favor- the backslider. Jeremiah 3:14 in part says, “Return, o backsliding children, says the Lord, “For I am married to you...”

This lets us know that our mighty God loves those He created so much - mankind, that He is willing to not only save those who have left Him, but He is standing at the alter ready to say, “I do.” He says, “I do love you my children.” Consider I John 3:16 which says in part, “By this we know love because He laid down His life for us.” He says, “I do forgive you my children.” Consider I John 1:9 which says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He says, “I do want to marry and I want you to have the best!” Consider III John 1:2 which says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers.”

What bride could ask for a better groom than one who loves her with all his heart, wants to protect and prosper her, forgives her when she makes a mistake and finally gives her all of himself. Understand Christ is that bridegroom. And He has already proposed. He did that when He got up on that cross and offered His life for the world. He has already given us His vows written out clearly in the Holy Bible. He has presented us with his part of the covenant to be our Savior, to never leave nor forsake us, and to free us from sin and shame with the promise of eternal life. And now He has one question for you, “Will you marry me?” whether you have never given Him your life or if you have turned your back on Him, He still wants to marry you. He has already said “I do.” Now “do you?”

Think about it!