“A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?” Proverbs 20:24

Imagine you’ve signed up for a race, but when the day of the race arrives, you notice that there is no starting line. No map. No indication at all where to run, because the road forks off in many different directions. Before you can ask where you’re supposed to run, the starting gun fires, and people dash in all different directions. What would you think of such a race?

Without God’s guidance, that’s what life is like. Our lives become ones of abject freedom. That is, freedom of a terrible kind. Not godly freedom of being set free to become the kind of people God always meant us to be.

Rather, without God’s guidance, we have freedom in licentious lack of restraint. In other words, anarchy. The laws by which polite society functions are, without God’s guidance, actually just social constructs which can be torn down at any moment by forceful power of convincing personality. Unrestrained freedom is another word for anarchy. Paradoxically, the kind of “freedom” that anarchy provides will result in less real freedom, not more. The freedoms that we cherish, such as being treated fairly, the right to speak and vote, to treasured possessions, to worship our God freely … none of these are guaranteed when society attempts to build its foundations in mid-air, lacking the solid ground of God’s Word.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105

Does God direct your steps? Or do you direct your own? Have you made a conscious decision to follow God’s light, as he lights the way for your steps? Or do you continue to stumble in darkness? Will you be able to honestly say along with the psalmist,

“My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.” Psalm 17:5

God’s wonderful truth is that it is never too late for anyone to turn and follow Him. Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection embodies enough forgiveness to cover any sin. If we are told to forgive our brothers & sisters “seventy times seven” times when they have wronged us (Matthew 18:22, ESV); essentially an unlimited number of times) how much more will our merciful Father in Heaven forgive us when we repent and ask Him to turn our steps back to His path?

God’s Word is our guide to the race of life. My prayer for you today is that you will be able to say along with the apostle Paul,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Father, forgive us when we ignore the necessary guidance your Word. Help us to gain full understanding of your truth. Guide us so that we will walk your paths and finish the race in simultaneous triumph and humility by the power of Your Spirit at work in us. In Jesus name, amen.

By Darren Hewer
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• When God Interrupts
• The Christian and the Bible – do you believe it is the infallible truth?

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says,

“Come to me, all you who are weary and I will give you rest.”

You’ve been there. You’re turned your back on the noise and sought his voice. You’ve stepped away from the masses and followed the Master as he led you up the winding path to the summit. His summit. Clean air. Clear view. Crisp breeze. The roar of the marketplace is down there, and the perspective of the peak is up here. Gently he invited you to sit on the rock and look out with him at the ancient peaks that will never erode.

Just remember, he says, you’ll go nowhere tomorrow that I haven’t already been. Truth will still triumph. Death will still die. The victory is still yours. And delight is one decision away — seize it! Joy begins by breathing deep up there before you go crazy down here!

By Max Lucado
Used by permission

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:    
https://maxlucado.com/about/

From: The Applause of Heaven

FURTHER READING

Fullness of Joy

What God Already Gave – JOY

Count it All Joy

Feature Photo credit: Michael Knapek https://www.flickr.com/photos/50390668@N04
Some Rights Reserved  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

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Ever found yourself up against a Red Sea—hemmed in, with nowhere to turn?

Ever faced a wall too high and too strong, with no way over or through?

Have your circumstances caused you to long for previous, even loathsome days—like the Israelites who said it would have been better to be back in Egypt, serving the Egyptians?

“It would have been better to still be ‘back there’ than swallowed up with THESE circumstances.”

It’s at times like these when the Lord says:

“Stand still . . .See. . . ” (Exodus 14:13)
Watch what I will do.
You have nothing to do but be silent.

Oswald Chambers once said:“Dare I really let God be to me all that He says He will be?” “My Utmost for His Highest,”

When the Israelites had nowhere to turn and God said He would act, they dared to let Him be for them all He said He would be.

They stopped, stood still—marched silently around an impossible wall—and watched God work.

Because He said He would.

The sea split open.
The walls fell down.

They crossed through their frightening circumstances.
They marched around their greatest fear.

Because God said He would work.

They had nothing to do but be silent.

Someone has defined “rest” as to “cease striving.”

When the children of Israel let their faith rest, they watched God work.

God stepped in, because He was capable of doing what they couldn’t.

They rested in who their God is. They watched silently.

They passed through (Hebrews 11:29); they took the city (Joshua 6)—only after God had worked.

They did what God said, because He said He would do it.

Have you ever found yourself against a Red Sea, a wall like Jericho’s, a circumstance, a need, a dream, an ache that only God could conquer?

He is able.

Rest.

Dare to let God be for you all He has said He will be.

Faith that rests will watch God work.

Every time.

“Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. . .
Rest in the Lord.” Psalm 37:5,7

By Bethany Hayes
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Take Rest Oh My Weary Soul

When You Need Body and Soul Rest

Resting in the Faithfulness of God

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“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11 (NKJV)

Jesus, having all power and all authority, submitted His life to the authority of His Father. He consistently responded under authority, pointing back to the Father. The Father, in turn, rewarded His obedience and humility and exalted Him.

In our individualistic world, we try to avoid submission to authority. There’s a Chinese saying: It’s better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox. We want to be our own boss; make our own decisions; answer to no one. Truth is, we answer to the One.

Our act of saying yes, to make Jesus Lord of our life, is our primary act of submission. From that day onward we keep bringing our lives and our decisions before Him, acknowledging that there is One greater than we are. It’s a relationship of submission, rooted in our understanding that the Father loves us even more than we can comprehend. Jesus was no doormat, “He understood His worth” but His authority flowed out of a heart submitted to the Father. In that place He had the power to heal the sick, raise the dead and transform lives. That’s the place I want to live from today.

Reflect:
Who do you point back to?
What do you need to surrender to the Father today?

Prayer:
Father, thank You for loving me beyond my selfish human heart. Thank You that submission to You is a safe, beautiful and even powerful place. I submit my life to You today. May I live my life in such a way that I am consistently pointing back to You. In Jesus’ exalted Name, Amen.

By Idelette McVicker
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Authority in an Age of Autonomy

The Christian and the Bible

God Is Holy ……

The post Under Authority appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby”
1 Peter 2:2 (KJV).

Sam was very impatient with himself. Though he was a new Christian, he could not understand why he was not as spiritual as some of the other students who had walked with the Lord for several years.

I explained to him the Christian life, like physical life, involves a process of growth. A person begins as a baby and goes through various stages of childhood, adolescence and young adulthood to reach Christian maturity. Very few, if any, Christians, I explained to him, become spiritually mature overnight.

Lane Adams, a beloved colleague, gifted teacher, preacher and author, said, “I shrink inside when I think of the times I have mounted the pulpit, recited the conversion experience of the apostle Paul, and then indicated that he went out and turned the world upside down for Jesus Christ immediately.”

He continued, “This simply was not the case. There is a difference of opinion among scholars concerning New Testament dating, but it seems rather plain that many years went by before the Holy Spirit laid the dramatic burden on Paul as a missionary of the cross.”

If you strongly desire to serve the Lord in some particular way, such as teaching, ask the Holy Spirit in faith to empower you to become an effective teacher. Now, it may be that the Holy Spirit will see fit to make you a great teacher overnight, but this is most unlikely. So if it does not happen, do not be discouraged. Have faith!

Continue to ask and believe that the Holy Spirit will make you an effective teacher of the Word of God and be willing to work hard and long to develop your natural ability. The Bible reminds us that “faith without works is useless.”

If we are unique members of the Body of Christ, and we are, if we possess special tasks to accomplish, and we do, then the Holy Spirit will empower us to carry out those tasks. God does indeed have a plan for each of our lives. And He gives us the direction and power of His Holy Spirit to accomplish that plan as we continue to trust and obey Him.

Bible Reading: 2 Peter 3:14-18

Action Point: Recognizing that I am in the process of maturing spiritually, I shall seek to accelerate my spiritual growth by hiding the Word of God in my heart, spending time in prayer, walking in the Spirit and sharing my faith in Christ with others as a way of life.

by Dr. Bill Bright
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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Seek God and Not an Experience

Holy Cravings

Abuse Survivor – One Woman’s Story

The post Recipe for Growth appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2 (NASB)

Imagine holding an overflowing grocery bag in one hand and a squirmy toddler’s hand in the other. Then, you try to open the door for someone else. In my view, there are only a few disastrous possibilities. One: you will trip and fall. Two: you will drop the groceries. Three: you will let go of your toddler’s hand, and she runs away, making the possible outcome potentially catastrophic.

Don’t get me wrong, living a full life is a good thing. Jesus wants that for you! But there are so many branches in life that could easily grow out of control. Committees, clubs, classes, along with many more daily responsibilities fill up the day. However, if you say yes to each and every one, you don’t produce a healthy harvest. Instead, you end up giving haphazardly out of your emptiness and don’t experience the fullness of God.

How much do you trust your Father to prune your life? God wants to do this. If you take time to listen to Him, He will show you just what He wants to do so that You can produce even more amazing fruit!

Dear Father, thank You for Your wisdom and guidance in my life. Please help me to see how I can glorify You with each and every moment. If there are things that need to be pruned in my life so that other areas can thrive, I pray I would courageously take that step. If you want me to continue at this pace, I know You will provide the means. May You be glorified in all the things I accomplish. Amen.

By Christa Hardin
used by permission

FURTHER READING

The Purpose of Pruning

Pruning by Laura Rath

Pruned for Purpose

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My seven year old grandson asked me, “Papa, what is your most important job?” Well, I thought that’s easy, “It’s being your Papa!”

His response was so simple and yet profound. He said with a bit of, you should really know this answer, in his voice… “No, Papa it’s to love everyone.” His answer has stuck with me. For some reason it has etched itself in my mind. Over and over I think… My most important job is to love everyone. Everyone includes even those people who I really do not want to love.

God agrees with my grandson! I know, maybe it’s the other way around. The Apostle John said, “For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” 1 John 3:11 (NIV) It’s clear that from the beginning, God’s most important job has not changed.

God also makes it clear that our ability to love is sourced in him. God is the source of love. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV) Experiencing his love and forgiveness on a personal level makes us able to love and forgive ourselves and  others.  Because God is perfect in his love he can give us the ability to love beyond our human limitation, to love with his kind of love, a perfect, selfless and unconditional love.

By Mike Woodard
used by permission

February 14th is Valentine’s Day. We often think about romantic love but how about making the effort to expand the circle, fulfill your most important job… love everyone. The beginning might be to experience God’s love and forgiveness personally. This prayer might help you express your desire…

God I want to personally experience your love and forgiveness. I know I have lived independently of you. I want to invite you to come into my life to be the one who guides me and gives me eternal life. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Thank you that I can trust you to direct me and to give me the strength to be the kind of person you want me to be. Amen

If you prayed this to express your desire to God, he has heard you. You can be confident that he has responded to your faith and you can be confident that:

1.       God’s Spirit now lives inside you                 Revelations 3:20
2.       Your sins are forgiven                                   Colossians 1:13-14
3.       You are a child of God                                   John 1:12
4.       You received eternal life                              I John 5:11-13
5.       You will begin to experience God’s love and forgiveness in your life and relationshi

FURTHER READING

Love for a Lifetime by Karen Woodard

I Corinthians 13 ~ The Way of Love

Why is my Marriage in a State of Conflict?

Romance – Keeping it Alive

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“Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” Habakkuk 2:19-20

For a people consistently warned to turn away from their idols, the Israelites sure seemed to turn back them with annoying frequency. God unambiguously told them “Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:4) Yet time after time, “They worshiped idols, though the LORD had said, “You shall not do this.”” (2 Kings 17:12) This temptation remains for us today, which is why the apostle John warned us by saying “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21)

What makes idols so appealing? The words of God given to the prophet Habakkuk reveal one reason idols are so appealing to us: They don’t talk back.

Idols stand silent. We talk to them, and try to coax them into doing our bidding. All such idols are, of course, false: “[Idols] can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.” (1 Samuel 12:21) But we turn to them so frequently because we feel like we are in control of them. We get to do all the talking and don’t have to listen since they don’t talk back. And in our fallen state, we like to hear ourselves talk. We like to be in control, or at least pretend that we are. Idols never make requirements of us, never challenge us when we sin.

Consider money. Money never tells us what to do. We tell it what to do. This may be why Jesus spoke so often about money; not because it is intrinsically evil, but because it can become an egregious example of idolatry. We like it because we use it however we choose, and it never complains. It never talks back.

By contrast, the true God of scripture is revealed as the God who speaks. The Lord spoke the universe into creation (Genesis 1) and has continued speaking to us ever since. When the Lord of the universe speaks, what can we do except remain silent before Him: “The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” (Habakkuk 2:20) The God who speaks can be intimidating, for He who embodies truth, unlike idols, does make requirements of us, challenges us, and wants a loving relationship with his children. Perhaps that’s also part of the attraction of idols: God desires relationship with us, and relationships can at times be messy.

All idolatry is ultimately a form of self-worship: Turning away from the true God who speaks and is deserving of our worship, to mute idols who we falsely believe listen to our vain commands. Let us today recommit to choosing the living and true God who has redeemed us by his blood, and saves us from our sins by virtue of his grace. Let us reaffirm our desire to listen to the God who speaks, and cast aside all useless idols which dishonor our loving God. And let us pray to hear what God has to speak into our lives today.

Questions: Take time to identify which idol is most tempting for you: What is it? How can you seek God’s help to turn away from it?

by Darren Hewer
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Sample Prayers
Struggles, Despair
How to be Saved

The post Silent Before Him appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5b

Humble people seem to be blessed with pervasively portioned patience, peace, perseverance and unpretentiousness.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6

Humble people are also alert, affecting, attentive, affectionate, affable and not anxious.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5: 8-9

Humble people are strong, solid, steadfast, sincere, serving and unswerving.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:10-11

My prayer for us

Heavenly Father, please help us to not be anxious about anything. In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, we present our requests to you. We know that your peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. Philippians 4:6-7

By Alec Niemi
Used by Permission

RELATED READING

• He Honors the Humble
• Gentle and Humble  by Phil Ware
• Gentle and Humble  by Darren Hewer

The post To Humble Ourselves appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected and the God who gives peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8, 9b

I read a story about two bed-ridden men in a hospital room. Frank, a cheerful, positive man was in the bed by the window. Charles, who always saw the dark side of life, was on the other side of the room. The cheerful man would tell Charles about the birds he saw, the beautiful cloud formations and the clean white snow in winter. Frank painted such a beautiful picture that when he died, the gloomy man asked to be moved to the ‘window’ bed.

He was in for a surprise. When he was moved to the bed by the window, he discovered that all he could see was an outside hospital wall. Frank had used his imagination to see the beauty of life even though he was bed-ridden.

What do we see?

Our property has a beautiful landscaped back yard: a pond, a stream, large and small interesting trees, flowering shrubs, bird houses, several types of birds, green lawn and a cedar hedge surrounding our lot. We are surrounded by beauty.

Yet, for some reason, when I look out of our bedroom window each morning, my eyes tend to go straight to our neighbors dirty old shed. Why? When there is so much beauty, why do my eyes go to the ugly?

I don’t know why my eyes tend to see the ugly first, but I do know I can choose to turn my eyes from the ugly to the beautiful. I can choose to think about the good, kind things. I can choose to count my blessings rather than complain.

What do you see? What are you thinking about? You have a choice.

Father, thank you for the ability to choose what we think and what we see. Cause us to think about the beauty You have surrounded us with – even if it has to be only in our imagination. Amen.

By Katherine Kehler
used by permission

RELATED READING

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“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit”.  Jeremiah 17:7-8

Following after Jesus does not mean that Christians will never experience drought, desert times when the soul longs for green oases and overflowing wells. Weary from the pursuit of Saul, Shepherd King David cried out to God, “I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

But just as towels best absorb water when they are totally dry, so can our thirsty souls best absorb the water of life as we empty ourselves of sin and distractions, faithfully continue sitting in the presence of God, meditating on his words, awaiting the refreshing rain that will eventually come.

It’s easy to become preoccupied with the lack of spiritual moisture, to become “bothered by the heat and worried by long months of drought.” But we find comfort in the promise that even during these seemingly interminable times, God continues to produce fruit in and through us. A clue to living successfully through these times is given by David, “I will praise you as long as I live…with singing lips my mouth will praise you.” (Psalm 63) This is praise even in the desert, what one writer called the sacrifice of praise. A sacrifice accepted and honored by our Heavenly Father who knows best when to send rain.

Father, the drought seems long and the dryness deep. Help me endure by trusting in you, by claiming you as my hope and confidence.  Thank you, too, for producing fruit in and through me even when I don’t recognize the crop.

By Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

RELATED ARTICLES:  :

• Knowing Jesus Personally
• 30 Day Guide for New Believers
• How to have a “Quiet Time”
• What should be included in prayer?

The post Dry Towels and Thirsty Souls appeared first on Thoughts About God.

I read a devotion the other day on trusting God through the fog, the writer recounting a difficult drive down a foggy mountain road and trusting God to take her safely home.

I have not had that experience of driving down a foggy mountain road. And yet, recently…I created my own fog on a bright sunny day.

Nothing had changed. A blinding fog did not roll in and obscure my view. I just took my eyes off what God can do and let circumstances overwhelm me with doubt and fear. I was not a friend to myself. I was a saboteur of my own journey.

For a while I let a thick fog swirl around me and swallow up my hope and faith and pull me into a dark place where discouragement filled my heart.

We all have those days when praying, waiting, and working toward something are met with discouragement. We often find we derail our confidence in the Lord with our own weakness and wrong thinking because for a while we take our eyes off of Him and instead let a fog of doubt and worry surround us. The fog comes rolling in when I take my eyes off of the Lord.

It is a miserable place to be when we feel like we have lost our way and can’t find a clear solution.

There are multiple possibilities for our discouragement. Here are just a few:

• We become impatient because we have already waited a very long time for answers.
• We might convince ourselves we have asked for too much or too big and back down from our asking.
• We don’t see any signs of change in our difficult situation and hopelessness leads to great frustration.
• Our task looks too complicated to complete and we feel like giving up.

We will all go through discouragement when faced with the above type scenarios. But will we let discouragement rule our lives, or will we place our trust in God to work those things that we can’t comprehend? Will we remind ourselves how He has worked for our good in other difficult times?

When I realized that all the negativity I was experiencing was a product of my own doing and that my reasons for discouragement were based on feelings and emotions run amuck, the fog began to lift and clear thinking prevailed. I stood my ground with faith and trust and let the sun break through all the fog.

When my self-imposed fog lifted and I experienced the fresh air of hope and faith once more, I truly felt a wave of energy surge through my body, heart and soul. God’s indwelling spirit renewed me and I welcomed His faithfulness to me as His strength overcame my weakness and I felt strong and whole. The sky was blue again, the sun was shining and all fog had lifted away.

Isaiah 40:31”But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

By Kathy Cheek
Used by Permission

www.kathycheek.com

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