All Things

I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 HCSB

If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities. Dale Carnegie*

Someone once told me that if you rush a miracle man that you get rotten miracles. I wouldn’t consider myself a miracle man, but I often feel rushed when called upon to produce something of extreme quality in a short amount of time with seemingly substandard materials. During those moments of anxiety, I’m often tempted to simply give up.

But then, in a moment of personal revelation, I remember that the Lord is with me. I remember how He saved Noah during a world wide flood, how He helped David conquer the giant warrior Goliath, and how He kept Daniel safe as he spent the night in a den filled with hungry lions. Finally, I remember how He has helped me through countless of other seemingly impossible situations.

Lord, as we’re faced with insurmountable challenges, help us to remember that You can help us do everything that needs to be done.

*thinkexist.com

Taste

Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8 HCSB

You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside. Oswald Chambers*

There’s a new frozen yogurt place in town. It’s a self-serve operation where you have multiple flavors to choose from. Recently, my wife Kathy and I visited and I filled my cup with strawberry and blueberry yogurt and then topped it off with fresh strawberries and blueberries. It was incredibly delicious. I was just about to purchase another cup when I saw the woman who soured my experience. She walked up to the first machine, stuck her finger up the nozzle so that it was covered in yogurt, licked her finger clean, and then repeated the process for each of the machines. Needless to say, it put a bad taste in my mouth towards that yogurt place, even though she was just another customer.

Sometimes, other Christians put a bad taste in our mouths regarding the Lord. When we finally turn our lives over to Him and experience His life changing salvation, we taste and see that He is good. As we continue to grow in Him, we often find ourselves enjoying His presence when suddenly, we are completely distracted by someone who is rude, selfish, condescending, hurtful, arrogant, or obnoxious. However, we shouldn’t let them interfere with our understanding of the Lord. He is holy. He is righteous. He is faithful. He is loving. He is awesome. He is good.

Lord, thank You for being so good. When the actions of others put a bad taste in our mouths, help us remember Your goodness.

*thinkexist.com

This Christmas

(I've been thinking about Christmas this morning. Here's a poem I once submitted for a greeting card. I hope that you like it.)

This Christmas,
I want to get up way too early in the morning
And watch excited children rip open their presents.

This Christmas,
I want to visit our crazy families
And eat enormous meals at crowded dinner tables.

This Christmas,
I want to sing carols with our old friends
And laugh at all their familiar stories and outdated jokes.

This Christmas,
I want to doze while watching the same old Christmas movies
And smile as we quote them line for line.

But this Christmas,
When everything else has been said and done,
I want to spend an hour with you,
Your hand in mine,
Enjoying the gift we have in each other.

I love you.

Merry Christmas

Essential

“He was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.’” Luke 11:1

“We must pray. Prayer is essential to our life, like breathing. Without it, we die.” Kyle Lake*

Isn’t it interesting that one of the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray? Here, the group of men who spent all day, every day, with Jesus, who had seen Him perform miracles of every kind and heard Him preach to thousands, made the simple request for Jesus to teach them how to pray. They did not ask for Him to teach them how to perform miracles. They did not ask for Him to teach them how to attract large crowds. They must have somehow understood that Jesus’ prayer life, His one on one communication with His heavenly Father, was essential for His supernatural power.

As you pray today, ask the Lord to help you strengthen your prayer life. Tell Him that you desire for your prayer life to be more vital and vibrant than it has ever been in the past.

*(re) Understanding Prayer, foreword

Words

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 HCSB

Live so that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip. Will Rogers*

Have you ever said something about someone to someone else because you knew the first someone would never know what you said to the second someone and even if the first someone found out what you said to the second someone they still wouldn’t know why you said it and what you really meant by saying it in the first place? Even trying to read the previous sentence is confusing because somewhere along the way, you get your “someones” confused.

God hears every word that comes out of our mouths and knows the thoughts we had about them before we say them. As much as we might try, there’s no possible way that we can sneak around Him and say something without Him knowing the content and the
intent. Therefore, we should try our best to please Him with the thoughts that we have and with the words that we say.

Lord, be pleased with my words and thoughts today.

*thinkexist.com

Field

The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. Luke 10:2 HCSB

My house is full, but my field is empty, who will go and work for me today? It seems my children all want to stay around my table, but no one wants to work in my field… Lanny Wolfe*

When I was eleven, my family moved to a farm in the country where I encountered real farm chores and consistent farm food for the first time in my life. I must confess that I was more enthusiastic about the food than I was the chores.

In the church, most of us enjoy the benefits of being a part of the family of God more than we desire to serve Him and His people. And when we come across a scripture like the one above, instructing us to pray that God would send out people to work for Him, we skip over that prayer because secretly we’re afraid that it might He might send us.

Lord, send out workers to minister and help us be willing if it is us that You call.

*My House Is Full

Skillful

Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music because he was skillful. 1 Chronicles 15:22 HCSB

Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives. William A. Foster*

When King David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, he instructed the leaders of the Levites to appoint from their relatives singers and instrumentalists to lead the musical worship. The primary worship leader of the Levites was named Chenaniah. He was selected to lead the people because he was skillful.

It’s interesting that Chenaniah wasn’t selected because he was handsome, friendly, well connected, or super spiritual. He was selected because he was skillful. When my home had severe plumbing problems, I called the best plumber in the area. When there’s a task to be accomplished that really matters, the best person for the job is someone who is skillful.

What skills do you have? How are you using them? What can you do to develop them?

Lord, thank You for the skills You have given us. Help us develop them in order to serve You better.

*thinkexist.com