Wow, I Was Way Off!

2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Have you ever noticed that things are sometimes different than they appear?  The other day my wife and I were shopping for some furniture. We were making our rounds to the usual stores. Every place we went there were people with cardboard signs that read, "Girl Scout Cookies". I hung my head every time and passed by, because I don't need a cookie. After the first store we began to see a pattern. These girls were everywhere. Wow! Every store we pulled up at there they were. Waiting with their cute little faces. Trying to make me fatter. I said "No" so many times that I began to avoid going beside where they were. I didn't want a cookie and I didn't want to see another sign about do-si-do's! (which are out of this world good)

Finally, as I felt freedom from these small saleswomen guess what happened?  We pulled into the last shopping store parking lot and there... they... were. Four people with signs!  I looked at my wife, and she looked at me. We both, at the same time said, "Girl Scout Cookies!"  My eyes rolled, and my expression probably said it all. As we got closer to these folks the sign begins to get clearer. Believe it or not, it wasn't the scouts. I said, "What does that sign say?"  My wife replied, "It says Can We Pray For You?" I said, "NO WAY! REALLY?" Because of what I had seen all day long I jumped to a conclusion that it must be the same thing.  God really taught me a great lesson in that. I was way off. 

You see we are so very quick to categorize and classify people or things. When one preacher ruins it by their actions (or signs they hold up) all others are now judged by the signs they have already seen. Look at what we miss sometimes because we assume what people are. We guess at what they are selling. How can this be fixed?  Let's make sure of one thing! That our signs point to Jesus. Let's hold up the banner of our Lord!

Maybe this devotion has touched you in the area of how you view others, which is awesome. But maybe God is speaking to you about what you are trying to sell people. What would your sign say?  Either way, let Him speak to you. Love you all. 

Well, I Reckon

Romans 8:18

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

I just love the word of God. I love the language. Like our scripture this morning... "I reckon!"  The sufferings of this world are real and hurtful. Sometimes it may seem like we can't handle anything else. We suffer for being righteous. We suffer for being holy. We suffer for being a Christian. We also suffer in this world from just everyday struggles and heartaches. But when we count them all together, Paul says that he "reckons" it can't even compare to the glory of God. 

A few years ago my wife and I were going through a very tough time. Death had not knocked on our families door very much. Only my pawpaw had gone home to be with Jesus so far. But then out of the blue, death knocked. Not once, but twice. My wife's grandmother and my grandmother both went into the hospital about eight days apart. They stayed there for over one hundred and fifty days. Then crossed over the river of Jordan into the hands of God eleven days apart from each other. We were actually walking off of the fresh dirt of my wife's grandmothers funeral service when we got the call that my granny had another serious stroke. 

We were sitting in a revival meeting during this time period. I was not preaching but my family was singing. It was so difficult that night trying to sing. The sorrows seemed to be way too heavy. I didn't know how I was gonna make it, but then the preacher said something that got to me. He said, "When I'm down and out, I get down on my knees and pray". God begin to move in my heart and I wrote the words to this song...

When I get down, I just go down on my knees in prayer to Him

When I get low, I know I can go to the one who walked up Calvary's hill

When I am stressed, my heart is pressed inside that it seems there's no way out

I look all around and when I get down, I just go down

When I open the paper or turn on the news I can see this old world is dying fast

From murder to lying my souls starts crying Oh, God how long will this last?

I worry about loved ones and all of my friends, without faith they'll never win

But then I think of Jesus alone in the Garden, and I've learned this lesson from HIM!

You know what? I reckon that what happens here can't compare to what I have waiting there!  I reckon that it's gonna be worth it all. I reckon that God is working it for my good. You reckon?

Foundation Problems

Psalms 11:3

If the foundations be destroyed,

what can the righteous do?

Much damage and destruction can come from a foundation problem. Homes that have a foundation issue can cause problems within the whole structure. A poor foundation can cause the frame of the house to shift. Which then causes the sheathing and sheetrock to crack and buckle. The only way to fixed something like this is to fix the foundation. 

Cars or trucks that have damage to the frame, whether they are cracked or bent, can cause issues as well. You should not even drive a vehicle that has a bent and damaged frame. It would cause driving problems and could cause you to crash. 

In this same manner, when the spiritual foundations are crumbling we are in much danger. When dads are no longer spiritually stable in their walk, or moms are not spiritually sound in their labor our structure is in peril. 

God will you restore our trust in the one and only foundation that we are able to stand on, Jesus Christ? I pray this morning for my friends who are fathers. Help them Father to know that their standing is upon you. Remind them of their footing, their base, their structure in Christ. For the moms, please bind up the loose stones, quicken their mortar and hold up their pillars of faith. God bless and encourage those moms and help them to know their role and how important that they are. 

Finally, God, our marriages in America are falling and failing because of the foundation that people are building on. Satan has tried so hard, and still is at work today, to destroy our foundation. He doesn't attempt to destroy us above the foundation where we can obviously see him. No, he attacks us below the surface, at our foundation. Thank you that our foundation in Jesus is sure and secure. 

Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming

Psalms 126:1-3

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion,

we were like them that dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter,

and our tongue with singing:

then said they among the heathen,

The Lord hath done great things for them.

The Lord hath done great things for us;

whereof we are glad.

Isn't it great to see God move in your life?  Take time for a moment this morning to look at where you were without Him and see where you are today. Think of where you've walked in the Christian life and how He has been there all the time. Think of the struggles that came and you couldn't hardly breathe, but now you are able to breathe freely. Think of the fiery trials that you walked through, but because He was with you, today you still stand. 

I love it when we can look back and see where He has moved or walked with us. It causes me to laugh at times. Other times a song comes to our minds and out of our mouths in praise to Him. A sense of joy and peace comes over you because you have seen Him move. At times it's almost like a dream. Where we want to ask someone to pinch us and see if it's real. I say, "If I am dreaming, then don't wake me up". 

God is so good, God is so good,

God is so good, He's so good to me.

He answers prayer, He answers prayer,

He answers prayer, He's so good to me. 

I love Him so, I love Him so, 

I Love Him so, He's so good to me. 

I Needed That!

Luke 10:42

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Do you find it amazing that Martha invited Jesus into her house, and Mary invited Jesus into her heart?  Before you begin to put Martha down for her labor, don't ever forget that we must find time for it also. But look at what the scripture says about Mary. She has, "chosen that good part". 

Sometimes we forsake the "good things" in worship for entertainment or emotion. We will spend much preparation on notes (musical or message) and forsake the much needed time in prayer over the music and message. Often we focus on how people experience the services we hold instead of how Jesus is honored, glorified and concerned with our services. 

This morning, put the apron down. Put the work, emotions and formalities aside and fall before Him in prayer and worship. Take time to kneel before the King of all Kings!  Spend your morning enjoying and anticipating the day He has set aside for you. 

Take the time and chose that "good part". Because, just like Mary, the moments you spend before His feet can never be taken away from you. Maybe you'll get up saying... "Thank you Lord, I needed that". 

Waiting for the Sun to Shine

Mark 8:25

After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

There is nothing to me like waking up way before daylight... Eating a good breakfast at the gas station across the street where we will put in at Lake Guntersville... Unhooking the boat, putting the plug in, easing it into the water and pulling away from the shore. My fishing rods are all laid out and my plans on where to fish are going through my head with visions of bass jumping out of the water and into my boat. Then it happens...! 

I've pulled around the corner from my favorite launch site and entered into the main body of water only to find out that I can't see my hand in front of my face. The fog would be rolling down the river so thick that you couldn't see. It was crazy, and a bit scary. Remember now that I was still old school with no GPS in the boat. So I can't make heads or tails of where I'm at. I remember fishing with a friend once that asked where we were and I said, "The Lake". 

I have been so misplaced and confused before that I didn't know where I was. I would think to myself that the bank is around here somewhere. I would slow us down to an idle and we could hear boats roaring by us and not even see them (so that means they couldn't see us either). At times it was terrifying. 

But then what I waited on all morning happened. The sun begin to rise up higher and higher. The fog began to lift!  And all of the sudden I was 10 to 15 feet from the spot I had looked for all morning but I couldn't see it. 

When the fog of life, sin or confusion rolls in upon our lives it can be a scary and difficult time. We must be patient. We must listen for His words. We must slow down sometimes, even to an idle, so we don't cause anymore damage to our vessel and run aground. Then what we have waited on will happen. The SON will begin to rise higher and higher in our lives. Pushing the fog and confusion away. Then we will be able to see just how close we were to shore of rest. 

Somebody's Praying

Philemon 1:4
I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,

A few years back I had a woman in the church where I Pastor at to tell me something that still makes me smile to this day. She said, "Brother Steve, I can't do much anymore. I can't sing, cook, teach or anything like I used to be able to do. But I want you to know something." I asked her what it was and she said, "I pray for you everyday, and your beautiful little family." If you know me then you know I started crying.

Think about it. Someone who will take the time out of their lives, out of their own troubles or trials, just to pray for you. If it doesn't make you weep it should. One of the sad things about this is that many Christians today tell you that they are gonna pray for you but then end up forgetting about it or needing to pray for something of their own. Paul says that he was thankful and always prayed for this man, as well as many churches, everyday.

A few years had passed and this woman who told me and others this statement went home to be with the Lord. While we were attending a Pastor's conference one year I heard a song playing that I had not heard in sometime. Then the Pastor told us to join hands and pray for the one next to us on the right and left. This way everyone in the conference has been prayed for by name. The music was softly playing and then the man started singing...

Somebody's prayin' I can feel it. Somebody's prayin' for me.
Mighty hands are guiding me to protect me from what I can't see.
Lord I believe, Lord I believe, Somebody's prayin' for me.

Well then it started again... My tears begin to flow because I thought about this woman of God who told me she prayed for me.

How many times do we think that preaching, singing, evangelizing, youth rallies, revivals are the most important things that we need to be doing? We sometimes forget that prayer is the driving force behind all of these things. Prayer is not the last thing that we need to do, it's the first!

Right now, I have prayed for you. I want you to know something even greater than that though. When you finish the devotion go and read John Chapter 17 and you will see that even Jesus has prayed for you.