Accustomed to our blessings

Numbers 11:6 (ESV)

But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.

I am a big Keith Green fan. He sang a great song about the children of Israel in the wilderness complaining to Moses that they "Wannna go back to Egypt".

In our verse, God had been sending Manna from heaven to feed them. You would think that the Israelites would remain in awe of how God kept raining down this special heavenly delicacy that was able to feed thousands and thousands of people. But after a while it just became commonplace, even boring. Every morning they would witness God's miraculous provision right before their very eyes, yet they wanted something else, something better!

At times, even we can get accustomed to our blessings so quickly, can't we?!

Emerson said that if the stars came out only once a year, everybody would stay up all night to behold them. But we have seen the stars so often that we don't even bother to look anymore!

Let's be sure not to take God's provisions lightly though we see them on a daily basis!

Let's examine our hearts today, and purpose to appreciate the goodness of God's provision upon our lives. Truly, we are blessed and we thank you Lord for your goodness!

Dear Lord, help us not get accustom to the things around us. Help us always be thankful for the things You have done for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

What sounds are our ears trained to listen?

John 10:27 (ESV)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

An Indian was walking in downtown New York City alongside a resident friend. As they approached a busy street corner in the center of Manhattan, the Indian seized his friend's arm and whispered, "Wait. I hear a cricket." "Come on!", the city boy sneered, "This is downtown New York -- how could you possibly hear a cricket?" His friend persisted however, "No - seriously, I do!"

As cars were roaring, horns honking, people shouting, brakes screeching, cash registers clanging, subway clamoring and people bustling about, the Indian began leading his friend along slowly, every now and again stopping and turning his ear toward the seemingly noiseless sound. At last, the Indian insisted they were near and proceeded to follow the sound across the street and toward a small dark corner next to a graffiti covered wall. There, he bent down to a minuscule tuft of grass and pulled out the cricket. "I told, you", he said, "I heard a cricket."

Astounded, the New Yorker marveled "How could you have heard that cricket in the middle of all this noise?" "Well", said his foreign friend, "My ears are different from yours. It simply depends on what you're listening to. Here, let me show you what I mean." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change --a couple of quarters, three or four nickels, and a dime and a few pennies. "Now," he said, "watch this." He held the coins waist high and dropped them to the sidewalk. At once, every head within nearly a block turned around and looked in the direction of the Indian.

"You see, It all depends on what you're listening to."

To what sounds are our ears trained to listen? Are they trained to hear the sound of money, of gossip, of complaining, of worldly things or are they trained to hear the still small voice of the Most High, directing and advising us in the way we should go?

Let's ask the Lord to train our ears to hear the things of God today. We need to be listening for His direction in the hustle and bustle of this noisy and influential world or we will surely go astray!

Dear Lord, help us have our ears focused on You today. Help us be listening to Your words and not let the things of this world drawn You out. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

With His armor you will stand

Ephesians 6:10-12 (ESV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

It ought to be obvious to all of us believers that we are in a spiritual war that is taking place all over the earth -- and that we are called to fight in this battle. In the world's armies, soldiers are not sent into battle before receiving many months of serious training. They need to get physically in shape first and then to learn how to handle different wartime situations and tactics of the enemy.

For us, the moment we are saved, the Lord begins our training for the ongoing spiritual battle in this world. It begins with learning to trust Him for protection as young believers, and progresses through many phases even to the place where we may enter strenuous wrestling with principalities and powers, as the apostle Paul describes in these verses.

Are you struggling in your walk with God? If so, realize that He is training you. Born into war, you are both protected and also necessarily engaged in the battle. Thank God for His protection and His preparation. We need both as we mature and become more involved and useful soldiers for Him against the diverse strategies and tactics of the enemy.

The Lord's weapons are spiritual; they include a knowledge of the scriptures, the anointing of the Holy Spirit which increases with a devoted prayer life, the courage which comes only with deep trust, and His divine wisdom which reveals His strategy for our present situation.

Realizing that we are in a battle, we ought to reflect on and discover where our weaknesses are. We may already be aware of some of them, but the Lord will show us if we ask Him for more insight. Our part is to cooperate with His development and sharpening of our spiritual weapons. If we cooperate with Him He will always lead us in triumph. Our present trial is the battleground for our next victory.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the armor that You have for each of us. Help us take the time each day to put it on so we are ready for the things that will come our way. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Happy Fourth of July! May restoration begin with us!

Psalm 33:12 (ESV)

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

Throughout the United States today, everyone will be celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence -- a document through which leaders of the colonies in the New World broke free from the King of England.

The declaration begins: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

While revisionist historians are working hard to remove any trace of Christian/Biblical ideals from the foundations of America, today's celebration finds its basis in a foundational document which appeals to the authority of a Divine Creator, one whom most of the founding fathers fully believed to have been the author and main subject of the Holy Bible, and who was the guarantor of certain "inalienable rights". So the Fourth of July – more than just a celebration of independence, ought also to be a day which recognizes God's participation in the nation's birth.

The words found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 can be claimed and applied to any nation, but particularly one whose foundational documents and institutions have drawn their inspiration substantially from Biblical monotheism. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

If we truly want to see healing brought to our nation we need to claim the words found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

True restoration and healing only comes through true repentance and God's grace!  

Dear Lord, we thank You for blessing our nation. Today we pray that our nation would once again turn its heart back to You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Get our game on for the Lord

Luke 11:13 (ESV)

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

You've probably heard of tennis champion Boris Becker, but you may not know this. He had everything, talent, money, fame and every other worldly pleasure one could want, yet he still struggled with depression and frequent thoughts of suicide. "I had won Wimbledon twice before," he said, "once as the youngest player. I was rich. I had all the material possessions I needed ... It's the old song of movie stars and pop stars who commit suicide. They have everything, and yet they are so unhappy. I had no inner peace. I was a puppet on a string."

When we're not fully submitted to the Lord, we are puppets on a string in the hands of the enemy. We will never be satisfied. We will never have peace. We will never be accomplishing the purposes for which we were divinely created.

D.L. Moody said, "I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled."

Let's get our game on for the Lord today. Let's give our heart to Him yet again today.

Dear Lord, help us get in the game today. Help us empty our self of the things that get in the way of You working through us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Begin emptying ourselves today

Ephesians 3:16-19 (ESV)

16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

In a sermon I read by D.L. Moody he held up a glass and asked, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" Moody replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass." After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, took out a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed."

He used this simple demonstration to explain that living a victorious life is not accomplished by "sucking out a sin here and there," but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Later, he said, "I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled."

Let's begin emptying ourselves today! We need to be filled with God's Spirit so that we can be empowered to do great things! 

Dear Lord, we pray that we would empty our self of worldly things and be filled with the Holy Spirit. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Don't let things become commonplace

Psalm 111:4 (ESV)

He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;

the Lord is gracious and merciful.

A farmer was showing his visiting city dwelling friend around his farm. "Watch this!" he said. He gave a whistle and his little dog came running from the house, herded the cattle into the corral, then latched the gate with her paw. "Wow, that's some dog -- what's her name?" The forgetful farmer thought for a minute and then asked, "What do you call that red flower that smells good and has thorns on the stem?" "A rose?" "That's it!" The farmer turned to his wife. "Hey Rose, what do we call this dog?"

Funny how we forget things, isn't it? But I'm not so sure God finds it all that funny! When we read about the children of Israel and their journeys through the wilderness for forty years, we see how God provided wonderful miracles for them, feeding them daily with manna, guiding them by a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day, parting the Red Sea!

How is it, then, that they became so very hard hearted toward Him? Over time, I think those miracles just became commonplace and they began to take them for granted!

As we look back on our lives, we can't really blame them. It happens to the best of us! God has done miracles in our lives. But we still get anxious when things aren't going quite the way we hoped, don't we?

Recall a miracle of God in your life. Remember the joy you felt? We need to relive that joy today! The miracle of God's new birth in us and the many other miracles God has done are not ones to be quickly forgotten. We need to relive them daily!

We never want to become cold toward God! Let's spend some time remembering the miracles He has done in our lives and strive to trust Him for the trials we face today!

Dear Lord, help us always remember all that You do for us. Help us not that those things become commonplace. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.