Month: April 2020

Eyes on God!

April 30, 2020

Word of the day: 16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer. Judges 10:16 NIV

Verses 11:16 can be a reminder to ourselves to stick to God daily. When things are good, stick with him. We often run off without him and not stay focused on him. Keep your eyes on him. When Joshua and Eleazar died, they wanted to share an important message. The fundamentals to have faith in God. Make wise choices; follow him, not other Gods. We can’t worship properly with sins and rebellion sitting in front of us. We can’t shackle up with the devil and expect God to pay the rent. Choose God to receive a covenant with him. The purpose is to step away for hostile practices around us that interfere with God’s plan. Do not do it alone; have accountability friends. Stay in the word, my friends. We have to stay informed about COVID19, and as scary as that can be, we stay educated so we can protect ourselves and stay encouraged because we are listening, not disobeying. Same thing with God. Stay equipped with the word, and you will be encouraged, and your faith will grow! Prevent issues in the long run by sticking with God. Throughout time, God shows us sympathy regardless of our situations. True love for all of us. See Isaiah 63:9. But God can only judge us; he is the only one that can punish. We do not punish others. When he hears our cries, he doesn’t look at us as we should only get the judgment. He sees our situations with love and gives us tough love to learn from our mistakes—what an amazing God.

Father, thank you for our fellowship. I pray we can stick to you, even when times are good. We have a hard time staying close to you when the weather is good. I pray we can stay disciplined and wise to focus on you every day. Thank you for your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Forward

April 29, 2020

Word of the day: 4 Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it. Judges 8:4 NIV

The word that stands out to me is the word “exhausted.” After a hard day work, a project that you worked on, an entrepreneur working all day and night trying to build his or her dream. Gideon and his men were exhausted but still managed to keep up to the Jordan and cross it. It takes a real man and a real woman to lead a group. We never know the anticipation that is ahead of us. As a leader, you do not see what lies ahead. As Pastors and other leaders of the church work hard to pursue other hearts to reach for Jesus, they do not know what to expect. They can get sick; an emergency comes up; they can’t see what is ahead. Thank your leaders and Pastors. Pray for them as they continue to lead to a community they do not know what lies ahead of them.

Father, thank you for our fellowship. Thank you for our Pastors and other leaders for leading us as the church reaches out to communities to serve. Thank you for their dedication. There is a reason why you picked them. Their skills, work ethic, each have a special gift. We give them thanks and love. We love you. Thank you for your unconditional love. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Special thank you to my Pastors. Pastor John and Danielle Freed, Pastors Scott and Elizabeth Rhyno, Pastor Laura Walls, Pastor Paige Johnson, and Pastor Claire Ellis. Each of these Pastors works hard to provide resources, teach, and reach out. Their work is visible. Thank you!

Go! Go! Go!

April 28, 2020

Word of the day: 9 During that night, the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the field with your servant Purah. Judges 7:9-10 NIV

Has God given you instructions on what to do and then said that he is going to leave everything in your hands? How do you take that? Would you be afraid? Well, don’t be. God does not want us to be uncomfortable or confused by how he is planning for your success. By staying encouraged will be the reason you continue to trust in him. Certain things may come up that don’t go your way, it is unexpected, and that is understandable. Do not give in or give up because it is not going your route or unexpectedly made twists and turns. Stay faithful to him, and you will see things fall into place. For God to lead you where he needs to guide you, remind yourself that he removes things and people for that reason alone. Today and every day, stay the course.

Father, thank you for our fellowship. I pray today for uncertain situations for us. I pray we remember your love and wisdom. It is tough knowing we don’t know where we are going, but continuing to put our faith and courage to you can come a long way. Thank you for your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Unfit

April 27, 2020

Word of the day: 15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” Judges 6:15 NLT

Take a moment and think back into a time where God asked you to start something, and you didn’t. In today’s verse, God told Gideon that he would supply all his needs. You can’t make excuses when God asks you to do something. You will have everything. Trust and believe. Just like Gideon, you may feel unfit for what God is asking of you. When he says, you are fit, precisely, that’s what it is. You are qualified for what God asks you. Jeremiah felt the same way in Jeremiah 1:6. God wanted Jeremiah to be a prophet. Jeremiah thought he was unfit when it wasn’t. God prepared him in ways Jeremiah didn’t know. You can’t be unfit if God told you to do it. Here is an essential piece of information I have to share. When you don’t want to abide by God, then you are not becoming the man or woman of God required out of you. Saul did this in 1 Samuel. He was selfish. He didn’t want the responsibility God gave him, so he didn’t take responsibility for his actions; he became arrogant, his insecurity grew, and became jealous impulsiveness man and deceitful. How do you want to be to God today? We have doubts about ourselves. Remind yourself to go to trusted friends in Christ. They listen to God, and they can give you the best advice about things you don’t believe you can do. Your trusted friends can also encourage you to do it.

Father, thank you for our fellowship. Today, trust in you, doubt, is becoming a growing issue. I pray today that we can be more encouraged for what you ask out of us. If it is someone not in faith, I pray we can work to correct that issue. Thank you for your love. We give you praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Deliverer

April 26, 2020

Word of the day: 9 But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz. Judges 3:9 NLT

Let’s learn about Othniel is a brief introduction. He was the second judge of Israel. He is a man of direct action, more like a frontline leader. Think about that for a second, frontline leader. That is so rare now and days. He is like our healthcare workers that are fighting COVID-19. You don’t get many of those. He was left-handed, and that is something that most saw as a weakness but did great work for God, and he also led the revolt against Moabite domination, which gave Israel 80 years of peace.
Let’s dive into today’s verse. Othniel is a lifesaver, known as “deliverer.” We discussed yesterday why God takes people out of your life. So he can replace them with people that you need that will make you go in the right direction. Othniel freed them from oppression. He delivered Israelites from its enemies, which is why Jesus saved us from our sins, which is our biggest opponents of life. So here is the issue. After doing all this saving and providing excellent leadership, what happened to the Israelites? They fell back into their old ways and crashed. We wait until we get desperate before we call on him. Why can’t we depend on him when the situation first arise? What reason did you have to turn away from him in the first place? Please, take a moment and think about that. It’s important to note that regardless of how we don’t listen to God, he is always taking notes on all our cries. He can simply ignore us for not listening to him, but this shows his unconditional love for us. He is a rescuer for that. Is he for you?
Father, thank you for our fellowship. I pray that we can take time to thank you even though we don’t listen. You recognize that we are not perfect, and you still love us. I pray today for us to understand how much of a rescuer you are to us. Thank you for your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
References NIV
Judges 1:13, 3:15, 6:6-7, 10:10
Psalm 106:44

Looking Backwards

April 25, 2020

Word of the day: 16 Then the Lord raised judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. Judges 2:16-17 NIV

What annoys our good Lord is that he saves you from something, but then some people go right back to what he saved you from before. That is the focus of today’s verse. When he pulls us away from the person that keeps running away, don’t chase, listen to that. Cherish that person running because God is saving you. That person can be a bad influence on you. Don’t keep chasing that person. You waste your life when you don’t listen to God. You become rebellious. It is one thing to love others, but it is another to worship them, sexually or otherwise. That is an example of worshipping other gods. We love to love others, not be wicked with them. If God removes someone from your life, let it be. I am sure he removed a lot of people from your life, and it got you confused. It is not confusing God because he knows what he is doing. Take time today to go back and thank God for removing those that were not worth being in your life.
Father, thank you for today. We are thankful for removing those from our lives to prevent being hurt and often. We may never understand or not understand during that time, but it is for our good. Thank you for your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
References:
Acts 13:20
Psalm 106:43
Exodus 34:15 v. 7

Serving Choice

April 24, 2020

Word of the day: 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 NIV

It is time for me to be honest again, being vulnerable. I confess, during this time of studying, I took shortcuts and is lazy when it comes down to doing devotions. I prayed a lot about this over time. Taking shortcuts is wrong when doing devotionals. I had to apologize to God for doing alternatives to make it quick for me to work on other things. And I apologize to all of you for taking quick routes. My explanation the other day is I am feeling disconnected from God; this can be a good reason why I am not connected. I feel more in touch today than ever.

This conversation leads right into today’s verse. How much control do you let others have when you are serving God? Are you afraid to show your love to God to others or how you worship God? Hebrews 3:6 reminds us that as believers, we can be courageous to the end. Why hide? If we don’t have this courage, we can be taken back by sins, temptations, false teachings, and persecution. Stay courageous with God. Judges 6:10, “I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not listened to me.”

Just like marriage, you are committed to one person, that is your spouse. No different from God. It’s not good to worship other Gods that have different beliefs. Ruth 1:16, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” What is your commitment level with God? If some people don’t believe in God, and these are your best friends, which commitment is better? The last one, 1 Kings 18:21, “Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions?” If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” Friends, that are non-believers or God? Which one? Elijah was challenging the people to take a stand in belief. Today, I challenge you to decide which way you will go. Are you going to be today’s verse and that as for me and my household, we will always serve the Lord?

Father, thank you for today. Freedom of choice arises in a lot of people that do not know you. I pray for people’s decision that it will be wise. I pray it is not about egos, but it is about opening ears. Thank you for your love and our time of fellowship. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Deserted

April 23, 2020

Word of the day: 3 For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Joshua 22:3 NIV

Let’s talk about deserted. Do you have any stories? Think about your situations and how you grew from that. In today’s verse, to me, talk about a group of people being there for each other to make sure God’s work carried out. By our sins, addictions, the love of different things other than God, he is deserted every single day. Let’s be helpful to others. It’s not fun being on your own. We do not live life alone; we live it together. If we live life on our own, we will be in our separate world without others. God has more to be upset about being deserted. Learn how to keep God and follow him.

Father, thank you for today. I pray for people that are alone that are suffering and that never learned from being deserted. I ask you will be with them and let the right people be there to help them through hard times. Thank you for our fellowship. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Providing

April 22, 2020

Word of the day: 4 When they flee to one of these cities, they stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. Joshua 20:4 NIV

I have to be vulnerable to everyone. I am not perfect, and you all should know this. I feel disconnected from God. I honestly do not have an honest answer to why I believe I disengaged from him. The last couple of days has been hard doing these. I am praying to hear from him and to have knowledge.

With this in mind, which describes you the best? Forgiving or seeking revenge? If you saw someone who mistreated you on the street struggling, how do you respond to that? Do you pretend to you don’t see them? You see them and ignore them? Or do you decided to be helpful to them although you don’t want to help? I will be honest and probably do the first two. But there is a way to think about this. Put yourself, including me in their shoes. If you lost everything and needed help, but someone you know didn’t like you know that you needed help, would you want them to respond to you by helping? Would you want to have that karma with you based on the decision you made? How would you treat someone if they were on trial for murder? Their life is in your hands. Would you want to listen, hear the story? Forgiveness is everything in this world. Not enough of it goes around. Make a friend; we all make mistakes. People can change if we set the way for them to change. Prison ministries help prisoners find Jesus again. It’s possible, not impossible.

Father, thank you for today. I pray for forgiveness. We don’t protect those that need forgiveness. We don’t protect friends that need help when they need it. Some people do it to gain something out of it. I pray for 100% help and being grateful for doing it. Thank you for our fellowship. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Battles

April 21, 2020

Word of the day: 17 But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—”You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment 18 but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out.” Joshua 17:17-18 NIV

Not with the pandemic, there is panic. But I am talking about in your life. I can use this pandemic, but I can’t do that. Fighting an invisible virus can be difficult, but this is more on a personal note. In verse 16, the people of Joseph were afraid of the Canaanites who have chariots filled with iron. Here is the reality, most people do not realize the power of God when we have to go into a battle we face. Deuteronomy 20:1 says, “When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army higher than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. I remember the story of David and Goliath. God is bigger, Goliath was more prominent, but David was smaller. We can not go into battle with little confidence. Be wise, follow precautions, be knowledgeable, but don’t be stupid. Do not find an excuse to get away from your problems. God is preparing you for your battles. Be thankful for what can do for you.

Father, thank you for today. I pray for all of us as we prepare for battle: the pandemic, or our struggles. I pray we will be wise, knowledgeable, but not stupid. You are more significant than our issues. I pray we can turn to you. Thank you for our fellowship. In Jesus’ name. Amen!