Hoping to Get Someone to Fall for You?

“When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.” Psalm 27:2

 

Evil men come in all shapes and sizes- and sexes as well.  The Lord has a way of using difficult people to refine us, to test our character and to show his handiwork in our lives.  I have found that as I progress through life, I meet these evil men in all spheres of my life- on the job; in the family; in the grocery store, in the church; at the ball field;  and yes, sometimes, in the mirror!

So, given that there is an epidemic of evil, hateful, mean or difficult people, what is a girl (or guy) to do?  In this passage, the Psalmist had the quiet confidence of knowing that the Lord would fight for him.  The Lord often works behind the scenes to defeat our enemy.  He can set spiritual ambushments against our enemies and cause them to turn on each other and defeat each other without us having to lift a finger to fight.

If we are endeavoring to walk upright before the Lord, following His Word and not sinning against our conscience, we can have confidence when we face attack.  Just imagine, if you will, your enemy tripping all over himself, unable to even advance against you.  We may never see it in the natural, but it doesn’t make it any less real.

Our average enemy is not holding a machine gun or hatchet, rather he or she is wielding a lying tongue or a vengeful spirit.  Or perhaps they are trying to weasel themselves into your job, or into your marriage.  Whatever the situation, we must recall that the flesh and blood people we see are never truly our enemy.  The devil is our enemy, but he uses other individuals to get to us.  As children of God, we must always remember that the person opposing us is also another human being, created in the image of God for his glory.  They have a soul and therefore, have inherent worth.  When we beseech the Lord to deal with our enemies, we must always recognize that he will be as merciful to them as he is to us. But never fear!  God is able to protect you and deal with them.  In fact, the more we hold to his ways, the more he fights on our behalf.  The battle is not yours.  The battle is the Lord’s!

Dear Lord, thank you for fighting for me.  Thank you that you cause me to triumph over my enemies and come away from their attacks unscathed.  Help me keep my heart pure. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

You Don’t Scare Me

“The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?”  Psalm 27:1

There are many situations that occur over a person’s lifespan that inspires fear.  We can have sudden fear when we lose visual contact with a toddler in a department store.  We can have months of agonizing fear as we go through uncertainty in medical testing, diagnosis or treatment.  We can experience life-long fears: the fear of heights, public speaking or an unrealistic fear of dogs or snakes.

Regardless of what you fear, things are always less frightening in the broad light of day.  When the sun is out and birds are singing, it has a way of putting everything into perspective.  Regardless of what fears you face today, begin to pray for the Lord to bring His light into the situation and grant you a new perspective.  If He is your Light, Salvation and Stronghold, what can man do to you?  He is the sovereign, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God.  (He is all powerful, ever present and all-knowing.)  There is nothing that you face that is beyond the gamut of his expertise.  You are God’s child and He loves you.  He watches over you tenderly, protecting you, blessing you and loving you through every moment of each day.  His watch care of you is all inclusive.  If we honestly grab hold of the truth that He loved us enough to die for us to be restored to him, it empowers us to trust Him with our lives. 

Dear Lord, thank you for being my light, my stronghold and my Savior.  Help me to look at life through a lens of faith, rather than through one of fear.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

An Effective Prayer Life

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”  Ephesians 6:18

 

As we conclude the series on the “Armor of God” it would almost seem like this verse is not a part of the armor.  But I once read a very interesting commentary that talked about how the Roman soldier would have different sized and shaped daggers in his arsenal to address different types of military needs.  Have you ever tried to do a job with the wrong size tool?  It is almost impossible. 

There are all kinds of prayer in existence.  As a well-armed Christian, we must have each type available as the need arises.  There is times that a prayer of petition- asking God for a specific request- is needed.  Other times it may be a prayer of intercession, where we stand in the gap for someone else and believe God to meet their need.  There are prayers of consecration and dedication when we turn our lives over to the Lord.  There are prayers of supplication, prayers of desperation and prayers of thanksgiving.  This list is by no means exhaustive.  But the point is apparent.  We need variety in our prayer life.  Just as a meal consisting of beans and rice meal after meal would be monotonous, praying the same type of prayer all the time is boring.

If you have become bored with your prayer life, why not try a different type of prayer?  Maybe read a psalm or one of Paul’s prayers and make it your own?  Let’s move beyond “God is great, God is good” or “Lord bless Mama and Daddy.”  These are good, but there is so much more out there for you.

Another suggestion is to pray for different needs on different days of the week.  For instance, you could pray on Monday for your church; Tuesday for your family; Wednesday for those who need healing; Thursday for your local government, state and national government, Friday for missionaries and Saturday for revival or an end times harvest.  Sunday could be a day to pray for souls to be saved in your church service or to intercede for the pastor.

Let’s challenge ourselves to grow in our prayer lives, praying prayers as big as the God we are praying to.

Dear Lord, show me where I am lacking in my prayer life.  Grant me a zeal and desire to be a prayer warrior.  Expand my prayer experiences and increase my desire to pray.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

Guard Your Weapon

“…and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.”  Ephesians 6:17

 

Much of the equipment we have described up to this point is defensive in nature.  But the sword of the spirit is our weapon of offense.  With it, we can wield power against our enemy and defeat all he tries to do.  The Bible, or Word of God, is the Christian’s sword. 

When Jesus was being tempted in the desert by Satan, His response to all Satan would say was “It is written…” and then he would go on to quote an applicable scripture to go with the temptation presented.  Likewise, we can wield our Sword as we quote Scripture over our situations.  Sick?  Quote the verse that says “By his stripes we are healed.”  Broke?  Quote the verse that says “My God is able to make all grace abound to you that in all things and at all times, having all that you need you will abound to every good work.”

A Christian must have their sword handy at all times, since we do not always know when we will have a skirmish with the enemy.  It is a good idea to keep your Bible physically with you.  But it is also critical that we hide the word of God in our hearts so that when we need to slay the enemy, we have the right sized sword for the right problem.

Dear Lord, help me to value your Word above all else.  Help me to keep it ever in my thoughts, and renew my mind. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Equipment Violation

“Take the helmet of salvation…”     Ephesians 6:17

 

If you’ve ever watched much football, you know that the helmet is the most essential piece of protective gear a player wears.  The helmet prevents the brain from injury that could easily end a player’s career- or life.

The helmet of salvation is just as essential.  When we walk in the truth of our salvation, it protects our minds and ears from what the enemy would speak to us.  It protects us when the enemy throws punches directly at the control center of our bodies.

The vast majority of warfare issues we face from our enemy are within the privacy of our own minds.  We are plagued with thoughts of condemnation, thinking that we are not good enough.  We are told God will never come through from us.  The enemy whispers that God will not bless us as he has others.  All of these “thought missiles” can be diffused with the helmet of salvation. 

If you are having problems with feeling saved or with your thoughts, I encourage you to get into the Bible and find out about this great gift of salvation you have received.  It will revolutionize your mind-set.

Dear Lord, thank you for your incomparable gift of salvation.  Help me to cling to all the things that Your Word says about me and all of the benefits contained in salvation.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Putting out the Enemy’s Fire

“In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”  Ephesians 6:16

 

Faith is an invaluable spiritual commodity.  By faith we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior.  By faith we believe all of the promises in the Bible.  By faith we pray to God, bringing our petitions and requests for healing, deliverance, direction and help to the Lord.  Faith is so powerful, that the Bible declares that “without faith it is impossible to please God.”  (Hebrews 11:6)

The Roman’s soldiers shield was believed to have been made by leather or animal hides and the night before a battle the soldiers would soak it in water to make it saturated to the point that it would extinguish the flaming arrows (arrows on fire) which some of their enemies would shoot at them. Additionally, the shields would be rubbed with oil to make it supple to glance blows off of it.  In the Bible, oil is often used as a type of the Holy Spirit.  When you put it all together, it is a powerful analogy.  Faith, bathed in the oil of the Holy Spirit, soaked by the washing of the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26) will turn away all the efforts of the enemy to destroy us with his arrows.

What kinds of arrows do you face today?  Is it unkind words that have been spoken about you?  Is it a negative prognosis that has been spoken over you?  Is it divorce or losing your job?  No matter what evil the enemy throws at you- you have a powerful defensive weapon at your disposal.  You can believe, standing in faith that God will defend you.

Dear Lord, help me to take up my shield of faith.  Help me to tend it with the oil of the Holy Spirit and the saturation with the water of the Word.  Thank you for giving me the authority to extinguish the darts of the enemy.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

The Shoes Make the Man… Or Woman

“…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”  Ephesians 6:15

 

Walking in the Word is the life that God expects of a Christian.  He expects us to read the Bible, accept it as truth and walk in its ways.  When we do that, we find great peace in our lives.  Walking out the Word of God does not make life easy, but it does make it simple in that we know how we are to handle various sins, temptations, situations and obstacles.  When we have the Word hidden in our hearts, it helps keep us from sinning against God.

Additionally, we are to be Jesus’ feet in this world, going forth and continuing the work that he began during His earthly ministry.  We are to tell the people the good news of the gospel, we are to go forth and compel them to come in, and as we do so, we find great peace.

When you consider the shoes of the Roman soldier to which Paul was most likely comparing the components of the Armor of God to, the shoes are quite noteworthy.  They had spikes in the bottom which allowed the soldier to have a good footing even on uneven ground.  They consisted of greaves that protected even the soldier’s legs.

When we have solid footing that is based on the never-changing foundation of the Word of God, we can step out with confidence and go wherever He leads.  We can go with peace.

Dear Lord, help me to walk in peace today.  Help me to ensure that my feet are fitted with the readiness that   comes from the gospel of peace.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

The Breastplate

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist with the breastplate of righteousness in place.”  Ephesians 6:14

 

Today’s devotional continues the thought from Friday.  The second part of this verse talks about having the breastplate of righteousness in place.  This means that our hearts are protected by having our hearts in right standing with God.  When we know our sins are forgiven, when there is nothing standing between us and God, we have so much more confidence to come to Him in prayer.

None of us are righteous.  We are only righteous when Christ justifies us and counts us as righteous because we are washed and standing “in Christ.”  But once we have received this great salvation, we must stand in our righteousness in Christ. That means we do not allow the enemy to beat us over the head because of wrong things we have done in the past. Having our breastplate in place means we do not even judge ourselves.  We keep the breastplate of righteousness in place by operating in what the Bible says about us and refusing to fall into sin.

When we compromise our standards and sin against the written Word, we are left susceptible to the arrows of the enemy.  We lay our breastplate aside and are vulnerable in the day of attack.  I encourage you today to check your heart and see if you have misplaced your righteousness by things you have done that you have not repented of, or if you are taking sins out from under the blood of Christ and remembering them against yourself.

Dear Lord, help me to stand in the righteousness you have freely given me.  I know that I am justified by your sacrifice and by nothing I have done on my own.  Forgive me for sinning against you and stepping out of your righteousness.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Love the Belt!

 

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…”  Ephesians 6:14a

 

Yesterday we talked about the importance of standing when we are facing an attack, while holding our ground in the Lord.  Today’s passage adds an important element to our understanding of the best way to stand.  It speaks of “the belt of truth.”  The belt of truth here is symbolic of the Bible, God’s Word to us.

 While we are standing, we must do so undergirded with the truth of the Word.  When you are standing and believing God to heal your body, the truth you have buckled around your waist is the knowledge that “by his stripes you were healed.”  (Isaiah 53:4-5)  When you are standing in belief about an outstanding bill you need to pay, the truth that must be around you is the knowledge that “My God shall supply all my need according to his riches in glory.”  (Philippians 4:19)  When you are standing while trying to forgive someone who has wronged you, the truth you need is the knowledge that “if we do not forgive others we cannot be forgiven.” (Matthew 6:15, paraphrase)

I am sure by now that you have the picture.  The type of truth we need to cling to varies according to the situation in which we find ourselves.  Notice that this truth is about the waist- at the center of the person.  We must let truth center us and provide the platform for our stand.

I have known of people before who take a stand on a platform not based in truth.  Perhaps they wanted a man or woman who was married and stood on verses that “if you ask anything in accordance with his will he hears you and you have what you ask of God.” (Paraphrase, I John 5:14-15)  That is not the correct application of truth and will not bear you up.  You cannot believe God to help someone else break a covenant and commit adultery.  That is why we must always look at passages of Scripture within the totality of the Word of God.  We must interpret Scripture with Scripture.  The balance to this example would be someone also knowing that the bible says “God hates divorce.” (Malachi 2:16)  And if “a man looks on a woman to lust, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28)

Whatever you are going through, I urge you to get into the Bible and found out what the Word says about that situation.  Once you have uncovered truth about your situation, buckle it about your waist and prepare to stand!

Dear Lord, help me to rightly divide the Word of God.  Help me to understand your truth and apply it correctly in my life that I may stand.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

I'm Done

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”  Ephesians 6:13

 

Once again, the scripture is stressing the importance of putting on the full armor of God.  This dressing for battle is imperative to ensure our well-being and safety in the “day of evil.”  This passage indicates that the day of evil will come.  We all face things; we all walk through dark places.  When our time of warfare is at hand, we must be clothed in the divine protection of God.

Additionally, we must stand our ground.  There are times that standing is the only thing that we can do.  There are obstacles that prevent us from making forward progress, but if we can just stand our ground, we are accomplishing much in the battle against our enemy.  Sometimes the only word you have to stand on is the last thing the Lord said to you.  Sometimes we face a “drought” of new leadings, encouragements or words- but when that happens we must stand on the last promise or direction we received.  There are times we may be unable to do great exploits for God, but if we can just hold on to the Lord and not lose our footing, we will achieve great victory.

The final part of this verse, the part about having “done everything, to stand,” is the part that gives me the most trouble.  I always feel like there is more that I should do.  This makes it difficult for me to know when it is time to do and when it is time to stand.   If you are like me, it is important that we learn to be led by the Spirit of God.  If there is nothing else in the Bible spelled out for us to do; and if we are not feeling a specific leading from God, then perhaps it is time to stand. 

Get on your armor, stand your ground, and prepare to see what God will do on your behalf!

Dear Lord, thank you for your Word which leads and guides me.  Help me to be strong during times of standing.  Help me to not lose focus on the truth that you have already won the battle.  In Jesus’ Name.   Amen.

Sherri

 

Who Did That?

 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  Ephesians 6:12

Your moody mate is not your problem.  Your unrealistic boss is not your enemy.  The rude cashier at the grocery store is not the reason for the irritation you are feeling.  They are all imposters- the real problem is the enemy of your soul and his hierarchy of unholy angels.

Satan knows that he is defeated by Jesus’ finished work on the cross.  Any time the devil sees a child of God, he is reminded that his judgment is sure.  He knows he will not win, but he desires to wreak havoc while he still has time.  He works in many ways to oppose us, confuse us, disappoint us and frustrate us.  But as we learned yesterday, we are not without protection; the whole armor of God is available to help us withstand all that he throws our way.

Life is full of difficult circumstances- and let’s be honest, difficult people.  But if we can keep our perspective and realize that although the enemy likes to work through people to thwart us, they are not ultimately our enemy.  When we realize that the struggles we are facing are more supernatural than natural, it helps put life in proper perspective.  We must look at life through the divine perspective.  We know that the enemy is at work, but Jesus has already defeated his every scheme and is now at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us!

Lord, help me to know who my enemy is, and to look at life from the perspective of Your Word.  Forgive me for the feelings I have toward those that appear to oppose me. Help me to remember that it is the working of my enemy, but that he will not prevail.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Dressed for the Occasion

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”  Ephesians 6:11

 

You have an enemy.  As a child of God, the devil has you in his cross-hairs.  He wants to destroy you- but you are not without protection.  God has given you a full armor.  A bullet-proof jacket, so to speak, that protects you from the enemy.  Aren’t you grateful that your Father lovingly supplies all that you need to live a secure and victorious life in Him?

In this passage we are commanded to put on the full armor of God.  That means that every bit of it is necessary if we want to be kept safe.  It also implies that it is our responsibility to put it on.  You must arm yourself because you will most certainly need to “take your stand” against the schemes Satan throws your way.  He is always scheming and working to get a foothold in the life of the believer, but he cannot succeed when we align ourselves with God’s plans and provision.

Seek the Lord today and ask if there are unprotected areas in your armor.  Begin to pray to be fully covered in His protection.

Dear Lord, please show me the areas that I am unprotected and uncovered.  Help me to line up my life with your Word and put on the full armor of God.  I thank you for your ample provision.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Power Up

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”  Ephesians 6:10

 

Do you consider yourself a strong person?  Do you feel that you are resilient, adaptable, courageous and stable? If you are like me, you are all those things until something happens and all of a sudden you are none of those things.

Strength of character is often best seen when we are going through incredible obstacles and circumstances that tax us.  But when I read this passage of Scripture, I find great cause for hope.  We are not supposed to strong within ourselves.  Our strength is to totally come from the Lord.  Our strength is to come in the Lord to be exact.  What does that mean?  It means that born again children of God now find their position in Christ.  In Him we live, move and have our being. (Acts 17:28).  Because we are in Him and He is in us, we can pull from His strength when we need it. 

Additionally we find that we are to be strong “in his mighty power.”  This part of the verse causes us to take stock of how powerful He is.  We know He rose from the dead.  We know He healed the sick, the blind the demon-possessed.  The resurrection power that worked in Him and through Him is the very same power that is available to us when we are in Him.  Because of this, we can expect to walk in victory and deliverance in our lives just as He did.  When we find that we are living powerless lives, we need to acknowledge our need of Him.  We need to choose to plug into our power source and once again walk in His strength.

Dear Lord, please help me to walk in the power of your might.  Help me to realize that it is not about me or my ability, but is only about You and Your strength.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 Sherri

The Prayer Differently Answered

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  II Corinthians 12:7

 

We have all been through times that the Lord did not answer our prayers in the way that we had hoped.  We have known the disappointment of a “no” or a “not yet” from the Lord.  When we go through these types of situations, it can be difficult to understand the way that the Lord is working.  Like the Apostle Paul, we may find that God is giving us the grace to walk through it rather than delivering us out of a situation.

But we must never short-change the answer of grace.  When God answers with grace, He is offering His power to overcome, His strength to stand, and assurance of His love and presence in our life.   So many times when we pray, we are blessed with just the answer we believe for.  But there are times we must be prepared to trust Him to know what is best for us.

Dear Lord, help me to stand in your grace today.  Help me to be satisfied and appreciative of the help you are offering.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

A Thorny Problem

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.”  II Corinthians 12:7

 

Do you have a thorn in the flesh- something that nags at you, aggravates you, impedes you and frustrates you?   Perhaps it is a person, a situation or a physical ailment.  Whatever your dilemma, we all know the feeling of having some pesky problem in our life that we cannot do anything about. 

Here the Apostle Paul is describing an area of aggravation that he was dealing with.  He attributed the problem to a need in his life to stay humble because of the revelations and visions that God was giving him.  Some people suppose it to be an eye condition, other believe it was some other physical ailment, or perhaps a tormenting demonic spirit.  Regardless of the actual culprit, there is a timeless lesson here.  The great Apostle, who penned 2/3 of the New Testament, had a problem that he could not pray away.  He had something in his life that he had to deal with on a regular basis.  It was something so horrific that he said it was “to torment him.”  Given that when he wrote passages about rejoicing in the Lord, he was standing in a jail cell rife with human excrement, if he says he was being tormented, I tend to believe him!

The first thing we must realize that although our situation hurts and we are unhappy in it, we are not alone.  People throughout the world are going through things just as bad, or worse, than we are.  We are all dealing with our own thorns.  It makes me look forward all the more to a time when we are with Jesus in heaven and will be granted ultimate relief from dealing with the mess of life.

Tomorrow we will look at how Paul dealt with his problem, but for now, just let it sink in that the fact that you are going through something does not mean that God has forgotten you or does not care.  If one of the “super apostles” who was used by God to heal others could struggle with issues, we can know that things such as this are a part of our human condition.  We do not have to feel abandoned in these situations, but rather, can cry out to God knowing that he cares just as much for us as he did Paul.

Dear Lord please help me with the thorns in the flesh that I deal with.  Please help me to trust in you and gain strength from you to stand through them.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Settling Your Account

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13

 

OK- so I know I talked about this passage of Scripture yesterday, but I just cannot move past it.  After I hit the publish button yesterday, the part about “to whom we must give account” leapt off the page at me.  So here we are again revisiting this sobering passage.

So much of the issues in this life feel like it is a matter between us and someone else- our boss, our spouse, our kids, the person who cuts us off in traffic.  But the truth of the matter is, no matter what I am doing, or who is involved, it is about me and God.  He is the one to whom I MUST give account.  Notice the imperative in that.  We do not get to opt in and out of giving an account, it is a must, and therefore will surely happen.  I will answer to him for my choices, my attitudes and my behaviors.  The why behind what I do?  It is all laid bare before Him.  Unvarnished, unembellished, the dirty rotten truth. 

Once the Lord gave me a beautiful “vision” of His grace and mercy.  I saw a person as being dressed in dirty, stained clothing.  The person in my vision wanted desperately to pull something clean on over the clothes.  But that would not do.  First, the dirty and stained garments must be removed.  At that moment, the person is naked and vulnerable before the Lord.  This is the part we often struggle with- being vulnerable and dependent.  We want to cover our shame and nakedness with something.   But then I saw the best part. Just like a toddler we take out of the bathtub and wrap in a large, warm and comfy towel, the Lord stands ready to “throw his mercy” over us.  He wants to remove the garments stained by sin, clean us up and put His robes of righteousness upon us.  Yes, we must face the naked truth.  Yes, it is all laid bare before Him.  Yes, we must give account.  But we could choose instead to have the precious, cleansing blood of Jesus applied.  That will cover and cleanse it all.

Dear Lord, I want to be clean inside and out.  Help me always be mindful of my need to give an account to you.  Help me to be willing to be vulnerable and clean.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

The Naked Truth

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”  Hebrews 4:13

 

How many people have done things under the cover of darkness, trying to hide their activities?  How many have crept around never perceiving that the spotlight of the Holy Spirit is always shining on us and there is no hiding?

Our actions, the secret desires, fantasies and motives of the heart are always laid bare before the King of King and the Lord of Lords.  He knows every thought, every secret, and every shameful mistake.  We will never fool God, distract God, or hide anything from His all-knowing eyes.

Perhaps this knowledge frightens and intimidates you.  If so, I have some very good news for you!  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrigheousness.” (I John 1:9) Once we confess, He wipes it clean.  He covers us in His pure, atoning blood.  Then He erases the remembrance of our sin from His mind, never to be remembered against us again.  Why do we hide something from him, when He is willing and able to take care of it for us?

We often think we are clever, but in the eyes of God we are like the little toddler who stands before his mother with chocolate all over his face, hands and shirt and says “No, mama, I didn’t eat the frosting.”  He sees right through our lies, shakes His head, and extends His arms to us.  He always has arms wide open ready to clean us up, forgive us and love on us.

If you have things that you are hiding from God, today is a reality check for you- He sees.  He sees all of it.  But He wants to forgive you.

Dear Lord, I am sorry for attempting to hide things from you.  I am sorry for the things I hold back for myself- and from you.  Please cleanse me.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

My Word!

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

The Word of God, the Bible, is the only truly “living” book.  It is a timeless book, having stood the test of the ages.  It has been proven true by historical documentation, but more importantly, by the lives that have been radically changed by it.

Satan, the enemy of your soul, knows that this Book leads to life and victory in Jesus Christ; thus, he does everything he can to keep people from reading the Word of God and following it.  That is why our culture is in such danger of falling away from truth.  We have removed the Bible from schools, social settings and the workplace.  We have to return to the absolute truth of the Word of God for matters of faith and practice.

The Bible is not only living- but active, sharp and powerful.  Declaring the Word of God over situations in your life can cause the situations to actually change.  The Bible renews our hearts and minds. It guides us in the path we should walk in.  It cries warnings to us when we are engaging in activities that are damaging to our soul. 

Perhaps like me, you often find your life too busy to spend a lot of time in the Word of God.  This is a lie propagated by the enemy and we cannot afford to let the Bible lose first place in our lives.  We must read the Word, study the Word, and meditate upon the Word.  As we do, we will see a change not only in our hearts and behaviors, but in our circumstances as well.

Dear Lord, thank you for loving me enough to leave your Word for me to follow.  Forgive me for treating the privilege lightly.  Help me to be a person of the Word.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

What Do I Have to do to Get Some Rest?

“There remains, then a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.”  Hebrews 4:9-10

 

The Sabbath rest is just about unheard of these days.  Even those of us who take time out of our busy schedules to worship on the Lord’s Day, often cram church in between other hectic activities.  And yet, God instituted a day of rest for man’s benefit.  We need that kind of rest.  After God created everything in six days, hH rested on the Sabbath, setting an example for us.

This Sabbath day of rest does include setting aside a day for worship and rest.  But more than that, these verses speak powerfully about us entering God’s rest and resting from our own work.  There are many things in my life that I “work at” on a regular basis.  And truly, God expects Christians to have a good work ethic.  But he has never been impressed with us relying on our works.  We must pray and commit things into His hands, complete our responsibility in the situation, and then we can enter into a “rest” as we trust Him with the results.

You may be asking what that looks like in real life.  Let’s say you believe God to save an unbelieving spouse.  You pray for your spouse, you stand on the promises in God’s Word about the salvation of your family.  You live a Godly witness in front of that spouse, you invite them to church with you and when possible, you witness gently to them about what God has done for you, or share that you are praying for the Lord to help them in the areas they need a touch.  Then you close your mouth, and enter God’s rest.  An unbelieving mate will never be won by nagging and beating them over the head with your Bible. 

This principle applies in many ways across our life.  After we have done everything we know to do, we can rest in Him, knowing He is working out the parts that we cannot touch.

Dear Lord, thank you for offering a rest for your people.  Help me to respect the things that you design for my benefit.  Help me to rest from trusting in myself and to cease from stress and anxiety as I wait on you.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Rescued and Reassigned

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.”  Colossians 1:13

 

Have you ever needed to be rescued?  I am so grateful that God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness. Before we came to Christ, we were all bound and held captive by a sin nature.  We had a desire to do wrong.  Even if we came to Christ at a young age, the darkness was still an issue.  Those of us who came to saving knowledge of Jesus at an older age are probably more aware of the power that darkness had over our lives.  Either way, his rescue of us was nothing short of miraculous.

If he had done nothing but rescue us, that would be just a beautiful thing.  But He always goes so much further.  He rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.  These are powerful prepositions because it shows a change of placement for us.  We were reassigned from darkness and brought into the kingdom of Jesus.- a kingdom of light and love.

Today, take a little time and reflect what you have been saved from and all of the blessings you have been brought into.  Doing this helps keep us focused on the fact that it all occurred by His action and never through our own.

Thank you Lord, for rescuing me.  Thank you for taking me up and making me your own.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

This Isn’t Your Fight

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Exodus 14:14

 

This is a very familiar passage of Scripture occurring right before the dramatic miracle of the parting of the Red Sea.  We all love this passage because we know what’s coming!  This account is one of the most exciting of our Sunday School lessons.  But for just a moment imagine you are living in the moment and have never read the happy ending.  You have been in captivity.  Your captors are using you mercilessly for slave labor.  God sends a man to rescue you but all that happens after that is that you get more work to do with even less resources.  Finally, you are allowed to leave.  You and your entire nation are walking out en masse.  Imagine the thrill of deliverance, the excitement, the rejoicing in the Lord…

Now look up from your celebration and behold- your enemy is coming after you with an army. The very ones who oppressed you, taunted you, possibly beat you, are now advancing with horses and chariots. You know what awaits you if they overtake you.  And now what is your recourse?  You have a known murderer telling you: “Don’t worry about it. God will fight for you.  Just be still.” (My paraphrase.)  Does the prospect of standing still, while an angry mob pursues you, sound like a good idea on any level?

Now fast forward to 2012.  What enemies are advancing on you?  A need to pay the house payment?  The restoration of a relationship?  A need for healing?  There is so much we can learn from the Scripture today.  First of all, realize that the Egyptian’s enemy was just as real as the things you face today.  Secondly, they too had a history of being overtaken by their enemy.  Thirdly, it took the heat of the battle for God to release His miracle into their lives.  No matter what you are facing, God is just as big, just as powerful, just as mindful, and just as ready to defend you.

There are times God tells us to do things to help ourselves.  But there are also the times of the miraculous when God asks us to simply stand by and see what He will do on our behalf.  Sometimes being still and trusting is even harder than grabbing a sword and fighting.  But God will not share His glory with anyone.  So do not be a hero when God wants you to just be a believer

Dear Lord, show me when to fight and when to stand.  Increase my faith to believe you will do all that you promise.  Thank you for fighting for me.  What lavish love you give me!  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri