Wait on God to Answer

“But God did not give Abraham any of this land, not even a foot of it. But God promised that in the future he would give Abraham this land for himself and for his children. This was before Abraham had any children.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭7:5‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Make sure you understand that when you trust in God, totally trust in God, you will not see the answers to all your prayers this side of heaven. Abraham lived in a tent while he was here on earth. The multitudes of descendants were not seen this side of heaven. Most of the things God promised him were in the future.

When we ask God to answer our prayers and he doesn’t answer it instantly, we get mad at God. We decide that he is not all powerful and all loving and all kind. Let’s pray and learn to wait like a grownup Christian. A baby Christian wants instant answers, instant understanding.

I want faith like Abraham. When God made promises, Abraham believed him. It was a settled issue. And he was willing to wait.

Humble Yourselves to Receive Wisdom

“Don’t fool yourselves. Whoever thinks they are wise in this world should become a fool. That’s the only way they can be wise.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I was talking to someone this week and I shared that the only times that Mark and I “get it right” is when we admit we are fools. If you are struggling with a situation with relationships, finances, jobs or whatever...the best thing to do is to cry out to God and tell him how foolish you are.

We have cried out to the Lord and told him that we do not know how to be a parent(even now with grown kids). We have cried out to the Lord and confessed that we do not know how to be a good spouse. We have told the Lord that we do not have wisdom to handle our money. We confessed to God that we do not know to lead our community group at church. The list goes on and on.

When we do this, he says, “Finally you realize that. Finally you are ready for me to lead you and give you the wisdom you need to turn things around.”

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He is waiting and looking for those of us who are running after him and depending on him and not ourselves. When he finds you on your knees, crying out to him, he is standing there ready to give you the wisdom you need. If you think you know it all, he will let you believe that.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
‭‭James‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Generosity Brings Joy

“These believers have been tested by great troubles, and they are very poor. But their great joy caused them to be very generous in their giving. I can tell you that they gave as much as they were able and even more than they could afford. No one told them to do this. It was their idea.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭8:2-3‬ ‭ERV‬‬

Does it surprise you that that the joyful givers were the community that had so much trouble and were very poor? Wow! Let that speak to your heart.

Go look through your abundance of stuff and decide you can give a lot of it away to some who is more needy than you. Get ready to feel the amazing feeling of joy that comes with generosity! 

Entitlement or Gratitude

“Every temptation speaks the language of entitlement.
The soul’s enemy has always hissed entitlement: “You deserve it.” And it’s turned out: Deciding you’re deserving, can lead to your destroying.” ~Ann Voskamp

I was reading this devotional this week and these thoughts stopped me in my tracks. I have two choices...my entitlement or my gratitude. When I think that God is not “making me happy,” it means that I do not have a heart of gratitude for all that he has done. I decide I want to make my own decisions and go down the wide, attractive road. The wide road always, always seems to be the best choice. But when I get further down that way, the consequences are not what I wanted.

The narrow road is harder but if I just have a thankful heart for all God has done for me and that I can trust him, the road has a surprising end. The rewards for choosing this narrow road are always good, maybe not immediately, but in time they will be very good.

Fight to Keep Our Faith

“We have to fight to keep our faith. Try as hard as you can to win that fight. Take hold of eternal life. It is the life you were chosen to have when you confessed your faith in Jesus—that wonderful truth that you spoke so openly and that so many people heard.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭ERV‬‬

I love this reminder that our Christian life is not easy. When you accept Christ, you enter a battle, a war. If you are not feeling like you are in a fight, then it may be a good time to examine your life. Think about this verse,
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If you look like and act like the world around you, then the devil is not messing with you. There is no battle to fight. This is not good!

For example, the world does not wake up and pray without ceasing. The world does not read the Bible. The world does not get involved a community of believers. The world has no problem with living together before marriage. That just becomes a personal preference, not a veering away from a biblical truth. The world has no problem with being jealous or greedy or selfish.

When I read that verse this morning, I was reminded that I am in a battle. Instead of resenting the battle and feeling like I am losing the battle so often, I think I will draw strength from the commander of the army.

“So Christ can save those who come to God through him. Christ can do this forever, because he always lives and is ready to help people when they come before God.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭7:25‬ ‭ERV‬‬

What a great promise to take hold of! Jesus lives to intercede and help us.

Heart At Peace

Our whole life can be thrown out of balance by the lack of “a heart at peace.” That, of course, is exactly what the devil wants. He pursues his evil goals in four ways: he makes accusations, stirs up animosity, floods us with anxiety, and pollutes our minds with garbage. But with God’s help, we can reclaim peace.~Jim Cymbala

Think about those four things. Did any of those things happen yesterday? Fight to reclaim that peace. Talk to the Lord today while you are reading your bible. 

Great Blessings

“Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God. Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night. So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream— a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1:1-3‬ ‭ERV‬‬

We read in Psalms 1 the simple promises of a full and blessed life following the Lord. Is there anyone who does not want a life of strength and blessings? Why are there so few who find this? In verse 2 the secret is to love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night!

Are you willing to pay the price to inherit this? To live with no regrets? To face the future without fear of what it holds? Begin today, January 1, 2019. Do not go another day without running after the Lord. Commit to read his word everyday. If you haven’t read the entire Bible from cover to cover, what are you waiting for?

I'm reading the @YouVersion plan 'Eat this Book: One Year Bible with Daily Psalm'. Check it out here:

Eat this Book: One Year Bible with Daily Psalm

1 Year

Following aspects of the traditional Jewish order in the Old Testament, this plan offers a sustainable reading pace, allowing you to experience first the Old Testament and then the New Testament in one year. Each day, you’ll explore an average of four chapters, and you’ll close your time in prayer by reading a Psalm.


Eat this Book: One Year Bible with Daily Psalm

Suggestion...invite someone to join you on this journey. You Version has the option to invite someone to hold you accountable. You will change your life and possibly someone else’s. Happy New Year! Praying that 2019 will be the most wonderful year of your entire life.