Encouragement

On September 30, 2024   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 46: 10

God is our refuge and strength, a very ready help in trouble.

Hurricane Helene blasted through the eastern US this past week leaving devastation in its wake. That is not hyperbole. The pictures of the aftermath reveal only part of the story, but certainly enough that we realize the very real need for a strong refuge.

This storm made victims out of millions of people. Some of those people do not know God, the Father and Jesus, our savior. They don’t know the Lord who is a very real and ready help in the time of trouble. For many people, God is not a present God. He is either a theory or a fiction. We know differently. He is alive and here. He is ready to help us in our time of need. Therefore, today’s Word of the Day has two purposes. First, it is meant as an encouragement for all those who have been adversely affected by the storm and secondly, as a call to prayer to the rest of us, to those who know that God is on hand.

Salvation is a big word. We usually think of it in an end of times or end of life context. Through the eyes of Helene, we see salvation’s meaning in its larger manifestation. People need His saving touch in many ways: in their finances, housing, communications, their towns, streets, etc. The encouraging word is that God has salvation in His hands for all those things and more. His saving grace touches every aspect of life. Moreover, it is available to all. Just ask for it, whether for yourself and your family or for others. He is the help that millions of people need right now.

God is that refuge we can run into. In the shelter of God, there is comfort and peace. I believe there are many people who need peace and comfort now. We should let people know that God can impact more than just emotions though. While I believe comfort is very important right now and should not be minimalized, it is also important to let people know that Yahweh is a practical God. By that I mean that He is able to help with the financial and logistical issues facing the eastern US. I am reminded of the great Exodus in which God secured Israel’s release from slavery in Egypt. Liberation was the driving force, but God did not send them out as destitute vagabonds. They left with gold from the Egyptians. That has always amazed me but that shows how God thinks and how He addresses problems.

A great swath of the country has certainly been impacted by Hurricane Helene, yet in the aftermath, we can find God and help others find Him. Maybe some people just need more of Him or a larger version of Him in their lives. Perhaps others need Him to hover close. Still others may find His strength and encouragement for the first time in their lives. Regardless of what each impacted person and business needs, I pray that everyone embraces God and finds the love, compassion, comfort and simple practicality they need in these trying times. While the flood waters recede, I pray that new found relationships and closeness with God never will.

Please join me in praying for the victims of Hurricane Helene

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Shhhh!

On May 14, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 62: 1

I wait quietly before God.

This passage brings to mind Psalm 46: 10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” This is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Be still? You’ve gotta be kidding me! The only time I am still, I am either asleep or engrossed in a TV show. Truth be told, my mind isn’t always still even if my body is. God can, and does, speak through our dreams and sometimes I think that is the only way He can get through. Now I am supposed to wait quietly before God?

One of the most important spiritual lessons I had to learn was how to be quiet physically, mentally and even spiritually. I learned to use my breath to slow myself down, that and personal guided meditation. I picture myself sitting beside a creek in the mountains with Jesus. He is never overly excited or rushed. Just looking at him brings a sense of calm.

We all need to learn this valuable lesson. I find it easier to wait quietly in God’s presence outdoors. Some people might like a hot bath. Location and environment can aid us in quieting ourselves to listen to God. When we wait quietly before God, our lives improve, and our spiritual lives develop. We can hear God’s voice in the quiet and sense His presence much more easily. No one likes waiting but it does pay huge dividends in this situation. Be still and know God. Wait quietly before Him. Let your mind be at ease, and let tranquility rule your body and spirit. Let God show Himself to you.

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Be Still my Heart

On May 5, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 46: 10       NIV

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

It is always fascinating to me when two ideas or projects I am working on come together. It seems to be a confirmation that I am on the right track. That happened to me this week.

I have been ministering on this verse from Psalm 46. I am also reading a book on Moses. Interestingly, the two have come together. The author wrote these words, “That voice still speaks to those whose hearts are hushed to hear . . . and seeking hearts that are still enough from their own plans and activities to listen” (Meyer, Moses: Servant of God, Whitaker House, 1909, 2014, p. 42 – 43). One of the most central aspects to hearing God speak is stillness.

We live in a busy world, finding ourselves going this way and that. We get a lot done and our lives are filled with richness and diversity. Unfortunately, that busyness can also conspire to inhibit our time with the Lord. My own experience was that even when I took a few minutes to sit down and commune with God, I was so keyed up that I could not hear Him. Both physically and mentally I was like a metronome, in constant motion. It, literally, took an act of God to teach me how to slow down so that I could come to know Him as God in my life. And that is the point of this, letting God show Himself as God.

I believe in praying at all times. For example, I like to pray while I am driving, pumping gas and riding my bike. However, communion with God also requires those quiet times; times completely devoted to visiting with Him. That, I believe, is where it becomes hard for many of us. It is hard to set aside quiet time to be with the Lord. There are so many things vying for your time and hard to find time alone. And then even when you do find the time, perhaps the pressures of your schedule and task list invade your stillness making it difficult, if not impossible, to hear the voice of God.

If being still is a challenge for you, if you have a hard time hearing God, contact me and let’s get that worked out in your life so that you routinely hear the voice of your Father.

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Force vs. Force

On October 23, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Matthew 26: 51 – 52

And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.”

I want to tell you a little story today. It seems these days, some of my best moments come when I am riding my bike. Recently, on the night before a scheduled bike ride, I invited God to go on the ride with me the following day. On the day of the ride, I was riding along not thinking about anything. It was a beautiful day and if I was thinking of anything it was just about my legs going around. All of a sudden, I heard this thought go through my mind, “Counter force with reason, not force.” What? I knew it was Father, but I wasn’t thinking about anything this related to. I got the sense, though, that this was meant for a Word of the Day even if I wasn’t sure why. So, I said to the Father, “Well, if the Word of the Day is your intention, I will need a scripture.” Immediately, the event from today’s passage came to mind.

The soldiers went to arrest Jesus. Peter instantly countered force with force, but Jesus directed him to put away his sword. Then Jesus gave an interesting piece of wisdom. If you live by the sword, you die by the sword. This is applicable to more than wartime. This is a way of thinking. Ancient wisdom suggested a different, less forceful response. Father was saying to me, counter force with reason, not more force. I had about 20 miles to ponder this thought.

In the United States, we tend to apply force as a means to resolve a problem. I remember growing up hearing people say, “If it doesn’t fit, get a bigger hammer.” In other words, apply more force. This was my philosophy as well because that is how we are trained in this culture. It was all fine until I started trying to do yoga. When I was challenged with a pose, I would use more muscle, more strength to try to make the pose work. If you do yoga, you are probably laughing at me right now. It doesn’t work, does it? Eventually I learned to breathe and relax. Who knew? Oh yeah, God did. His attempt to lead us by the quiet waters is throughout the Bible but I am also reminded of the verse which led me into relaxation with Him, Psalm 46: 10, “Cease striving and know that I am God.” For God to show up on the scene we have to back down our amperage and allow Him to be God.

Civilization requires the application of reason. The solution isn’t always a bigger hammer or a bigger gun. Sometimes we can be smarter than the challenge, we can think and discuss and find solutions to life’s problems. I hope you will ponder this today and that it will help you.

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Prayer Power

On March 18, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Acts 6: 4

But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

On March 3, 2020 I wrote that I believed God was calling us to prayer this year. I wish I had taken that Word from God more seriously and done more praying, but I say, it is not too late.

I think everyone can understand, now, why our Beloved was calling us to prayer. Our Father loves us and wants not even one of us to come to harm. That is why He called us to prayer. He is our love and our protection. On the other hand, He has given this earth to us. We are the voices of authority in the earth. That is why Father called out to us. He, literally, prayed to us to enter into a period of prayer. He was activating the partnership He has with us. He can intervene but it is our voices, hands and prayers that move the mountains. He has a spiritual army to deploy but it is our prayers which give these angels, and others, their marching orders.

You no longer have the shortage of time you did, and this is the silver lining. Turn off the television. Too much of that will poison your brain and cause you to fear. Grab that book, you know the one. Read Psalm 46: 10, read it in several translations. Bible Gateway can help you with that. In that space of calm and quiet, slow down your mind and listen. Put a pad of paper beside you so that you can record what you hear. God will lead you in what to do and how to pray. He may give you an idea for a prayer, as He did me. He may give you another idea which will aid others in this time. Be still and listen to the heart of God. He, clearly, has been calling out to His people.

Pray. Pray earnestly. If you do not pray in tongues, go to Acts 2. Read it and ask the Father to pour out His Spirit upon you. This is a good time to receive that gift. I wish to repeat what I said the other day, you are called to this time. Your prayers will make a difference. You are a warrior and this is the appointed time. This is the time we have been hearing preachers speak about for years. Read Ephesians 6: 10 – 18. Let’s do this!

One more thing – please check on your elder neighbors.

Tomorrow I will share with you the vision and prayer that our Father gave me.

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Meditative Transformation

On February 11, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 12: 2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

I heard an interesting comment recently. Dr. James Richards said, “Renewing the mind, if you don’t mix meditation with it, is nothing but an exercise in ego and intellectualism.” Whoa!!! That is a big statement. The Apostle Paul tasked us with renewing our minds. The problem is, most of us don’t know how. So, we begin to try to “change” our minds and thinking patterns and rarely do we enjoy any degree of success. There is an entirely different paradigm available to us which is effective and that is what we need to know. It’s imbedded in this “Partnership with God” that I speak of frequently.

There is a difference between “change” and transformation even though they are in the same family. The biggest functional difference is that transformation only occurs through the power of the Holy Spirit by the grace of the Father. When we try to “change” that is a self-effort and it is always doomed to failure.

The second big difference between change and transformation is that transformation does not involve who you are. Truthfully, transformation is about bringing out the beautiful person who is hidden inside you. Inside, you are Christ-like beautiful, but there are likely areas of your life where you are not fully capable of letting that glory shine. The world has trained you in certain ways and those ways are not the way God does things. For example, the world says, “Every man for himself.” God says to put other people’s needs before yours. The world teaches us to be antagonistic and defensive. God leads us to continual peace. So, when someone cuts you off on the highway, you might react as you’ve been taught or you may be able to let God’s thoughts show.

The only way we can be transformed in the inner parts of our soul is to let the Lord work in us and ultimately, through us. Transformation doesn’t actually take place in the mind. It occurs through the renewing of our mind, but the transformation takes place in our spirits. The key is in allowing God to speak to our minds, yes, but also to our spirits. That is when He is able to make transformative changes in us which releases our glorious selves.

Meditation is the slow, deliberate time of connection with God. It isn’t the conversation you have with Him on your way to work. That isn’t a bad practice, it just isn’t what I am discussing here. Meditation is when you allow yourself to slow down and commune with the Father. I am always reminded of Psalm 46: 10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” It is in the quite pensiveness that we most easily find God. Then He is able to minister to our inner selves to work out our salvation through the transformation process. To try to change ourselves or to attempt to “renew” our own minds is an ego trip on the failure express. We cannot change ourselves in any meaningful way. We certainly cannot transform ourselves from the caterpillar to the lovely butterfly. That is a God process and only by surrendering our will to Him can we experience and manifest the beautiful creature He has created us to be. He is the author of transformation. To think that we can make ourselves into a silk purse from the sow’s ear that we are is to elevate ourselves to the throne. How can we initiate such a transformation if we are, in fact, in need of transformation? Doesn’t the mere fact that we need to be transformed by the renewing of our mind suggest that we are not complete and therefore incapable of completing this transformation in our own strength? If we knew how to let our inner butterfly out, wouldn’t we have done it long ago.

Transformation and the renewal of the mind are grace processes. Father God is the author of grace. It is His touch within us which is going to effect the transformation. Slow down and take time with God. Enter into a time of quiet and stillness. Meet God beside the calm waters and let Him guide your growth. Let Him lead you and guide the process. To do otherwise is merely “an exercise in ego and intellectualism.”

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Pondering

On August 2, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 77: 6

I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, and my spirit ponders.

I really like this scripture. It has a nice feeling to it, but it also shares some key insights to meditation. For example, did you notice that the author meditates with his heart? Well, that’s not very western of him. Oh yeah, he wasn’t western. Our faith originates in the east. No wonder some of these ideas perplex us.

The author goes on to say that his spirit ponders. Okay. Let’s pick up our meditation series right there. First, though, remember that we have quieted down physically, emotionally and mentally. Breathe deep, slow breaths, maybe put on nature sounds or atonal, soothing music, turn off the phone, light an aromatic candle or wax burner. In other words, make your physical surrounding one of relaxation.

Then as we engage stillness in our bodies and internally, we turn our minds and attention to the Father. Perhaps you imagined Him sitting with you at your kitchen table or in lawn chairs on your patio. This is all to connect you with the Father in your heart. We can use this time to let our minds rest and instead interact with Father with our spirits. You know how to do this. Remember when you fell in love and you didn’t have to say anything to each other. Your hearts felt like they just matched beats. Or, remember how you connected with your new baby who couldn’t yet speak? Connecting with God is really very much the same. You reach out with your heart rather than your mind and make the connection there. Then, you can certainly use your mind as a tool of your heart to communicate but make the connection with the Father in your heart rather than in your mind.

Now comes the fun part. We get to ponder. Here are some synonyms of meditate: contemplate, think about, consider, ponder, cogitate, muse. I just really like ponder. People get all weird about meditating, though we all do it all the time, but when we think about pondering something, it all becomes normal again. Yea! So, here we go. I am going to show you one of my favorite ways to meditate. Let’s ponder Psalm 46:10.

I have shared with you three translations. The NLT reads, “Be still, and know that I am God.” God’s Word Translation reads, “Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God.” And the Passion Translation has, “Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God.” They are all the same verse but don’t look the same, at least at first blush. So, here is what I do, and, by the way, this is where lots of Words of the Day come from. I just begin to ask questions about the differences. I ponder the differences. Why did the editors choose one word over another? What are some other words which mean the same thing? What is the difference in each translation? Are they communicating the same thing but from different vantage points? What ties them together? What was the author experiencing at the time of writing? Do the verses before and after give me insight into the meaning? Then, the most important question of all, if I slow down for a moment and think about this verse, what does it mean to me? How can this wisdom fit into my life?

And that’s it. You’ve just meditated. Of course, that is only one way. I like to meditate over verses by looking at different translations. You may enjoy pondering a Bible story. Picture Jesus on the day he and his apostles fed the five thousand. What did that look like? What did Jesus do? What did his disciples do? As you observe and ask questions, you will discover the Holy Spirit providing insights and answers. It’s really a whole lot of fun. You might even put yourself in the scene. What would you be doing? Are you distributing food, taking up the leftovers or are you just sitting by Jesus watching and listening to him?

Do a little mental meandering. Ponder a scripture, a story or a scene. I would love hearing about your experiences, so share them either by replying to this devotion or post it on our site.

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