Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

So I read this translation of this verse that I haven't seen before and read into it something entirely new and fresh. Other versions are translated, "What can mere mortals to do me?" or "What can man do to me?" But when I read this version, "What can flesh  do to me?" a light bulb went off. Most people, including Christians, walk in the flesh, not the Spirit.  So if I experience their flesh coming after me, so to speak, I need to stop short and ask myself, what can their flesh do to me? Plenty!  That is, if I am not walking in the Spirit myself. Remember, no good thing dwells in the flesh.  So it is like only yucky stuff coming at you when others come against you for no real reason.   I don't think most Christians are sensitive enough as to whether or not they are walking in the Spirit or walking to gratify the flesh.  Oh they may want  to walk in the Spirit because they know that they are supposed to, but how many do you know that actually do? O...

Many people are devoted to a cause, or to service, or to their families.  All good devotions they. But as Christians, our devotion is to Christ.   Our devotion is to a Person. This makes all the difference because it places the cart where it belongs, after the horse, not before it. It is easier, in some ways to be devoted to events, things, happenings, service, and so on. Why?  Because these are tangible and measurable.  "I give to the poor."  "I tithe 10%."  "I go to church every week."  Good deeds all are these. But it makes me wonder why Jesus turns some "do-gooders" away in the end?  It's a frightening Scripture, for sure, if Jesus is talking to you. "Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus is speaking to those who...

This morning during my quiet time with the Lord, I had a revelation.  I feel like I may have already known this on some level, but it became clearer to me. The revelation is that I do not have to wait for a location or place to "enter in" to the Promised Land.  Yes, Joshua and Caleb entered a physical, literal land.   But I believe that our "wilderness" is not always due to our circumstances, no matter how abysmal.  I believe we can know and live out God's promises for us anywhere and in so doing, we "leave" the wilderness and enter in to His bounty. That's what the Promised Land was - it was rich agriculturally, filled with life. This is more than "positive thinking."  So much more! This is taking each promise that the Lord has given us in His Word and actually believing them! Did you know that you can know something without really believing it?  I know plenty of Bible verses by heart, but when I live in doubt, fear, worry, anxiety, and ...

Did you know that you can work against God's working in your life? Jesus Himself said that you are either for Him or against Him.  No neutral ground there. I read in one of my devotionals this morning about how we can either work with God, or against Him.  I wanted to know how I can better work with God, so I asked Him how to do so. He gave me a short, simple list: 1. Always forgive 2. Keep smiling 3. Keep trusting Me 4. Always be thankful 5. Do not  limit Me! Ahh.  This list refreshes me.  It restores my soul.  How?  First off, it is not complicated.  Each of these is doable! If I had to say which one is hardest for me, it would be #5.  I'm sure I limit God in many ways and areas of my life.  Typing these words makes no sense as I see them written out!  I mean, I know that God is infinite.  I know that He can do anything, including the impossible.   I know these things in my mind.  Yet, when I ask of Him certain...

Some Christians are concerned that when they're not sure of God's will, if they do something anyway - even if it is a good thing - that they will be out of His will. God knows our hearts.  He is fully aware when we behave out of willfulness and when it is our desire to do His will and not our own. But discerning God's will can be tricky. There is His overall will for each of us, and that never changes:  that we know Him. Problem is, we've confused doing  with being  We want to know what to do  for God, when all along He is after our being  first and foremost. So what about when we are being who He calls us to be to our utmost and we're still vague, or even clueless, as to the doing part? We wait. We wait on God. Remember, He has all eternity and if we only surrender to it, so do we! That means that perhaps we will not get to do it all here and now.  In that sense, none of us ever finishes our work here.  Yes, we finish what He gives us to do on ea...

God is at work in the world.  He has many ways that He gets His work done.  God does not "need" our help.  God is God! But one of the way He chooses to accomplish His will on the earth is through us.  Yes, us!  Weak, fallible, messed up humans.   God partners with us to get His work done in the world. Now His work is not only outer accomplishments.  Does He want us to feed the poor, heal the sick, feed His sheep, and so on?  Yes. But there is a deeper work that God is about doing: heart work. God is in the process of transforming our hearts so that we may glorify Him.  We have nothing to offer in and of ourselves.  When we are born again, at least we have a chance!  How?  It is through the supernatural power and work of the Holy Spirit that resides in us who gets all the glory, all the credit, for any holy work that we do, outer and inner. I have seen and learned that the outer work is the easier of the two.  People c...

Oh how I love words.  They have such power.  We all know that they can be used for evil or good.  And We all know the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword."  What a gift God gave us in words!   Spoken words have power.  But words we read are just as powerful. The Lord always, without fail, leads me to just the right word that I need for whatever situation I face. His Scripture holds the most powerful of all words, as it is "living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword." (see Hebrews 4:12)  The Bible is alive.  It's words contain past and future events, words of comfort and healing, words of truth and light, words of wisdom - it's all in there! There is a reason why the Bible is the best-selling book of all time.  Yet some are foolish enough to never read it!   Just recently I found a gem of a book on amazon,  Trust God's Plan  (affiliate).  In it are words of gold that the Lord knew I needed for ...