“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Colossians 3:12 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/col.3.12.NIV
When I was serving with a church-planting team overseas, I had memorized a set of five Bible verses that I found especially encouraging. I would remind myself of these verses on the way to outreach ministry activities on a regular basis. They would remind me:
- how great God is,
- Jesus has all authority and has commissioned us
- Jesus has promised to be with us,
- the enemy of our souls is already condemned, and
Lately, I’ve been searching for a new set of verses for the current season of life. I was reminded of that search this morning during my quiet time. Some of these are strong contenders.
This morning, I was reading/listening to a devotional plan on the YouVersion Bible app titled, “Certainty Amid Uncertainty”. Pastor Gregg Matte, of Houston’s First Baptist, wrote the plan to help those who’ve been struggling lately.
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, you may be feeling that your whole world is falling apart. In spite of the uncertainty that surrounds us, we have ultimate certainty in God, the Rock of our salvation. We are going to see God do great things in and through us. Walk with hope, for our God is a refuge and an ever-present help in time of need.
Pastor Gregg Matte
Day 3 of this five-day Bible reading plan focuses on five Scripture passages:
- Psalms 46:1-4
- 2 Corinthians 12:9-11
- 2 Timothy 1:7
- Exodus 15:2
- Isaiah 41:10
The first passage clearly gets us to shift our focus off of our current situation or problems and onto God.
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
The next passage offers comfort in the midst of our weakness, challenges, and confusion.
2 Corinthians
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
The next passage reminds us that even though we may be weak, he is strong and through his Holy Spirit, we can be strong.
2 Timothy 1
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
Again our hearts are moved to praise as we are reminded that the Lord is our strength, defense, and our salvation.
Exodus 15:2
“The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The final verse ties it all together.
Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Pastor Gregg closes out the devotional with a declaration for us to proclaim aloud.
Declare: Jesus, You are my Strength. I know that I am not perfect and that sometimes I become impatient when my faith is tested, but I will not fear, and I will not allow my feelings to steal the joy that is found in You. I trust that You will give me all the strength I need to come out of uncertainty full of certainty.
You can find this reading plan at https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/20285. For more encouraging posts, visit https://trinity.encourageandequip.com/Sub-Test/home/start-here/
Today’s encouraging Bible verse from the Bible app with an image I shot off the coast of Kittery, ME.
She became a modern-day hero of the faith for me. When I heard that Jill wrote a book, I needed to learn more. When I saw that it was a journal that incorporated Scripture writing, I was hooked.
Continue Reading...
When I listened to the Our Daily Bread devotional this morning, it all came back to me. Somehow very early in my walk with God, He gave me a unique perspective on a critical topic.
I couldn’t quote the Scripture or explain the theology behind it at the time. I was in my mid-twenties, new to the faith, and had lots to learn (and still do). But I remember being surprised when I heard a much older believer say that she didn’t get much out of the service at a particular church.
I still remember the setting – almost forty years later. It was a Bible Study group that met in the person’s home. She was the leader. With as much gentleness and humility as I could muster, I shared that even though I didn’t feel I had much to offer, I still felt that I went to church more for what I could give than what I received.
Back to that Our Daily Bread devotional, John Blaze wrote:
I grew up the firstborn son of a Southern Baptist preacher. Every Sunday the expectation was clear: I was to be in church. Possible exceptions? Maybe if I had a significant fever. But the truth is, I absolutely loved going, and I even went a few times feverish. But the world has changed, and the numbers for regular church attendance are not what they used to be. Of course, the quick question is why? The answers are many and varied. Author Kathleen Norris counters those answers with a response she received from a pastor to the question, “Why do we go to church?” He said, “We go to church for other people. Because someone may need you there.”
Now by no means is that the only reason we go to church, but his response does resonate with the heartbeat of the writer to the Hebrews. He urged the believers to persevere in the faith, and to achieve that goal he stressed “not giving up meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25). Why? Because something vital would be missed in our absence: “encouraging one another” (v. 25). We need that mutual encouragement to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (v. 24).
Brothers and sisters, keep meeting together, because someone may need you there. And the corresponding truth is that you may need them as well.
Our Daily Bread
Long before Marie Kondo’s “Does it spark joy” advice, people have been asking a similar question. It’s understandable. It’s natural. We evaluate everything from our perspective. So, it’s natural to evaluate things in our life by asking how something benefits us. Is this object, activity, or relationship making my life more enjoyable or not?
Part of following Christ – being “born again” – means that we no longer have to settle for “natural.” We’ve been called to a different way. A better way. A SUPERnatural way. As we grow in our faith walk, we learn to ask if our thoughts, actions, relationships line up with God’s call on our lives. Rather than asking if we get enough out of an activity, ask God, what would you have me do? God, is there anyone here (or there) that you want to encourage through me? Please lead me.
Pray for those in authority in your own nation, workplace, or school. Management and leadership are hard work. They can be easy targets for complaints. God calls us to rise above the crowd to be part of the solution. We can pray for them. Sometimes God changes them. Sometimes God changes us. Either way, let’s pray
Continue Reading...
Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
Psalms 40:5 NIV
Really. How are you? When times are good, I know that everyone is fighting some battle and dealing with the junk that life throws at us. These are challenging times, to put it mildly. So, even more, I do pray that you are doing well.
Continue Reading...
Changing externals and environments can be helpful, but real, lasting change begins at a heart level and branches out from there.
Guardrails help us stay on the road. External controls can be helpful. Go deeper. Ask God to reveal the blind spots that are blocking His work in our lives. Then ask for His help to create in us a new heart.
(For deeper study, read Psalm 139 and Psalm 51)
