Beyond Ourselves
When You’re In A Battle, Remember This
Are you familiar with the story of David and Goliath? It’s an account of a lad using a slingshot to overpower a giant. Unlike a Disney movie, it isn’t fiction.
I encourage you to open your Bible and read 1 Samuel 17 as if it were your first time. A number of things jumped out to me when I reread the passage.
David was confident that he would prevail over the giant. (Not could, but would.) He wasn’t hoping that luck would be on his side. Rather, his confidence was rooted in his past experiences when God had been there for him. Yes, Goliath was different from prior “giants” he’d faced, but God was the same present help.
First Samuel 17:45 records his confidence in God. “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.’”
Are you facing a giant in your life? Are you afraid you won’t prevail? Although people may offer you what’s worked for them in the past, their “armor,” the fact is, your reliance on the God of the Armies of Israel is what is necessary for God to empower you and ensure victory.
Is He your confidence today?
Heavenly Father, GOD of the ARMIES of ISRAEL, I place my confidence in You.
Want to learn more about building your confidence and trust in God? Watch this video by Debbie.
If You Need Some Order in Your Life
Have you ever thought about how God is a God of order? If not, consider how Jeremiah 31:35 points out that He is.
“‘Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The Lord of hosts is His name.’”
The Lord of hosts is a God of order. He created order in the universe. He created order for our days, nights, and seasons. He created order in protons, neutrons, and electrons making up atoms. And of protons and neutrons being made of three quarks each.
If order doesn’t come naturally to you. If in fact, it is a struggle for you to have order in your days, weeks, and months; in your family, business, or ministry, turn to Jesus for help.
Ask Him how you can better order your days and weeks, your family and commitments.
Begin each day with a prayer to the God of order then walk by His counsel.
Heavenly Father, You are a GOD OF ORDER. Please order my days so I faithfully fulfill Your purposes.
The Prayers of My Heart prayer journal is a great way to order your prayers and praises. Grab a copy HERE while it’s still on sale!
You Are Mistaken If You Think God is the God of the Dead
Jesus is the one talking. He has just told those who were asking Him questions that they were mistaken. Imagine that. Humans mistaken. Then Jesus referred to people in the Old Testament. To those who consider the Old Testament irrelevant, please consider that Jesus often quoted from it. As a matter of fact, scholars have recorded examples of Jesus’ Old Testament references, citing that “in the four Gospels, 180 of the 1,800 verses that report His discourses are either Old Testament quotes or Old Testament allusions.” (https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu). Such is the case in this instance when Jesus was asked about marriage relationships after people died and were resurrected.
In Matthew 22:31-32 Jesus answered their question saying, “…regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”
God is not the God of the dead. Think about those words.
Sometimes in the past when I’ve been asked if my parents are still alive, I’ve responded that they are dead. Based on Jesus’ statement, they are not dead. The next time someone asks me about them, I’m going to say, “They’re living in heaven.” What about you? How will you respond to questions about your loved ones who are no longer with you?
GOD of the LIVING, we praise You for receiving our loved ones into Your presence. Thank You that we, too, will live in Your presence one day.
The God of the Living is always present and wants us to communicate and have fellowship with Him through prayer. Learn to pray more purposefully through Debbie’s book, “Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.”
Praise God, Non Jews are “In”
Have you ever appreciated a Biblical truth but gained a deeper appreciation while reading the Bible? That happened to me while teaching Acts 10. The Lord gave Peter a vision and told him to go to Cornelius’s house, a non-Jew, and share the message of salvation with his household. Peter, who once thought that God was the God the Jews only, was illumined and led by the Spirit to say, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.” (Acts 10:34-35)
Paul reinforced this miraculously good news in Romans 3:29. “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also?”
If the God of the Jews had not extended the gift of salvation through Jesus to those who are not Jewish by birth, all people besides Jews would have been excluded from heaven for eternity. The good news is, the God of the Jews opened the door for non-Jews to be saved. Could I hear a hallelujah?
GOD of the GENTILES, we praise You for extending the glorious gift of salvation to those who are not Jews. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Are you encouraged by the 365 Days of Praise e-devotional? Use the social media icons, below, to share it on your favorite social media platform, so others can be encouraged by it too!
Better than Bootstraps
Do you feel hopeless? Has the last bit of hope to which you’ve clung just flown out the window? Does your future seem bleak and although you’ve tried to “pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” as the saying goes, it hasn’t worked?
The good news is, if you’re a Christian, you have every reason to ditch thoughts of hopelessness. Why? You know the GOD OF HOPE. Not only do you know Him, He has promised to always be with you. What’s more, He’s not only with you, He’s in you.
Romans 15:13 helps us understand what we need to do when we feel hopeless. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Paul points out that what we need is for the Holy Spirit, the God of Hope, to fill us. We need Him who is joy and peace and power to consume our very being. What is our part? Believing.
In other words, our hope is not based on luck, our ability to make things happen, or what another person does or says. It’s not even a question of if we have hope. If we’re a believer, we have hope in the Holy Spirit as Romans 15:13 points out. “Now may the God of hope…” “Fill you…” is the key.
When we are down, we must ask ourselves, “Am I allowing the GOD OF HOPE to fill me with His joy and peace?”
You can experience hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Believe God is on the throne and that He sees you and loves you. In faith, pray, “GOD OF HOPE, fill me with the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit.”
GOD OF HOPE, thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit so we can abound in hope by Your power. We love and adore You.
Praise is a powerful weapon we can use to turn around feelings of hopelessness or discouragement. Download this free printable of the attributes of Jesus from the book of John. As you read through them, praise God for each one!
God of All the Earth
Are you familiar with the concept of “one world government”? What do you think about it? Would it work? Who would rule it?
Philosopher Dante Alighieri supported it. Philosopher Thomas Hobbes opposed it on the basis that humans are innately morally corrupt. Attempts by the League of Nations and United Nations to maintain international peace and security have failed.
Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world” in John 14:30 and Satan maintained he was when he offered the world to Jesus in Matthew 4:8-9. One only needs to look around at the violence in our world to see what Satan’s rule looks like.
So where do we stand? Has God forgotten us? No. Isaiah 54:5 assures us, “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the Lord of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of All the Earth.” This prophetic assurance to the nation of Israel extends to believers who have been grafted into the vine of Christ.
Although Satan has temporary rule of the earth, his reign is term limited. (See Revelation 20.) In addition, all who turn from Satan to Jesus are immediately born into a new kingdom, Christ’s kingdom, of love, peace, and joy. His reign begins with the believer’s salvation.
When Christ, God of All the Earth, returns, He will establish the utopia for which our soul yearns. Have you entered into His kingdom by rejecting Satan’s rule and confessing Jesus as Lord and King? Are you telling others about the two gods and their kingdoms; warning and telling them the good news?
GOD of ALL the EARTH, we can’t wait for You to come and reign over the world. Thank You for giving us a glimpse of Your peace through the Holy Spirit’s reign in our hearts.
Want to learn more about the end times, Bible prophecy, and Christ’s return? Watch or listen to Debbie’s teachings on the end times HERE. You can also purchase a copy of the End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do Bible Study HERE.
God Himself Will…for You
Do you sometimes wish you were stronger in your convictions and more consistent in your walk with Christ? Do you ever wonder how God could love and forgive you? The answer to our questions is summed up in one word: grace.
First Peter 5:10 explains: “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
The God of All Grace, who gave His Son to die for our sins, the God of All Grace who ransomed us, the God of All Grace who transferred us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son, that same God of all Grace will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. Praise Him! He hasn’t saved and forgotten us. Rather, “God Himself will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” Personalize that grace-filled promise and say it out loud:
God Himself will perfect me, confirm me, strengthen me, and establish me. The God of all grace has forgiven my sin through Jesus’ sacrificial death.
Glory in the grace God has extended to you. Celebrate Christ’s resurrection – proof that God, who called us to His eternal glory in Christ, will by grace, complete what He began in us. Praise the God of all grace.
GOD of all GRACE, I love and praise you. Thank You for calling me to eternal glory in Christ. Jesus, thank You for sacrificing Your life so I can live eternally in Your glorious presence. Thank You, GOD OF ALL GRACE, for perfecting, confirming, strengthening, and establishing me in Christ Jesus. I love You!
Would you like to experience more grace and peace? Check out Debbie’s Bible study, “Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos” by clicking HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE.
Think Bigger
Some time ago, a person sent me a video titled, “How Big is the Milky Way?” Watching it prompted me to realize that I need to think bigger about God.
The word, “God,” first used in Genesis 1:1, is the Hebrew word ‘ĕlōhîm, a generic word for deity. It means “strong one, mighty leader, supreme Deity.” It is a plural noun but singular in meaning; consistent with the teaching of the Trinity throughout the Bible.
Isaiah 54:5 personalizes the God of Israel saying, “For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the Lord of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth.”
Yes, God is the God of Israel, but think bigger. God is the God of all the earth as John 3:16 affirms. “For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
We still need to think bigger. Jeremiah 31:35 helps us do that, writing, “Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The Lord of hosts is His name.”
Yes, the video, “How Big is the Milky Way?” prompted me to once again be amazed and worship the God of the universe and beyond. What prompts you to be amazed and worship Him?
Lord GOD, forgive us when we think too small of You and take You for granted. Open our eyes to Your grandeur and our hearts to worship You more reverently.
Today, in the Texas Hill Country, we will get to see God’s spectacular handiwork and glory on display as we observe a total solar eclipse. As you watch this rare event, I encourage you to reflect on the greatness of God. He is bigger than we can ever imagine!
Would you also please take a moment to share this post, below?
If You Want Glorious Look Here
Does life ever seem dull or your days dreary? If so, give yourself a vacation by setting your thoughts on the glorious splendor of the Lord. Psalm 145:5
“Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name,” 1 Chronicles 29:13.
“For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,…to rebel against His glorious presence,” Isaiah 3:8.
“…I shall glorify My glorious house,” Isaiah 60:7.
“Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, … ” Isaiah 63:12.
“Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious habitation;” Isaiah 63:15.
“‘But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne,” Matthew 25:31.
“…His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him,” Luke 13:17.
“‘The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come,'” Acts 2:20.
“…strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might,” Colossians 1:11.
“My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.” James 2:1.
Lord Jesus, You, Your name, presence, house, arm, throne, might, and coming Day are GLORIOUS. We rejoice and praise You.
Want to learn more about the glorious day of the Lord? Click HERE to watch a clip from Debbie’s teaching on Acts 2.
Dead…but God
Have you been with someone when they died?
I was with my mother, father, and mother-in-law when they went to be with Jesus.
Webster defines death as “the irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by the permanent stoppage of the heart, respiration, and brain activity.”
That is what happened to Jesus as a result of the horrific scourging and crucifixion He suffered.
The Roman soldiers who oversaw His death were skilled in their profession. They pronounced Jesus dead. But, as we know and Romans 4:17 explains, God “GIVES LIFE to the DEAD and calls into being that which does not exist.”
What seemed final when Christ died on the cross was not final. God, who gives life to the dead, gave life to Jesus.
God has given life to our loved ones who have gone to Him.
God will give life to us after our body ceases to function.
How does it make you feel to know that God will give life to you after you die, just like He gave life to Jesus?
Heavenly Father who GIVES LIFE TO THE DEAD, we praise and exalt Your name! Thank You for Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection. Thank You for raising our loved ones to eternal life. Thank You for the resurrection life we will one day experience. We love and praise You!
Are you looking for some more encouragement and Biblical teachings? Listen to Debbie’s podcasts on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify!