Step into New Land

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. (Genesis 12:1-5) 
 
The Lord called Abram out. He told him to leave his country, not just his home, but his country. God told Abram to leave his family and head towards a new land. Can we begin to imagine how Abram must have felt? I wonder if his family thought he was crazy. Let’s see now–you are going to leave your home, family, country and head to a land that you have not seen yet? Abram did leave his home and country behind and went as the Lord directed him. Abram was a man of great faith. He believed in the promises of God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. 
 
In the New Testament, Jesus told his disciples a similar message when he said, “Follow Me.” To follow Jesus meant leaving everything else behind, including homes and families. Some did and some did not. The same is true today. How many of us are truly willing to forsake all for the gospel of Jesus Christ? Do we really have to go to such extremes in this day and age? In our hearts, we must answer those questions. Despite our behaviors and outward appearances, God knows our hearts. If we are willing to surrender all to Jesus, the Lord will do the rest. 
 
Think upon these verses today. Maybe God has a new land that awaits you. Without a doubt, God has blessings planned for your life, planned from before you were born. Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone? If so, this could be the step that changes your life in amazing ways. 
 
Today’s devotion blessed me. Maybe you don’t feel God is calling you to leave your country but instead calling you in a different direction outside of your comfort zone, be willing, obey, and watch what God will do through you and for you in amazing ways. I am reminded of yet another old hymn, All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all. All to Thee, my Blessed Savior, I surrender all. A simple song yet so powerful. If we would only live each and every day surrendering all to Him, we wouldn’t live in fear, worry or anxiety. You might ask, is it truly that simple, and the answer is yes. Surrender all to Him and step out in faith believing that He will catch you if you fall and He will be there every step of the way. Just obey and step out in faith believing. 
 
Have a beautiful day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is 1 Peter 5:10


Blessing in the Mess

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) 
 
I got myself into this mess, so I’d better get myself out, I sometimes find myself thinking.  Although I believe in a God of grace, I’m still prone to act as if His help is available only when I deserve it. 
 
God’s first encounter with Jacob is a beautiful illustration of how untrue this is. 
 
Jacob had spent a lifetime trying to alter his destiny. He’d been born second at a time when firstborn sons typically received their father’s blessing—believed to guarantee future prosperity. 
 
So Jacob decided to do whatever it would take to get his father’s blessing anyway. Eventually, he succeeded—through deceit—obtaining the blessing intended for his brother (Genesis 27:19–29). 
 
But the price was a divided family, as Jacob fled from his furious brother (vv. 41–43). As night descended (28:11), Jacob must have felt as far from a life of blessing as ever. 
 
But it was there, leaving behind a trail of deception, that Jacob met God. God showed him he didn’t need desperate schemes to be blessed; he already was. His destiny—a purpose far greater than material prosperity (v. 14)—was held securely by the One who would never leave him (v. 15). 
 
It was a lesson Jacob would spend his whole life learning. 
 
And so will we. No matter how many regrets we carry or how distant God seems, He is still there—gently guiding us out of our mess into His blessing. 
 
Lord, so often we feel trapped by our mistakes, thinking there’s no future left for us. Remind us that you are the God of Jacob, the God who will never give up on Your purposes for us. Amen. 
 
When I read this devotion I felt it needed to be shared. So often we allow the enemy to plant seeds of doubt and self defeat within us and we stay surrounded by the darkness but that’s not God’s plan for our lives, no matter who you are or what you have done, there is hope, there is light and you are never to far from God’s reach. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). God’s Grace is immeasurable, His Mercy is inexhaustible, His Peace is inexpressible. Always remember, In God’s garden of grace, even a broken tree can bear fruit. God never gives up on His love and purpose for our lives. 
 
Have a beautiful day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is Isaiah 41:10 


Lift Up Your Eyes

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (Psalm 121:1-8) 
 
Today’s psalm is one of my favorites. I read it and meditate on the words when I need encouragement from the Lord. Are you in need of encouragement today? Do you feel as if trouble surrounds you? Maybe you feel as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Let’s be encouraged together as we look at what these verses are saying. First of all, we need to look up and “lift up” our eyes to the hills. We need to look up at the Lord and believe that He is coming to help us. Acknowledge that our Lord is the One who made heaven and earth with amazing power and majesty. He is strong enough to help us. I love the verse that says He “shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Our Lord is watching over us constantly. He is our keeper. 
 
This message is not just for today but also for eternity. He preserves our soul and protects us from all evil. He preserves our every move and keeps watch over us everywhere that we go. Because of His Son, Jesus Christ, all who believe in Him are preserved for eternity in heaven. Some days seem longer than others here on earth, but be encouraged and know that the Lord of heaven and earth has His eyes upon you every moment of every day. Take comfort in the words of this psalm and meditate on it throughout times of trouble. Consider these precious words as promises from God, and trust that He always keeps His promises. 
 
Be encouraged and uplifted by these words today and don’t allow the enemy to feed you lies that you have been defeated. You are an overcomer, trust Him for His promises. For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).
 
Have a beautiful day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is Titus 2:11-12


Too Hard for The Lord?

And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. (Genesis 18:13-14) 
 
Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old when Isaac was born. Both Abraham and Sarah were well past child bearing age. Most likely, they could not imagine having a baby at such an old age, but God had a different plan. The Lord knew the exact time in which Sarah would have Isaac and it would clearly be a miraculous blessing to her life. Throughout the years, as the Lord kept telling Abraham of this promise, Abraham kept believing and waiting on the promise to be fulfilled. Twenty-four years after God first promised an heir to Abraham, three men showed up at Abraham’s door. The Lord was one of the three and He again restated His promise that they will bring forth a son, a baby boy. Sarah reacted by laughing. The Lord responded with a question: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” 
 
Abraham was a man of faith. God said it and Abraham believed what God said. Simple, pure, powerful faith. Sarah believed Abraham and trusted his words but when the Lord showed up, she lacked in her faith to believe. She even laughed at what God said. For us, sometimes it is easier for us to believe a person or to believe in a person than to trust in God. If God gives us a promise we can have a hard time trying to work it out ourselves. The hardest part is waiting on the Lord to fulfill it. We wait, we wonder and sometimes we worry but God is always faithful to keep His promises. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Nothing. If He says it, then He will do it. 
 
I pray after reading this devotion you walk away feeling uplifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We must strive to be men and women of faith. My prayer today is that we trust Him for his promises no matter the wait and that we truly realize no thing is too hard for The Lord, if He says it, He will do it. Simple, pure, powerful faith. 
 
Have a beautiful day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is Galatians 6:7-8 


The Spiritual Fight Against Fear

And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land. (Joshua 8:1) 
 
The Lord told Joshua to go up to Ai. Actually, He was telling Joshua to go back to Ai. Since their earlier defeat at Ai, the men of Israel have been through a tragic experience because of the disobedience of one of their men, Achan. The punishment for Achan’s sin no doubt left a fearful impression upon all these men, who must now be prepared for war. So the Lord tells Joshua to “fear not, neither be thou dismayed.” In other words, He is saying, “Get back up and let’s take care of the business at hand. Let’s complete the job we have started.” The Lord promises to be with Joshua and his men, even going so far as to tell Joshua that He has already given the king, the people and the land into their hands. 
 
In the second part of this verse, the Lord tells Joshua to “see.” This is not a physical seeing because the battle has not yet even begun. This form of seeing requires spiritual eyes of faith to believe that what the Lord is saying is true, even though it cannot be physically seen at this time. For Joshua, this is an important step of faith. He has just been dealt a severe blow through what happened with Achan and now he must get back up. He must continue to fight. He must take each step with the Lord. 
 
God is faithful and just. He will complete the work He has started. Do not let fear, anger or discouragement keep you from following the Lord. Get back up, trust Him and take that next step. The enemy will do whatever he can to keep you from taking that next step, but the Lord will help you to “see” that He has delivered you and will lead you forward.
 
Have a beautiful day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is John 13:34-35


Rich Fulfillment

O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. (Psalm 66:8-12) 
 
Sometimes we have the misconception that being a Christian should be all about riches, fulfillment and abundance. As Christians, we know the Lord personally and have been given everything we need for life and godliness. We are the children of the King. What else could we possibly need that He has not already given to us? But why do we face such hard trials in life? 
 
The Psalmist explains the real life version of receiving fulfillment. “For You, O God, have tested us,” God tests the hearts and intents of His people. He allows trying circumstances to squeeze us: As if we are “in a net”; we carry affliction “on our backs”, often while submitting to others whose motives and intentions are wrong. God brings us through terribly trying situations to test and grow our faith in Him. 
 
These trials are confusing and difficult. But we can we see God’s love and care through them because when we have come through the fires of this life, and walked through the tests and trials, the crown of eternal life awaits us. Fulfillment and abundance have to do with the victory in overcoming the most terrible trials. That satisfaction comes when we know that we are still with the Lord regardless of the circumstances. There is a place of rich fulfillment and abundance on the other side of the tests. All the riches of the world cannot be compared with the love, joy and peace we get from God. Read through Psalm 66 and really praise the Lord for the trials of life. Praise and worship brings the greatest fulfillment and abundance of them all. 
 
When I read this today it blessed me. No matter what we face we must truly believe, God’s got this! Don’t allow the circumstances to overwhelm you or dictate your victory. Commit every situation to God and trust Him for the outcome. 
 
Have a beautiful day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is 2 Timothy 3:16-17


Nothing Can Separate Us From His love

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39) 

 

How do you respond to sudden changes in circumstances that did not result to your advantage? Examples such as when your car suddenly breaks down, your vacation leave does not get approved, your kids get sick the day you had something planned or you lose your cell phone. I have found that there are two main reactions we can have: 

 

God, I am so sorry. I will seek You now. What do You want from me? 

 

God, what did I do wrong? I thought You loved me. 

 

Both cover each end of the spectrum. If we don’t walk with the Lord daily, we blame the incident on ourselves and feel guilty. If we do walk with the Lord, we feel abandoned by Him and question His character. 

 

Jesus told us that the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike, meaning that a change in circumstances can happen to all of us. However, the problem comes when we choose to lose our perspective of who God is in the process. God wants us to love Him and enjoy His fellowship. He never stops loving us. We can face any change in circumstance better if we include the Lord in the problem, instead of blaming Him for the problem. Next time something suddenly changes pray, “Lord, help me to stick with You through this and please cause this to work together for good.” Nothing can separate us from His love so we shouldn’t separate ourselves from Him. 

 

Have a beautiful day in The Lord! 

 

Today’s Reading is Romans 3:23-24



Into Our Storms

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39)
 
Jesus is no stranger to storms. In Mark 4:35–41, He told His disciples to head across a lake that would soon turn windy and wild. The storm that night tested and bested these rugged fishermen. They thought they were going to die. But Jesus calmed the water and then led His disciples to deeper faith. 
 
Likewise, Jesus invites us to trust Him in our storms. Sometimes He miraculously stills the winds and the waves. Sometimes He does something equally miraculous: He steadies our hearts and helps us to trust Him. He asks us to rest in the belief that He has the power to say to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” 
 
Lord, the storms of our lives sometimes seem like they will swamp us. Help us trust that You are the Master of the storm, to place our faith in You when life’s winds blow fiercely. Amen. 
 
When I read this I was reminded of a saying I once read, sometimes God calms the storm, sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child. No matter what we face today, No danger can come so near that God is not nearer still. Allow Him to steady your heart today and trust Him. Be encouraged. 
 
Have a beautiful day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is 1 Timothy 1:5 


Just Step Out in Faith

And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. (Joshua 2:11)

Joshua sent two men to the enemy city of Jericho to spy out the land. Of all of the places they could end up staying, they lodged in the home of a harlot named Rahab. Once the king of Jericho heard of their whereabouts, he sent his men to go and find them, and the first place they went to was Rahab’s home. Instead of turning them in, she hid them and protected them from being caught. In return for her loyalty and faith in Israel’s God, she and her family were spared when the city walls of Jericho came down.

It is interesting to note that up until this time, neither she nor the inhabitants of Jericho had actually seen any of the Israelites. But they had heard of them. They heard of their conquests in the desert and how the Lord had parted the Red Sea. At this point, the Red Sea parting had occurred some forty years earlier. The fear of the Lord caused this response from Rahab; she knew which side she needed to be on. God had prepared the way by moving on Rahab’s heart even before these two men entered Jericho. The Israelites were about to take over the Promised Land, not because of their strength, but because of the Lord’s promise and power.

The same is true for us today. As Christians, we are blessed to live in God’s promises. The Bible is filled with His promises for us. Sometimes, the new land is hard to see and even harder to walk through, but if we just step out in faith, we will see how God has taken care of every step we need to take. As the Lord leads you in His purposes for your life, you will see how He has prepared even those around you. As God would continue to tell Joshua, “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:9) Take this message with you today and go forth in all that the Lord is leading you to do. The Jordan River will part for you when the Lord sends you in. 

This devotion blessed me, it reminded me that wherever God is leading, He has already made a way, in ways that are beyond what my mind can imagine. I doubt anyone thought Rahab would be the one to protect them and keep them from being caught but God made a way before they even got to Jericho and He chose Rahab. You never know who God will use to bless you when you take the step of faith and trust Him to guide your every footstep. Isaiah 43:16-19 says, Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Just Step Out in Faith!

Have a beautiful day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is Romans 10:9



Trust Me

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 6:34)

After graduation from college, I had a low-paying job. Money was tight, and sometimes I didn’t even have enough for my next meal. I learned to trust God for my daily provision.

It reminded me of the prophet Elijah’s experience. During his prophetic ministry, he learned to trust God to meet his daily needs. Shortly after Elijah pronounced God’s judgment of a drought in Israel, God sent him to a deserted place, Kerith Ravine, where He used the ravens to bring Elijah his daily meals and refresh him with water from the brook (1 Kings 17:1–4).

But a drought occurred. The brook shrank to a tiny stream, and slowly became a mere trickle. It was only when the brook had dried up that God said: “Arise, get thee to Zarephath . . . and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee” (v. 9). Zarephath was in Phoenicia, whose inhabitants were enemies of the Israelites. Would anyone offer Elijah shelter? And would a poor widow have food to share?

Most of us would rather God provided in abundance long before our resources were depleted rather than just enough for each day. But our loving Father whispers, Trust Me. Just as He used ravens and a widow to provide for Elijah, nothing is impossible for Him. We can count on His love and power to meet our daily needs.

Faithful Father, thank You for knowing exactly what we need before we even ask. Help us to trust You for our daily needs. Amen.

Two words stood out to me as I read this devotion today and it blessed me, sustain thee. The definition of sustain is, strengthen or support, comfort, assist, encourage, give strength to, carry, cheer up. I don’t know about you but He sustains me. He is my strength, He is my support, He is my comfort, He assist’s me every single day of my life, He is my encouragement, He gives me strength from day to day, He carries me and yes He knows just how to cheer me up. He is my all in all and I pray He too is all that to you. We are so quick to judge God because He didn’t supply the need in abundance but I can guarantee you if you stopped and looked at where you are He sustains you, it’s not always about the huge tangible things in life that matter. If you are breathing and you can look up then you can get up and if you can’t physically get up due to an ailment or sickness then get up mentally and spiritually and thank God for today, praise Him through your storm and watch how incredibly faithful He is, today. The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him (Nahum 1:7). He is so much bigger than anything you will face today, leave everything in His hands and embrace this day confidently knowing that He will take care of you.

Have a wonderful day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is 1 Kings 17:7-16