“One night, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.’

In the short passage of Acts 18, Paul’s covered ground from Athens to Corinth to Cenchrea. Then sailed to Ephesus, and took another boat to Caeserea. From there, he traveled through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, all the while “strengthening all the disciples.”

As Paul was greatly on the move, he not only was warmly received by the community of believers along the way, but in some places, he was also faced with continual and substantial resistance from those within the religious ranks. In the face of this opposition, the Lord spoke to him concerning his marching orders. “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent.”  It is easy to cower in the face of opposition, yet Paul was reassured by the Lord as he spoke with conviction and authority. “I am with you.” And if God is for us, who can be against us? The words of  Joshua 1:9 echo through this theme…”Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Paul encountered resistance, engaged the detractors, encouraged the believers and trusted the Lord for the results. Lord, help me to respond similarly. May my words be wise and strong, May my confidence be not in my own understanding and strength, but in Your authority. May I sense your encouragement and seek to be an encouragement to others, wherever my journeys take me.

“One night, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.’   In the short passage of Acts 18, Paul’s covered ground from Athens to Corinth to Cenchrea. Then sailed to Ephesus, and took another boat to Caeserea. From there, he traveled through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, all the while “strengthening all the disciples.”   As Paul was greatly on the move, he not only was warmly received by the community of believers along the way, but in some places, he was also faced with continual and substantial resistance from those within the religious ranks. In the face of this opposition, the Lord spoke to him concerning his marching orders. “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent.”  It is easy to cower in the face of opposition, yet Paul was reassured by the Lord as he spoke with conviction and authority. “I am with you.” And if God is for us, who can be against us? The words of  Joshua 1:9 echo through this theme…”Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”   Paul encountered resistance, engaged the detractors, encouraged the believers and trusted the Lord for the results. Lord, help me to respond similarly. May my words be wise and strong, May my confidence be not in my own understanding and strength, but in Your authority. May I sense your encouragement and seek to be an encouragement to others, wherever my journeys take me.  

Acts 4:18-20

^18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ^19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. ^20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Backed into a corner, the rulers and elders and scribes didn’t know what to do with a couple of fishermen who kept on speaking with great power and authority of the great power and authority of Jesus. Once again, the simple will be used to confound the wise. They weren’t educated or trained in religious schools, but they brought forth a beggar, crippled since birth, which many people recognized, vouching for their credentials. The leaders were dumbfounded, leaving them without a response. They couldn’t deny the miracle because he was standing right in front of them. Their best solution? Just tell these two fishermen to be quiet about Jesus.

Peter and John found themselves in the position where they could NOT NOT talk about what they had seen, heard, experienced, witnessed, and lived. They were well aware of the contrasts between God’s kingdom and the earthly kingdom and willfully and daringly chose to yield themselves to the Higher Court and Kingdom of the Living and True God.

(It reflects the stance of Jesus, giving to Caesar what is due him, and giving to God what belongs to God.)

As I seek to live and do what I believe, I must have my eyes open (wide) in order to see how God is at work in me and around me. I need to be ready to give an account of what I see him do. This creates a sense of urgency, accountability, and opportunity to step through open doors to share the love of Jesus with others.

“I tell you the truth”, he said, “this poor woman has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:3-4

We continue to live in a world that is enamoured with glamour. Attention is grabbed by the glitter. You can almost hear the clamour of the Pharisees as they make a parade of their gift-giving at the temple. It reminds me of I Corinthians 13. We are like noisy gongs and clanging cymbals if we don’t have love. When it comes to giving, we can write a big check, but if our heart is disconnected, (or if we give with the wrong motives,) our check is likely to bounce from a spiritual standpoint.

As Jesus pointed out in this passage, the cheerful giver can give a gift of great value, even if the cash value is small. Once again, how great is God’s economy to make the least the greatest and the last, first. God is not impressed with the outer shell or the outward show. Rather, he is concerned with the matters of the heart. He desires a cheerful heart, with a willingness to give…motivated by true generosity. It’s not as much about the amount of the gift, as much as it is about the amount of generosity, sacrifice and pure motives behind the gift.

Lord, help me experience a desire to give, serve and live sacrificially. And may that be shown in joyful generosity, but not that others would take note. May I give generously so that You would know how grateful I am for Your goodness. May I be a blessing because I have been blessed.

“Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.”

As this parable speaks of the Great feast to come, which we are to enjoy when Christ returns, we see that there are guidelines and criteria for those who will atend. Only the guests who have accepted the invitation will be allowed to take part in the banquet. But it is important to look at the requirements of the guest list. This feast is not reserved for the the most powerful, prestigious, successful or substantial as the world would assume. This guest list is made up of the lowly, the meek, the hungry and the humble.

Once again, God has thrown open the doors of His banquet of grace to the least expected party guests. His mercy has turned the economy of this world upside-down. One does not need to dress for the occasion as God has welcomed us just as we are. As it was for the banquet in this parable, it is often the case of those in our world today. There are some who say that they’ll join the spiritual feast and attend God’s banquet, but then, for a variety of earthly reasons, they will make other plans. The list of “no-shows” in this parable could be seen as the originally well-intentioned, but later misguided group of individuals who heard the invitation but neglected to respond.   

Lest we think that we must get “cleaned up” in our lives in order to come into God’s presence and enjoy His blessings, we can see that the doors are opened wide for the meek and the lowly who humble themselves and respond to His merciful invitation for salvation through Jesus.

“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

How quickly I can look beyond my own faults in order to judge the faults of those around me. I can look out the window of my own life to see what’s wrong with those around me, rather than look in the mirror to see my own shortcomings and inadequacies. If I am called to introspection, I must avail myself to the “mirrors” that God puts in my life. I must be sensitive to God’s Spirit as He shines His light on my soul to “see if there be any wicked way in me.” I must look intently into God’s perfect Law and be not only a hearer, but also an obedient doer of His Word.

If I am like the man in James who looks at his face in the mirror, and then immediately forgets what he looks like when he turns away, then I will miss the opportunity to be changed and transormed into the likeness of Christ.  If I am constantly on the look-out to ”fix” those around me, I will be ignoring my own need for change. It certainly is easier to diagnose the ills of others and prescribe changes for them. It requires very little effort on my behalf. But when I seek to be obedient to make changes in my own life, it takes both inspiration AND perspiration.

Finally, the last part of this passage rang out more loudly and clearly than I have seen it before. If I humble myself before the Lord and sincerely ask Him to change me from the inside so that I’ll become more like Him, only then will I be able to be an effective blessing and help to those around me.

Lord, as I recognize my own weaknesses and yield myself to You, help me to accept Your grace. Only then will I begin to reflect Your grace and extend it to others. Help me get the logs out of my own eyes so I can see clearly enough to be a help and a blessing to those around me.

Psalm 60:9-12  “Who will bring me into the beseiged city? Who will lead me to Edom? Hast not Thou Thyself, O God, rejected us? And wilt Thou not go forth with our armies, O God? O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain. Through God we shall do valiantly, and it is He who shall tread down our enemies.”

How many times does my self-sufficiency get in the way? All too often I find myself relying on my own strength and depending on my own wisdom when I am challenged by my circumstances. I need to come to the end of myself more quickly and depend on the Lord more readily and steadily. David recognized that “deliverance by man is in vain.” All that we do to strategize or manipulate on our own can quickly evaporate. David also understood that “through God we shall do valiantly.”  He is the One doing our bidding and the One waging our battles. “And it is He who will tread down our adversaries.”

Lord, help me see my abilities and inabilities for what they are, knowing that You are great and mighty… and I’m not. Thank You for going before me and fighting my battles for me. The victory is already won in You. Thank You that through You, I shall do valiantly.

8 “Do not let the Book if the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”             –Joshua 1:8-9

 Joshua 1:8 was one of the first verses that I memorized as a young believer. I was challenged with the concept of meditating on God’s Word and learning God’s ways so that I would be steered in the direction of obedience. The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I realize how critical it is to have the foundation of verse 8 in place so that verse 9 can be built upon it.

If I am saturated with God’s Word, I am less likely to succumb to discouragement and fear in a given situation. As I recount God’s faithfulness as shown to me in His Word, I can apply His faithfulness to my life and my circumstance, knowing that He is able to supply all of my needs, according to His strength and power and riches in glory. I need only look to the likes of Joshua to be reminded of God’s power, provision and faithfulness, giving fuel to my faith, and spurring me on to be strong and courageous.

 Lord, help me see the continuing value of getting into Your Word so Your Word can get into me. May it settle down richly in me that it might take root and sprout up in my everyday circumstances. May Your truth be deep in my heart and quick to my memory and fast to my lips. As I meditate on Your Word, may fear and discouragement be quickly replaced with reminders from Your Word of Your faithfulness, peace and encouragement.

Matt. 7:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I’ve often read this passage in terms of circumstances and hardships that I wrestle with in this life, but it seems clear that the foundation of this “rest” relates to the spiritual condition of my heart. The verses just before this passage on rest speaks to the authority of Jesus and establishes Him as the One who has the power to heal our hearts. 

As I think of the things that wear me out and the burdens that weigh me down, I’m grateful for the appealing invitation Jesus offers for rest and reprieve. There are so many things that I can try to do to ease the burdens of my soul, but until I turn and yield myself to the creator of my soul, I will continue to walk under the burden of my guilt and my sin.

To truly experience his rest, I must be actively and continually putting my head under the yoke of Christ and learn from Him. This is a great picture of discipleship as we walk together and I learn from Him.

Lord, thank You that you’ve invited me to come to You. I’m grateful that the invitation is a daily one. Thank you that You are humble and gentle in heart and You have the authority and power to supply me with the rest that my soul needs.

**For a nice reminder in song on this passage: “Come To Me” by Jadon Lavik. (Life On The Inside)

Mark 4:39-41 “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him?’”

Through the power of His word, the winds were stilled. The power of the Lord was on display and the disciples responded with reverence and awe. If I were in the boat, I’m sure I would have shared the initial feelings of the disciples. Why was jesus sleeping when we were about to drown? Why wasn’t He doing anything at that critical moment? Sometimes I can still be looking for Him to move, and forget about His perfect timing.

Storms can gradually build up as challenges in life ad up. Or they can sneak up like a sudden squall, seemingly out of nowhere. My first reaction is to call out to be spared from the pain of a circumstance. Sometimes I need to be reminded to look for God’s awesome power in the midst of the storms. Through it all, I need to be reassured that “He who brought peace to the waters cares more for my heart than the waves.”

Thank you Jesus that you can calm the storms that rage around me … or even in me. Thank you that even the wind and the waves obey you. Help me to not be terrified of the squalls that can sneak up in life, knowing that You are with me…near me. When the storms rage around me, may my heart reflect the peace that passes understanding, like smooth, calm waters.