Leaders Adjust (1 Thess. 5:21)

The word of the day is “adjust.” This is one of the most important lessons I learned when I joined the Army. Talk about being frustrated. We would be set to do something, and then, at the last second, the world would fall apart, and then we would suddenly do something completely different. It was not ideal to say the least. Then i talked to one of my buddies, and he told me that if I did not get used to this way of life, I would not make it. So, I adjusted.

“Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” ~1 Thess. 5:21

My question is: where do you need to adjust in your life? What I do know is that we all need to make adjustments. It’s just a fact of life. As Max Lucado writes, “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.” My encouragement for you today is that you take all of the situations that God has given you and adjust in a way that would please him and help you be more like Jesus.

Anointing (Joshua 1:9)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “anointing.” I think one of my favorite parts of my early years as a Christian was the way that I was able to deal with big days, big decisions, and anything that caused my heart to way heavy for one reason or another. Although I did not understand much about the Bible, I did know that I could read certain verses and really resonate with the people that were going through trials and adversity. Joshua was one of my favorites, probably because he was very young and when he was called to step up to the plate and take over God’s mission and vision for the people of Israel, it seems to me that he had a few jitters along the way. And, I learned by reading his story that God would be with me, because he was with Joshua.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go" (Josh 1:9)

My question is: what are the parts of your life that are attracting extra special attention from you today? Where are the jitters, and to what do you attribute those feelings of anxiety? My prayer is that you remember today that God is with you and wants you to be full of courage, as he has given you his anointing in this relationship that you walk with him. So, in the spirit of today’s passage, I hope that God shows you along the way that he has made you for something special. Hold on to that, and thank God today for giving you the opportunities that he does.

Praying for you,

MO

Interstitial (Acts 17:26-27)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “interstitial.”  Have you ever wondered about how you ended up at this particular place in life? I know for me, I often ponder where I would be if I made different decisions over the course of time. When I first became a Christian I remember my pastor telling me that I would be the sum of the people that I hung out with, and the books that I read. I decided early on to take that to heart. I realized that some of the people I was hanging out with were not really the best influence on me. On the other hand, there were some very good relationships that I had. It was now up to me to decipher from that point on which ones were good and which ones were not very helpful. The best part about all this though, was that I started to gain an understanding about what it meant to trust God through the process.

“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” ~Acts 17:26-27

My question is: if God is the one who ordained and appointed the boundaries of time, what are you doing to fit within that kind of God-inspired life? May be a little bit deep, I know. But, if we want to be on the same page with God we must allow him to permeate every part of our being. Each day brings something new, and someone or something that will influence us. Sometimes it is the interstitial times in life, within thin threads, that we experience God. My prayer is that you are open to God speaking to you in new ways each day.

Praying for you,

MO

Dipsy-doodle (Romans 16:17)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “dipsy-doodle.”  I love watching football because of the strategy involved.  Two teams slugging it out with the hope that at the end of the game they will be victorious over the opponent.  Within that time many plays are pretty straightforward, and don’t seem that they will accomplish much. Only to see a running back or receiver dip and dodge their way to more yardage. The object of the game is to evade your opponent enough to break free every now and again, and get some major yardage, or even a touchdown. As I was thinking about how we play this game, it made me think about how we are in a spiritual battle each day.

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” ~Romans 16:17

My question is, are you on the lookout for ways the enemy would like to thwart your plans at a spiritually focused life? Although he may want to confuse us, it is our job to stay alert and do everything we can to turn the tables, and stay ahead of the game. My prayer is that you remain close to God, and allow him to run the spiritual dispsy-doodle on the enemy.  Nothing better than trusting in God, letting him call the plays in your life, and watching him bring you success. Trust in him today.

Praying for you,

MO

Sagacity (Proverbs 3:18-22)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “sagacity.”when is the last time you had to make a really big decision? I can remember several times in my life when there was probably a better way than another, and I wanted to make sure to choose that. So, I began asking other people to help me in those decisions. It actually took a lot of work for me to trust others with certain pieces of my life. I think that’s kind of what the Christian life is all about.

“My child, don't lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them…”

~Pr. 3:21

I talk a lot about how my pastors wife once told me that it was important for me each day to ask God to give me both wisdom and discernment. So I guess my question is this: from where do you get your common sense and discernment? Who are the people, readings, and other sources that give you information in making sound decisions? My prayer is that you add the tools that God gives you in your daily decisions, whether those decisions are big or small. If we seek to do things God’s way, I think that the overall outcome of life might have a pretty good chance of being better, as opposed to taking a different path.

Praying for you,

MO

Nonce (Psalm 27:14)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “nonce.”  When is the last time you have given God a worrisome piece of your life?  Sure, we pray. But much of the time it is lip service, rather than a true and unwavering trust that he will take our cares and the burdens that come with them.  The psalmist understood this principle.  When in doubt, fear, or lack of understanding, he knew that sometimes the best action to take was to wait on God.

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." ~Ps. 27:14

My question is: Where are you in your relationship with God concerning trust?  Sometimes we just want to reach the destination, and skip all of the tough stuff.  But we must remember that it is the difficult circumstances in life, those of which we are uncertain, that give God room to work and do what he needs to fulfill his purpose.  My prayer is that you trust God today with something that you may have kept from him.  There are a number of reasons that we do not put our faith in him, and instead try to do it all on our own.  So today, instead of taking that lonely road… for the nonce… trust him with something new. Jump out of your comfort zone and into a more accepting and understanding of God’s love.

Praying for you,

MO

Zenith (John 7:37-38)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “zenith.” I remember as a young Christian wondering what it would look like to be at the very top of my relationship with Jesus. And even more than that, I was hoping that maybe one day I would be able to understand the Christian faith enough to feel confident in sharing my beliefs with others. It seemed like a pretty tall mountain at the beginning. When I expressed that to my leaders, they were very eager to help me reach that goal. They constantly pointed me to verses that would help me get closer to that goal.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” ~Jn. 7:37-38

My question is: how are you asking God to make you an effective witness for the Christian faith? Sometimes we feel like if we do not have all of the answers that we are not qualified to tell others about the gospel. However, as we see in today’s Scripture, all we really need to do is to approach Jesus and allow him to fill us with the words that need to be said to others. My prayer is that you take a moment and ask Jesus to fill you with rivers of living water. We may not reach the zenith of our Christian faith until the day we stand before Christ, but we can always do more to help move that process towards the day of completion.

Praying for you,

MO