A Christian Devotional

[Shammu]

Welcome the wrecking ball!

2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Some of the wealthiest individuals in the United States are real estate developers. They make their money by buying a piece of property that is terribly run down, seemingly useless, without any value to the naked eye and reforming it completely, making it look brand new! These businessmen are not as much interested in what is on the property as they are interested in the land it's on!

So it is with God and us. He's not at all interested in what we’ve built with our lives -- he's not interested in our wealth or the diplomas we've acquired or the name we've made for ourselves. He wants to completely renovate us! He has a vision for our lives much greater than we can imagine. All He needs is for us to give up our land so that He can go to work and start rebuilding!

We're an old warehouse, slated for the wrecking ball! And we have the opportunity to be renewed today. Let's give Him our lives yet again.

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Good things come to those who WAIT!

James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

A friend sent us this short story and we couldn't help but use it for today's devotion.

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, age five and Ryan, three. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson so she said; "Now boys, if Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.'" Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus."

This story cracked me up, but how true is it of our lives? We want what we want and we want it now!

M.H. Lount taught that "God's best gifts come slowly. We could not use them if they did not. Many a man, called of God to... a work in which he is pouring out his life, is convinced that the Lord means to bring his efforts to a successful conclusion. Nevertheless, even such a confident worker grows discouraged at times and worries because results do not come as rapidly as he would desire. But growth and strength in waiting are results often greater than the end so impatiently longed for. Paul had time to realize this as he lay in prison. Moses must have asked, 'Why?' many times during the delays in Midian and in the wilderness. Jesus Himself experienced the discipline of delay in His silent years before His great public ministry began."

Perhaps you've been waiting on something for a long time and you're weary. You're not alone! Let's ask the Lord to renew our hearts and desires today, and give us a fresh infilling of strength to wait on His perfect timing. Good things come to those who WAIT!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Be confident, He is our defense!

2 Kings 6:15-17 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

As we press in closer to the Lord and His calling on our lives, the enemy becomes more and more fierce, throwing all kinds of darts of fear and doubt our way. But as beloved children of God, we can trust the Lord to defend us! God has an invisible army all around, ready to protect us in our times of need. When the battle intensifies, when the enemy seems to be attacking from every side, when it seems all too great for our eyes, know that the Lord has placed His protection all around you! We may not see it – but we must walk by faith!

Be encouraged – "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them". We are not alone!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

What's your prescription?

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Some of you know the miraculous story of our daughter Elianna. She was born blind, with a rare eye condition called bilateral vitreous hemorrhage. We didn't even realize it until she was three months old. But when we did, we immediately went to the Lord in prayer and fasting for her healing. Low and behold, the Lord began to heal her.

Today, two years later, we're overjoyed to say that despite the fact that her vision is not yet perfect, she is a thriving and beautifully developing two-year old.. and the Lord continues to heal her!

A couple of months ago, we noticed that Elianna is having some trouble with depth perception, which keeps her from being confident going up and down steps among other things. We were finally able to see a fabulous doctor, after a long, socialistic-health-care-system-wait. This doctor is apparently the best in Israel for children's eye care and she was the first doctor we've seen who has given us a clear and educated diagnosis as well as a promising solution. Last week, Elianna was given a prescription for glasses which we and her doctor believe will change the way she sees radically and help her to grow leaps and bounds in development.

At the eyeglass shop on Friday, Elianna tried on her "new eyes". She was a little scared at first, holding tight to mommy and whimpering a bit. But by this week we have already seen amazing growth! Our little two year-old doesn't take off her glasses and is quite obviously enjoying the freedom and confidence she feels with them on. Though she seemed content before, she's never been able to see like this! Elianna's experiencing the world in a new way!

I think some of us might need a new pair of glasses today. Perhaps we've been content seeing the world the way we have but God wants us to see it in a new way! Our vision has been impaired by the enemy of our souls! But God has plans for us to be doing things we couldn't even fathom! He wants us to climb and run with freedom and confidence! He wants us to see and try new things that we haven't tried and seen before! He wants us to grow and develop to our potential -- and even exceed it!

Let's allow the Lord to give us a heavenly prescription today. There's so much work to be done!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Anyone for mashed potatoes?

Mark 11:25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

A friend sent us this powerful anecdote and we wanted to share it.

"One of my teachers had each one of us bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes. For every person we'd refuse to forgive in our life, we were told to choose a potato, write on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of our bags, as you can imagine, were quite heavy.

We were then told to carry this bag with us everywhere for one week putting it beside our bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to our desk at work.

Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a mushy nasty slime. The hassle of lugging this stinking thing around with us made it clear what a foul and heavy weight we were carrying spiritually."

When we won't forgive others, we're really only hurting ourselves. Let's let go of all our unforgiveness and release all our "potatoes" to the Lord. We need to get free so that we are able to do great things for Him! There's so much work to be done!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Feast your eyes on this!

Proverbs 15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

Solomon wrote, "a merry heart has a continual feast!" But why does it seem like so many of us are not feasting? How do we maintain a merry heart?

Too often, we brood and complain over all the things we lack. Somehow we've come to believe that if good things would only come our way, we'd be truly happy. But it's not good things that bring a merry heart - it's living a life of wholehearted faith!

Paul said that he was content both in want and in plenty! Mathew Henry said, "Discontent is a sin that is its own punishment and makes men torment themselves; it makes the spirit sad, the body sick, and all the enjoyments sour; it is the heaviness of the heart and the rottenness of the bones." A third-century man penned these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them."

Lord, help us not to focus on the worldly things we lack. Help us to master our souls and overcome the world. We want to be men and women of GREAT FAITH! Lord, you have come that Your joy would remain in us, and that our joy would remain FULL! Help us to experience the full joy you have for us today! In Jesus Name we pray!

Let's begin feasting and filling our spiritual bellies with the His Word! Let's make our mouths to be filled with His praise! The joy of the Lord is our strength!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

He is the Potter, we are the clay!

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Early in the last century, sculptor Gutzon Borglum gazed at the cliffs of South Dakota's Black Hills. As any great artist would, He saw what no one else could—the sculpted faces of US presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. After 14 years, he finally completed his project – Mount Rushmore.

How in the world did Borglum foresee such a work of art by looking at a cliff? He envisioned what those Black Hills could become.

God is envisioning what we are to become in Him!  But in order for the Him to make a beautiful monument of us, we must allow ourselves to be moldable. He wants to mold us into the image He desires -- His own!  He wants to chip away at our rough edges and make us into a fine work of art, that all who see us will be awed and enriched.  In the hands of a great artist, we can be created into incredible works of art that survive the ages, even after we have passed through this life into the next!

Bob, let’s become moldable in the Father’s hands and make Him proud to show off what He’s created!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Stop pretending!

Psalms 56:2-4 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

Some experts believe that acute stress can provoke changes in the heart that may lead to death. In one study, fifteen cases were identified in which people died after a physical assault, even though the injuries alone were not enough to kill them. Eleven of the fifteen showed a type of heart-cell death, similar to a reaction in experimental animals that feel helpless to anticipate or avoid danger.

We live in a day that godlessness is on the rise -- a day in which the world (and even some of the church) is motivated by money, power and the desire for worldly pleasures -- a day in which the fruit of this behavior is apparent even to the worst of us. It's a scary time.

Even amidst these frightful times, though, isn't it wonderful to know that we don't have to pretend we're not afraid? God knew we would be afraid from time to time. But He encourages us to redirect our attention to put our trust again in Him. He, who is all powerful and watches over us intently. What a gracious and compassionate Father we have!

Let's ask the Lord to help us keep our focus on trusting Him for all things. When we are focused on this, there's no stopping us from doing the great things He has called us to do! And there's SO much work to be done!!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Have you laid down your life?

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

According to traditional statements, Matthew suffered martyrdom by being slain with a sword in a distant city of Ethiopia. Mark died in Alexandria, after being cruelly dragged through the streets of that city. Luke was hung upon an olive tree in Greece. John was put in a caldron of boiling oil, but escaped death in a miraculous manner, and was afterward branded at Patmos. Peter was crucified at Rome with his head downward. James, the Greater, was beheaded at Jerusalem. James, the Less, was thrown from a lofty pinnacle of the temple, and then beaten to death with a club. Bartholomew was flayed alive. Andrew was bound to a cross, while he preached to his persecutors until he died. Thomas was run through the body with a lance at Coromandel in the East Indies. Jude was shot to death with arrows. Matthew was first stoned and then beheaded. Barnabas of the Gentiles was stoned to death at Salonica. Paul, after various tortures and persecutions, was finally beheaded in Rome by the Emperor Nero.

We don’t want to be the bearers of bad memories, but it’s good to realize how dedicated to the Lord the early believers were. They weren’t in it for the terrific single’s fellowship, the excellent children’s program or good messages on Sunday morning. They weren’t in it for the comfortable new pews, the beautiful Christmas pageants or the potluck dinners.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, James, James, Bartholomew, Andrew, Thomas, Jude, Matthew, Barnabas, Paul and many, many others after them -- they were in it for Jesus, our Messiah!

Let’s consider the things we hold important today. Perhaps our commitment is not as strong as we thought. Let’s give ourselves fully to the Lord and His calling upon our lives.

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Get on up!

Psalms 37:23-24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

My wife has taught Israeli dance workshops all over the world. And over the years, she has acquired a few interesting and rather funny stories of people, including herself, tripping and stumbling over each other during a class.

Stumbling is not one of my most favorite things in the world. It's embarrassing and often hurts. The fact is, however, that stumbling is something we all must experience. The question is -- what do we do when it happens?

Imagine this. You're walking home and you trip and fall over a random object on the sidewalk. You scraped your knee and it hurt a little. And the kids walking home from school behind you saw you trip and and giggled amongst themselves -- that was kind of embarassing. But will you go all the way back from where you came and and start again from the beginning? Or will you just sit and sulk on the curb, refusing to take another step at the thought of it happening again? No! Of course not! That would just be silly, wouldn't it?

So is it on our walk through life with the Lord. Satan would love nothing more than for us to go sulk in a corner somewhere and dwell on our humiliation and fear that it might happen again. But the Lord wants us to rise up, dust the dirt off our clothes, maybe give a little chuckle ourselves and move forward for His Kingdom!

Yes, we may stumble on this long and sometime treacherous journey but we will not be cast down! The Lord has upheld us and He will always! Let's get up and move on today! There is much work to be done!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Don't run!

Deut. 20:4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

An organization in Montana offered a bounty of five thousand dollars for every wolf captured alive. Two hunters decided to head for the hills and make some money capturing wolves. Day and night, they scoured the mountains and forests searching for their valuable prey. Exhausted after three days of hunting without success, they both fell asleep.

During the night, one of the hunters suddenly woke up to find that the two were surrounded by a pack of fifty wolves, their eyes flaming and teeth bared. At once, he called to his friend, "Hey, wake up! We're gonna be rich!"

Sometimes we feel in over our heads in difficulties. They surround us like that pack of wolves preparing to pounce. But perhaps these difficulties are actually opportunities??

Today, we have the opportunity to learn and grow, and experience the grace and power of God through these trials which surround us. The devil is not as smart or powerful as he appears -- and we have a great and All-Mighty God who has a way of using our enemy's silly tactics for the building up of His Great Kingdom!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

It's the time for blossoming!

Isaiah 35:1-2 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

One thing I absolutely love about Israel is that fruit grows everywhere in abundance. Delicious citrus fruit, mango, pomegranate, grapes, cactus fruit, avocado -- and much much more! It's common to see people people pick and eat it as they walk by. And it doesn't taste like your average western fruit either. It seems to be especially sweet. It must be because God has blessed the land it's grown upon!

Today marks the Jewish holiday of Tu B' Shvat and the beginning of the new year for trees. It is customary to plant trees and partake of the fruits of the Land to commemorate the occasion. God has declared that fruit shall blossom from the desert of our dry land here in Israel and boy, has it ever!

I love this passage. It reminds me that even the dry desert areas in our lives can come to life! The Lord declares that He will restore the years the locusts have eaten! No matter how desolate we've been, this is the time to blossom!

Our lives are meant to flourish in the Lord! Let's ask Him to touch us in a special way this season. May we spring to life and blossom abundantly. May that which was once dead spring to life and may everyone around us may see the evidence of the glory of God!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Are you insured?

Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

When we first arrived in Israel about two and a half years ago, my wife was almost eight months pregnant. We wanted to have everything concerning the birth worked out ahead of time because we knew we'd have so many other things to think about once we got here. So we made certain to pay for our Israeli health insurance coverage even before we arrived, just to be sure we would have no problems. But something inconceivable happened -- the Israeli government went on strike before our payment information was entered into their records. When we tried to get prenatal care and sign up at the hospital, they had no record of our payment and thus, no way to help us (unless, of course, we were willing to pay an obscene amount of money, money we didn't have). Little did we know that the strike would continue on for four months! To make a long story short, our baby was born on the kitchen floor of our little Jerusalem apartment. I can honestly say it was one of the most terrifying, yet profound experiences of our lives.

But this got me thinking about insurance. Why do we buy insurance? So that we can be ensured that we will get the help or care we need, should we ever need it, right? SURE! Well, we even paid in advance to have that assurance, and we didn't get it when our time of need came!

We are living in crazy times. Times where anything goes -- and anything can happen. And there is really only one insurance company that has been found truly faithful to help us in our time of need through it all. No, it's not Red Cross, or Blue Cross... It's THE Cross! What's more, this insurance doesn't cost us a thing! You'd think more people would jump on this deal, wouldn't you? Jesus already paid for it with His hard-earned blood sweat and tears, on the cross two thousand years ago.

Let's invest in our heavenly insurance today and not forget to spread the word of it! There's so much work to be done!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Shout it out!

Ezekiel 33:6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

I heard an old story recently, about a man who tried to save the city of Sodom from destruction. He shouted and screamed, trying to warn them of their coming judgment if they don't turn away from their sin, but the people ignored him. One day someone asked the man, "Why bother everyone? There's really nothing you can do to change them." "Well, maybe I there isn't," he said, "but I still shout and scream to prevent them from changing me!"

Sadly, our world today seems to be a lot like Sodom -- and the wickedness all around us is only increasing. We too must do anything we can to keep ourselves from being sucked in!

The fields are ripe for the harvest and the laborers are few! We need to wake up from our sleep! Shout, scream, repent, whatever we have to do to get that sin away from us and get our focus on the task at hand, furthering God's Kingdom!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.

[Shammu]

Go away!

Psalms 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Leonardo da Vinci, who excelled at many things -- as a painter, sculptor, poet, architect, engineer, city planner, scientist, inventor, anatomist, military genius, and philosopher said a wise thing:

"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgment...Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller, and more of it can be taken in at a glance, and lack of harmony or proportion is more readily seen."

Have you found this to be the truth? We have! Any time we step back from a situation or project and take some time away, we undoubtedly gain new perspective and insight about it. Now, I know not all of us can take a week-long vacation at a luxurious resort to take time away from our difficulties, but we can, and must take a retreat with the Lord (which by the way, can be much more restful)! The Word says He makes me to lie down and green pastures -- It doesn’t say He’d like us to, if we could try to take some time from our busy schedules -- it says He makes us!

It’s time to take a rest from all the things that make us weary today -- ministry work included. Let’s take some time out with the Lord and get quiet before Him. He has so many things He wants to reveal, if we would only give Him a chance to show us! He’s has so many ways He wants to refresh us and refill our empty places, if we would only be obedient to His call!

This e-mail Devotional is supplied by Worthy Devotionals.