Honest Reflections

One-minute read.

We must face our enemies, but we don’t do it alone; God goes with us. Whether dealing with sabotage at work, gossip at church, or an antagonistic acquaintance, we can find strength in the Lord’s presence when under persecution.

Matthew Emmons, in the 2004 Olympics, competed in sharpshooting. By the last round, he had the gold medal in his pocket, and if the bullet hit the target, he would go home as a medalist. Lining up his gun, he had the target in sight, pulling the trigger confidently. But he had one problem: he had his eye on the wrong target. Missing his mark, Emmons lost his chance at a medal because he lost focus.

When we take our eyes off Jesus, we will miss the mark and experience defeat. But keeping our eyes on the Savior will lead us to victory over our enemies as we put God’s word into practice in our lives. Keeping the Son in your eyes means you never face your enemies alone but have the strength of the Creator backing you up.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for never leaving or forsaking us. Please help us keep our eyes on You and not sway left or right. Give us the courage to face our enemies and find victory through Christ.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Abram, also known as Abraham, speaks to God for the first time in this chapter. Centered around the Lord’s delay in fulfilling His promises, Abram wants to know how the Creator will fulfill His word. When God answers, He does so in a vision, telling His faithful servant not to fear; Abram will receive his reward and become the father of multitudes.

Everyone waits for something. As Christ’s followers, we receive His promises and wait for them to come to fruition. When one door closes, we spend time in the hallway until the next one opens. What we do in the hall matters, maybe even more than what we do once God takes us into the next room.

Ron and I opened a new business, requiring us to travel to the bank to create an account. Knowing the financial institute and its reputation for slow customer service, I took my Bible. While sitting in the lobby, I began reading the day’s plan and taking notes, knowing our time would eventually come, and it did. By keeping my eyes on the Lord, I didn’t get irritated but maintained His peace, trusting His promises. Eventually, the door opened, and we entered the next room.

Life requires waiting; when we keep our eyes on the Lord, we can learn to wait expectantly, and with assurance that His promises will come true, we have nothing to fear.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for Your word that guides and directs our paths. Please help us lean into Your promises when we get impatient. Let us faithfully follow You as Abram did.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Wanting a king, God gave the Israelites Saul, who had some issues. But Samuel tells the people to keep their eyes on the Creator and trust Him for deliverance, not a human. Obey the Lord’s commands and serve Him with all their hearts; things will work out fine.

Going all in with the Savior requires total commitment. Each day, we must decide who we will follow, God or man. As we face the troubles of the moment, we can live in fear of what may happen or live boldly for Christ, trusting Him to part the sea as we walk into the water.

Put God first in all things, and all things will work out. Trying to solve earthly problems on our own leads to frustration and discouragement. But receiving divine guidance and wisdom will open the doors for miracles. Throughout scripture, we repeatedly see the Lord take the ordinary and make it extraordinary when people follow and obey Him with all their hearts.

Determine today to let the Lord take the lead in your life. Give God your problems and watch miracles happen. When we give all our hearts to our Maker, we’ll find everything we need in Him.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank you for answering our problems. Please help us stay focused on You, giving You all our hearts and allowing You to transform our lives. In You, we have everything we need.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

No rain came in late fall and early winter, and the land didn’t receive the nourishment needed to prepare it for planting. As a result of the drought, a non-Jewish woman faced starvation, with only enough flour and oil left to make a small loaf before they starved to death. God sent Elijah to her, and the prophet asked her to make him a cake before taking care of her needs.

“For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’”
1 Kings 17:14

The widow did as Elijah asked without hesitation, and her flour and oil miraculously stayed filled. In God’s upside economy, doing the opposite of the world yields divine results. In need of food, instead of hoarding the last bit she had, the widow gave it away and received an endless supply of food.

Trusting the Lord means living counterculturally, giving freely to God, and trusting His provision. Our Provider multiplies our gifts. When Jesus fed the thousands, He offered the fish and loaves to His Father, who miraculously fed them all with multiple baskets left over. Twice we see Christ do this, like the widow, the supply never runs out.

What do you need today? Offer what you have of it and see what the Lord does. He’ll create a way where you can’t see one and miraculously provide your needs.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for supplying all our needs out of Your glorious riches. As we come to You today with our needs, help us lay them at the Cross. Multiply our efforts as we trust in You. Let Your divine provision reign in our lives.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Moses encourages the nation of Israel to remember God’s past victories. They witnessed the plagues that the Lord reigned down on Egypt, which caused Pharoah to release them. The Israelites stood before the Red Sea, watching it part, and walked through on dry land. For forty years, the people ate bread from heaven, fresh every morning, enough to sustain them on their journey.

And now, as the Israelites face the promised land, they fear the Canaanites who currently possess it. Moses tells the community that God will handle the enemy like He handled Pharoah and the Egyptians. Reminding the Israelites of God’s presence helped calm their fears.

The Israelites did drive out the Canaanites, little by little, taking possession of the land. Relying on God, they kept moving forward. We can do the same, one step at a time; we can trust the Savior to clear our paths and provide a way to reach our destination. Instead of letting fear paralyze you, list how God’s shown up for you in the past. Remind yourself of the Lord’s work in your life, and trust that if He did it once, He will do it again.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for caring for us and leading us to the promised land. Please remind us of Your works and help us trust You for the future.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Many years passed after Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. He endured false accusations and prison before finding himself second in command to the Pharoah. When we meet Jacob’s sons, they reunite in Egypt during a great famine. Now in a position of power, Joseph holds the grain his brothers need for survival, and the siblings now realize the brother they betrayed holds their fate in his hands.

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
Genesis 50:20

Joseph shows compassion for his brothers, telling them to have no fear; he will provide all they need from the storehouses. During Joseph’s journey, he experienced God’s grace and, as a result, shared it with those who meant him harm, but the Lord used it for good.

Unimaginable situations often become blessings in disguise. In the moment, we can’t see how God could use it for good, but He wastes nothing. Our deepest valleys become wells of grace that transform and teach us things we would never know otherwise.

As Joseph told his brothers, God tells us, “Fear not, I will provide for you.” Trust in your Maker to take care of your needs and pour His comfort and kindness into your life.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for giving us Joseph as an example of using the bad things in life to the good. Please help us remember that You waste nothing, and let us experience Your grace in a fresh way today.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

God softens the King of Babylon’s heart and has him show compassion on the Israelites. After the fall of Jerusalem, the people didn’t know what to do and didn’t want to incur God’s wrath with a wrong decision, so they sought Jeremiah for guidance.

When we don’t know which path to take, we have a Divine Travel Agent who will show us the way. Turning to the Lord in prayer and seeking His guidance, we must wait until we know what to do. For instance, Ron and I prayed for years about moving but never felt God give us direction until He did. Things unfolded quickly once we knew what to do, but we had to wait for the green light.

The Lord doesn’t want us to wander through life. When we seek and obey God, He gives us the steps to take. We know our eternal destination but don’t know which path the Lord will take us on to reach it. Don’t fear the unknown; trust the Savior and embrace the journey. One step at a time, Jesus leads us home.

“Do not fear him,” declares the Lord.” Let God handle the travel plans; don’t fear the enemy or the road ahead. Instead, embrace the adventure and live fully for Christ as He guides you on the path of abundant life.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for eliminating our enemy and guiding us on the path of abundant life. Please help us obey quickly, trust without reserve, and follow You wherever You take us.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Reflecting David’s spirit against Goliath, Jahaziel tells the Israelites, “The battle is not yours.” How often do we take up arms for a fight God never intended us to battle? When we don’t consult the Lord before a skirmish, we do more harm than good and often lose the fight.

King Jehoshaphat faced a vast army from the east. By trusting the Lord, the king enjoyed victory over his enemies. We don’t face the same type of armies as Jehoshaphat, but we have an enemy who seeks to devour us like a roaring lion (Peter 5:8). Thankfully, we have a Savior who gives us victory because of the cross.

We face many challenges in life, and unimaginable events sweep us off our feet and make our days seem long. But we will find victory when we stay focused on the Lord and listen to Him. The next time fear begins to invade your peace, think about today’s verse: “Thus says the Lord to you, do not be afraid!”

God has a battle plan, and He knows the course to victory. Follow Him closely, letting your Divine Protector lead you through enemy lines to the promised land. The Lord has your back!

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for protecting and giving us victory over the enemy. Please help us stay focused on You as we face life’s challenges, trusting You to lead us to triumph.
IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Joshua reminds the Israelites how the Lord humiliated the kings of their enemies in their defeats. Because God fought for them, the Israelites enjoyed victory. What the Lord did once, He can do it again. Remembering the Divine Protector’s strength helps the people move fearlessly forward.

Writing down the miracles God works for you helps you remember. The Lord does miraculous things in our lives every day, although we take most of them for granted. I noticed the rising sun as I moved boxes from our garage into the attic above it. Brilliant oranges and yellows shined brightly on my face, warming it. I felt compelled to stop and praise God for another miraculous day.

Elevation Worship’s praise song “Do It Again” has a mighty chorus:

I’ve seen You move, You move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again

Whenever I sing the words, God’s Spirit moves and empowers me because I believe the Lord can do it again.

Spend time today thinking about how God worked in your life. Meditate on the miracles you have experienced. Then remind your fears of the Master you serve, and move forward boldly knowing God can do it again.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for all the miracles You work in our lives daily. Please help us remember how You’ve cared for us in the past and live fearfully, knowing You can and will do it again.
IJNP. Amen

One-minute read.

Closing his first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul exhorts them to stand firm in the faith. Acting with courage means doing it afraid. Immediately, I thought of hitting the “send” button the first time I emailed Ron after we met. Scarred from past relationships, I had given up hope of finding someone. But I stood firm in my faith.

God gave me the courage to take the step of faith and try again. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that my heavenly Father loved me. Whether Ron rejected or accepted me didn’t matter because I had all I needed in the Lord, and I still do. I count my husband as one of my greatest gifts from God and cherish him daily. As I love to say, “Ron’s the icing on the cake of what I already had with God.”

Stand firm in your faith. Whatever fear you have, overcome it with trust in the Lord. Know that no matter what happens, you’ll regret not trying more than you will trying and failing. And no matter what happens, God adores you. Win or lose, the Creator will always love you. Trust in His affection, take steps of faith, knowing you will always find a firm footing in the Lord.

Prayer:

Lord,
Thank You for loving us unconditionally and giving us the courage to take steps of faith. Please help us stand firm as we face our fears and follow You.
IJNIP. Amen