Month: March 2020

“So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.” (Luke 4:39 NIV)

If you want to rebuke the fever in your life, you have to ask Jesus for help.  Today’s verse comes from Luke, who was a doctor.  I guess it’s not surprising he records medical miracles, to him this would have been even more unbelievable.  Jesus is visiting Simon, when He arrives, Simon tells Him about his mother-in-law:

“Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. “ (Luke 4:38b NIV).

Therefore, in order for Jesus to rebuke a fever, you have to ask Him for help.  But what if you ask Jesus for help and He doesn’t rebuke the fever? What then? The fever isn’t the point, Jesus is.

The fever isn’t the point, Jesus is.

I have friends that lost their daughter to cancer at 10 years of age.  I met another lady recently who lost her 7 year old to the same disease.  They asked Jesus for help, but He didn’t rebuke the fever. Why didn’t He heal them?  The truth is, I don’t know why. I’m not God:

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29 NIV

I have come to accept, some questions won’t be answered on this side of heaven.  I don’t like it. I struggle with it. But I can’t change it. What I do know, even when God doesn’t heal the fever, He’ll carry you through.

My friends lost their daughter over five years ago.  I met them after she had passed. I never had the privilege to meet her on earth.  But God has carried my friends through, miraculously. If I want encouragement in God, their Facebook page is a place I can find it.  They have allowed God to comfort them in the midst of this storm. They have let Him carry them. And He has. I met them in a small group through church.  I didn’t find out about their loss immediately, when I did, I could hardly believe it. Their faith was so strong after such a terrible loss. How?

We cannot understand the strength of God’s grace and mercy unless we have had to rely upon it completely.   A couple of days ago, I talked about how I found rest in my soul when I was at a low point.  God didn’t heal the fever that day, but He carried me. The battle still continues, but it’s not mine to fight, it’s the Lord’s.  The fever isn’t the point, Jesus is.

Question of the Day:

What fever do you need Jesus help with today?

Further Reading: Numbers 32:1-33:39 NIV, Luke 4:31-5:11 NIV, Psalm 64:1-10 NIV, Proverbs 11:22 NIV

“Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.” (Prov. 11:21 NIV).

Wicked people will be punished.  God says so in His word. And we are all wicked.  There is not one of us who hasn’t done something evil, the only question is whether we admit it or not.  I did everything possible to get my brother’s in trouble when we were kids. I skipped school when I was in highschool.  I flunked out of college three times before getting my degree. We all are wicked, it’s why we need Jesus. When we understand that Jesus knows that and loves us anyway, we find the freedom of the righteous.  Wicked people will be punished, but the righteous will go free. 

Wicked people will be punished, but the righteous will go free.

Righteous is a word that can be easily misunderstood. Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines righteousness as Just; accordant to the divine law.  Jesus is the divine law:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”  (Matthew 5:17 ESV)

When we believe in Jesus, that He died on the cross and rose again, we become just.  We are in accordance with the law. Our heart is in the right place. That is what it means to be righteous, our heart belongs to Jesus.  Our first step out of our wickedness is admitting we’re wicked, then giving our heart to Jesus. Our righteousness comes from nothing we have done.  Our righteousness comes from what Jesus did for us.

Confessing we need Jesus in our lives is our first confession, not our last.  As much as we try not to be wicked, we can’t help ourselves:

“For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:18-19 NIV)

Jesus knows this about us.  I’ve learned, as I’ve grown closer to Him, I become more and more sensitive to my sin nature.   Each morning when I open the scriptures, I’m convicted of something I need to confess. An ill spoken word, a nasty thought, whatever the case may be, something always comes to mind.  Sometimes, tearfully, I once again confess my sins to the One who always loves me.

G.K. Chesteron was an English writer.  He described Jesus like this:

We must certainly be in a novel; What I like about this novelist is that he takes such trouble about his minor characters.

The novelist of your life is Jesus.  No matter how minor of a character you may feel, the truth is, to Jesus, you’re the star.

Question of the Day:

What do you need to confess to Jesus today?

Further Reading: Numbers 30:1-31:54 NIV, Luke 4:1-30 NIV,Psalm 63:1-11NIV, Proverbs 11:20-21 NIV

“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.” Psalm 62:1 NIV

If you want rest for your soul, fall into God’s arms.  This morning, I was at one of my lowest points. I spent my quiet time crying out to Jesus, “Help!”  It was the only word I could mutter. In my world there is so much pain and heartache, it feels overwhelming to me.  One friend battling cancer, another the loss of a child, marriages unraveling, friendships falling apart, life taxes the soul.  But in God, we find rest for our soul. If you want rest for your soul, fall into God’s arms.

If you want rest for your soul, fall into God’s arms.

I fell into God’s arms this morning.  Years ago, I watched the movie War Room.  The movie centers around an elderly woman and her war room, a closet.  She had turned an upstairs closet into her meeting place with God. She had nothing in there but a hard wooden chair and her Bible.  We watched her battle the war around her, on her knees in a closet. One of my all time favorite movies. I came home from that date night with my husband, and made myself a prayer closet.  I turned our upstairs guest bedroom closet into my war room. From within its walls I’ve been battling ever since. My war room looks a little different than in the movie, I have a small desk and exercise ball I use as a chair.  But it’s walls are covered in years worth of scriptures and prayers. In its space, I find Jesus.

This morning, as the storm was rolling around me I felt myself going under.  I didn’t have the strength to battle any more. We had another attack from the enemy yesterday that knocked me to my knees.  I came into my prayer closet this morning crawling. I pulled out my journal and pleaded with God for mercy. Then I slowly laid down on the floor, curled up under my desk, hiding in God’s arms.  I laid there and wept, I prayed and then I just let go. And God did what God always does. He revived me, He breathed life back into me. He got me up, He inspired me. He gave me strength when I had none.  And I want you to know how intimately God is in our lives. I follow Rick Warren from Saddleback church, I receive his daily devotional. Today’s devotional was “Rely on God’s Power, Not Your Own”  As I read it, I knew it was written for me, for this day, because I would need it.

If you want rest for your soul, fall into God’s arms.  Bare your soul to Him and tell Him everything. He’s just waiting for you, arms wide open.  

Question of the Day:

How can you fall into God’s arms today?

Further Reading: Numbers 28;16-29:40 NIV, Luke 3:23-38 NIV, Psalm 62:1-12 NIV, Proverbs 11:18-19 NIV

“Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.” (Proverbs 11:17 NIV)

The reason being kind is beneficial is because no one wants to be around someone who is mean.  Take it from someone who can be really mean, it doesn’t get you anywhere. Being nasty to other human beings only brings ruin onto yourself.  You don’t prove anything to anyone by how mean you can be, but you show true character when you show them how kind you can be. Jesus was kind.  If you want to master the art of kindness, follow Jesus.

If you want to master the art of kindness, follow Jesus.

I recently turned fifty which has given me a new perspective on my life.  I now have the luxury of looking back and seeing my mistakes. I remember distinctly how mean I was to Al Hoover in 8th grade.  We had just moved to the area, I was in a new school, and he wanted to be my friend. I was so distrusting, I snapped back at his friendliness with “Why?”  I didn’t understand why this strange boy wanted to be my friend. According to my mother, all boys wanted was sex and they weren’t to be trusted. I don’t think he ever talked to me again, I scared him that badly with my meanness.  What if I had been kind? What if I had responded like Jesus? I would have had a new friend.

Jesus was always kind.  Zaccheus, a short man who was a tax collector, Jesus was kind to him.(Luke 19 NIV).  Jesus was kind to the woman caught in adultery, He saved her from a crowd who wanted her killed.  He also was kind to the man caught with her, he is never named in the story (John 8:1-11 NIV).  Jesus was kind to the rich young ruler when he explained to him what he needed to give up his wealth.  Check out this video for the full story.  The rich young ruler was missing the point because of his wealth, Jesus was trying to help him understand that.  Jesus was being kind. 

If you want to master the  art of kindness, follow Jesus.  Jesus loved everyone, no matter how tall they were or what their job was.  Jesus was kind to those caught in sin publicly. He loved them when no one else would.  And Jesus was kind to those who just don’t get it, He tried to help them understand. Jesus was the master of kindness, He showed us how we can be too.

Question of the Day

What is something kind you can do today for someone else?

Further Reading: Numbers 26:52-28:15 NIV, Luke 3:1-22 NIV, Psalm 61:1-8 NIV, Proverbs 11:16-17 NIV

“Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless.” (Psalm 60:11 NIV)

Jesus can defeat your enemies.  “I Love Lucy” was a sitcom on T.V. in the 1950’s.  The show was based on Lucille Ball, a vibrant red head who was always in trouble.  A groundbreaking show, it dominated the rankings during its tenure in the 50’s. The show ended when it was still ranked number 1.  Lucy can still be seen in syndication today. One of the most famous scenes occurs when Lucy is working in a chocolate factory. Click here for a quick chuckle.  As the scene unfolds, Lucy is wrapping chocolates that are going by on a conveyor belt.  The candies start coming faster and faster, complete mayhem erupts. Lucy tries desperately to keep up, but fails miserably.  She can’t do it on her own, and neither can we. When we are like Lucy, under attack, the conveyor belt going faster and faster, the attacks piling up on us, we need to call for help.  Jesus is the only one who can stop the conveyor belt. Just like Lucy couldn’t do it on her own, we can’t either. We need Jesus to do it for us. Jesus can defeat our enemies.

Jesus can defeat our enemies.

When Lucille Ball died, she was almost a complete recluse.  This article talks about the show, which she starred in with her husband, Desi Arnaz.  Their marriage ended in divorce because of his drinking and carousing. She went on to have success in her career, but the last two decades of her life weren’t great.  After a skiing accident, she could no longer do slapstick comedy, which was what she had based her life identity on. The chocolates continued to come too fast for Lucy, she couldn’t keep up with the curve balls life threw at her.  When we can’t keep up, Jesus is there to carry us. He never meant for us to base our life identity on anyone or thing but Him. When we make Him the center of our lives, He’ll take care of the curveballs life throws at us. He’ll help us keep going when we no longer want to go on.  He’ll defeat our enemies.

When the conveyor belt of life is moving too fast for you, when the chocolates are piling up along the side, don’t panic.  Take a deep breath, as you exhale, cry for help. Your prayer can be just one word, “Help!” Jesus will hear it, He’ll know you’re talking to Him.  He’ll help. He’ll come. He’ll defeat your enemies for you.

Question of the Day:

What enemy do you need Jesus to defeat for you today?

Further Reading: Numbers 26:1-51NIV, Luke 2:36-52 NIV, Psalm 60:1-12 NIV, Proverbs 11:15 NIV

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:11 NIV)

The one person you need to know is Jesus.  The real Jesus, as told by those who knew Him personally.  I’ve had the privilege of knowing Jesus all my life. I have never lived one moment of life without Him.  He has been with me in my darkest moments. He’s helped me celebrate my biggest highs. I can feel His presence in my life in a tangible way.  The one person you need to know is Jesus.

The one person you need to know is Jesus.

Why Jesus?  Because He is the most faithful friend you will ever have.  He expressed His friendship for us when He died on the cross, that was the beginning of our friendship with Him.  Long before we were born, He knew us (Jer. 1:5 NIV).  

He prays for us:
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21 NIV)

He is patient with us:
“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16 NIV).

He is compassionate with us:
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 NIV).

He came to serve us:
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NIV). 

He forgives us:
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”(Luke 23:34 NIV)

He loves us:
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4: 7-8 NIV).

The one person we all need to know is Jesus.  No earthly relationship can ever compare to our relationship with Him.  The deeper our relationship with Jesus becomes, the deeper our relationship with others will become.  If we truly want our best life here on earth, we will find it with Jesus. The one person you need to know is Jesus.

Question of the Day:

How well do you know Jesus?

Further Reading:Numbers 24:1-25:18 NIV, Luke 2:1-35 NIV, Psalm 59:1-17 NIV, Proverbs 11:14 NIV

“Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” (Numbers 22:28 NIV)

When you have a roadblock in your life, check your heart.  Balaam, our hero, has been summoned by Balak, king of the Moabites. Balak has new neighbors, he wants Balaam to come and curse them so they will leave.  Balaam, a man of God, seeks His will. God tells him to go, but he’s only to do what God tells him to do. Balaam starts down the road but immediately comes upon a roadblock:

“But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.”  (Num. 22:22 NIV)

Not understanding, Ballam immediately starts beating the donkey.  Why, would God block the road with an angel after telling Balaam to go?  Because God knew Balaam’s heart. When you have a roadblock in your life, check your heart.

When you have a roadblock in life, check your heart.

The reason God blocked the road was because He knew what was in Balaam’s heart:

“They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong.” (2 Peter 2:15 NLT)

God knew, before Balaam ever got to Moab, he was going to betray God.  He was going to let Balak pay him to curse the neighbor’s land. Balaam, in this case, loved money more than he did obedience to God.  God was protecting Balaam from himself. God knew his heart was so hardened, the only way to get his attention was to talk to him through a donkey.

Balaam eventually got the message, but not until he had beaten his donkey three times. After the third beating, the donkey finally talks. Unfortunately, even this doesn’t immediately tip Balaam off.  He starts arguing with the donkey, he acts as if arguing with a donkey is a daily activity. His heart was hardened to what God was doing. He couldn’t see the angel standing in front of him until God opened his eyes.  Only then did Balaam finally begin to understand what was happening. God dealt with his heart issues. God did let him go to Moab, but after meeting God on the road, his heart had changed:

“Well, I have come to you now,” Balaam replied. “But I can’t say whatever I please. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth.” (Numbers 22:38 NIV)

If God has placed a roadblock in your life, the first thing to do is check your heart.

Question of the Day:

What roadblock is your heart facing today?

Further Reading: Numbers 22:21-23:30 NIV, Luke 1:57-80 NIV, Psalm 58:1-11 NIV, Proverbs 11:12-13 NIV

“The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.”  Numbers 21:7 NIV

One way to neutralize the snakes in your life  is to ask God to intervene. Today’s verse comes from a passage that is classic Israelites, which is also classic us.  Moses is leading the Israelites to Mt. Hor on a trade route around the Red Sea. The Israelites get impatient, and for the first time, not only complain about Moses, but God.  All other times their gripes were against Moses, this time they are upset with God. God responds to their complaints by sending venomous snakes among them. Of course, now in physical harm, they turn to Moses for help.  Moses immediately goes to God and asks Him to remove the snakes. Here was God’s response:

“The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”  So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.”  Numbers 21: 8-9 NIV.

God didn’t remove the snakes, he neutralized them.

I have a friend who reminds me, any story we find in the Bible, we can find ourselves in as well.  Today’s story is a prime example, we’ve all complained about God at some point or another in our life. He hasn’t handled a situation the way we think He should have handled it.   We don’t understand why bad things happen to good people. I know, when I was single, I was frustrated because I felt like I was doing “everything right,” yet nothing was happening.  I waited over 40 years for my husband. I can relate to how the Israelite’s felt wandering in the desert for that long. When we are in the wilderness, our humanness has no problem finding faults with God.

God sent venomous snakes to answer the Israelites’ complaints.  The venomous snakes are what made them realize they were sinning.  God didn’t send the snakes to be mean, He sent them to get them back on track.  Sometimes, whether we like it or not, He sends venomous snakes into our lives to do the same thing.  Snakes remind us of our sin, our need for God. 

God is a gentleman, He never pushes Himself upon us, He waits for us to turn to Him. When we do, God neutralizes the snakes in our lives.

Question of the Day:

What snakes do you need God to neutralize in your life?

Further Reading: Numbers 21:1-22:20 NIV, Luke 1:26-56 NIV, Psalm 57:1-11NIV, Proverbs 11:9-11 NIV

“Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack.” (Psalm 56: 1 NIV).

When you need a break, ask Jesus for mercy.  As Christ followers, we are always under attack from the devil.  “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”  (1 Peter 5:8 NIV).  His attacks can feel like a thousand mosquitoes swarming around you.  The harder you swing to get rid of them, the more they attack. The problem we have, we try to stave off the attack on our power.  When we’re under attack, we need Jesus’s power to save us. When you need a break, ask Jesus for mercy.

When you need a break, ask Jesus for mercy.

Jesus has given us the weapons we need to fight the evil in this world.  He’s given us a suit of armor that we are to put on dailly:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:10-12, 14-18 NIV).

In other words, put on your bug spray.  We get swarmed with mosquitoes because we don’t put on our bug spray in the first place.  When we put on God’s armor, we’re putting on bug spray to defend against the attacks of the devil.  Instead of the mosquitos swarming around us, they are repelled by the bug spray. In the same way, when we put on the armor of God, it’s a repellant to the devils attacks.  His fiery arrows miss their mark as we stand firm in Jesus.

When you need a break, Jesus has an answer.  He has prepared a way for you to stand strong in the midst of battle.  He has designed a suit of armor just for you. His mercies are new every morning, His strength always able to carry you through.  But first you have to turn to Him. When you need a break, ask Jesus for mercy.

Question of the Day:

Do you need to ask Jesus for mercy today?

Further Reading: Numbers 19:1-20:29 NIV, Luke 1:1-25 NIV, Psalm 56:1-13 NIV, Proverbs 11:8 NIV

“Hopes placed in mortals die with them;  all the promise of their power comes to nothing.” (Proverbs 11:7 NIV)

Hoped placed in Jesus will never let you down.  Hope placed in man will never equal Jesus. Humans are limited in their powers and their abilities, when we die, whatever we have goes with us.  But Jesus overcame death. His power is limitless. He carried our sins to the cross. He died and rose again. He overcame the world for us. Hope placed in Jesus will never let you down.

Hope placed in Jesus will never let you down.

I recently watched Midway with my husband.  The movie is about a pivotal battle in WWII, it was the turning point for the war in the Pacific.  Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941.  This attack drew the U.S. into the war.  We were the underdog in this fight. After the losses at Pearl Harbor, the U.S. only had 3 aircraft carriers in the Pacific to battle Japan’s fleet.  My patriotism grew as I watched young men give their lives valiantly for their country. My hope in these men was strong. I found myself gripping the edge of my seat, not knowing what was going to happen.  I realized these characters I had grown to love could die at any moment. None of them had the capability of overcoming death. But Jesus did. Jesus overcame death. He is the hope that never dies.

Because we have Jesus, we needn’t be scared of death.  Just as Jesus overcame it, so will we in Him. My favorite character in Midway was Bruno.  I was disappointed to learn an inspirational story he shared in the movie wasn’t true.  His character was from New York in the movie, but the real Bruno came from Milwaukee. The false story told in the movie happens when he’s asked why he’s not worried about the upcoming battle by a shipmate. He responds with a touching story about his family.  When I researched the story, I learned it wasn’t true. What I thought would be a great example for writing, was instead a lie. Hope placed in man dies with them.

Bruno, in real life, was a hero who needed no embellishments.  His hope was in God, He served him well. Bruno died after being tortured for 11 days by the Japanese, he was then tied to a rope and tossed overboard with an anchor.  He sacrificed his life for our freedom because his hope was in Jesus. That is the truth about Bruno. Bruno knew the truth about Jesus. Hope placed in Jesus will never let you down.

Question of the Day:

Who are you placing your hope in today?

Further Reading; Numbers 16:41-18:32 NIV, Mark 16:1-20 NIV, Psalm 55:1-23 NIV, Proverbs 11:7 NIV