Sometimes we need the reminder in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that all things have their season in this life, on this earth. We are but a blip on the radar in the eternity in which God resides. Sometimes this feels incredibly overwhelming; how could God possibly care about a speck like me? He cares because He created me, and He created me because He cares about me.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven;
There will be all kinds of seasons in our lives but one thing is certain through all of it. God cares about you and me so much that He created us. Knowing all our muck ups, mess-ups and sins He still chose to sacrifice His Son so we could receive the gift of salvation and be in a relationship with Him.
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Does God know what I’m going through?
It is comforting to know that God is not unaware of the seasons in our lives. He is working it all out ahead of us. He knows the steps we will take, the doors He will open and close, and is already preparing us for it all.
Whatever season you are in right now God is using in some way to equip you for the next, and whatever seasons you have come out of you can likely pinpoint now how they helped you get to where you are.
We are not alone in the dark winters or our seasons of loneliness. Nor are we alone in our seasons of joy, of victory, or even our seasons of rest or contentment. God is with us, and He prepares and provides for every season we walk through as our Yahweh-Rohi; The Lord is my Shepherd, and our Yahweh-Yireh; The-Lord-will-Provide.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
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The most common argument I have heard is “but what about those who have never heard of the gospel or of Jesus, or never read the Bible?” Enter Romans 1:18-32.
18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known[a] about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them.20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made.As a result, people are without excuse.21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.
24 Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.
What does John 3:36 teach me about right priorities?
In Romans 1 we learn that our knowledge of God doesn’t begin when we read His Word. God makes Himself known to all mankind, His creation, and draws us to Himself, to His Word. God draws us to His Truth, His Son. Just because you have not read the gospel does not mean you have not had the opportunity to know and believe in the Son.
God has called every one of us to come to Him. Jesus goes on to explain this in the book of John, saying that “no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” God calls on every one of us to come to Him, whether we acknowledge Him, honor Him, worship Him, serve Him, believe in Him or not. We are all given the opportunity to believe in the Son.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
As we all strive to find and create balance in our lives, we should reflect on Christ and what He came, lived, died, rose again, and ascended for.
God sent His Son to save you from the penalty of your sin so that you could be in a relationship with Him. He sent His Son so that we could choose eternal life rather than eternal separation from God as we all deserve.
He sent His Son to save us, to create the balance only He can create. Not balance as we define it, but balance the way only He can create it. Come to God and find peace, rest, strength, love, and grace. Lean into God and find all that your heart truly longs for and more. Surrender to your Heavenly Father who wants to care for you as His child. Seek God who has made the unthinkable sacrifice so that you could come to Him. Come to God in faith, believing in His Son whom He sent for you.
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Lately, I have been getting really into planners. I have had an appreciation for them for a long time, but lately, I have had it on my heart to plan better. By this, I mean that God placed Proverbs 16:9 on my heart. I have started to become more aware of how I spend my time and work hard to make better use of my time in ways that He guides.
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9 NKJV
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9 ESV
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9 NIV
A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9 CSB
A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them. Proverbs 16:9 AMP
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How has Proverbs 16:9 helped me manage my time better?
God has been reminding me day after day that while I can fill up my planner with all kinds of things I want to do, ultimately He will be the One to determine what happens. I can plan to my heart’s content but His will be done no matter what I do or do not do, and He will provide all that is needed for His will to be done.
I’ve been noticing a better balance of tasks since I gave my planning over to God and let Him set my priorities. I’ve drastically reduced the tasks I really wanted to do that God indicated were not where I should focus. He has better things for me to spend my time doing.
In this, I have not only been able to start investing my time more effectively and efficiently, but He has given me time to rest, to have some fun, to spend with my family more, and focus better on the tasks that bring Him the most glory and honor.
How can you better plan your time?
This week I see a huge shift happening in my own schedule. It makes me wonder what would happen if more people gave God control of their plans, schedules, to-do lists so He can do what only He can. I wonder how many would find more satisfaction and less worry over what did and did not get done.
We are all called to prioritize God above all else, and through Proverbs 16:9 we see that even when we plan according to our own will, God’s will be done. Set your heart’s plans and desires on the Lord and He will make straight your paths for His glory and kingdom. He will provide the stepping stones, the resources, the time, the help. He is our Provider, our Way Maker, and our loving Heavenly Father.
Entrust your plans to His will and let Him lead the way each and every day.
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One of the very first passages I ever read in the Bible was 1 Peter 4. It set me on a path to line my life up with Christ and how He calls me to live. I had been through a lot of pain in my life. God knew that 1 Peter was exactly what I needed.
I began seeking God out more often. Navigating the challenges of faith in God while living in a cruel world was lonely for a while. Again, 1 Peter was there to encourage me. God kept me going. I went through many tests at the beginning of my faith journey. This taught me that the testing would never really be over. The pain, trials, and changes were already making me stronger.
While praying for balance in our lives, the idea of suffering isn’t something we’d like to include. Jesus teaches His followers that to rightly prioritize Him means that we will suffer, be insulted, and be tested for His sake. The balance comes when we stand firm in faith out of love for our Savior despite all this agony. We will find immense strength and blessings within our growing relationship with the Lord.
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12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,
“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”[a]
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
We belong to a God of promises and He is a promise keeper. Stand firm with Him and you will grow with every ache, pain, and trial you face in faith.
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Life has been such a whirlwind that feels like a never-ending storm. Sometimes it feels like it is just chewing us up and spitting us out to chew us up again. I was encouraged by a word God had laid on my heart, inspired by Matthew 5:6, to focus on – balance.
Matthew 5 reminded me that we need to be hungering and thirsting for Him and His righteousness. We need to remain diligently focused on things above rather than the hectic circumstances around us. Balance can only be obtained when God is our number one focus and desire.
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How can I pray for balance with Matthew 5:6?
Read through these verses, pray over the words, pinpoint the places that God might be speaking to you today. Where is God calling on you to seek His balance? His priorities? His intentions? Him?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:3-12 NKJV
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Jesus calls those who hunger and thirst for His righteousness “blessed” and says “they shall be filled”. Will you allow Him to fill you up, or will you fill yourself with worry, dissatisfaction, anxiety, frustrations, and impatience with things of this world?
Pray with me this month for balance in our lives, hearts, minds – as well as for our circumstances, our homes, families, communities, nations, and the world. Seek His balance for and in all things.
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If you are seeking better balance and priorities in your life, download and read through our free printable reading plan to encourage you in Biblical balance.
Last week we talked about how our testimony can impact someone else’s faith journey. This week, I want to focus more inward. We asked the question of who you want to model your life after; Jesus, Judas or Peter, and today we are going to explore that question a little deeper.
Many of the people who followed Jesus into Jerusalem thought He had come to save them from the Romans. Unfortunately, once they began to realize He was not there for this, they began turning on Him. As soon as they felt He wasn’t there to help them with what they saw as their most important and immediate needs, they bailed on Him and His divine mission.
Before the Last Supper Judas went to the Pharisees and agreed to betray Jesus, after which Satan entered him. Judas chased after wealth by stealing from the ministry money while following Jesus, by betraying Jesus for money, and being greedy along the way. Judas started with petty crimes, even while following Christ, then over time they progressed to bigger sins, until he had spiraled so far that he allowed Satan to overtake him. After betraying Jesus he realized he had made a great mistake and tried to undo what he’d done by giving the money back to the Pharisees, and then went and hung himself instead of asking forgiveness.
When Jesus was about to be killed, Peter was caught up in the crowd, watching Jesus get beaten. People recognized Peter as one of Jesus’s friends and followers but because Peter was scared and did not want to have the same fate as Jesus, Peter denied even knowing Jesus not once but 3 times.
After the rooster crowed, Peter realized what He’d done and wept. When Jesus rose again, Peter was among the remaining 11 disciples that met Jesus in Galilee and worshiped him. Peter returned to Jesus even after he had denied him to save himself, knowing he had done wrong.
Jesus was beaten, ridiculed, hated and judged along the way to Golgotha, and as He hung nailed to the cross he asked God to forgive all of the people who had hurt Him, accused Him, turned away from Him, and killed Him. He begged forgiveness for them and then He died for those very same people so that they, and all who came after, could forever be saved from their sinful nature, and forgiven for denying, betraying, killing and walking away from Him.
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Despite the crowds and even His disciples turning on Him, Jesus still chose to go to the cross for them – and for us. He knew what was going to happen then and in the future, that people would still reject, deny, and turn away from Him for generations to come.
Even though we reject Him when He doesn’t answer us in the ways we want or expect; even though we turn our back on His plan because it gets tough or scary; even though we put fame, wealth, popularity, and common culture before Him He still paid with His life to save us in a way we never knew we needed saving.
Even though He knew what was ahead He did it anyway so that we could have a relationship with God, be saved from our old selves, and be given the gift of New Life through that relationship, which is only available because He paid the price for us.
Even though we mess up, miss the mark, give up, walk away, reject and deny Him we are still able to do as Peter did and come back to Christ. Don’t lose hope. You are never too far gone. You are not a lost cause. You have never messed up so badly you can’t turn back or bring your mistakes to Him. That is what He died for – so that we could all run back to God, confess our sins, and find an eternal relationship full of love, hope, and forgiveness.
‘When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. ‘
‘Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. ‘
‘They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. ‘
The Easter story is the story of Jesus Christ sacrificing Himself and rising again in order to defeat death, save all of mankind from their sins, and bring us back into a relationship with God. There are so many incredible lessons we need to take away from this cornerstone of Christianity, I want to focus on one lesson that is likely a viewpoint we haven’t looked at this story in how to live as Christ, and what that means beyond ourselves.
Before Jesus came into Jerusalem he had raised a man named Lazarus from the dead. Many people heard of the miracle Jesus performed and came to see Him in Jerusalem, not only because of who Jesus was but also to see Lazarus. They followed Jesus to see the fruit of the miracle He had performed.
The Easter story is a perfect example of how we should live as Christ (Christ prioritizing the salvation of mankind to the point of sacrificing Himself for the sake of saving everyone else), how we typically do live (Peter denying Him and Judas betraying Him when it got tough to follow Him), and how others (believers and unbelievers) can be drawn in by the way we live and the testimonies we share about Christ’s saving grace in our lives even though we’ve denied and betrayed Him.
Here is a vital point that I don’t want us to miss or discount. We don’t always seek Jesus because He is our Savior. We often seek Him because of what we heard He did in someone else’s life. Sometimes we are drawn to Him because of how He has changed, used, helped or blessed others.
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Each of us is given a story and testimony that we are called to share with others. That is one of the most powerful ways we can draw others into the love and truth of Christ. We don’t always need to be throwing scripture at people and telling them how they should apply it to their situation. There is a time and place for that approach, but let us not miss the opportunities to use the story He gave us to draw others closer to the water.
So, will you live by Christ’s selfless example, putting the salvation of your fellow human as a priority in your life by walking the walk He intended for you and sharing the testimony He gave you? Or will you instead walk like Judas who betrayed Jesus for the sake of wealth and gain? Or like Peter, who denied Jesus when it became tough to continue following him? Whatever you choose, it is all part of your story. It all has the power to either draw someone nearer to or further from the waters we’re all called to step out onto.
‘When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. ‘
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
I am a wife, mom, writer, crafter, and above all, a Child of God. I love to study the Bible, fellowship with other Christians, and serve God. I am thrilled to invite you to join me in seeking to satisfy our thirsty souls with the Living Water of Christ, which is what Water On Thirsty Land is here to do.
