What do you do when you’re uncomfortable? If you’re like most people, you probably avoid uncomfortable situations altogether or shy away from them as quickly as you can. We strive to be comfortable and compare it to being relaxed or at peace. For me, the idea of being comfortable often looks like snuggling up with a book, a hot cup of coffee, a nice fluffy blanket, and feeling the comfort of warmth and a good story to let my mind wander. Having courage when life gets difficult isn’t always our go-to plan.
When we face uncomfortable situations, though, God often calls us to stand firm in faith and persevere through the discomfort. Trusting God in those awkward or even painful circumstances can give us a new, needed perspective to help us grow in faith and come closer to Him, where our true comfort can be found. Faith through discomfort is an act of obedience and shows we trust God.
And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
When I started streaming on Twitch I was so uncomfortable, felt so out of place, and had no clue what I was doing. I knew without question God had called me to the platform to share His word, but I was not sure how. I began researching and took my time to get set up, but knowing without doubt God told me to get going I went live and did my best, trusting God would help me figure it all out. I was cautious about how I got started and how I shared His Word, but I obediently began streaming His word. I was sure of His instruction and trusted I didn’t need to have it all figured out because He already did.
‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ‘
‘fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ‘
I stumbled and had no clue what I was doing for a long time, but I continued to trust God and knew He would tell me what to do just as confidently as I knew He called me to get started. I went faithfully and completely outside my comfort zone, persevered in the growing pains of starting to stream, starting public Bible studies, and starting a new Christian gaming community all at once. Now, nearly two years later, I am beginning to see the fruits of my obedience and better understand the value of trusting God even when it forces me to get extremely uncomfortable.
‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ‘
It took me a long time to see the fruits of persistent, faithful obedience pan out. In that nearly two year period I failed a lot. I went my own way many times. I struggled to listen to God. Every time, though, God would place something in my path that gave me a choice to get back in line with Him or continue on my own.
When I failed to heed God’s correction things would get really tough. I lost leaders, members, and opportunities along the way as God seemed to yank and pull me back to His path over and over again. In all of this I have found deep value in getting uncomfortable. I have learned even better that we must get uncomfortable so we can grow.
‘I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. ‘
The Israelites who were freed from Egypt failed to obey God and most ended up missing out on entering the Promised Land, much like when we fail to obey God we miss out on His blessings. It takes action on our part. We need to apply our beliefs and live like we believe. Through trust and obedience we apply our belief and live it out. It becomes part of us, changing us, and helping us to grow in faithfulness all the time.
‘But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ‘
What uncomfortable thing is God calling you to? Where is God seeking to grow you? Discomfort can be an opportunity to grow closer to God and become more like Christ. Remain faithful to God as He faithfully guides and provides for you. Don’t be like the Israelites, grumbling and complaining in their discomfort, missing the blessing and provisions, and falling into disobedience, ungratefulness, and bitterness.
If you are struggling to hear God clearly, struggling to be courageously obedient, seek God out deeper by spending more time in prayer and His Word, and remember you have an advocate in Christ. You are not tackling this alone. Christ is with you, enduring the pain and discomfort with you, and His Spirit is there to guide, correct, and comfort you through the discomfort of change and growth.
‘My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ‘
‘Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. ‘
What did you do the last time you were faced with difficult situations? Did you avoid it? Did you complain, worry or panic? Did you talk to a friend or loved one about it? Did you try to figure it out on your own? Most of us have a bad habit of handling tough circumstances in any number of these ways, and many more like them. Daniel, someone just like you and me, faced incredible peer pressure, temptation, threat, persecution, slander, and more and showed us how we should respond to threat, hardship, pain, and even the threat of death.
Decide in Difficult Situations
Sometimes God will call us to prepare, act, move or change in certain ways, and sometimes He needs us to be still. We must decide in our hearts every day to have faith that He knows our circumstances, whatever is ahead of us, and that He is bigger; that He can and will handle all of it.
We need to be faithful and obedient to Him, trusting the promises He makes to provide, protect, and work all things together for our good – even when it doesn’t feel good. Don’t ever assume you know what to do on your own, what’s ahead, or how someone will react – commit yourself to God’s instructions.
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,
Seeking God out with a desire to hear Him, to discover His truth, to learn, grow, and be nearer to Him is essential for surviving in this sinful, broken world. We need to be determined every day that we will bring everything in our life to God. Be disciplined enough in your faith and relationship with your Heavenly Father that whenever something happens, a decision needs to be made, a question needs to be asked, an emotion needs to be expressed, that He is the first one we run to and pour it all out to.
Every ounce of our life needs to be brought to God through prayer every day. The more we pray, the closer we get to Him, the stronger our relationship gets, the deeper our faith grows, the better we become as followers of Christ, and the more people we have an opportunity to pour God’s grace and love all over and bring closer to Him as well. Seek God out in all things, all times, no matter who may or may not be watching, and have no fear of the world around you.
When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
Lifting up our worries to God is vital in demonstrating our faith in Him, and so is humbly seeking His forgiveness when we hold onto our worries and try to tackle our circumstances on our own. As human beings, we will certainly make mistakes, mess up, and commit sin and we need to give all of that to God as well and repent so we can come back into right standing with our Heavenly Father.
Daniel knew there was a need for this not only for himself but for his people. He knew that there was power in lifting others up to God and praying for forgiveness over them. We should remember what Jesus said as He was hanging, dying, nailed to the cross; “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do,” (Luke 23:34), and pray this for the world around us, and for ourselves.
Ask God to forgive you and others surrounding you, open your eyes to your mistakes, show you His will, teach you what is right, and give you the strength and perseverance for what is ahead. Even when you don’t know what you’ve done, we have much to repent for every day.
‘Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. ‘
Praise is an often forgotten, often discounted way to worship God. It’s so easy to take credit for ourselves or immediately give someone a pat on the back when really God is the one who deserves our praises before and above anyone else. We live in a culture that teaches us we’ve earned what we have and are entitled to what we want, but we only have what we have because God made it so.
The only doors that open are ones God has put there and given you the tools to open them with. We have the choice, but He’s paved and provided the way and deserves to be heartily thanked constantly for every bit of it. Don’t forget to lift your eyes and your thanks to Him first even when we’re faced with difficult situations.
Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”
Don’t take for granted and miss all the blessings he is providing for you every day. Acknowledge that God’s way is always the right way and that all you have is because He made it so. Give credit where credit is due and give God all the glory, even in the face of difficult situations.
My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”
Faith won’t result in a personal victory every time, but either way, we can learn and grow stronger as we persevere and give it all to God. Our faithfulness may get us into trouble sometimes, but our faith will always get us out of it because the Lord’s salvation is so complete He is with us in the fire, closing the mouths of lions, and providing all we need in everything we face. He is faithful to us and asks for faithfulness in return.
Decide in your heart to remain firm, pray to Him all day every day, praise Him for everything you have and need, and acknowledge that He is the one in control, blessing and providing, teaching and disciplining, guiding and listening. He is for you and wants you to live for Him.
‘ While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision. ‘
Sometimes it is a challenge to discern the difference between God’s voice, our own, and the world’s. When I came into my relationship with God I wondered how anyone could really tell if God was instructing them or not, but as I spent time in His Word, began my awkward journey of new believer prayers, and tried to navigate what on earth I’d committed myself to I began to recognize God in the world around me. God began to teach me hot to have discipline in my faith and my life.
As I read, learned and prayed I also began to listen, and to hear Him. I could feel God with me. It started out feeling small, uncertain, and confusing but over the years I have grown in my familiarity of God’s presence and voice in my life.
‘Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord , take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.’
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is seeking God out, afraid and feeling very alone. Elijah received instruction from an angel of the Lord, but in his anxiety he missed it. The angel came back again, though, and continued to instruct him until eventually reminding him, as we so often need the same reminder, that sometimes the journey will be too much to do alone but God is with us always, providing what we need for the journey.
‘And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”’
When the Lord had filled Elijah with His strength, Elijah set out to seek God even more. When Elijah came to the Mountain of God and God asked him what he was doing there, He seems to be reminding Elijah that no matter where he goes, God is still there with Elijah – even when he doesn’t recognize it, even when he feels alone. This question is a heart-check question for me. When I am anxious, running around my life like I have any control, like I’m facing it alone, I hear God ask me “what are you doing here? Do you know I’m with you wherever you go? Do you trust me to provide and protect you?”
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‘Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord .” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord , but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. ‘
This is my favorite part of the story because it feels like a test to see if we can tell the difference between God, the world, or ourselves. Sometimes it is easy to think something is a sign from God and rush to run with it, but as we become more disciplined in our relationship with God we will be able to tell, like Elijah, where God is, what He is saying to you and calling you to.
This entire story is a reminder that sometimes we need to be still and rest, and when the time is right God will give us the strength we need to carry on and do the next thing. We cannot rely on our own strength, but instead need to be disciplined in seeking the Lord and His Word in all things.
Elijah was seeking and through his anxiety missed God’s reply a few times, but he kept seeking and finally began to recognize God’s presence with him. God will keep on guiding and providing, and when we continue to seek Him out we will become more familiar with His presence and His voice and be filled with the strength, peace, and perseverance we need that can only be found in Him.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Training ourselves to diligently spend time in scripture on a regular basis and constantly lift our entire life up to Him takes discipline and practice, but reaps incredible rewards as our relationships with Him grow and become more comfortable and familiar. We must make a choice to change our priorities, putting God as our top priority, and place our trust in Him above anything else. Be disciplined in prayer and His Word. Through this discipline we recognize God better all the time and will be better equipped to bear the fruit of the Spirit and spread God’s love and truth in this broken, hurting world.
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
‘He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. ‘
We live in a world that sees being obedient as being dominated and giving someone control over us. Our culture screams that obedience takes away freedoms and pours hate and intolerance into our world. The world teaches us that we should create our own destiny while God offers us the Way to a better destiny – through obedience to Him. There’s a difference between obedience to the world and obedience to the Word, and obedience to the Word always leads us to a better destiny.
but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
God loves us so much that He paid the ultimate price, sacrificing His Son on the cross so that we may be justified and come into a right standing with Him through the salvation and acceptance of Jesus. We are so deeply loved that His blood was shed so that we could come into relationship with Him, and receive all that He wants to bless us with, and all that He promises us.
Obedience is how we show our love and gratitude to God as we are sanctified, growing spiritually, purified of sin, and learning to live more like His son who sacrificed Himself for our sake. When we express our love for our Father in Heaven this way, He fills us up with His Spirit, who is our helper as we learn to obey God’s commands and keep His Word.
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
It is easy to cling to this selfish, dark, broken world. We’re seeing intense examples right now as society rips itself apart over the things we cannot have or do while this pandemic rages. We had grown so comfortable day-to-day and now God is reminding us that He is the one who gives and the one who takes away. When He is put first, above the world, above fleshly desires, above people, we open the door for Him to bless us. When we trust Him to provide all we need we will see Him show up time and again. We must cling to the provisions of the Lord and trust His promises. If He calls you to it, He’ll provide for you through it. Trust God over people, money, and things. He will never fail you, but the world always will because He is the only one in control and He provides the only Way to eternity, salvation and freedom. He provides out of love, and we are called to obey Him out of love.
‘Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’
Through various seasons and trials of our lives we will stray from His Word and commands. We will lose our passion sometimes and need to regain our craving for Him. This is not a one and done, it is a daily choice. Obeying God is strengthened through practice, through acting with intentional faith, prayer, and surrender to Him again and again. We cannot accomplish this on our own, and cannot conquer the storms of life on our own. We need to spend time with Him in prayer and in His word every single day to hear from Him more, recognize His voice better, learn about Him, apply what we learn about how we’re called to live, and become stronger in our faith and trust for Him. Faith and obedience are built through obedient perseverance which builds character that glorifies Him and habits that honor Him. His commands revive our souls, provide clarity throughout life’s circumstances, give us wisdom to live by, and His Spirit will guide and remind us along the way.
And I heard the voice of the Lord say “Whom can I send? Who will go for Us?” and I said “Here I am! Send me!”
Have a heart so filled with love for the Lord that you obey His call without worrying about the mission or the cost. Grow closer to Him through prayer, His Word, His Spirit, and His salvation. Yearn for Him in all you do, and be so filled with love for Him you develop a habit of obedience and overflow with His love into the world around you. Obedience to God is an act of love and gratitude for all He does and promises. It is a beautiful gift that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us so much He takes all of life’s burdens and provides us with all we need to survive this dark, broken, sinful world.
One of the most commonly asked questions in life is “what is my purpose?” We spend years wondering what our calling in life is, and many of us spend many more years thinking we have it all figured out but still missing the vital answer to this question. We go about our days feeling like we should be content, but there’s still a void we cannot seem to fill. This is a space we cannot fill on our own, and a question we cannot answer alone.
We have three essential purposes, or callings, in life. These callings set us up for a satisfying, while sometimes painful, road of discovery and fulfillment. In order to unlock a full life, fill the empty space, and satisfy the persistent question of what we must do with the time we have we must look to Jesus as our answer.
To Accept Christ
In looking to Jesus we learn that the first big purpose we are called to in life is to accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour; to acknowledge Him and choose to give our lives in service to Him. Through accepting Christ we take the first step into a close relationship with God that He desired so much He sent His Son to die so that we could have abundant life. We should seek forgiveness from our loving Heavenly Father, welcome the Holy Spirit as our guide, cast off our old selves, be transformed, and take our place within the body of Christ.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
As part of the united body of Christ you then begin to learn how to have abundant life through our second calling to follow Christ. There is a difference between a believer and a follower. Following Jesus means you live like you believe. Your belief becomes your lifestyle and identity. The Holy Spirit transforms you from the inside out to help you conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the glory of God and you commit to learning more about Christ and how He calls you to live differently than before you knew Him.
As we learn to live as Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit, a natural result is to produce the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives that we then share with others. Through this, we discover not only what all followers of Christ are called to, but we then open the doors to the individual paths God has built for us and calls us to.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
Accepting and following Christ are the first callings we receive. Living a life of obedience to Christ, our third purpose, comes as we strive to learn more about Him and His ways and apply it to ourselves. As we navigate this new relationship and allow Him to transform us, we grow from immature Christians into strongholds for God’s glory and are called to take His love, truth and teachings deeper into this dark world.
And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
God has prepared a path for each of us that is paved on the foundation of Christ and the building blocks of God’s blessings and instruction, and all lead to the shared promise of eternal life in Heaven. We each receive our unique missions and opportunities every day to go out into the world in the ways and time we are guided to. Each step taken on this path is one of faith in His plan.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
God will bless us with skills, talents, and resources, and place us where we are so that we can put it all together with the fruit of the Spirit and use it all to honor God in the unique ways and places He calls us to. In this we establish our place in the body of Christ, taking on an essential function for the operation and furtherance of the great calling. The body of Christ is the Church, and much like a physical church has many roles needed for it to fulfill God’s plans, we perform our roles to strengthen, uphold, and add to the Church.
‘For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ‘
To fill the void and fulfill our life’s purpose by accepting Christ, following Him, and obediently living out the path He calls us to. To live as Christ is to live a life of love, the result of which is to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit, share that fruit with others, and help the body of Christ learn about and grow closer to Christ.
The closer we are to Christ, the more we learn, the more we grow, the stronger we become, and the more fruit we produce in the world. As we live out our callings obediently, passionately, and faithfully we step deeper into a relationship with our Heavenly Father and closer to the ultimate hope of Heaven.
Whatever we are called to in this life we should be serving the Church with all that God provides, always seek to strengthen the body of Christ, help it grow both in numbers and in faith, and stand united together, sharing the knowledge God blesses us with through experience and relationship.
‘For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. ‘
‘And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ‘
‘And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. ‘
We all put our trust in something. Every one of us places high value on something that we expect to help, guide, provide, or uplift us. There is something in our lives we place as the pivotal piece of our life’s foundation, that we rest upon, rely on, have faith in. If Christ is not this cornerstone then we may as well be building our lives on shifting sand.
And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.
In Matthew 21, we see Jesus explain to the Pharisees in the form of a story that those who reject Him also reject God. Essentially, those who place anything other than Him as their pivotal foundational piece, their cornerstone, will crumble. When we place earthly things; money, popularity, position and status, material wealth and possessions, or people, above Christ, we rest our foundation on things that disappoint and disappear. Only through truly placing our trust in and resting our foundation on Christ can we come into a relationship with God and receive the blessings He has in store for us. Christ must be our cornerstone.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
Putting Christ as the pivotal, strengthening piece of our foundation is a daily, constant choice. We will face countless temptations every day and fight against the societal norm in order to intentionally keep Jesus as our focus and ensure He is where our trust remains. As we strive to learn more about Him we will continue to learn more about how to live better, and also about the promises we have from God through this relationship with His Son.
‘I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ‘
When we make the decision to live for, live as, and learn more about Christ we discover who we are called to be. Over time we open up more and more to His instruction and receive blessings and guidance for our lives. In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus explained, again through a story, that God blesses each of us “according to his abilities” (v. 15), just like the servants in the story. Each was blessed, but not all went and multiplied their blessings in the world. God wants us to use what He blesses us with to go out into the world and bear even more fruit so that more people will also come to know Him through His Son. As we go out in obedience to be generous, serve, and bless others, He continues to bless us in a multitude of ways.
‘For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ‘
We will be given opportunities to trust Jesus as our cornerstone; rely on His strength and instruction, trust His guidance even when it seems insane, lean on Him when we’re hurting, give when and how we are called to. One of the best ways to strengthen His position as your cornerstone is explained in yet another of Jesus’ stories.
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In Luke 10:25-37, after confirming God’s law to “love your neighbor” a lawyer asked Jesus in verse 29 “who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered the man by telling the now-famous story of the Good Samaritan, where a man was mugged and beaten, left half dead. Multiple people walked by the man, disregarding him, but one man, a complete stranger, a traveler himself, saw the broken man and took him to an inn where he saw to it the man was cared for. Jesus then instructed, “You go, and do likewise.” (v. 37).
So, how can we strengthen Christ as our cornerstone? By loving broken strangers; meeting people where they are on their journey, seeing them for their brokenness, but choosing to love them as God commands us to love and also loves us, with patience, kindness, and without judgement, slander, harm, arrogance, or resentment.
‘ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ‘
God sees our broken world full of broken people, like this dying man on the side of the road, and chose to send His Son down to pay the ultimate price for our brokenness to ensure we have a way to receive Salvation and come to the Father. He picked us up, brought us into a place of grace and healing, knowing we were broken and loving us anyway.
We are called to show the same love and grace toward friends, fellow Christians, family, and even strangers and enemies. By doing this, loving broken people the same way Christ loves us, we strengthen His position as our foundation. We must intentionally put our trust in Him as our Saviour, our strength, our provider and guide.
‘you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ‘
Life is not easy. Loving people is messy. Let’s face it, we aren’t always loveable either, but God loves us so much He paid a price greater than we could ever repay so that we could all come into relationship with Him, receive His unimaginable blessings, and go out into the world to be a blessing to other broken people.
All of this is possible only because Christ has set Himself up to be our true, sturdy, reliable, trustworthy, strong, eternal cornerstone. Trust God, love people, and have grace with one another’s brokenness. Meet people where they are, remembering we are all at different places in our journey and strengthen Jesus’ position in the foundation of your life and faith by being obedient to His love and instruction for your life.
‘ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ‘
One of the most important things I’ve learned in my relationship with God is that transition and change will absolutely test our faith. When we face change we have a choice to make; to be bitter, upset, defy or reject it, or to use the opportunity to thrive, learn and grow. We can choose the path to victory or the path to defeat.
We are not intended to stay in the same place; we are called to move, change, grow and learn every day. Life is all about transition, and our relationship with Christ requires transformation, and it will be extremely challenging at times.
For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
We’ve all been in a season of transition for the past six months. It’s been difficult to cope and understand, and many of us have experienced great fear and anxiety over the changes happening and the uncertainties that lie ahead. Our world is hurting, our nation is in pain, we are all caught up in a storm of a society in agony and unknowns.
As someone with a relationship with Christ, though, we have received not only encouragement but a command, repeated over and over again, to not be afraid. In fact, God tells us throughout scripture to not be afraid as many times as there are days in the year.
‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.’
When we fail to trust that God is bigger than the battles we face we close ourselves off from the blessings He has in store for us, and we miss opportunities. If we lift our worries to Him He replaces them with peace and a door to great growth and prosperity opens for us. Being obedient to Him, who is in control of every battle we face, brings us a great victory. He can then help us through every circumstance, provide for us in every situation, and comfort us in every pain.
but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
In order to receive the victory He has won for us, we must stand firm in our faith. By committing our life to Christ, believing that Jesus died on the cross and rose again to save us from our sins, and giving our life to be led by Him we then open the door to a relationship with God and allow peace and healing to begin flowing in.
We receive the Holy Spirit as a guide and are led by His voice and ways. As we strive to live as Christ better day after day, stumble and rise, fail and learn, lean on God and stand firm, we will become stronger in faith.
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The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
The more we lean on God, spend time studying His word with a true desire to learn and understand, and pray to Him with our whole heart, the closer relationship we will have with Him, and the more we will learn about how to live better. As we learn more, we live in deeper faith and allow God to work in us and bring us to victory again and again.
Change is not something to fear; it is something to look forward to and a necessary part of life that we must choose to tackle knowing God is fighting for our victory. Embrace change, learn what you can, grow every day, pray with your whole heart, and keep faith in God who is bigger than all of it.
You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
When we make the decision to give our lives to God believe that Jesus died and rose again to save us from our sins, and commit to living like we believe, we must seek God, confess our sins to Him, ask forgiveness, and receive Christ as our Lord and Savior. This is done through passionate prayer. Praying for strength is a beautiful way to surrender to God when we lack our own strength to keep going.
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
Every relationship with God begins with prayer and shouldn’t stop there
Once we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we now have the Holy Spirit within us, guiding us every day. We do our best to learn and grow in God’s ways as this new person we’ve suddenly become, but how do we know when we are on the right track? How will we know what to do, how to do it, or when?
In order to hear God we must open up the lines of communication through spending time in His Word and prayer.
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
Prayer is not something we do to check a box for the day. Prayer is a primary and necessary means of staying connected, in tune, and in communication with God. When we pray with intention, powerfully and passionately, truly seeking God out we open ourselves up more to hearing His answers and seeing Him working in our life. We allow Him to empty us again of ourselves and fill us up with more of Him. Prayer gives us a way to seek forgiveness, help, peace, provision, and even comfort from the Lord. Prayer is having a conversation with your Heavenly Father.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Life gets tough sometimes. We will face trouble; He knows it better than we do and tells us to give Him our worries, present our requests to Him, and be faithful in prayer. God wants us to talk to Him and trust Him with our struggles. There is incredible power in passionate prayer. Seeking God out and bringing our troubles to Him is a faith practice that helps us to both act out our trust and faith in God, and also to strengthen it as we break down the barriers and let Him in.
Prayer is not only something we do for ourselves or when there is trouble. We should give thanks to God, pray for others, even including our enemies, and praise the Lord in our prayers. How we talk to our Heavenly Father has a huge impact on our attitudes and heart. When all we do is bring our wants and needs to God we tend to get stuck in despair and create the breeding grounds for selfishness.
When we are praying to check a box we let ourselves become distant from God and it becomes easier for our faith to waver. When we give Him our heart, thank Him even for the smallest things it breaks through the despair, rekindles the fire, and we begin to see and hear Him clearer. When we pray for others we help them lift their burdens and open our eyes to seeing what God is doing in the lives of others.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Every relationship with God begins with prayer and shouldn’t stop there. Pray everywhere, in all things.
Putting our heart into our prayers, truly desiring to communicate with Him and see what He will do in and around us will reap such powerful blessings. This is an essential part of our ever-growing relationship with Him and a constant faith exercise. All relationships require healthy communication and this is true of our relationship with God above all others. There is never a time, situation or place where prayer is not needed. No circumstance is ever inappropriate for prayer. You have never gone so far, so long, so bad that He will not hear your prayers and welcome them. Develop relationships with His people as well and help one another lift your burdens and praises to Him. You are not in this alone, and you don’t have to know what to say, but reach out to God from your heart and you will open yourself up to a deeper relationship with the One who is bigger than all of it.
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
A – Adoration: Begin your prayer with praise. Praise God for who He is. Praise Him with a grateful heart. This aligns our heart to Him and serves as a great reminder why we pray to God – because He is who He says He is. Thank Him for who He is to you right now.
C – Confession: Open up to God about whatever you want forgiveness for. Sometimes we won’t know what we need to be forgiven of but don’t skip this – seek forgiveness anyway and ask God to work in you and open your eyes to where you need to change. Be honest with God about your confessions. He knows all that we do, think, and feel already and bringing it to Him for forgiveness has such freeing and healing powers.
T – Thanksgiving: Thank God for what He is doing in your life, as well as in the lives of others. There is always so much to be thankful for. All we have is from Him, so all we have deserves thanks to our provider. Even thanking God for waking you up today, for choosing you, for being who He is has power and let all the thanks of your heart no matter how big, small, mundane or ridiculous it may seem just flow out to Him. This helps us to open our eyes and see how He has blessed you and those around you.
S – Supplication: Pray for yourself. Bring to God whatever is on your heart for yourself, your needs, your wants, healing, guidance, help, peace. Pray for others as well, bringing their requests to Him. Whatever it is you need or want, bring it to Him. Notice this is the final step of prayer after you have set your heart on praise, forgiveness, and thanks. Submit your heart to God and accept that His will be done, not yours.
‘Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. ‘
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.
