The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:3

 Yesterday we went up north of Atlanta to celebrate my oldest son’s birthday. He chose an Italian restaurant for lunch. The first thing he ordered was an appetizer for all of us. The waitress said that it takes a long time to make and might come after we get our food. She wasn’t kidding, as it took a while before the appetizer was served. But, once it arrived on our table, we devoured it and our hunger was temporarily satisfied.

 Today’s passage comes from the story of the Israelite’s exodus from Egyptian slavery. 45 days had passed journeying through the desert and the people complained they had run out of food. We read in verse 4 that God said He’d rain down bread from Heaven for His people to eat. I always wondered why He waited so long to provide bread. I’m sure the Israelite people were worried, seeing their food supply dwindling in the wilderness.

 Like me, you might question why God waits to answer our prayers at the last moment when He could have provided prior to feelings of desperation. I believe several reasons.

1.    1. We won’t be able to truly see the powerful hand of God working unless we are empty, hungry, and in desperation. At that moment, we are willing to accept anything He provides, and most of the time He provides more than we ever thought possible.

2.    2. He won’t provide when we already have what we need because the impact of His provision will be lessened and might make us believe we can provide for ourselves. God wants us to depend on Him and not the world’s offerings. What we generate will eventually run out, but His provision will be like a well of water, providing refreshing nourishment for eternity. John 4:11-15.

 God knows your needs before you even ask Matthew 6:7-8. He provides at just the right moment. So, as you pray, asking for His help, know that it will come at just the right moment, when you are ready to receive it, and it will be enough (sometimes more) to sustain you in this life and beyond.

 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:3-12 

I have several drawers full of stuff that has value to me and personal items that belonged to family members who’ve passed. Why do I keep these items around? Because they mean something to me and every time I get them out, wonderful memories of my past come to mind. But, the reality is once I pass, those items will have no meaning to my kids and will most likely be discarded. One day I’ll have to help them by going through those things and discard them, saving them the trouble in the future. 

As a child of God, you have something even more valuable than earthly things and possessions. Today’s verses come from Jesus’ teaching of the Beatitudes. As you read them, you’ll find that each one has eternal value. Poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of heaven, mourners will be eternally comforted, pure in heart will see God, peacemakers will be called “sons of God”, the persecuted will inherit the kingdom of heaven and there you’ll receive rewards that will last forever! The sufferings you endure in this life will pale in comparison to the wonderful blessing that await you when you enter into Heaven. 

Jesus said you will have tribulation while here on earth. Don’t allow the troubles of this life distract you from the eternal rewards that await you for enduring in faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Look at the troubles of your life having “eternal value”, because they will yield something much greater than the good days you experience this side of Heaven. 

Thank you Father for those trials and troubles I face, as I continue to look to you for comfort and strength, knowing that they have eternal value and one day I will be rewarded for sustaining my walk with You!

 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Romans 12:3

 It’s in the news on a daily basis, people in high positions are brought down by poor choices, sometimes illegal actions that put them in jail. A recent news article about a traveling preacher who committed sex crimes against children generated a lot of comments on social media. The majority of them focused on religious leaders who seem to frequently commit these horrible offenses, giving non-Christians an excuse to not darken the door of a church building. Many commented the following: who wants to be a part of that if that’s what Christianity is like.

 You might be thinking to yourself, well, I’m not like that and consider yourself a genuine child of God. That’s good, but there’s a danger in having a self-proclaimed evaluation of yourself. Pride can be rooted in those thoughts, making you believe your actions, whether good or bad, are justifiable because you are a “good Christian”. God’s not looking for good Christians. Jesus Christ even said it himself in Mark 10:18: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God”. So what is God looking for in His children?

 And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micha 6:8

 God wants to do a work in your life, but it requires an attitude of humbleness, not focusing on your strengths, but relying on God’s Holy Spirit to fulfill His purpose in you. Spiritual achievements only happen because of the work God is doing. Taking credit for God’s work is a no-no and He considers it pride. Giving God the glory He deserves and living a humble life only happens when you take your eyes of yourself and stay focused on God. When you do, the fruits of your labor will be recognized by God and rewarded in Heaven. Any blessing you receive in this life is simply an indicator that God is living in you and through you for His glory.

 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

 One of the volunteer activities I participate in is our church’s benevolence committee. Benevolence is a word that describes helping someone in need, whether its financial, physical, or spiritual. Our main focus is to help those who are struggling financially. The process starts when the person in need contacts our church seeking help. They are then passed off to us to hear their situation and make a determination how we can assist them. Sometimes we are able to help, and other times we are not able to meet their needs. It’s a rewarding thing to help people, but at the same time it’s sad to see how much people struggle just to survive day to day.

 I love today’s verse, “Come to Me”! As a child of God, we are given the privilege to come to God for help, no matter what our need, He is always willing to hear us. His love for us goes beyond our immediate need and continues through this life and into eternity. Sadly, many people do not feel their needs are worthy of bringing them to God’s attention and they try to survive on their own. This leads to discouragement and oftentimes people blame God for their situation, when they haven’t even asked for His help.

 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:30

 Allowing God to help you doesn’t come with any conditions, it’s freely given out of love. Sometimes His response might not always be exactly what we think we need, but it has purpose and benefits that far outweigh anything we might deem important. Trusting God with fulfilling our needs is something He longs for each of His children, that includes you! You might be in a financial jam, spiritually numb, or dealing with a physical ailment that has you struggling to find joy.

 God says, “Come to Me”, where you’ll find rest, ease of your burdens and hope that restores your confidence in the One who loves you without conditions. What burden is weighing on your heart today that you can bring it to Him?

 Ephesians 4:26 NKJV

[26] “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 

Yesterday I had an unfortunate experience where a young man decided to ride his four-wheeler recklessly through my front yard, nearly striking my house and me as I was cutting grass. Although you'd think this one incident wouldn't bother me much, it's actually just one of many sour experiences I've had living in this once peaceful, quiet neighborhood. So, this incident shook me to the core. 

Today's verse was enacted yesterday as I had to stay up until my anger diminished and I was able to chill. It was midnight before my head hit the pillow, but I'll tell you I slept soundly and woke this morning with a new perspective. It certainly generated much prayer, and an attitude of forgiveness for the thoughts I had in the heat of the moment. 

Attitudes and anger can be a deadly mix, as we've seen this played out in the news, time and time again. People getting killed over a dispute, road rage, and yes a tyrant of rants on social media. We must not allow ourselves to get caught up with the worldly chaos by responding out of godly character. Guilty as charged. 

Today is a reset. Today is a day of forgiveness. Today is a day of hope for humanity and not let the few bad apples spoil the view of the majority. 

Thank you God for your grace, mercy, patience, and love for this weary soul trying to live amongst your creation. 

 Humble yourselves in sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

 Prior to GPS, people relied on a map to get them to their destination. Sometimes it also required a stop at a service station to ask for specific directions. For many people, especially men, that was a humbling experience to ask for help. The proud and confident driver would often try to figure out directions on the fly, finding themselves even further lost and time wasted. On the other hand, the humble driver who sought assistance would get there without delay.

 Today’s verse in James suggest that if we come to the Lord with a humble heart, He will do everything in His power to sustain us so we can fulfill His purpose for our life. Proverbs 16:5 makes it clear that God can’t stand a prideful heart, it’s an abomination to Him. Pride gets in the way of our relationship with God. It’s like that prideful driver, who thinks he knows best and is unwilling to seek help. The same is true for the child of God, we think we know what’s best for us, even demanding God give us our wants, yet God has something better planned. And sometimes that better plan doesn’t always come in a neat package.

 If you want God’s best for your life, you must be prepared to humble yourself to the degree that nothing else in your life matters as much as God’s perfect will. He has a plan for your life and if you humbly accept it, you’ll have His undivided attention and resources to ensure your journey towards His end game will result in spiritual success.  What part of your life needs to humbly submit to His will?

 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Hin who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shale not only the earth, but also heaven. Hebrews 12:25-26

 If you’ve followed the news over the past few months, you know there have been powerful earthquakes that have shook the foundations of many cities, brining down homes and businesses, turning them into ruble. From the images I’ve seen it looks like a war zone. The loss of people’s possessions, even lives, has made it difficult to watch. But the reality is our lives, and the things in them, are so fragile to the power of mother nature and catastrophic events.   

 If you were in a building that shook, knowing it would collapse, what is the one thing you’d take with you that wouldn’t get destroyed (besides your family)? Maybe it would be a photo album, a special gift someone gave you, or a particular thing that has brought you so much joy. We all have things in our lives that matter most to us and would be heartbroken if they were destroyed.

 Today’s verse should motivate us to take inventory of what truly matters in our lives, that would be our relationship with the creator of our world, including you and me. If you’ve spent anytime understanding God, you know that He is always faithful to be there for you, 24/7. Nothing is more important than your relationship with Him. Unfortunately, we allow things of this world, and people, get in the way of a perfect union with Him. God oftentimes takes a “back seat” to our priorities. After a while we can’t distinguish His voice of wisdom amongst the busyness and prized possessions in our lives. We miss the mark.

 If this is you, I encourage you to make God your prized possession. He’s unshakable, and will never faulter, no matter what catastrophe is happening in your life. You can put your complete faith and trust in Him, always!

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29