“For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37, NKJV) Have you ever prayed for the seemingly impossible? Or did the impossibility of your need keep you from praying? It doesn’t have to. When we ask in faith, nothing is impossible with God. James 1:6 tells us: “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” (NKJV) Possibilities with God Let’s consider a few impossibilities that God turned into realities. God created everything out of nothing. (Genesis 1) Ninety-year-old infertile Sarah gave birth…
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13, NKJV) The early church suffered strong persecution, but they faced their persecutors with boldness. They demonstrated reckless faith despite the opposition they faced. Their stories are a lesson for us all. The Boldness of Ordinary Men Somehow, I have always pictured the apostles and others I read about in the New Testament as super Christians—fearless, courageous, and determined. But then I realized they were just ordinary people like you and me. The boldness they displayed in standing up against opposition was through the power of the Spirit, not because they were some kind of super saint. Acts 4:13 says the religious leaders “perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men.” Yet these ordinary men were the ones God used to build His church and carry this gospel to the world. What does it really mean to be bold? Boldness is defined as a “lack of hesitation or fear in the face of risk or danger; refusal to be held back by the opinion or judgment of others” (Dictionary.com).…
“Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.” Ecclesiastes 11:5 I have a young daughter who often asks me, “Mama, do you know everything?” This is a very humbling moment for me, as you can imagine, as there are many things I don’t understand. For example, how does your skin hold you all together, yet it’s so fragile that even paper can cut it? How do galaxies keep going and never end? How does God make every snowflake unique? I can become overwhelmed by what I don’t know, and there will be many times that I won’t understand what God is doing in my life. I have the choice as to how I handle those conflicting feelings. I can choose to trust, even when I am filled with doubt, and I can choose to press on, even though I am weak and worn. Even if my mind can’t comprehend it, I can rest in the fact that He is working it out for my good. His ways are so much higher than ours, and…
“And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over.” Matthew 15:33-37 ESV Sometimes…
“Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush.” Acts 7:30 Life has a funny way of catching us off guard, and usually at the most inconvenient times. Have you ever noticed that God can work that way as well? Moses probably thought that chapter of his life was over, after all, forty years had passed. But that is usually when God is up to something… in the silent, quiet, ‘everything is going well’ seasons of life. When I read this portion of scripture, this thought instantly came to my mind: God can call you at any time in your life. You may believe that the time for ministry or something new is long gone, but that may not be true. If you have breath in your lungs today, God has a purpose for you. Open yourself up to something new and exciting. Instead of just dipping your toes in the water, dive in. His will is perfect, and His plan for your life is beyond what you could ever dream. Devotion by Caitlin Walker
“My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” Psalms 130:6 KJV We often associate night with trials, and darkness with struggle and rough seasons of life. I don’t know about you, but I do not enjoy harsh seasons. I see them as something I need to suffer through and claw my way out of, barely surviving. The above scripture in the New Living Translation says this, “I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.” A sentry is a soldier who stands guard all night to watch for enemy attacks, fires, unauthorized people, etc. They are the first line of defense, and their main goal is to signal to the people they protect that danger isn’t far off. I imagine a soldier, standing at the ready with drowsy eyelids, forcing himself to stay awake. The people’s very survival depended on this man watching the horizon all night. I would be terrible at night shifts, so I can only imagine how hard a job this would be. I can hear the sigh of relief…