My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you must not show favoritism… (James 2:1–4, 9 NIV) These scriptures really hit home for me. I think if we are honest, we can admit that we have either shown favoritism by judging someone based on how they look or act. This passage doesn’t just describe the early church, but it describes us. Even with the best intentions, we can easily fall into the trap of favoritism or quiet judgment. I never want my actions or attitudes to make someone feel unworthy of love or grace. Jesus never made…
“But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10 (KJV) Job’s words, “I shall come forth as gold,” were spoken from the depths of unimaginable pain. He was enduring the trial of his life. It felt as though the blessings and favor of God had been stripped away forever. Job was in anguish. His heart grieved the loss of his children. His body ached with sickness and sores. And, in the very moment when he needed comfort most, his wife and friends betrayed him with their words. He was grieving, in pain, and alone. He KnowS The Way That I Take And the more he cried out to God, the more distant God seemed, or so it appeared. Yet even in his silence, Job clung to a truth that anchored his soul: “But He knoweth the way that I take.” Job understood that even when he couldn’t feel God, God still knew every step of his journey. Though everything around him had been shaken, Job’s faith held steady because he believed God was refining him — not rejecting him. Gold is not found shining and pure; it must…
“And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock… and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.” 2 Samuel 21:10 There is grief that is so deep that it refuses to be hidden. Rizpah’s grief refused to remain silent. In 2 Samuel 21, a famine plagued Israel for three years. When King David sought the Lord, he discovered the cause: Saul had broken covenant with the Gibeonites, and the land was reaping the consequence of his unfaithfulness. Though Saul was gone, the effects of his sin lingered, and it cost seven of his descendants their lives. Among them were the two sons of Rizpah, one of Saul’s concubines. Her sons had died unjustly, but Rizpah refused to let their story end in dishonor. She spread sackcloth on a rock and kept vigil—guarding their bodies day and night, fighting off vultures and wild beasts, standing as both mother and intercessor. Her persistence moved the heart of the king. When David heard of her vigil, he was stirred to act. He gathered the bones of Saul, Jonathan, and the seven executed…
“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:2. Before God ever filled the earth with life, He first gave it form. The Spirit of God hovered over chaos, and then God began to separate, to define, and to bring order. On the first day, he divided light from darkness. The second day, He divided the waters from the sky. And, on the third day, He separate the land from the sea. It was only after He established…
And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, … And there was yet a battle in Gath… And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him. 2 Samuel 21:19-21 When I was reading 2 Samuel 21:15-21 last week the words, “slew the brother of Goliath,” spoke to my spirit directly. These scriptures explain that Goliath had four descendants who attempted to kill David—one of these giant’s was Goliath’s big, bad brother. You have fought and been victorious over some giants in your life… but that giant you have slain in your past, he has a brother. That spirit you fought, bound, and overcame has descendants. The enemy of your soul may be whispering lies to you all over again. That spirit may be tempting you or rising to war over your salvation. Just as Goliath was a reproach to Israel, this giant that is coming against you is a reproach to your spiritual walk with God. The battles that are waged against you today are going to affect your bloodline tomorrow. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY…
“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.” Exodus 3:1 Have you ever found yourself in a “backside of the desert” kind of season? The kind where nothing seems to be growing, your strength feels like it’s running on fumes, and even your prayers sound a little dry? The desert can feel barren — a place of disapproval, health struggles, or heartbreak. That’s the kind of place Moses found himself in. Gone were the royal robes of Pharaoh’s palace. Now, he was wearing shepherd’s sandals and smelling like sheep. Imagine that résumé: “Former prince, current shepherd.” According to the worlds standards, Moses was demoted. And yet, it was not in Egypt’s luxury, but in the lonely backside of the desert, where Moses met God. DESERT EXPERIENCES The desert has a funny way of forcing reflection. When everything slows down (and there’s no Wi-Fi, literally or spiritually), the silence starts asking questions: “Did I miss God’s leading?” “Was that decision really the right one?” Sometimes the answer is, “yes, you took a wrong turn.”…