The Next Time You Face Fear, Remind Darkness Who Your Daddy Is!

I’m sitting in the lobby of a hotel as I write today. My dad gave Markel & me the gift of attending a marriage conference as our Christmas gift this year🤗 As much as I would’ve loved to stay in South Dakota with him as he recovers from a stroke, I knew he’d be oh-so-pleased that we made this a priority.

There are moments in life where the battle before us feels fierce & yet the best way we can fight is to fix our gaze on Truth. I’ve written many times before, but it bears repeating that Truth is not relative, it’s held in the Deity of Jesus Christ! In fact, it’s one of His names!

As I left my dad’s room, I felt sad inside. Leaving, for me, was an act of faith that I’d get to see him again 🤗. He’s actually recovering quite well & yet as we made the 17-hour trek home, I had stray thoughts that wondered if I was making a mistake.

The thing about fixing our gaze on Truth is that all darkness, anxiety & fear MUST flee in the face of Truth! Gods Word tells us that the light of Truth literally extinguishes darkness! 

David writes of a time he returns victorious from battle, proclaiming how God raises a banner for all who fear Him, a rallying point in the face of attack. Another version says that He’s given us a banner that it, “may be displayed BECAUSE of truth.”

Sometimes when the cares of this life become weighty, it can be difficult to find our way out of the chaos & confusion. Kinda like being in the heat of battle…I’m a visual learner, so I see a battle scene with horses rearing, swords clanging, dust rising, blood, sweat & tears streaming down the warriors’ skin…

Its in those moments that our Father raises a banner of Truth over us, reminding us that in & through Him we are victorious! When we lift our gaze to fear Him more than the giants before us, His Truth dispels ALL darkness!

“Truth” in this verse means to balance & be evenly weighted with certainty. I’m so grateful that God’s unswerving Truth is not relative or subject to the things we face! When we focus on the Father, His banner over us steadies our feet with the certainty of His love!

The next time we face fear, let’s remind darkness Who our Daddy is! According to His Word, it MUST flee!

#OneYearBible

March 17th One Year Bible Readings

NUMBERS 26:1-51

LUKE 2:36-52

PSALM 60:1-12

PROVERBS 11:15

Be Wary of an,”I’ve Got This!” Approach to Life

Without wise leadership, a nation falls, but there’s safety with many advisors.

👆🏽That’s what Proverbs 11:14 tells us.

I think there are many in our nation that feel like we’re tottering near downfall. A wise leader surrounds himself with many advisors, but even then they need be wise & willing to oppose you when you’re about to walk off a cliff.

Team collaboration is vital for the overall success of a goal, but if a leader can’t receive correction, momentum becomes sluggish & sometimes stops altogether.

It’s easy to let pride tempt us into thinking we don’t need help. I think age acts like an antidote to pride…with every year that passes, I learn how much I have yet to learn!😳

Walking through life with an, “I’ve got it!” attitude feels great, but honestly it’s just not realistic. None of us “have it” all together, nor will we ever apart from a Savior. We will most always hit a ceiling in success when we strive on our own accord.

One of the things I value most about leaders I admire is their humility. It’s winsome to see them actively listen to the Lord or to members of their team before making a decision.

This morning, as I read David’s Psalm written in a moment when death literally came knocking on his door, something striking surfaced. Even though his enemies prowl about he says, “But as for me, I will sing about YOUR power…o my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you are my refuge.”

He doesn’t sing of his OWN praises, but rather of The One Who is his very Strength! I love that he capitalized this new name of God! “O my Strength…”

Y’all if we’re gonna be real, we’ve got nothing apart from God. All success belongs to Him & most failures come from not following Him!

O my Strength, BE our Source of all strength! We want to lead well, which means we need to follow You even better! We’ve got nothing this side of heaven apart from You! Guard us from pride that doesn’t value advisors & tempts us to self sufficiency. You are our all sufficient Strength on Whose unfailing love we rely!

Surround us with wise people who mirror Your Presence & are bold enough to remind us that apart from You, all we’ve got is pride that leads to a downfall.

#OneYearBible

March 16th One Year Bible Readings

NUMBERS 24:1-25:18

LUKE 2:1-35

PSALM 59:1-17

PROVERBS 11:14

The Difficulties of a Desert Season Are Usually Preparation for What’s to Come!

Desert seasons, like long, cross country drives, can cause the question, “Are we there yet?” to rise within & bubble out over & over again. Desert seasons of aimless wandering can feel pointless until we we can finally look back & see that it was all preparation for what's to come!

This morning I read about John the Baptist, I wondered if he ever uttered those words to God?

His birth unfolds with a prophetic bang as his father proclaims that his baby boy will be called, “the prophet of the Most High” because he will prepare the way for the Lord.

The passage of Luke ends by telling us that John grew up & became strong in spirit, living in hallowed desert seclusion until he began his very public ministry.

The desert wasn’t sandy, but rather a wilderness region devoid of most people. John’s parents were old, so I wonder how long until he became a desert orphan who would not rub shoulders with ordinary life?

He remained there in preparation for his ministry to come-a ministry to make way for the coming king!

As I pondered his preparation season, I had this thought:

“We are ALL called to be forerunners of the Messaiah, & sometimes that requires a desert season of preparation.”

During his desert years, not only did John grow strong physically, but he was also, “strengthened in spirit.” That word strengthen means, “God’s prevailing power gaining mastery over opposition”.

Spending the first 30 years of life in a desert may have caused John to wonder, “Are we there yet?” but God used those hard, dry ground years, to soften John’s heart. He learned to rely on God alone as his source of provision, companionship & wisdom! He spent these secluded years preparing to become a preacher of repentance. His sole aim was to make awake the awareness of sin & the very real need to be rid of it!

But he wouldn’t have been ready had he not lived through the desert season where God gained complete mastery over John’s very breath!

Father, desert seasons can be hard. Don’t let us exit them without allowing you to prevail fully over our hearts, minds, words & actions. Like John, we want to become living proclamations of the King Who has come to wash us clean! #OneYearBible