the spirit's power
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Before the taping of my first video series, my confidence took a severe beating. I had worked so hard in preparation; yet as the time arrived, I had nothing to offer. I told the Lord, “You're on your own here. I have nothing to give."
The skies did not suddenly open with an outpouring of strength. Three hours later, I walked on the set completely by faith. Thousands of dollars' worth of equipment had been shipped to Houston. A large team had prepared for the production. Six cameras were in place. An audience had gathered. Everything was ready—except me. I walked out with only enough strength to get on my knees in front of them and pray.
When I got up, a stream of strength seemed to flow from heaven. Not in buckets. It was more like an intravenous drip. God was sustaining me minute by minute. I never felt a rush of adrenaline or a gust of mighty wind. But hours of demanding work took place over that week and I never lacked the strength to complete the task. As an adult, I never had less confidence. Yet he kept my knees from buckling.
When I received the first letter from a viewer of the video series, I wept as I read her words of thanks. I whispered back, “It was God. Not me."
There are wonderful promises in Scripture directed specifically for times of weakness. Deuteronomy 33:25 says, “As your days, so shall your strength be.” Paul reminded us of this promise again in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. . . . For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Even when the enemy tries to make us lose confidence, God can take the victory with a demonstration of the Spirit's power. In those times God can produce a harvest of fruit unlike any other. Those who have been touched are encouraged in a faith that does “not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5).
By his power, other people end up seeing God instead of us. —Beth Moore bethmoore.org
seeking: Father, what have you just touched deep within my heart? How can you use my insecurity for your glory?
responding: When was the last time I lost my confidence? • Is insecurity holding me back from the ministry God has for me? From a door he has opened?
Lord, as much as I resist asking you to let me experience the end of my own strength and ability, I thank you for my weaknesses. Make it clear whose power works within me. Thank you for your amazing faithfulness. In Jesus' name, amen.
following: God can use us the most powerfully when we feel the least adequate.
our journey
Monday, October 31, 2005
Sunday, October 30, 2005
the great escape
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23
In my study of sheep, I found out something that surprised me. Sheep are deathly afraid of running water. When the snows melt in Israel, the small streams that flow gently down the mountainsides can quickly become raging torrents of water. Thirsty sheep are so afraid of the rushing stream that they would rather die of thirst before they would drink from it. The reason is this: Sheep are not sure-footed animals, and they instinctively know that they could easily slip as they try to drink from a fast-moving current. If they were to take the plunge, their heavy coats of wool would soak up the water and in a matter of seconds they would be dead.
A good shepherd leads the sheep beside still waters, or stilled waters (Psalm 23:2). The shepherd understands their fear, so he will take some rocks and stones and divert some of the water to more level ground that is safely away from the rushing water. The shepherd constructs a small, safe stream of water. There the sheep can drink without fear, for he has literally stilled the waters.
God stills the waters for his sheep as well. When the children of Israel were finally leaving Egypt after hundreds of years of captivity, they were suddenly between a rock and a hard place. The Red Sea was in front of them, and Pharaoh's pursuing army was behind them. There was no escape. But God stepped in. He rolled back the water and stilled it, and his people passed through on dry ground. Then the waters became “unstilled” at the appropriate moment and their enemies were wiped out.
The Red Sea was blocking their escape, so God made it a source of escape. And he did that by stilling the waters. What is the Red Sea in your life today? God is bigger than your sea of circumstances. And he can make those circumstances work miraculously for you as he made the Red Sea work for his people long ago. —Steve Farrar stevefarrar.com
seeking: Father, what have you brought to mind as I have considered your ability to still my tumultuous seas? What has your calming touch meant to me this moment?
responding: How have I been turning away from God and his ability to still the waters of life? • What have I been fearing that God may actually use as an escape for me? Why?
Father, thank you for your loving, calming work in my life. I rest in the reality of your presence and protection. You are my God and I worship you.
following: God is greater than any problem we will encounter.
our journey
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23
In my study of sheep, I found out something that surprised me. Sheep are deathly afraid of running water. When the snows melt in Israel, the small streams that flow gently down the mountainsides can quickly become raging torrents of water. Thirsty sheep are so afraid of the rushing stream that they would rather die of thirst before they would drink from it. The reason is this: Sheep are not sure-footed animals, and they instinctively know that they could easily slip as they try to drink from a fast-moving current. If they were to take the plunge, their heavy coats of wool would soak up the water and in a matter of seconds they would be dead.
A good shepherd leads the sheep beside still waters, or stilled waters (Psalm 23:2). The shepherd understands their fear, so he will take some rocks and stones and divert some of the water to more level ground that is safely away from the rushing water. The shepherd constructs a small, safe stream of water. There the sheep can drink without fear, for he has literally stilled the waters.
God stills the waters for his sheep as well. When the children of Israel were finally leaving Egypt after hundreds of years of captivity, they were suddenly between a rock and a hard place. The Red Sea was in front of them, and Pharaoh's pursuing army was behind them. There was no escape. But God stepped in. He rolled back the water and stilled it, and his people passed through on dry ground. Then the waters became “unstilled” at the appropriate moment and their enemies were wiped out.
The Red Sea was blocking their escape, so God made it a source of escape. And he did that by stilling the waters. What is the Red Sea in your life today? God is bigger than your sea of circumstances. And he can make those circumstances work miraculously for you as he made the Red Sea work for his people long ago. —Steve Farrar stevefarrar.com
seeking: Father, what have you brought to mind as I have considered your ability to still my tumultuous seas? What has your calming touch meant to me this moment?
responding: How have I been turning away from God and his ability to still the waters of life? • What have I been fearing that God may actually use as an escape for me? Why?
Father, thank you for your loving, calming work in my life. I rest in the reality of your presence and protection. You are my God and I worship you.
following: God is greater than any problem we will encounter.
our journey
Thursday, October 27, 2005
God, You’re Wasting My Time!
By Paul Dailey
Have you ever felt like saying, “God, you’re wasting my time”? Unknowingly, I had developed this attitude toward the Lord in prayer. It happened very subtly and quite unintentionally, but nevertheless, it was there.
For some time I had felt the prompting of the Spirit of God to just slow down in prayer. You could probably quote Psalm 46:10 if I started it for you. “Be still ...”—and you know the rest — “…and know that I am God.”
Yet, when it came to my prayer time, I was all about charging ahead, doing spiritual warfare, binding and loosing, shouting down the powers of darkness, and declaring the will of God into the earth. Now, don’t get me wrong. There is most certainly a place for this type of prayer. And, personally, that is part of my character because I really identify with the warrior mentality. But I had begun to neglect those times of real intimacy and quietness with the Lord.
My pastor recently returned from a week of services at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, home to that great move of God that has reached around the globe and affected millions. The most profound thing he brought back was the concept of “soaking in the presence of God.” He began to describe how the Lord had used this trip to introduce him to a new level of prayer. It’s a place in God where we just shut down and listen to the Spirit. Rather than filling his time before God with all sorts of words, he would simply put on some quiet “soaking music” and lay at God’s feet.
I think at first I laughed him off. “Well, that’s all well and good for him but blah, blah, blah …” You know how we get when someone tries to introduce something new. We dismiss them as nutty and keep on with our old way of doing things. But I watched as his relationship with God went to a whole new level and his passion for God grew by the day while mine faded like an old pair of jeans.
That’s when life hit me. There I was, naked and broken before God. Where was my shouting? Where was my binding and loosing? Where was my charging toward the frontline? I had the wind knocked out of me, and my only recourse was to crawl to God on my hands and knees and plead for His mercy. I thought to myself, This soaking thing isn’t such a bad idea after all. I didn’t have the strength anymore to swing that sword even one more time.
So it was there on a Sunday night, while I lay on the floor at church, that I began to learn the value of just shutting up before God. And the most amazing thing happened! When I stopped talking, it became so much easier to hear God talk. “This is not wasted time,” He said. Over and over again, He kept telling me that. “This is not wasted time.” It was uncomfortable at first because I felt like I should be doing or saying something. But I couldn’t deny that after just an hour or so on my face before God, simply listening and soaking, I was changed. Something real and significant had taken place in my Spirit. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but neither could I deny it.
Then yesterday, while soaking in the presence of God again, the Spirit directed me to Mark chapter four. Jesus had just spent the afternoon speaking to the crowds in parables. The Word tells us that He didn’t say anything to them without using parables. But when He was alone with His disciples, He explained everything.
That was it! That’s why God was drawing me into these times of soaking. Without that intimate and quiet time alone with Jesus, the secrets of the kingdom of heaven remain a hazy mystery. So, this idea of soaking in God’s presence, a time that I viewed as unproductive, was actually the very thing I needed.
If you’ve been sensing a lack of power in your walk with God, or if you feel like you’re stuck in the mud, spinning your wheels but going nowhere, just get before God and soak a while. Don’t pray, don’t sing, don’t shout, march, declare, or proclaim. Put on some quiet worship music, and just lay there and listen to God.
Sure, you’ll be a little uncomfortable at first and your mind will wander, as mine did. But soon you’ll find yourself hearing God much more clearly. You’ll find that He will begin to explain things to you that before were mysteries. God is not wasting your time.
cbn
By Paul Dailey
Have you ever felt like saying, “God, you’re wasting my time”? Unknowingly, I had developed this attitude toward the Lord in prayer. It happened very subtly and quite unintentionally, but nevertheless, it was there.
For some time I had felt the prompting of the Spirit of God to just slow down in prayer. You could probably quote Psalm 46:10 if I started it for you. “Be still ...”—and you know the rest — “…and know that I am God.”
Yet, when it came to my prayer time, I was all about charging ahead, doing spiritual warfare, binding and loosing, shouting down the powers of darkness, and declaring the will of God into the earth. Now, don’t get me wrong. There is most certainly a place for this type of prayer. And, personally, that is part of my character because I really identify with the warrior mentality. But I had begun to neglect those times of real intimacy and quietness with the Lord.
My pastor recently returned from a week of services at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, home to that great move of God that has reached around the globe and affected millions. The most profound thing he brought back was the concept of “soaking in the presence of God.” He began to describe how the Lord had used this trip to introduce him to a new level of prayer. It’s a place in God where we just shut down and listen to the Spirit. Rather than filling his time before God with all sorts of words, he would simply put on some quiet “soaking music” and lay at God’s feet.
I think at first I laughed him off. “Well, that’s all well and good for him but blah, blah, blah …” You know how we get when someone tries to introduce something new. We dismiss them as nutty and keep on with our old way of doing things. But I watched as his relationship with God went to a whole new level and his passion for God grew by the day while mine faded like an old pair of jeans.
That’s when life hit me. There I was, naked and broken before God. Where was my shouting? Where was my binding and loosing? Where was my charging toward the frontline? I had the wind knocked out of me, and my only recourse was to crawl to God on my hands and knees and plead for His mercy. I thought to myself, This soaking thing isn’t such a bad idea after all. I didn’t have the strength anymore to swing that sword even one more time.
So it was there on a Sunday night, while I lay on the floor at church, that I began to learn the value of just shutting up before God. And the most amazing thing happened! When I stopped talking, it became so much easier to hear God talk. “This is not wasted time,” He said. Over and over again, He kept telling me that. “This is not wasted time.” It was uncomfortable at first because I felt like I should be doing or saying something. But I couldn’t deny that after just an hour or so on my face before God, simply listening and soaking, I was changed. Something real and significant had taken place in my Spirit. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but neither could I deny it.
Then yesterday, while soaking in the presence of God again, the Spirit directed me to Mark chapter four. Jesus had just spent the afternoon speaking to the crowds in parables. The Word tells us that He didn’t say anything to them without using parables. But when He was alone with His disciples, He explained everything.
That was it! That’s why God was drawing me into these times of soaking. Without that intimate and quiet time alone with Jesus, the secrets of the kingdom of heaven remain a hazy mystery. So, this idea of soaking in God’s presence, a time that I viewed as unproductive, was actually the very thing I needed.
If you’ve been sensing a lack of power in your walk with God, or if you feel like you’re stuck in the mud, spinning your wheels but going nowhere, just get before God and soak a while. Don’t pray, don’t sing, don’t shout, march, declare, or proclaim. Put on some quiet worship music, and just lay there and listen to God.
Sure, you’ll be a little uncomfortable at first and your mind will wander, as mine did. But soon you’ll find yourself hearing God much more clearly. You’ll find that He will begin to explain things to you that before were mysteries. God is not wasting your time.
cbn
Sunday, October 16, 2005
spiritual surgery
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, 2 for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. 3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:1-8
About 25 years ago, I went through a deep depression. God wasn't against me; he was just rebuilding me. During that time, he was doing some necessary work on my character. The lessons I would learn in the short-term have made me more effective for his work in the long-term. He taught me to have sympathy for hurting people by allowing me to hurt. That was a dimension that had been seriously lacking in my life. God taught me to be confident in him, not in myself. All of my carefully laid plans fell apart. Then he stepped in and put everything back together.
It was a time of spiritual drought in my life. At times I was angry at God, and I resented what he was doing to me. But now I look back on that period and I see his goodness everywhere.
God was so faithful to me that he chose to make some needed repairs to my heart and character before it was too late. But for a time, I didn't realize that I was in surgery. God was operating on me spiritually just as a surgeon would operate on me physically. I had some serious malignant tumors of selfishness and arrogance that had to be removed.
If you're looking at the circumstances of your life and all is dark, don't lose heart. Perhaps your business has failed, perhaps you're reading this in a hospital bed, perhaps you're enduring another round of chemotherapy, perhaps a co-worker has just edged you out of a well-deserved promotion. Maybe you're feeling that God has abandoned you.
Trust in Jesus (Proverbs 3:5-6). You can't see it now, but you're actually in a place of growth. Remain open and teachable. Pray that you will learn everything the Lord has for you in this situation. Realize that this is a time of spiritual surgery, and healing will come! —Steve Farrar stevefarrar.com
seeking: Jesus, what encouragement have you brought to me this day? What praise have you placed on my lips?
responding: How have my discouraging days taught me more about God and his love for me? • What is God teaching me about the need to trust him more?
Jesus, I praise you for your steadfast care. Though things may be hard right now, I choose to trust you and to follow you with all that I am.
following: God sometimes wounds us to heal us.
our journey
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, 2 for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. 3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:1-8
About 25 years ago, I went through a deep depression. God wasn't against me; he was just rebuilding me. During that time, he was doing some necessary work on my character. The lessons I would learn in the short-term have made me more effective for his work in the long-term. He taught me to have sympathy for hurting people by allowing me to hurt. That was a dimension that had been seriously lacking in my life. God taught me to be confident in him, not in myself. All of my carefully laid plans fell apart. Then he stepped in and put everything back together.
It was a time of spiritual drought in my life. At times I was angry at God, and I resented what he was doing to me. But now I look back on that period and I see his goodness everywhere.
God was so faithful to me that he chose to make some needed repairs to my heart and character before it was too late. But for a time, I didn't realize that I was in surgery. God was operating on me spiritually just as a surgeon would operate on me physically. I had some serious malignant tumors of selfishness and arrogance that had to be removed.
If you're looking at the circumstances of your life and all is dark, don't lose heart. Perhaps your business has failed, perhaps you're reading this in a hospital bed, perhaps you're enduring another round of chemotherapy, perhaps a co-worker has just edged you out of a well-deserved promotion. Maybe you're feeling that God has abandoned you.
Trust in Jesus (Proverbs 3:5-6). You can't see it now, but you're actually in a place of growth. Remain open and teachable. Pray that you will learn everything the Lord has for you in this situation. Realize that this is a time of spiritual surgery, and healing will come! —Steve Farrar stevefarrar.com
seeking: Jesus, what encouragement have you brought to me this day? What praise have you placed on my lips?
responding: How have my discouraging days taught me more about God and his love for me? • What is God teaching me about the need to trust him more?
Jesus, I praise you for your steadfast care. Though things may be hard right now, I choose to trust you and to follow you with all that I am.
following: God sometimes wounds us to heal us.
our journey
Friday, October 07, 2005
seeing green pastures
16 I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:16-18
"He makes me lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23:2). The reason God has to make us lie down in green pastures is that sheep tend to think the grass is always greener on the other side. Like a shepherd with his questioning sheep, God has made me lie down in some pastures that didn't look so green to me.
That happened to me a number of years ago when I took Unemployment 101. I candidated to be the pastor at seven different churches and every one of them turned me down. We went through our savings and had to sell our second car just to make do for another month or two. During that time, my wife Mary had two surgeries and I came down with meningitis. Then we found out that Mary was pregnant. The doctor told her that some of the medicine she had taken could have affected our baby and that it was likely we would have a deformed child. All of these events transpired in less than 10 months. Not what I would call green pastures! Those pastures appeared to be mighty brown.
For the first time in my life I dealt with depression. Over the next 2 years the only time I would ever laugh was when I played with my kids. Other than that, I didn't laugh, because there was a deep sadness within.
If I could have seen what God was planning, I would have been really excited. But at the time, all I could see was what I had lost. And that's why everything looked so brown. Today, as I look back on those years, I recognize the green of his greater favor—he was tenderly, steadily leading me forward. The pasture was there all along.
If all you're seeing is brown today, remember that one day you will look back and see the green pasture he had prepared. Rejoice in his goodness and trust him with the many colors of life (Habakkuk 3:18) —Steve Farrar
seeking: Father, how have you just refreshed my wilting spirit? What praise will I bring to you this day?
responding: What “brown” and down times has God led me through in the past? What green pasture do I see ahead? • Why is it so important to rejoice in God when things aren't perfect?
Father, you have been so faithful to me over the years. Help me to see your loving hand even when things look bleak. I love you and worship you.
following: God is good in the green and the brown times.
our journey
16 I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:16-18
"He makes me lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23:2). The reason God has to make us lie down in green pastures is that sheep tend to think the grass is always greener on the other side. Like a shepherd with his questioning sheep, God has made me lie down in some pastures that didn't look so green to me.
That happened to me a number of years ago when I took Unemployment 101. I candidated to be the pastor at seven different churches and every one of them turned me down. We went through our savings and had to sell our second car just to make do for another month or two. During that time, my wife Mary had two surgeries and I came down with meningitis. Then we found out that Mary was pregnant. The doctor told her that some of the medicine she had taken could have affected our baby and that it was likely we would have a deformed child. All of these events transpired in less than 10 months. Not what I would call green pastures! Those pastures appeared to be mighty brown.
For the first time in my life I dealt with depression. Over the next 2 years the only time I would ever laugh was when I played with my kids. Other than that, I didn't laugh, because there was a deep sadness within.
If I could have seen what God was planning, I would have been really excited. But at the time, all I could see was what I had lost. And that's why everything looked so brown. Today, as I look back on those years, I recognize the green of his greater favor—he was tenderly, steadily leading me forward. The pasture was there all along.
If all you're seeing is brown today, remember that one day you will look back and see the green pasture he had prepared. Rejoice in his goodness and trust him with the many colors of life (Habakkuk 3:18) —Steve Farrar
seeking: Father, how have you just refreshed my wilting spirit? What praise will I bring to you this day?
responding: What “brown” and down times has God led me through in the past? What green pasture do I see ahead? • Why is it so important to rejoice in God when things aren't perfect?
Father, you have been so faithful to me over the years. Help me to see your loving hand even when things look bleak. I love you and worship you.
following: God is good in the green and the brown times.
our journey