Day 265 – You are almost there, don’t forget what’s already been done.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 16 – 18

Matthew 16:8-10 “Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?”

Did you realize that as of today you only have 100 days left in the year? You’ve MADE it so far! Don’t give up. You may be getting distracted or discontent, but remember all the hard days you’ve already made it past. Wasn’t Jesus with you then? Won’t He be with you again?

The disciples, Jesus’s trusted friends, His followers, and brothers were all with Him and witnessed His miracles and still forgot when it came down to a new mountain to climb.

My girls don’t have many chores, but they do have many clothes. And one of their chores is to hang the clothes. I still try to help as much as I can (like last night), but sometimes I’m just too busy. Oh, the complaints and whining that proceeds. Like, how could anyone ever do this, where’s the butler (right!), it’s just not possible….yet it gets done every week. If only they wouldn’t complain, if only they would just trust and believe that they can do it or that I can help when it gets too hard.

You know, Jesus feels the same way about us. We watch Him work in our lives all the time, doing absolutely amazing things that we can only explain by faith. Yet, when another obstacle comes up or there’s another mountain to climb, we get frustrated and wonder how will this ever work. But with Jesus all things are possible and we need to remember all the things we’ve already seen Him do.

Day 264 – We need to recognize the real need.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 13 – 15

Matthew 14:14-16 “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

Jesus watched as all of the people gathered, waiting for Him to arrive on the shore. Searching their faces and knowing their hearts, He recognized a great need and had compassion on them. As the day grew on and the evening approached the disciples asked Jesus to send the people on their way so they could all get something to eat, but Jesus just looked at the people and said, “No, you feed them!”

Jesus knew their wasn’t enough actual food to go around, but He also knew it wasn’t “Physical Food” that they needed. Their greatest need was “Spiritual Food” to feed their souls, and if the disciples didn’t have the Faith to make that happen then Jesus would have to “Feed” them himself.

Matthew 14:17-18 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said.”

We need to recognize the greatest need people have and the only one who can really fill it. Yes, there are always physical needs, and we should give where God leads us…..that’s our faith in action. But more than that, many time it’s their Jesus tank that’s running on empty, and their Spiritual needs, the need of unconditional love, freedom of sins, and all of the things that only Jesus can give them. Our job is to lead these people to Jesus by actively reflecting Jesus to them through our own life. The next time you see someone in need, make sure you listen, watch, and see where their actual need is.

There are so many needs around us and so many people in need, and Jesus Christ is truly the answer to everyone’s Greatest Need.

Day 263 – United we stand, divided we fall.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 10 – 12

Matthew 12:25 “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”

Every relationship is different but a divided relationship will never last because it keeps growing apart. However, those relationships that unite together will strengthen, sharpen, and grow.

Think about diets, it’s easy to stay on one when everyone you are living with is doing the same thing, but when you throw a spouse and children in the mixture of a diet, it will surely fall by the wayside for one reason or another. Or what about running or working out? When you have someone to run with the likelihood of not running is slim to none. And this same thought, works with my home. When our children are getting along, the house seems to be at complete peace, but if there are any arguments it will feel like the walls are falling down. Uniting with other Christians also causes your faith to grow and flourish. Meeting with other like minded people will bring encouragement in the mix, and when encouragement comes, a strengthening will occur.

We are but one home and one family and join together as often as we can to encourage one another. For we know that when we are separated Satan has a foothold, but when we are united shame will fall and love will grow. We are standing as One Family fully United in Christ!

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:50.

And family we are!

Day 262 – If you want to be able to weather the storms, start by building your house on the Rock!

Today’s Reading: Matthew 5 – 9

Matthew 7:24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

Jesus had so much to teach the people and so many following to hear His Words, but like people today, some would listen and put into action what He was saying and some would hear and turn the other way. It is those who hear The Word of God and build their houses on what they hear that will be able to weather any storm that comes their way. Yet those who dismiss the Word of God and do as they please, will have everything wash away with even the lightest rain.

It’s so hard to watch as those around you that you care so much about build a home and life into something great by the world’s standards but none of it was founded on God’s Word. You pray and hope that they don’t have hard times, but when they come you watch as their whole world falls apart.

Then you have others in your life who decided years ago to build their home and life on the Rock of Christ, constantly growing and leading their family by His Word. That’s what My husband and I decided to do as well, and as one storm after another hit us hard, our home and family stand strong and actually even grow stronger. There is no way we would’ve been able to handle any of the past storms if it weren’t for our faith in Jesus and the firm foundation we’ve built our life upon. It’s not to late to build your home their too, on the rock of Jesus and His Word.

Day 261 – What do you hunger for?

Today’s Reading: Malachi 4 – Matthew 4

Matthew 4:1-4 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Naturally, I love food. It was actually one of the things that helped my husband and I to get along so well during the dating process because I wasn’t afraid to eat him under the table. Over my life time I’ve loved a variety of foods, but my tastes have changed here and there. However, one thing still remains, my overall fave food has been and will always be bread. So, when I have a huge decision to make or if I’m looking for a specific Word from God, food is what I fast from to show God my dependence on Him. I want the Lord to know that His Word is the only real “Bread” I need.

This was also a struggle in my morning devotions because I was so used to having food as soon as I woke up that I would get “Hangry” if you made me wait. When I noticed my dependency on food over God, I decided I needed to refrain from it all together until after I had my quiet time.

You see, the devil is always looking for ways to tempt us to trust in or want something more than we want communion with God. He even tempted Jesus in the wilderness with turning stones into bread after fasting for 40 days, with the ability to jump from a significant height without having harm come to Him from protection by the Angels, and by obtaining extreme power over all the kingdoms of the earth if Jesus would just bow down to Satan.

Your temptation may not be food, maybe instead it’s guilt, power, others, material things, envy, or any other fleshly desire that comes up. Any of these things can deter us from growing closer to Him. Once you recognize what your temptation is, you can choose to turn from it when you’re truly wanting to grow in Christ. For me, food is what I hunger for, but it’s in my times of fasting that I discover the greatest bread of all.

Day 260 – It’s time to stop looking to others and instead put your “name” into the blank.

Today’s Reading: Malachi 1 – 3

Malachi 2:5-6 “My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.”

God gave us His Word, not so we could look at what He did, but to see what He’s doing.

The Word is alive and active, as real and pertinent today as it was while it was being written. As I was reading through Malachi today, the verse above hit me hard, I’ve been studying and dissecting His Word everyday, hiding behind the writing He’s given me, but not speaking it as He has asked me too. I heard him say, very specifically, “Put your name in this verse, Kristen; where I am speaking of Levi, I’m also speaking of you.”

Re-reading it over and over again, out loud and silent, with my name inserted in, brought a new light to the work He’s choosing to do through me, around me, and in me. And just as the Lord is choosing to use me in this way, He has also chosen to insert your name into His Story. He has given each one of us life and peace through His covenant, and it will never be broken. His truth is to be spoken through us with no evil coming from our lips. We are to always be walking with God in peace and righteousness, turning many away from sin and directly to Him. We are to lead by being a light that reflects His Word. We are to place our name into the place in His Word that speaks directly to us in that moment.

He has chosen to use us to impact this world today by bringing His Word alive in the eyes of those who do not know Him. We need to ask ourselves: so how will the world know Him if they don’t hear His Word, and how will they hear His Word if no one goes to them and speaks the Truth. So, fill your name into His Word, He has chosen you, and it’s time for you to act upon this Truth.

Day 259 – Keep Pouring out Grace and Mercy in the same way it’s been Poured upon you.

Today’s Reading: Zechariah 12 – 14

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”

Did you know that the most grace and mercy ever given was given by the hand of God? When he sent His Son to earth to live a humble and modest life even though He was the rightful King of the World, and then led Him to die on a rugged old cross while being beaten, humiliated, and disrespected?! He did this for us!

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His “Only” Son,” John 3:16a.

This was all by grace and mercy because He had compassion for Us, You and Me. God did this to show us that He still loved us even past all of the sins that we committed and all, He knew, we would still do.

After all of this, God proved Himself even more by raising Jesus from the grave and giving us Eternal life.

“That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have Eternal life.” John 3:16b.

Even with Grace and Mercy, God still gets frustrated and saddened when we do wrong, and He will allow the consequences of Our Sins to fall upon us. But when all is said and done, He will pick us up, dust off our knees, wipe away our tears, and give us a HUGE hug filled with MORE Love, Grace, Compassion, and Mercy!

Next time you have a decision to make on how you will acknowledge a “situation” think about it through the Grace and Mercy of Our Lord and Savior and Father in Heaven. (By the way, this is a pep talk for myself as well.)

Day 258 – Pray for your needs and God will give you what is truly needed.

Today’s Reading: Zechariah 9 – 11

Zechariah 10:1 “Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.”

Aren’t you thankful that God knows exactly what you need? Shouldn’t that make us feel free to go ask Him for what we need when we need it?

How often do you find yourself shying away from asking God to fulfill the needs before you? Why do we do this? Why would we rather try to rely on ourselves or someone else instead of rely on The Lord?

How long does it normally take for us to realize that God is loving, merciful and compassionate, and He just wants a genuine relationship with us? This can’t be a one-way channel, but a two-way conversation to be fulfilling. So, when we have formed a true relationship and we ask God for a drop of rain for our garden, He gives us more than enough to water the earth and make the harvest plentiful. So why not always pray for the rain or whatever else we may need? He’s waiting and wanting to hear from you.

Day 257 – Boundaries can bring Freedom.

Today’s Reading: Zechariah 6 – 8

Zechariah 8:16-17 “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord.”

God’s Word isn’t a set of rules, but more like the boundary lines of freedom He set up thousands of years ago. These lines aren’t meant to restrain us from the good things of this earth, instead, they bring us life, set us free, and make the journey we are on a safer one. These boundaries give us freedom to experience all that God has set before us, His PURE, SWEET, GOODNESS.

There was a short period in my life that I ignored all these boundaries, and at that point I was truly enslaved to sin. And this sin put me into my darkest, deepest, most horrifying days, but God opened my eyes, removed the scales, and the boundary lines became visible again.

I became free to fly!

The more we recognize the goodness in the Lord’s Word and in his protective boundaries, the more we will enjoy the abundant life He has for us.

Day 256 – Learn to enjoy the small things.

Today’s Reading: Zechariah 3 – 5

Zechariah 4:10 “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”

Do you ever get tired of seeking more, being restless for greater days, and always seeking bigger and better things?! It’s exhausting!

Years ago, when the small things were all we had left, a huge growth happened in our family unit. It was the small things that brought us into a deeper connection, fuller love, and more intimate relationship with the Lord. In the moments when you’re putting your children to bed and they want to be anywhere but there and they lay on the ground to share love with the cat, it’s the small things. It’s in the small things that beauty and peace will grow brightest. It’s in a small baby that life is brought into the world, and in a small room in a small house that warmth and laughter is caught deepening the love of a couple. It’s in a small car that you may make your greatest memories and have your deepest conversations. And in a small mustard seed of Faith that you can move a mountain. This is why we rejoice in the “Small Things”. It’s where hope is found. So why do so many people sweat it? Because they try to make the small stuff BIG instead of choosing to cherish it for being small.

Next time you find yourself wanting something Bigger and better or wondering when you’re going to get your chance at the next greatest thing, look around and Thank God for the small things because all things are from Him.