Overwhelming Odds

Have you ever felt completely over matched? Have you been outnumbered? How did you feel? Were you afraid? Did you feel as though there was no way out? Were you thinking your time was up?

We have all faced big tasks in our lives. Some of us have faced overwhelming odds. We may have overcome those odds, or we may have succumbed to them. Being in a situation such as that is no fun at all.

When we find ourselves in an overwhelming situation, how do we respond? There are certainly times we may feel as though we just want to give up. We may want to pull the covers over our head and not get out of bed, hoping the situation will just go away. Unfortunately, as we all discover, they don’t simply go away. They must be dealt with.

We have the option to allow the situation to overwhelm us. We have another option to struggle in our own strength to overcome it. Or we can turn to God and ask Him to give us the strength we need. We can ask God to help us overcome the situation.

We see in today’s passage the prophet Elijah facing off against four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. He has seen the Israelites turn to Baal to be their savior. He has seen them leave God for a false god. Elijah realizes something must be done about it.

Elijah calls for two bulls to be brought and allows the prophets of Baal to choose the bull they want first. They build an altar, pile it with wood, cut the bull in pieces, and place it on the altar. Elijah instructs them not to light the wood but call out to Baal to have him light it. They call and call and call. What Elijah knew would happen, happened. Baal did not light the wood on fire.

Elijah, in turn, builds a stone altar, piles the wood on it, cuts the bull into pieces, has men dig a trench around it, then has others pour four large jars of water over the altar three times so that everything is soaked even to the water running off and into the trench. Elijah calls out to God. God doesn’t simply light a fire but consumes the bull, the wood, and all the water.

When we rely on God during our overwhelming situations, truly trust in Him, knowing we cannot do it on our own, He comes through. God will not leave us hanging. He may allow us to get to the point of no other choice, just so we turn to Him as the only option. We are to choose to trust God at all times.

I pray we all decide to trust God. I pray we choose not to wait until we have hit rock bottom to reach out to God. I pray each one of us will trust God in all situations at all times. Choose God in overwhelming situations. Trust God at all times. Reach out to God.

I Kings 18:22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.”

Awesome Grace

Yesterday, we discussed how the world condemns one another and how we fall prey to doing this ourselves. We also saw that God does not condemn those of us who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. Today, we are going to go a little further into the grace of God.

Today’s passage is the conclusion to an incident in which the Jewish leaders, both politically and religiously, were laying a trap for Jesus. We see this same type of behavior today, don’t we? We see people of faith being put into, what appears, no win situations. How do we get out of them?

Let’s take a look at how Jesus avoided the trap. The leaders brought a woman who was caught in adultery before Jesus. They partially quote the law, as given to Moses. You see, the law stated both the man and the woman were to be stoned (Leviticus 20:10). First note for us, know and understand God’s guidance and expectations.

It’s obvious Jesus knew the law. He ignored their pleas for a judgment to be made…until they continually hounded Him to do so. At that point, when Jesus had heard enough, He straightened up and uttered what has become a famous line, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7b) Second note, see the situation through God’s eyes rather than human.

Why would Jesus make this statement opposed to pronouncing judgment? He is teaching a lesson on grace. His point is that we all have sinned, and we all need forgiveness. We cannot earn forgiveness. It is only because of God’s unmerited grace that we are forgiven. Third note, be gracious to one another, just as God is gracious to you.

We see Jesus grant this woman forgiveness when He does not condemn her. He does, however, give her one bit of instruction—“Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11b) Fourth note, provide a word of encouragement toward doing better to one another, without condemning.

I pray we all learn what God expects of us. I pray we see our situations through the eyes of God. I pray each one of us gives up condemning others and offer encouragement instead. Seek to know God’s expectations. See through God’s eyes. Stop condemning one another. Offer a word of encouragement.

John 8: 10-11 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said. 

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Feeling Condemned

Are you feeling condemned? Are you looking to be free of condemnation? Are you longing to be saved from the condemnation of the world? Do you believe it is possible? Will you accept being saved?

We see condemnation wherever we turn in this world. People condemn one another over the smallest of differences. We condemn for differences of opinion, tastes in clothing, choices of food, music, sports teams, television shows, and so much more.

It is no wonder we feel condemned in this world. And since we feel condemned, we condemn others in order to make ourselves feel better. It is a continual war of condemnation without the possibility of a good outcome.

The only way to change the outcome to one we seek is to take on the mind of Christ. He did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it. As we change our minds to have the same attitude of saving the world as Christ, we stop condemning one another. It becomes positive momentum toward a better world.

How do we begin? We must first believe in Jesus and understand that we are no longer condemned. Once we believe we are not condemned, truly understand we belong to God, we no longer have the desire to condemn others. We allow God to handle it, rather than feeling as though we must.

As John states in today’s passage, Jesus came to relieve us of the false feeling of being condemned. He came to save us by forgiving us of our sin. He came to claim victory over Satan, who lies to us by continually whispering to us that we stand condemned. Stop listening to Satan, instead listen to Jesus.

I pray we all turn to Jesus to be saved from condemnation. I pray we truly believe He came to save us. I pray each one of us will decide to stop condemning one another. Believe in Jesus. Ignore Satan’s lies. Know that Jesus has saved you. Know you are not condemned.

John 3:17-18 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Reconciliation In Christ

Do you feel alienated? Do you wonder if God has abandoned you? Do you feel guilty? Are you looking for reconciliation? Do you long for relief? Do you not understand God has already cleansed you?

We all go through times of feeling alienated. We feel as though our family and friends have abandoned us. We feel as though they don’t understand what we are going through. Our desire to receive forgiveness, to be reconciled is strong. If only….

The very first thing we need to remember is God has already redeemed us. He has reconciled us to Him through His Son. God continues to love us and cares deeply about our well-being. Our first step is to turn to Him asking for Him to remove our feelings of guilt. The next is to willingly give those feeling over to Jesus, laying them at His feet.

We also must remember it is Satan who is trying to keep us down. He is working to make us feel guilty, to cause us to forget Christ redeemed us on the cross. We are told that Satan is prowling like a lion looking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). He knows he has lost the war, but he wants to take as many of us with him as he can. He wants us to be miserable.

Remember you are without blemish in God’s eyes. The blood of Christ has washed you clean and continues to cover you at all times. You can no longer be accused by Satan from God’s point of view. His accusations are meaningless. God ignores them because Christ has wiped them out.

Therefore, hold on to your faith in Jesus, tell Satan to leave you alone, and believe God loves you. Be convinced that God will lift you from the muck and mire of your feelings, emotions, and Satan’s lies. This is the hope we have in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I pray we all recognize Satan’s schemes to keep us down. I pray we trust that Jesus has redeemed us. I pray each one of us will hold on to our faith in Jesus. Do not believe Satan’s lies. Trust God loves you. Hold on to your faith. Know that you have been reconciled with God. Hold on to your hope.

Colossians 1:21-23a Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.

Rebirth

Are you looking for renewal? Would you like a do-over? Do you wish for a new beginning? Have you made enough mistakes that you like to go back and start again? Would you like to have a rebirth?

All of us have made bad decisions in our lives. Some mistakes have been worse than others. We may have made decisions we wish we could reverse. Some of us may be living in bad situations due to a bad decision made previously.

Though we cannot go back in time to reverse a bad decision, we can go forward making better decisions. We can determine to think through the options prior to making a decision—even what appears on the surface a small or minor decision. It is sometimes the small decision that leads to a larger decision or a bigger mistake.

There is one decision we all need to make—rebirth in Christ. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are granted a new beginning. We become a new person in Christ. Though many will not believe this is true, and it may take time for changes to appear outwardly in our lives, we become a new person, nonetheless.

Jesus can and will lift us out of the ditch we’ve fallen into. He accepts us where we are, but He won’t leave us there. He heals our brokenness. Jesus renews our purpose for living. He leads us on the path to a life of love, peace, and joy. He washes us clean in the eyes of God, justifies us, and grants us eternal life with Him. We become heirs to heaven.

It doesn’t matter what we have done, Jesus will cleanse us. It doesn’t matter where we are, Jesus promises us eternal life with Him. It doesn’t matter how broken we are, Jesus heals us. It doesn’t matter how old we are, it is never too late.

I pray we all choose to be reborn in Jesus Christ. I pray we accept His offer to cleanse us of our past. I pray each one of us choose healing over brokenness. Be reborn. Be renewed. Be justified. Accept the grace of God. Find love, peace, and joy. Become an heir of eternal life.

Titus 3:5b-7 He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Choose Healing

Do you have illnesses you would like healed? Do you suffer with ailments you would like to be relieved of? Are those physical illnesses or ailments? How is your emotional health? How is your spiritual health?

We all face physical illnesses and ailments throughout life. It seems as we get older those ailments become more frequent. We may get to the point that every day is lived with pain in our joints, our back, our neck, or an internal disorder.

Put yourself in the gentleman’s place in today’s passage. He is lying next to the pool called Bethesda. He has been an invalid for thirty-eight years. Jesus walks up to him and asks if he wants to get well. How do you answer that question?

It is easy for us to quickly answer with a resounding, “Yes!” But this gentleman did not. First, he didn’t know who Jesus was. So, he didn’t know His miraculous powers. Second, based on his answer, I believe he got some satisfaction from others feeling sorry for him and providing for him. You see, his answer was that he had no one to put him in the water when it stirred, which would cause him to be cured miraculously. He was making an excuse for not being healed, rather than answering Jesus’ question.

Do we do the same thing? Jesus is always asking us the same question. Do we want to be healed? But Jesus’ question is not so much about physical healing—it’s about spiritual healing. Jesus is willing to heal our souls, make us whole. He is willing to grant us His Spirit to guide us along life’s highway. Are we willing to allow Him to take us by the hand?

As I walk through this world, I see a ton of ailing people. I see them beaten down and broken. I see people who need healing in a bad way. I see people hurting. I see people dealing with anxiety, anger, frustration, and hate. I see people who need compassion, understanding, peace, joy, and love.

Jesus can heal us. He can heal our souls. He can give us the spiritual health we need and long for. What do we need to do to receive healing? We need to submit to Him. We need to answer, “Yes!” He accepts as we are. Yet, He won’t leave us in that state. He will change our lives.

I pray we all accept Jesus’ offer for healing. I pray we decide we want to be healed. I pray each one of us submits to His healing power, allowing Him to heal our souls. Say yes. Accept Jesus’ offer. Find the love you long for. Be made whole. Live the abundant life.

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

Do Not Judge

How do you like being judged by others? Do you wish the judgmental eyes would not glare at you? Do you judge others in the same way you wish you were not being judged? Why not leave the judging to God?

At some point in our lives, we all have judged someone else, and we have all been judged by someone else. We are a very judgmental culture. We condemn someone for bad behavior, lower intellect, or simply making choices different than we would prefer.

We judge drug abusers and alcoholics. We judge people based on the way they dress. We judge a person based on how many body piercings or tattoos they have. We judge people on where they live. And, yes, we still judge people based on their racial or ethnic background.

Why do we judge people so harshly? The simple answer is pride. We want to feel as though we are better than others. We want to put ourselves on a pedestal. Our own self-importance and self-righteousness entices us to put others down, making them lower than ourselves.

We know it’s wrong. But we justify it by saying, “I just can’t help myself.” Oh, that we knew how true that statement was. We can’t help ourselves. We need to ask God to change our hearts. We need to submit to His Spirit, allowing Him to make the change in us. We need to continually ask Him to make the change.

Why? By judging and condemning others, we condemn ourselves. You see, when we judge someone based on their choices, we condemn ourselves for our choices. When we condemn someone for being an alcoholic, we condemn ourselves when we have one too many drinks. When we judge someone for their racial or ethnic background, we condemn ourselves for judging a child of God.

And make no mistake about it, judging others because others are judging you is not acceptable. We are called to be like Jesus. We are called to show the world who He is. We are called to be His hands and feet and have His attitude toward others. We are called to be different.

I pray we all give judging others. I pray we stop condemning ourselves before God. I pray each one of us determines to be a representative of Jesus, showing Him to everyone we meet. Stop judging. Stop condemning. See others as a child of God. Stop making excuses. Choose to be like Jesus.

Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

The Perfect Mediator

Have you ever used a mediator? Do you understand the purpose of a mediator? Have you had to participate in negotiations? Have you had a need for someone to bargain on your behalf? Do you know you have one now?

When we think of a mediator, we often think of high-profile negotiations. A mediator is used when a baseball player is eligible for arbitration and he and the team do not agree on a new salary. Mediators are often used during negotiations between two nations.

Negotiations typically mean two or more parties are attempting to come to an agreement. They typically imply there will be a compromise. Each party must determine what they are willing to give up, where they can bend a little, and what is non-negotiable. Often each party is trying to hold onto as many of their desires as possible, gaining as much as they can.

Jesus is our mediator. He continually stands before God the Father on our behalf. Unlike mediators who negotiate contracts for baseball players or agreements between nations, Jesus has already completed the negotiation. He gave His life for each one of us.

As Satan accuses us of each failure, Jesus points out it has been covered by Him. As Satan desires to steal us away from God through accusation, Jesus says the price, or fine, has already been paid. As Satan tries to take our life, Jesus states He was given us eternal life and it cannot be taken away.

Jesus is the perfect mediator. He paid the ultimate price to claim us as His own. Make no mistake, He does not desire us to continue to fail, but He has paid the price for our failure. He is unlike any mediator in this world. The negotiation has been completed. All that remains is Satan’s continual accusations and Jesus’ continual defense.

I pray we all see Jesus as our perfect Mediator. I pray we realize He has paid our ransom in full. I pray each one of us celebrate our freedom and tell others about Jesus. Jesus paid the price for you. He has ransomed you from condemnation. See Jesus as your perfect Mediator. Be a witness of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice.

1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

Lighten Your Burden

Have you grown weary? Are you carrying a heavy burden? Would you like to lighten your load? Is your heart heavy? Are you carrying around guilt and shame? Would you like to escape? Is your heart and soul looking for rest?

We all carry around some type of burden. We might be carrying around a burden we no longer need to carry. We continually add rocks to our pack throughout our lives. The pack gets heavier. Eventually, the pack becomes too heavy to carry.

There is a way to relieve ourselves of the burdens we carry. The way is Jesus. Opposed to what some may preach; it doesn’t happen at the snap of the fingers. Yet, it does happen. As we come to Jesus, yearning to sit at His feet and learn from Him, He shows us when and how to release those burdens.

Jesus provides us with hope for the future. He confirms there is a future for us. He reaffirms His promise that He is preparing a place for us. Jesus affirms our forgiveness and shows us how to forgive ourselves, thereby removing our guilt and shame.

We are taught to lean on God for our strength. We come to realize what is truly important versus what the world tries to tell us is important. As we prioritize important items and realize we don’t need many of the less important items, our stress is lowered.

Once we have prioritized, understand the future is promised, and lean on God’s strength, our hope becomes real. We begin living the abundant life Jesus promised. All of this coming from the decision to go to Jesus with all our burdens and with our worn-out life. He shows us a better way.

I pray we all take our weariness to Jesus. I pray we learn what is important and prioritize our lives. I pray each one of us put our hope in Jesus and live the abundant life He promised. Be released from your weariness. Lighten your load. Go to Jesus. Lay your burdens at His feet. Shed your guilt and shame. Put your hope in Jesus. Live the abundant life.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Strength When Weary

Are you tired? Are you tired of being tired? Are your nerves frayed to the point they can’t be frayed anymore? Do you feel as though you are being tossed back and forth on endless violent waves? Are you looking for just enough strength to get through one more day?

There is no doubt we are growing tired of the COVID pandemic. We have been riding a rollercoaster for nineteen months now (from when we first heard of it). We have been in and out of lockdowns on multiple occasions, depending on where we live.

The arguments back and forth have been politicized and polarized. No one is willing to listen to someone else’s point of view. Everyone believes everyone else must have the same point of view as theirs. It has gotten so ugly; people are just throwing up their hands and doing whatever they want. Honest debate is no longer possible. Or is it?

In recent weeks, I’ve seen the people of God have honest discussions concerning their points of view. I’ve seen respect for one another. Perhaps it took us getting to the point of exhaustion to listen to one another. Perhaps this is God driving us to our knees to seek Him and His ways.

We have been promised many times throughout the Bible that God will strengthen us. He has promised to be the power working through us when we are weak. When we reach the end of our strength and have nowhere else to turn, God takes over. It is not that it must be this way. It is simply our unwillingness to allow God to take over before we no longer can do it on our own.

God works in ways we don’t understand. No, I don’t believe God purposely sent this pandemic to cause us to rely on Him. However, I do believe He knew it was coming and is working in the midst of it. He is showing us what He can do, how He can and will work in our lives.

When we are willing to lean on God, trust Him to guide us, He works in ways that amaze us. When we grow weary, God provides the strength we need. When we are weakened, He provides the power we need to carry out His plan.

I pray we all lean on God when we grow weary. I pray we seek God’s power when we are weak. I pray each one of us learn through this difficult time to lean on God at all times. Trust God to provide. Lean on His strength. Know that God will lift you up. Put your hope in Him.

Isaiah 40:28

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.