March 27

I believe that most Christians are even familiar with the concept of God bringing them not only into saving grace, but a life of abundance while here on this earth. Even so, while reading this passage, parts of it penetrated my heart. I had a difficult time reading past verses one and two because they were so illuminating for me!

These two verses point out that God’s plan for Israel had to do with Him not only bringing them out of Egypt, a house of bondage, but into Canaan, the land of promise. We also see that the land of promise is occupied by Israel’s enemy and God commanded them to rise up and take the land.

As soon as you and I grasp God’s promise for our lives, a battle will quickly ensue. The enemy of our souls doesn’t want our hearts to abide in a place of fruitful abundance. The enemy of our souls doesn’t want to give up a single inch of territory.

Perhaps there are enemies in your own life that you feel are unshakeable. Is there territory that you feel you’ll never re-claim? Let’s go back to the pages of God’s word and see what God told Israel to do.

It may seem uncanny but God told His people to go into the land where their enemy’s dwelt and to take possession of it. They were weak and these nations were greater and stronger than them. However, the first thing we need to realize if we desire to live in the realm of God’s promise for our lives is that we must take action. Let’s be honest, you can’t be healed of depression by pretending it doesn’t exist! If you desire freedom, you must journey to the place of your bondage. And you don’t travel alone. His presence is with and He will keep you.

The enemy paralyzes us with fear because he knows that if we step into action, his demise within our lives is impending.

The second thing we must do is reframe from compromise. In verses two and three God commands, “You shall make no covenant with them or show mercy to them.” The enemy is great at convincing us that a little is enough. We walked around with a mindset where the concept of living completely victorious is unattainable. We are sadly content what little peace, joy, or freedom we have because we assume that heaven is the only place abundance is possible.

How does compromise happen? Here’s what I think: amidst the battle for victory, we get tired. We don’t “feel” like much progress is being made and we can’t see the finish line. So, we decide to rest. Now I’m not slamming rest by any means. God commands us to rest. However, the “rest” we often give ourselves can easily become laziness in our mindset towards the enemy.

We let up and so does he. This is the place where he wants you and I to remain.

We compromise when we doubt the outcome.

Imagine you are playing a game of chess and the prize for winning is a $50 gift card to your favorite store. Before the game starts, you are told that the entire game has been set up in such a way that you will be the winner. You are not told how long the game will last or given any information on your competitor. Now, since you are 100% certain you will win the game, there is absolutely no way at any point, that you would make a compromise with the other player. On the other hand, if the game goes longer than anticipated or becomes really difficult, you may start to doubt what you were told. At that point, a compromise may seem like a smart move.

If you do strike a deal, you will have essentially robbed yourself of two things: victory and reward.

We must not compromise!

Friend, Christ has assured you and me of victory in this life and He always rewards us for obedience!

Let’s move forward and take the land!

Victoriously,

Lauryn Everett

March 17

Good morning! My grandparents were missionaries to Indonesia over a period of 25-30 years. They also pastored a few churches in the panhandle and West territories of Texas. Once when my uncle was very young, he fell asleep under the pew during the service. Caught up in the business of pastoring this small town church, my grandparents and mom left church to go enjoy a delicious lunch. Only they forgot one small two year old detail. They left my uncle asleep, all alone, in the dark of the church. Unfortunately he woke up before they realized they missed him. Of course, they did miss him and immediately went back to retrieve their crying, distraught little boy. Could you imagine their horror as they realized what they'd done? Can you imagine what Jesus's parents must have felt like when suddenly they realized Jesus was not with their relatives and friends? Oh my goodness. This wasn't a simple 5 mt drive back to the church; it was a longgggg walk back to a very busy, full city that took days. It's no wonder that when the other people around Him were absolutely amazed at His wisdom Mom and Dad wanted to know why He stayed back and worried them so! Did He stay back on purpose or accidentally? Well, I'm sure His parents sure thought it was on purpose. Hmmm. Maybe so. And of course, His innocent response that He had to be about His Father's business must have floored them. What did He mean? About Joseph's carpentry? What did that have to do with staying back to teach and be taught in the Temple? I have a precious, sweet, beautiful 12 yr old daughter. If she had pulled a stunt like that, I would have been frantic and she would have been in hot, hot water. And yet Mary pondered the incident and His words in her heart. It's amazing to hear our children speak profound things. My own son talks of deep theological things at times, and I marvel to hear him. It's funny when I ask where he learned them, he simply says, "from you, Mommy." Beware! Our children really are listening to us. In one verse it says the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. In another one, Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Could you imagine parenting the perfect child? I can't. I see too vividly my imperfections as a parent. It would be one tough job to parent a perfect child, let alone the Son of God! And could you imagine being His parent and loving Him so much and wanting to hang onto their little Boy just as we want to hang onto ours and keep them little just a little longer. But He grew and grew and grew in wisdom and stature. Where did He get His wisdom? From God of course. And you can bet God used His earthly parents, and His Sunday School Teachers, and Preacher. :) Just imagine that with me. God used common, ordinary man to download some of His wisdom into the King of kings and Lord of lords. I certainly believe God downloaded straight from heaven His fair share of thoughts. His thoughts are not mans and His ways higher than ours. But I can imagine that the people God surrounded Jesus with who loved Him and poured into His life were used of God as well to grow His only begotten Son. And to think that even now, God uses us, you and I, to download God's love and character into our children. Into other's children. Into the young in faith. How amazing to partner with our Heavenly Father to nurture His little ones both in stature and in faith?! Is there anyone in your life who you can find to mentor and teach and grow in God's wisdom? A wayward child w/o a father? A young girl who tries to dress like a woman? A young man who's about to become a dad? A business woman trying to balance raising a family and working full time? A group of boys needing a coach in soccer and in life? Opening your hands or home to a child needing a safe place? I had no idea this was the message God would give me today. But it must be for someone. I encourage you. Get with God. Get His eyes fastened on today and look for that very special life-changing opportunity that may be awaiting you this very day. It may be just around the corner. God bless you! Have a beautiful day. Rolanda Green

March 13

Luke 1:1-25

Zachariah means “Jehovah has remembered”. He was a priest of the line of Abijah. He was married to Elizabeth, whose name means, “God is my oath.” She was also of the priestly line being a descendant of Aaron. The Zondervan Bible Dictionary reveals that she was a woman of unusual piety, faith, and spiritual gifts. It’s obvious she was an encouragement to Mary, the mother of Jesus in that she confided in her upon finding out she would deliver the long awaited Messiah.

Luke also tells us that Zachariah and Elizabeth were ”righteous in God’s eyes” and that they were careful to walk faithfully before Him.

Although we read about their lives with a “Sunday-school” like fascination, Elizabeth and Zachariah lived in a time and among a people in which they were essentially insignificant and obscure.

Alfred Edersheim writes of the Zachariah’s priestly obscurity stating,

“In many respects he seemed different from those around. His home was not in either of the great priest-centres—the Ophel-quarter in Jerusalem, nor in Jericho—but in some small town in those uplands, south of Jerusalem: the historic ‘hill-country of Judaea.”

They were also childless. Barrenness not only caused deep sorrow for a woman in Elizabeth’s time, it also warranted great social disgrace. When one discovered a woman had no children, people would think, “Perhaps God is punishing her or her husband for some unknown sin.” It’s apparent from the text that their heart’s desire for many, many years was to have a baby.

There were many times in private Zachariah came before the Lord. Offering up the incense of his prayers. His cries for a son would rise and year after year, no answer would come. Elizabeth cried out too. Oh how she longed for little hands to brush across her face and to look into the eyes of one she could teach the ways of Adonai.

Amidst the silence, they remained faithful, the eyes of their hearts fixed on Him.

Eventually, they grew old. Far to old to have a child.

This is where we find Zachariah has been chosen by God to burn incense in the temple. I discovered upon reading Bob Deffinbauch’s article entitled, Silence is Shattered, that this honor was bestowed on a priest only once in his lifetime. What incredible anticipation and excitement arose within Zachariah’s heart once he discovered he had been chosen!

While burning incense before the Lord, the veil of silence that loomed over his heart was broken upon the frightening visitation of an angel of God. The angel told Zachariah that he would have a son and that he would be “great in the eyes of the Lord.” The angel also told him that his would be a ministry of preparation and reconciliation. For he would prepare the hearts of Israel for the Messiah’s coming and bring reconciliation to men and women so they could receive Him once he arrived.

I am so inspired as I ponder the amazing ways of God in this story. He chose a poor, nameless couple whose faith remained despite His delayed response. I see a God who cannot turn His ear from the cry of the righteous. A God who remembers the forgotten and who carries away their disgrace.

Blessings,

Lauryn Everett

March 10

Good morning, Wonderful Family! As I read today's daily Scriptures, I marvelled at God's goodness despite man's wickedness. God, being gracious and loving and providing a rich new home land for His people, led the children of Israel to the promised land. However, their hearts were hard and fearful and rebellious, and they refused to enter in and take what God was giving them. After Moses intercedes for them & God declares that only the children and grandchildren would enter in as a result of their rebellion, the people suddenly have a change of mind. Something that caught my attention in this reading was that in the opening verse 14 of Numbers 14, the congregation lifted up their voices and cried and wept ALL night. They must have been pretty distraught. And why? Because they didn't want to go in and take the land God promised them. They were afraid and didn't yet know and trust God to deliver. Hmmm. Then after God declares that only their children and grandchildren will enter in, they have a sudden change of mind (not heart just mind). They "mourn greatly" and express their sorrow, but the Word doesn't even say they mourn all night like they had over their selfish ambitions and stubborn rebelliousness. It seems to me like the mourning was superficial and merely a result of losing out on the promised land and not because they had grieved the heart of God by refusing His treasure for them. How often have we shed these types of tears ourselves? The children of Israel played a dangerous game that day with God and lost. How often do we play those games? How often do we struggle to obey and even then try to put stipulations on our obedience because really we don't want to do what He's requested of us? God, if you do this, then I will do this. Even Moses aroused God's anger against himself a time or two as he argued w/God refusing just to obey and trust Him. There was a boy in highschool that went to school w/my older brother. He was angry and one day decided to get his parent's attention by acting as if he was going to hang himself. He made the nuse in his closet and climbed up on a chair and put his head in it. Only the chair fell out from under him and he was not able to free himself from the nuse and died before his parents found him. It's a scary place to be in when we harden our heart to God and pursue our own selfish ambitions instead of going His way. If only we truly knew the goodness of God and character of God. If only we believe and trust God. Even towards the hard-hearted Israelites, God was gracious and generous to the people by sparing a remnant of their little sons and daughters and their sons and daughters to inherit the promised land. Why would He do that? Because God is LOVE. God is MERCY. It's not what He does. It's not what He gives. It's WHO He is! He loves us even when we are unlovable. I think more than anything else this year I am on a journey (and taking our children with me) to truly know and love God more than anything else. To be all about Him and not the things I want to do "for" Him. That's a HUGE switch for me. And if our children can learn now that being a Christian means knowing andloving the Lord instead of just following a bunch of rules and regulations or doing a bunch of good works in our own flesh, they will have a huge impact for generations to come on this dark world that desperately needs our Savior! I want to love God more. I want to know Him better. I want to spend a lifetime experiencing the joy of His presence. Will you join me on this journey today? Blessings, Rolanda Green

March 6

Psalm 49: 1-20

Recently, I had a brief encounter with a friend from work. She walked into my office with her beaming face and luminous smile. I was sincerely happy to see her. She’s the type of person who makes you feel like you are one in a million. Yet, it didn’t take long for me to realize something was deeply wrong. I’m not sure what caused her to let down her guard, but when she did outcame an overflow of frustration and fear regarding her financial security. Not only that, she had been crying out to God to put her in a place where she could use her unique skill set and gifts to glorify Him. She didn’t need to verbalize how despondent she had become and how disgusted she was with where she was in life. Her eyes asked the question, “Has God forgotten me”?

We have all been in this place. Some of us are veterans! This is the place where we’re looking through the rear window of our lives, driving away from the fruition of our dreams. Perhaps for you, it came when the economy collapsed or through the loss of a job or spouse. Maybe your days were spent sowing into what felt like iron soil and your nights were void of rest. You may have tossed and turned wondering how you’d pay for the groceries or how you’d put your children through college. The answer to the sticky question, “Why me, God?” alludes us.

The writer of Psalm 49 asks this question instead, “Why should I fear when trouble comes, and when my enemies surround me?” The writer is making a bold statement. He is essentially saying, “I have absolutely no reason to doubt God. “ The obvious truth that we often lose grasp of is that there exists no intelligent reason to doubt God. And, there is no failure or trial great enough to rattle Him. Later on in the passage, the writer has become even more confident of his previous statement. He says, “But as for me, God will redeem my life, He will snatch me from the power of the grave.” Friend, He will always come through for you.

Blessings,

Lauryn