the faith of a child

This past week at our church we had Vacation Bible School. It was a busy week and at times it was hard to focus on work. During the week, the kids learned different verses and Biblical truths that went along with the theme. VBS this year was Outrigger Island. They decorated the church like a Hawaiian island…it was fun to walk around and experience.

I remember the days of VBS when I was a child. Really the only thing I can remember is Kool Aid and cookies! But I know there were a lot of truths that I learned as a child that I cling to now as an adult. As I tried to focus on work this past week, I managed to hear the verses that were being shouted out by the eager children. Here is what they were taught:

Motto:
Know the Truth
Speak the Truth
Live the Truth

Psalm 86:11 Teach me Your way, LORD,and I will live by Your truth.Give me an undivided mind to fear Your name.

Truth: God is real
I know God is real. I can believe there is no other God.
Isaiah 44:6b I am the first and I am the last. There is no God but Me.

Truth: Jesus is God’s Son
I know Jesus is God’s Son. I can celebrate who He is.
Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!"

Truth: Jesus is the only way
I know that Jesus is the only way. I can confess Him as my Savior.
John 14:6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Truth: The Bible is God’s word
I know the Bible is God’s word. I can explore its truth.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.

Truth: My actions show what I believe
I know my actions show what I believe. I can stand for truth.
Luke 10:27 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.

These principles may seem simple and basic to a lot of us who have known the Lord for a while but our faith is built on these principles that hold such power and truth! Let us not forget the foundation of our faith.

obedience

The story is told that when Dr. David Livingstone was working in Africa, a group of friends sent a letter saying, "We would like to send other men to you. Have you found a good road into your area yet?” Apparently, Dr. Livingstone sent this message in reply: "If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all."

I wonder if God thinks this about us sometimes. I wonder if He ever calls us to obedience without showing us the path we will travel, or the end result, just to see what we will do. Kind of like a test. Will we obey without a road map?

And I often wonder why following God isn’t easier. There are days when I feel tired of getting called out of my comfort zone to obey God.

Maybe there is something within us that is revealed when we are pressured from without. Maybe the call to obey shines light on the truth about our faith. I know that in order to grow, faith must be stretched, and that’s often uncomfortable.
You see, I have not learned to trust God in the easy ways of faith. I have not learned to trust God by reading a book or listening to a great sermon. Nor have I learned to trust God by hearing how my friend trusts God. No, I am learning to trust God by stepping out into an adventure of obedience and discovering for myself that He is trustworthy.

Obeying when God hasn’t revealed the steps along the way or the final destination is challenging. But when we choose to walk by faith and not by sight, God gets all the glory in the end because we KNOW we couldn’t have done it on our own!

Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for being completely trustworthy. Thank You for having my best interest at heart, even when the path to obedience seems scary. Help me to take the next step of faith, even when I don’t see where I’m going. I will choose to trust You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

By: Glynnis Whitwer
www.proverbs31.org

in times of trouble

after yesterday, i went back and re-read some devotionals i had in my inbox. i found this one and it was just what i needed to hear. i hope it encourages you as well.

Sometimes struggle makes us aware of just how much we depend on God: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).

Whatever trouble we're going through, God is always with us. Paul himself was "perplexed" as to why he was suffering, but he knew that he could have faith (trust) in God. Since Jesus suffered, as followers of Jesus sometimes we too will sometimes suffer, for "no servant is greater than his master" (John 13:16). How great a promise God gives us that he will never abandon us!

What is troubling you today? Our natural instinct is to obsess over the "Why?" question. Instead, why not try to focus on the "What?" question: "What shall I do next?" And leave the rest to God, who is our refuge, gives us strength in times of trouble, and gave His life so we will live.

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength"(Philippians 4:13).

By: Darren Hewer

give them all to Jesus

this morning wasn't the greatest for me. i faced another let down...i was reminded of the truth of a song this morning. the song i was reminded of was "Give Them All to Jesus". this was a song sung by Evie and is now sung by others. here are the lyrics:

Are you tired of chasing pretty rainbows?
And are you tired of spinning 'round and 'round?
Wrap up all the shattered dreams of your life
And at the feet of Jesus lay them down

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts and broken toys
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrow into joy

He never said, you'd only see sunshine
He never said, there'd be no rain
He only promised a heart full of singing
About the very things that once brought pain

Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts and broken toys
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrow into joy

And He will turn your sorrow into joy!

the words of this song are so true. we need to go to Jesus and lay our troubles down...lay down the defeats...lay down the discouragements...lay down the disappointments. i must admit while i was sitting on the couch crying this morning, i didn't think of the joy Jesus had for me. what a great reminder in this song that if i give all those things to Jesus and He will turn my sorrow into joy!

too cute for words

i saw this little girl on America's Got Talent last week. she brought me to tears. she by far is the best 4 year old singer i've ever heard and to boot, she is absolutely adorable!

Lord, change me

this came from one of my devotionals. the message struck me. do we go to church just to feel good? to feel better about ourselves? to show others that we are faithful in going? or do we genuinely go to be changed? that can be a scary thing to think on. if my desire is to be like Christ and to be the woman He wants me to be, i need to be willing to change. today is sunday...think about this as you go to church today...next week or the week after. when you walk through those doors, you are inviting Christ to change you.

As I sat in church, my foot began to tap to the lively praise music. It
was refreshing! Then the pastor stood and prayed, "Oh Lord, we have
come here today to be changed by You. Please change us."

The words caught me off guard. I wasn't sure I had come to be changed;
encouraged and refreshed, yes, but changed? I thought about it over the
next week.

As Christians we so often want God's blessing and His strength and His
wisdom...but do we willingly say, "Lord, change me?" I knew I didn't
always. Yet it is the thing God calls us to, to be changed.

I thought of the worm and the butterfly. If the worm were asked, I am
quite sure that he would not feel the need to change, having no concept
of the beautiful, flying creature he would become.

Only the Lord sees us as the finished product of what His grace can do
in our lives. Only He knows the butterfly in each of us.

"The Spirit of the Lord works within us to become more and more like
Him" (2 Corinthians 3: 18, The Living Bible).

Is the Lord asking you to let Him change you? Change is not always
easy. But the joy and the reward of being transformed into the godly person
God knows you can be will surprise and delight you. It will bring a
fulfillment that is worth every effort. And God will enable you, by His
Spirit, to make the changes you have put off too long.

Don't wait any longer for God to change your circumstances, your boss,
your husband or whoever or whatever is holding you back. Ask Him today
to change you. He promises to transform you, and you won't be
disappointed with the result!

By: Gail Rogers

when i gaze into the night sky

i have a calendar at home that shows a scripture for each day of the year. this morning when i woke up i flipped the page and the passage was Psalm 8.

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

there are several songs that we sing today that refer to this passage. however, my favorite is "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name". i remember singing that when i was in choir at church many years ago and always getting teary when i sang it. it's such a beautiful song and the part when it goes into the hallelujahs, i just can't help but get emotional thinking about how we will be singing our hallelujahs to God when we see Him! please watch this incredible version of this song by Sandi Patty.