DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 7.9.22

God Is Able By Emma Danzey Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask orimagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Able to Do Immeasurably More Can you think of a time when you just got back from your favorite vacation? Or perhaps you just achieved a huge goal in life? Maybe you got one step closer to your dream? There were likely feelings of great happiness, accomplishment, amazement, and celebration.Whether it was an experience or a tangible award, whatever it might be, the mountain top moment is for sure to go down in your life history as a memorable one. Ephesians 3:20-21 does not just say that God can do more than we ask or imagine, he can do immeasurably more. This means we cannot even estimate how much more our God can do. When we have that challenging work or homework assignment, He is able to help us through. When we go through a season of difficulty, He can give insurmountable strength.When we are raising the next generation, He can do a new work in them and use us in powerful ways. When we have a deep and unmet longing in our hearts, the Lord can fulfill us and reveal Himself as a treasure that is far greater than anything we could want.The fact is that our Creator and Savior is not just able to do more, He can do far greater things than our small human minds can wrap around. This is a Biblical truth, but how often do we forget this in our daily lives, in our prayers, and in our churches?We serve the God who is beyond our beyond. Invited into His Work What is beautiful about these verses, is that God not only does incredible work, He invites us into what He is doing. We have the privilege of the gift of the Holy Spirit within us. The Lord gives us His power and equips us to do amazing things on His behalf to share His love to the world. We are not only experiencing His immeasurably more, we are sharing it. He has given us the right to be His children and co-heirs.Our salvation in and of itself is exceedingly more than we could think up. Now, He has sealed us with His very own Spirit, commissioned us to share His gospel, and actively working through us for His glorious plans to be revealed. To Him Be the Glory I love how Ephesians 3:20-21 ends on giving God the full glory in the church, in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations forever. This is a reminder to us that no matter what God allows us to be a part of in His kingdom work, that is never about our own names, itis about fully glorifying the only worthy one, Jesus. We might get to experience some immeasurably more moments in our lifetimes. However, may we always remember that the Giver of the gifts is greater than the gifts themselves. The Savior of the world is betterthan the messenger. The glory goes to God and never to us. I am sure in each of our lives there have been times when we have been tempted to take credit for what the Lord has done. If we are not keeping check, pride can easily creep in when we use our talents, or serve, or get recognized for a ministry we are involvedin. We must be on our guard and regularly humble ourselves and remember that only the name of Jesus is to be worshiped and lifted up. Intersecting Faith and Life: How has God done immeasurable more than you could imagine in your life? How has He invited you into the work that He is doing? Remember that we can be tempted to take the glory for ourselves, but may we always redirect it to Him in all things. Further Reading: •Psalm 77:14 •Philippians 2:13 •Hebrews 13:21 --------------------- The Holy Spirit’s Dwelling Place 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Every time the news programs report a story about vandalism at a church, believers cringe. It’s hard for us to bear the thought of anyone spray-painting graffiti on sanctuary walls or damaging the stained glass windows, let alone setting fire to a placeof worship. It’s a desecration! The church is a sacred place. I’m saddened by the fact that many Christians don’t have the same qualms when it comes to harming the temple of the Holy Spirit—their own bodies. Some put junk into their stomachs, their veins, or their lungs. Others wear themselves down under a weight ofstress or exhaustion. Some folks justify these abuses as their right: It’s my body, I can do what I want. But that isn't true. First Corinthians 6 says that believers are the Lord’s possession (v. 19). He has fashioned these earthen vessels to serve Him and carry out the work He’s planned for us to accomplish. God created us with a mind, body, and spirit—of the three aspects, thebody is the one that allows us to interact with our environment. People cannot reach their full potential while neglecting the proper care of their bodies. What good are education, talent, and gifts if we’re too tired or sick to complete tasks well? Here in the world, we can do nothing apart from our physical body. Since it is the only one we’ll have in this life, we should do our best to keep it in good condition. Believers should also recognize their responsibility to treat the earthly frame likethe sacred and special dwelling place that it is. ----------------------- Glorious Liberty “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertyof the children of God.” (Romans 8:21) This verse contains the first of 11 occurrences of the Greek word eleutheria, “liberty,” and defines the basic spiritual message of this splendid word. Because of sin, God has subjected the whole creation, animate and inanimate, to “the bondage ofcorruption.” That is, everything is governed by a law of decay—a law of such universal scope that it is recognized as a basic law of science—the law of entropy, stipulating that everything tends to disintegrate and die. Christ died for sin, however, and defeated death so that He will someday deliver the whole groaning creation from its bondage into the glorious freedom from decay and death that will also be enjoyed by all who have received eternal life through faith in Christ. This ultimate, perfect liberty can even now be appropriated in type and principle through looking into “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25), the HolyScriptures. When we become children of God, the Holy Spirit henceforth indwells our bodies, and “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Sometimes, however, Christians may abuse this new freedom from the law of sin and death, turning it into license, and this becomes a tragic perversion of Christian liberty. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasionto the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). While not abusing our freedom in Christ, we must nevertheless “stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Galatians 5:1), andlook forward to the glorious liberty of the ages to come. HMM ----------------- WorshipingGod “And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship,and come again to you.” (Genesis22:5) We tend to think of “worship” as singing, or testimonies, or hearing a message. This could hardly be the meaning in our text, however, for Abraham was intending to offer Isaac on a sacrificial altar in accordance with God’s command. Furthermore, Isaac was willingto be offered. “They went both of them together” (vv. 6, 8). Isaac, in fact, was not just a little boy at this time. The word “lad” in our text is the same word as “young men” in the same verse. The first time the Hebrew word for “worship” is used is in Genesis 18:2. When Abraham saw three men approaching (later revealed as the Lord and two angels), he “bowed himself toward the ground.” Thus, “worship” means, essentially, “bow down” in obedience to the will of the one deserving “worship.” Abraham’s supreme act of worship, however, was his willingness even to sacrifice his beloved son, if God’s will so required. He trusted so fully in God that he knew “God was able to raise him up, even from the dead” (Hebrews11:19), and so he could tell his two servants that he and Isaac would “come again to you.” No wonder Abraham is called “the father of all them that believe” (Romans4:11). He was, indeed, “strong in faith” (v. 20). The New Testament Greek word for “worship” also means essentially to bow down to God’s will. It occurs first when the wise men came to King Herod seeking the infant Savior, saying: “We...are come to worship him” (Matthew2:2). As long ago a great man on Earth bowed down to the three from heaven, so now these great men on Earth with their three precious gifts bow down to One from heaven, the One who alone is worthy of true worship. HMM ---------------- The Believer's Purpose Galatians 5:13 God has a purpose for your life. If that weren't true, He'd have taken you home to heaven at the moment of salvation. Do you ever wonder why He left you here? The Lord intends to influence others through you. Our purpose is to be a vessel through which Christ overflows to others--touching those who hurt and desperately need a Savior. Once we are saved, Scripture teaches, our involvement is threefold. First, we love others. Jesus clearly stated that this was one of the two greatest commandments (Matt.22:38-39). Second, we share the good news of salvation (Acts 1:8). Some travel across the world to spread the gospel, while others teach neighbors acrossthe street. The Holy Spirit will direct us to the right people if we are willing to obey. Third, we serve in a variety of ways, like helping those in need, sharing our resources, and lifting others in prayer. Jesus is our perfect example of all three. His entire life was marked by caring for people--both those who loved Him and those who did not. In fact, the Bible teaches that He humbled Himself and became like us, willing to give up His life for ourredemption. There is no greater love; there is no greater act of service. Scripture clearly defines the believer's purpose. Aligning ourselves with God's intentions for His children--loving others, witnessing, and serving-- bring us great satisfaction. In fact, we're still on earth not merely to hear more teaching but to act onit and share with others what we learn. -------------------- Always Rejoicing “Rejoice evermore.” (1Thessalonians 5:16) Most people think that John 11:35 (“Jesus wept”) is the shortest verse in the Bible, but our text is actually even shorter in the original Greek. In one sense, these two two-word verses complement each other—because Jesus wept, we can rejoice evermore. Christdied that we might live. He became poor so that we could be eternally rich. When Christ rose from the dead and met the women returning from the empty tomb, He greeted them with the words “All hail” (Matthew28:9). The actual Greek was the same word as “rejoice,” and surely His victory over sin and death provided the greatest of all reasons for the world to rejoice. The contrast between suffering and rejoicing is present throughout the New Testament, with the former typically preceding and bringing in the latter. Its first occurrence is in the closing verse of the beatitudes: “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you,and persecute you...for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:11-12). The final passage, when the sufferingsof the saints are all past and Christ comes to reign, the multitude sings in heaven, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come” (Revelation19:7). In that great day, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4), and all the redeemed will, indeed, rejoice evermore. Therefore, we can live our present lives in the light of our future lives, “as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2Corinthians 6:10). The apostle Paul exhorts us to “rejoice in the Lord alway” (Philippians 4:4), and Peter says that, loving Christ, we “rejoice withjoy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). HMM ------------------------ NoMore Problems “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nationsfor my name’s sake.” (Matthew24:9) All too often in these days of “easy believism” and the erroneous “peace and prosperity” teaching, we hear someone say, “Once you become a Christian, all your problems will be over.” It is doubtful that anyone really believes such a statement, much less experiencesit. Certainly the Israelites who had just been miraculously delivered from bondage didn’t experience it. Of course, this concept is not biblical. In fact, the Bible teaches quite the opposite. Christ promised, “Ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake” (Matthew10:22). He, Himself, would have many problems. “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you” (John15:18). Later, after experiencing many problems, John wrote, “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (1John 3:13). These problems may take the form of general troubles that come from living in a sinful, cursed world; specific afflictions, which God allows in our lives to bring about His purpose; or discipline for personal sin, as well as direct persecution from without. While troubles will come, all is not lost! Christ promised, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John16:33). Through Him we have the strength to meet every difficulty of this life with peace, good cheer, and victory. Through Him we also receive the promise that throughout eternity “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shallthere be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation21:4). JDM ---------------- Calledand Chosen “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath fromthe beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Thessalonians 2:13-14) Note the order established by God in His great plan of salvation. God had chosen these Thessalonian believers to salvation even before they were born, for it was from the beginning. Then He called them, and they heard the gospel, believed the truth, and weresanctified (that is, “set apart”) by the Holy Spirit, eventually destined to be glorified in Christ. To accomplish this, however, the Spirit used human messengers. He first, in a vision, directed Paul to go to Greece to preach the gospel (Acts16:9), where he eventually reached Thessalonica and taught the truth to those he found in the synagogue. However, of the many who were “called” as Paul preached and taught, only “some of them believed” (17:4). Most of his listeners had not been “chosen,” so they resisted the “call” and refused to believe. As Jesus said, “Many be called, but few [are] chosen” (Matthew20:16). Such a truth may be difficult to understand with our finite minds, but (like Paul) “we are bound to give thanks” that we who believe today, like the Thessalonian believers then, have been both “chosen...in him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians1:4) and also “called...out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1Peter 2:9). This same mysterious but glorious truth is found throughout Scripture. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose....What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us,who can be against us?” (Romans8:28, 31). HMM ------------------- The Battle for the Mind By Emma Danzey 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, andwe take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” We Demolish Arguments and Every Pretension Against God Have you ever had difficulties with your thought life? Have you faced the daily challenge of trying to do war with lies from the enemy? You are not alone. Scripture tells us to guard our hearts and our minds in Christ. This is because on a daily basis, ouremotions and thoughts are under attack from sin and the enemy. We are told lies about God, ourselves and others. The very first sins at the Garden of Eden were influenced by the words of the enemy, causing them to doubt God. We struggle with pondering negativityand impurity. We wrestle with fears and anxieties. Our fallen minds can be susceptible to the power of darkness if we are not careful. We have to seek out the light of Christ. I love how 2 Corinthians 10:5 uses the strong verb demolish. This is not a fluffy word. This is not an easy task, this is a full blown take down of spiritual warfare. It is kind of like the saying, “Don’t play with fire.” If we give the sinful thoughts anyspace in our heads, it is a danger. If we entertain anxious thoughts and create scenarios, it will lead to our own destruction. We can demolish arguments and every pretension or we can be demolished by them. We might appear to be the targets, but ultimatelythe attacks from the enemy are against God. Take Captive Every Thought On our own, we cannot achieve this. We need the Holy Spirit’s help to put on the full armor of God and protect our thought lives. We are weak, but Christ is strong and His power rests within the heart of every believer. Jesus died and rose on our behalf. He made a way to be reunited with the Father.The same power that rose Jesus from the grave is within all of His disciples. He is the One who enables us to take every thought captive. This is impossible on our own. When that hateful thought begins, the Spirit helps us nip it in the bud. When the fearsneaks up on us, we can talk back to it with Scripture. When our minds are tempted, we can cry out to the Lord and ask Him to help us think on things above. Taking thoughts captive means that we are active in our approach, we take our hearts and minds seriouslyand rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us into victory. Make Every Thought Obedient to Christ Lastly, I love how this verse tells us to make every thought obedient to Christ. We do not just want to get rid of unhealthy and sinful thinking, we want to make it obedient to our Savior. We can bring Him our thoughts and ask Him to help us within the struggle.We can remember that although our minds are powerful, our God is much greater than any thought. This is where we see change in patterns. My mother-in-law recently shared some fun facts about what she learned about neurology. She told me that thoughts thatare negative actually appear to look like a dying tree on a brain scan, but thoughts that are positive appear as a healthy, amazing tree. We have to make choices each day if we want our minds to focus on life or death; things of the Spirit, or things of theflesh. When we make our thoughts obedient to Jesus, we are laying down our sins and retraining our patterns of thought to think on the things that He desires for us. He is life and we can find great freedom in Him. Intersecting Faith and Life: What are some difficult thoughts in which you have been battling lately? How can you demolish the lies and sinful thinking? How can you begin to take your thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ daily? Further Reading: •Isaiah 26:3 •Ephesians 6:10-11 •Philippians 4:7 ----------------- TheKing of Glory �Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.� (Psalm24:10) In the upper room just before His betrayal, the Lord Jesus prayed to His Father, remembering �the glory which I had with thee before the world was� (John17:5). He had left heaven, however, when �the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth� (1:14). Then, when He miraculously turned water into wine at thewedding in Galilee, He �manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him� (John2:11). In the days of His flesh, His glory was veiled, however, except in His life, words of grace and truth, and mighty works. He �made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashionas a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross� (Philippians2:7-8). Finally, His glory seemed to be gone forever as He lay in a borrowed tomb. But then �God...raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God� (1Peter 1:21). He is now �the Lord of glory� (James2:1), who, being the very �brightness of [God�s] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high� (Hebrews1:3). As He ascended back to heaven, all His hosts of angels welcomed their Lord of hosts with a mighty anthem of praise: �Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? TheLORD of hosts, he is the King of glory� (Psalm24:9-10). HMM ------------------ The Benefits of Sharing Your Faith - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart �Psalm 40:8 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-benefits-of-sharing-your-faith/- Listen Sometimes as Christians, we find ourselves down and depressed and lethargic, even though we�re reading our Bibles, praying, going to church, and fellowshipping with otherbelievers. A depression of sorts has come into our lives, and we wonder why. Of course, there is the reality of clinical depression, and some people have a serious struggle with this. But there is another kind of depression that many of us have asChristians, and there�s something we can do to deal with it. In fact, it�s a ten-step cure for depression. The first step is to find someone who has greater needs than you do, and then do something for them. The second step is to repeat the first step nine more times. The idea is to look at the needs of others and share Jesus with them. Satan wants to steal your joy as a Christian, and he wants to keep people from coming to Christ becauseit�s a direct threat to the kingdom of darkness. The Devil is unhappy that you transferred your citizenship from his kingdom to God�s kingdom. He�s unhappy that you changed your eternal address from Hell to Heaven. Yet God wants us to share our faith because He chooses to reach people through people. Romans 10:14 points out, �But how can they call on him to save them unless they believein him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?� (NLT). Of course, God could do this work without us. He could roll away the heavens, poke His face through, and say, �Hello, humanity! I�m God and you�re not. Believe in Me rightnow!� Instead, God chooses to reach people through people. So, let�s get grounded in our faith and help others come to believe in Jesus. ------------------------- Watch What a Willing Heart and a Yes Can Do By Rachael Adams ��I am the Lord�s servant,� Mary answered. �May your word to me be fulfilled�" (Luke 1:38). I met my husband, Bryan, on the first day of college. We were in the same orientation group, and I remember eyeing him from across the circle of freshmen as we played icebreaker games under an oak tree. Nearly four years later, on the night before my graduation,he got down on one knee under that same oak tree and asked if I would marry him. With tears in my eyes, I enthusiastically said yes! After a year-long engagement, we stood under a church steeple in front of God, family, and friends. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death dous part�we said yes to all. Though it was easy to say yes in that moment, it has proven to be more difficult to keep saying yes over the course of our married life. Not because I don�t love Bryan, but because my selfish, sinful nature gets in the way much more often than I�d like. My Christian walk has mirrored my marriage. It was easy to say yes to God and begin a relationship with him. Saying yes to spending eternity in heaven, unconditional love, unlimited forgiveness, and unmerited grace wasn�t a hard decision for me. Jesus didall the hard work, I simply had to receive and trust in what he promised. What has proven to be more difficult is to keep saying yes to him for the rest of my life. It�s easier to say yes to God when things are going well and life is running smoothly. Butwhen he asks me to do something uncomfortable or inconvenient, the yes may not come as enthusiastically as before. Yet, it is precisely during these times that our answers to God�s call should be a resounding yes. There are many biblical examples of people saying yes to God�s call to action despite the personal sacrifice it would require, but the one person who stands out in my mind is Mary, the mother of Jesus. God chose her for one of the most important acts ofobedience he has ever asked of anyone. She was just a young unmarried girl with a willing heart. Even though she risked being publicly ridiculed and rejected by her family and future husband, when Gabriel appeared and announced that she would conceive a childby the Holy Spirit, Mary responded, "I am the Lord�s servant...May your word to me be fulfilled" (Luke 1:38). Her yes helped bringthe Savior into the world. And aren�t we so grateful? Mary didn�t stop with just one yes. After she said yes to the angel, she kept on saying yes to whatever God was doing in her life. She said yes to traveling to Bethlehem to give birth in a stable. She said yes to letting Jesus leave home to preach the GoodNews. And, she said yes to the agony of letting him say a yes of his own and be crucified on the cross. If we want to be used by God like Mary was, it�s important we know his voice so that we can discern what his personal direction is for each of us. After all, what God asks me to do may be very different than what he asks you to do. Once we know what he isleading us to do, we simply have to trust that he has our best interests in mind and be willing to do what he asks, even if we don�t understand why at the time. Watch what a willing heart and a lifetime of yeses can do. ---------------------- Not So, Lord �But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.� (Acts10:14) This response of Peter to the Lord�s command is a self-contradiction. How could He be Peter�s Lord if Peter felt free to disobey His command? The doctrine and practice of the Lordship of Christ have always been difficult and controversial. Many Christians who�ve called Him their Savior and Lord nevertheless often feel free to question or disregard His Word. There may be legitimate discussion concerninginterpretation of the Word, but there is never justification for questioning its authority, regardless of the pretenses of modern intellectuals or the pressures of public opinion. As the Lord Jesus Christ rebukingly asked, �Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, anddo not the things which I say?� (Luke 6:46). There was an earlier occasion when Peter revealed this same inconsistency. When Christ told of His imminent crucifixion, Peter �began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee� (Matthew16:22). The Lord, therefore, had to rebuke Peter. It was not Peter�s prerogative, nor is it ours, to question the Word of the Lord, even when we don�t yet understand it. That kind of attitude can, under certain circumstances, have deadly and eternal consequences. Jesus warned those who would profess His Lordship without its reality: �Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord....And then will I profess unto them, I never knewyou: depart from me, ye that work iniquity� (Matthew 7:22-23). Peter learned this lesson and was soon able to confess unreservedly concerning Christ that �he is Lord of all� (Acts 10:36). We who �believe on the LordJesus Christ� for salvation (Acts 16:31) certainly should seek to believe and obey His Word in all things. HMM --------------------- Change Starts Here - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org The people of Nineveh believed God�s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow �Jonah 3:5 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/change-starts-here/- Listen When we think of the story of Jonah, we tend to focus on the whale. But the book of Jonah is not about a whale, or a �great fish,� as the Bible refers to it. There are onlytwo verses that deal with the creature that swallowed the prophet. The rest of the book is the story of a massive revival that came about through the efforts of one man. God called Jonah to preach to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria and a city of around 300,000 people. Jonah, however, didn�t want to go preach to the Ninevites. So God sent a great wind, which caused a great storm, and then a great fish ultimately swallowed Jonah. But theultimate story of Jonah is about a great God who showed great love to a lost city like Nineveh and offered them His forgiveness. If we miss that, then we�ve missed the whole point of the story. God turned around 300,000 people through the preaching of one man. But it takes a changed person to change other people, and the change started with Jonah himself. In thebelly of that great fish, Jonah had a personal revival. He repented of his sin and recommitted himself to the Lord, willing to do what the Lord had called him to do. Then the whale opened his mouth and vomited Jonah onto the beach. I wonder what Jonah looked like. He probably smelled worse than anyone the Ninevites had smelled before. Yet Jonah delivered God�s message: �Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!� (Jonah 3:4 nlt). Jonah was the right man at the right place at the right time. In the same way, we want to be the �Jonahs� in our neighborhood, in our families, and in our spheres of influence. How will you allow God to use you today? --------------------------- Breaking Down the Faith Barrier Exodus 4:1-13 A faith barrier is made up of attitudes that short-circuit our trust and prevent us from obeying the Lord's will. A negative self-image can hinder us in this way, as can ignorance of God's character and promises. Three other attitudes can also trip us up:doubt, feelings of inadequacy, and fear of failure. Moses doubted that the Israelites would believe he had been chosen by the Lord to lead them. But God graciously provided reassurance--in the form of evidence that He could accomplish everything He'd promised (Ex.4:1-5). When doubt invades our minds, it can be overcome with diligent study of Scripture and persistent prayer, which will dislodge uncertainty and replace it with biblical truth. Moses wasn't eloquent, and a perceived lack of skill left him feeling inadequate for the job--he was afraid trying to speak would make him stumble. God patiently reassured him of divine help in that task. The Lord often chooses unlikely people to carry outHis plan because He looks at the heart, not human qualifications (1 Sam. 16:7). He can overcome all our inadequacies. Sadly, Moses did not embrace what God promised but instead asked to be relieved of the assignment. A fear of failure can prevent us from saying yes to the Lord. Carrying out God's will requires a heart that trusts Him, a soul that steps out in obedience, and a mind that leaves success or failure to Him. As we break down the faith barrier, we will be able to see the evidence of God's presence and power--and experiencethe joy of obedience. -----------------------------