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Don’t Look Back

 "Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” — Genesis 19:24-26 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, The angels who rescued Lot, his wife, and his two daughters instructed them, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere…” (vs. 17). But when the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah began, Lot’s wife did look back. Her look can be interpreted as “looking intently, longingly, with care or with pleasure.” Lot’s wife wasn’t just looking behind her, she was looking back longingly to her life that once was. She had been delivered from a depraved and morally corrupt life, but yet she still was longing to go back. Lord, how many times have I unwittingly longed to go back to the very sins You’ve rescued me from? I know the...
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Perhaps I Can

 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” — Genesis 16:1-2 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, God has given Abram a promise: a son of his own flesh and blood would be his heir. In fact, his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abram believed the Lord. But his wife Sarai remained childless and decided to take matters into her own hands. She begins by misinterpreting God’s intent. She solves the problem with her own wisdom. And she declares, “Perhaps I can build a family” through her slave Hagar. “Perhaps I can” are chilling words. God has spoken a promise and has said, “I will.” Sarai’s resentful response is, “God, You aren’t, so perhaps I can.” Lord, how often have I tried to find a shortcut to Your plan and purpose? I am short-sighted and I can’t see Your full plan. So...
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Not Thwarted

 Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” — Job 42:1-2 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, As Job is humbled and repents, he makes this declaration that You can do all things and nothing is going to stop or derail what You have set out to do. This statement brings me great peace today. I needed to read this. This is a truth repeated throughout Scripture, yet I seem to regularly forget it. Matthew 19:26, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Luke 1:37, “For no word from God will ever fail.” Jeremiah 32:27, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” The God of the Universe can do all things. There is no impossible task for my God. No word from God will fail and no purpose of His will be hindered. Today I am going to rest in this reality. Worry and doubt have clouded my horizon and obscured my view of Your unfailing power. This shining reminder pieces my clo...
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Out of the Storm

 “Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm.” — Job 38:1 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, After 37 chapters of speeches by Job and his friends, finally the LORD speaks. In God’s reply, there are no direct answers to Job’s questions but there are many questions of God’s own. What struck me today as I began reading God’s response is from where it comes. God speaks to Job out of the storm.  When I am in the midst of one of life’s storms, I want You to silence it as You did on the Sea of Galilee with the disciples. I want You to speak over the storm, calming the wind and the waves. But if I’m honest, I rarely listen for Your voice “out of the storm.” What if the storm I’m presently in isn’t just something to silence or for God to overcome, but something that God is speaking out of? What does that mean? When I am caught up in the whirlwind with the storm raging all around, I want out! I want the storm to stop. Rarely do I say, “Lord, I want to hear Your voice from this...
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To Turn Them Back

 “God does all these things to a person — twice, even three times — to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them.” — Job 33:29-30 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, You have a vantage point that I do not. In Elihu’s speech to Job, he describes how God works to turn someone back from going down to the pit, to ransom them and restore them. God does these things to a person, often repeatedly, to turn them back from destruction and lead them to His light of life. This is evidence that God plays the long game. He has an eternity and omniscience that humanity does not possess. He is able to see far over the horizon and in fact sees past, present, and future all at once. Lord Jesus, thank You for having a much bigger picture in view. Thank You for seeing my future and for using hardships to turn me away from my own destruction and bring me to Your light of life. I trust that You are doing the same with those I love. You are using today’s trouble to lea...
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Hiding My Guilt

  “ if I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in my heart because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside— ” — Job 31:33-34 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, In defense of his righteousness, Job makes a statement that I know I am often tempted to do. I will conceal my sin and hide my guilt in my heart because of fear of man. I believe the lie that I am safer if I keep silent about it and do not confess my sin to anyone else. This illusion of safety keeps me locked up in guilt and self-deceit. But true freedom is found doing as James 5:16 instructs, “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” When I choose to remain isolated and self-protective, I am actually choosing prolonged pain and oppression. When I admit my sin and share my strongholds with other trusted believers, inviting their prayers and accountability, that’s where I find heal...
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How Faint

  “ And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?” — Job 26:14 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Job lists in vss. 7-13 all the ways God’s power is displayed. Then he states these ways “are but the outer fringe of His works.” In all the ways we see Almighty God at work, that’s just the edge of what He is doing. When we perceive His voice, we’re only hearing His whisper. If God were to speak at full volume, who could understand the thunder of His power? Last Sunday, our congregation experienced a renewal, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that was thick, impactful, and stunning. Yet, that’s just the outer fringe of what God can do. Frankly, this was just a whisper from Him! Lord Jesus, as powerful as our time in Your presence was, it was merely a taste of what You have in store. Lord, we boldly ask for more! We come hungry for a greater taste, a feast  in Your presence! We want t...
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