“Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” Acts 8:4
Is the glass half empty or half full? This question determines whether one is a pessimist or an optimist.
How we view things determines how we categorize them, and how we categorize them determines how we deal with them.
For those in the early church, the persecution they encountered could have been categorized as disastrous. The afflictions they faced brought real suffering, and decisions had to be made for individuals to leave their homes and places of comfort and flee. But in the fleeing, something amazing happened: Their faith went with them.
The cause of Christ that burned within refused to be extinguished. Rather, through the hardships they dealt with, it found a place to grow.
In the scattering of the faithful, more people were introduced to Jesus Christ, our Lord.
The situations you face today may not be pleasant, and you may not fully understand how it can work out for your good (Romans 8:28), but God does, and He is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” (Ephesians 3:20).
Father God, I may not understand everything I encounter today, but I know that You always have my best in mind, and it is in Your hands I place my trust. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, I pray, AMEN.
For miracles to take place, you don’t need much. With God, the smallest nothing can be of the greatest significance.
Great news indeed, for those who are dwarfed by the circumstances of life or who come in undersized, underrated, or undervalued.
But with God, the undervalued and overlooked nothing has the potential to become so much more.
A mother in 2 Kings 4 found this out for herself. After her husband died, the family was left in a state of financial ruin that would be detrimental unless a solution was found for their money woes.
Creditors were threatening to rob this woman of all she had left, her two sons, to help satisfy the debt she could not pay.
With widowhood already her new normal, and now she was looking at the possibility of losing her children, she ran to the prophet Elisha with her desperate plea for help.
I don’t know what she expected or exactly what type of help she was hoping to get, but when she poured her heartful request before him, I’m sure the answer she received was one she was not expecting.
After questioning her about what was available in her house, he found out the woman had only a lowly pot of oil.
Not much indeed, according to how the natural eye sees it, but when we invite our Heavenly Father’s hand to help our most desperate cases, miracles can happen even with the smallest of starts.
That’s why Jesus taught His disciples about “mustard seed” faith (Matthew 17:20). When they went out to do the work that He sent them to do, even if He was not physically with them, their job was still to keep their composure of belief, which He stated, only needed the smallest, true measure of faith to work.
The biggest acts, with the biggest voices, and the biggest things can’t help but grab our attention. But it’s the underrated lowly pot of oil, it is the unimpressive and least flashy thing that God can use to bring about the greatest change (after all, He did use a little Baby born in a small manger in obscurity to change the trajectory of eternity for those who would believe – but that’s for another time).
The widow who came before Elisha left her house that morning not knowing that what she viewed as nothing and unimportant would be the greatest thing she had on her shelf for a breakthrough.
Elisha’s instructions were for her to borrow as many empty vessels as possible, take them home, shut the door, and watch God work.
The Bible tells us, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). When she received the instructions on how to handle her seemingly insignificant source, what her eyes could not see, she moved forward in faith to fulfill. Which by the way, was the truly greatest thing she had on her spiritual shelf to work with.
As a result, every vessel she borrowed brought her one step closer to her breakthrough. Every time she poured her pot of oil, another filled, giving her more than enough in the end to satisfy all the debts against her and live comfortably off the rest.
Friends, I have written quite a few articles emphasizing the little things (I will link those below). And it is because I want you to believe in what God has placed in you and around you.
It may not impress people, but when we move forward in faith and believe God can do the impossible, He can.
While it seems the loud, boastful, and most flamboyant gets all the attention, faith that is true, even in its smallest measure, gets God’s attention the most (Hebrews 11:6).
“And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 2 Samuel 5:24, NKJV
Have you ever seen one of those action movies where the characters involved in a grand scheme or plan must synchronize their watches to ensure everyone is moving at the right time?
When a big feat is to take place, it is good to make sure everyone is on the same page and moving at the proper time.
That’s what proper planning does. It views the many angles of the story, not just the present or temporary moments, but all the moments included, and it determines when the best time is to do A, B, or C.
On the opposite end of this spectrum is impulsiveness. It doesn’t always take every matter into account and consider all the possibilities. It tends to move forward hastily, and sometimes prematurely.
Sometimes it is hard to determine the difference between impulsiveness, instincts, and zeal, but there is a difference.
When David finally became king, not just recognized as king in Hebron, but over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-3), there were still yet contentions he faced, including their long-time enemy, the Philistines.
If you will remember, David had great success as a youth in slaying their most prominent warrior, Goliath (1 Samuel 17). But during the time between that battle and the one facing the Philistines here in 2 Samuel 5, David experienced many other inner and outer battles along the way.
In that, he grew not only in stature but in ability. Through his fearlessness, faith, and fervor, he became a much-feared warrior and king.
But David didn’t allow his previous accomplishments to cause him to rest on his laurels.
There were still battles to fight and enemies to conquer, so David pursued and engaged – but not without God’s guidance.
He could have chalked up his previous victories as the all-encompassing plan to win all his battles, but he didn’t.
And that’s a good thing because, with each battle he faced God gave him different directions on how to gain a successful ending.
Here in chapter 5, in one battle David was instructed to “go up” (v. 19), and in the other, he was told to “circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines” (Vv. 23, 24, NKJV; emphasis added).
This was going to be the battle of battles with the Philistines. After this event, they would no longer be a threat to Israel. But to get there, David had to wait for the right time.
Back to our opening illustration of synchronization, time is everything. But the caveat to that is, that the way we view time and the way God views time is vastly different (2 Peter 3:8).
Twice in verse 24, you see the word “then,” with God giving specific instructions on when David is to make his move. Any time outside the premise of that “then,” was not his moment to advance.
If David wanted to ensure success, he had to synchronize his move with God’s “then,” with God’s timing.
While zeal, fervor, and experience are great, if it’s out of alignment with God’s moment to progress, it won’t work.
Our God works specifically and in order. And more often than not, His design will not be on our timetable.
As infinite as He is, so are His plans and abilities, and through it all, taking the omniscient view of our lives, He knows when, where, and how something should be done.
But it is when we fight with impatience and frustration, when we can’t see it moving or how it will turn out, we find ourselves in precarious situations or wanting to give up altogether.
We don’t want “then,” we want now!
Instant victory. Instant gratification. And instant applause and promotion.
But when we pause at the “then” moments, we are simultaneously taking that occasion to learn how God is leading and giving Him room to work.
Listen for the sound of God’s moving.
This was David’s experience. Not until he heard the marching in the tops of the mulberry trees was it safe for him to proceed regardless of his personal abilities or how he previously won battles.
My friend, God has a specific plan for you. One drawn up and orchestrated out of His divine love. Do not rush ahead of God. He has an appointed time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1; Habakkuk 2:3).
Learning to wait for your “then” moments requires trust which is why Proverbs famously reminds us to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5,6).
We will never have the full understanding God does for our lives (Isaiah 55:8,9), but what we can have is our trust and belief that He is perfect, His ways are perfect, and God knows what He is doing.
I don’t know what marching in the tops of mulberry trees audibly sounds like, but I do know what it sounds like in our lives of faith: waiting.
Waiting, patience, and being still when everything says go is hard. But if that going is not marked by God’s stamp of approval, it will all be for nothing.
And if you are longing for me to give you specifics or signs or systems to find out how to know when your “then” moment is, I can’t.
Our Heavenly Father has a perfect timeline for everyone’s life, and He only can tell you when it’s your time to advance.
In the meantime, you may have to do one of the hardest things – continue to wait, continue to have patience, and continue to be still.
In these moments of not going, let them be filled with the activity of seeking God, seeking His face and His perfect will for your life. Let them be filled with drawing ever nearer to His presence and learning to recognize and become more familiar with His moving in your own life.
Then, when you figuratively hear the marching in the tops of the mulberry trees (or by whatever means that you beyond a shadow of a doubt know it’s God’s prompting and leading you), you will know that your time has come, and you can advance forward successfully.
That second “then” assured David that by following God’s way, He was the one going before him. And whatever we are doing, above all else, this is how we should want to win our victories: following God’s ways and Him going with us.
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11
Faith has never been about or worked by seeing what it is believing for first. Faith works independently of the visible. What true faith does is it grabs hold of and grounds itself with confidence that says, if God said it, that’s what I choose to believe. If His Word promotes something as true, then it must be true. End of discussion.
And yet, a discussion is often what we deal with. It comes through voices and ideas that speak contrary to what faith was hoping for. It speaks against what faith was believing for.
Today, refuse to enter those discussions. If “faith is the substance of things hoped for” then we must be mindful of what conversations are feeding our faith. Communications with others, or even within one’s own self that speak doubt will sow seeds of discord against what God’s Word has already spoken to be true.
Refuse their arguments and hold on to that pull of God, that drawing of His voice that says, to just trust Him. Trust what He says. Trust that His conversation, written in His Holy Book, is the one we need to draw an attentive ear to.
If they could, many conversations of this world would pull you from His conversation of truth. But, hold on to what God says, dear friend, as if it is your life preserver in these tumultuous waves. Because it is.
If you keep your heart steadfastly focused on Him you will not soon be moved. Just as sure as He is, so are the beautiful things His Word promises us.
Where have you placed your confidence today? From upon what have you built your foundation of faith? Whose conversation is your ear giving more time to? And, whose words are feeding and supporting all that you believe?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for.” Conversations contrary to that supporting faith – turn a deaf ear to, for they are not nourishing you where you need to be nourished. Those words are not building you where you need to be built.
Refuse their invitation to get involved with them, because when you are a child of God, what the Father speaks is what I need to hear the most. The best support system one can find, who is truly trying to live a life of faith, is going to be found in what God affirms as true in His Word. Get into agreement with Him. Get into agreement with what He declares for your life and over your life, and avoid all other toxic discussions, for they will not profit you or your spiritual journey.
Draw near to what God says. Take every bit of it to heart and build your faith upon it. In His Word resides the confirmation of everything you need. In His speaking, your faith will be made strong.
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“Behold… be it unto me according to thy word,” (Luke 1:38) are the words Mary spoke when she willingly accepted God’s plan for her life. She said yes to a future unknown. She got into agreement with God and allowed His mission to become her mission, and her life was changed forever.
I believe that God wants to move mightily in many lives, but many are not willing to say yes. It’s not because they don’t want God to do a fantastic thing in them and through them, but when they preview all the ideas that could happen, the balance of all the what-ifs seems too much to bear. Yet, it is most often in those extremely unbearable moments where God works the most wonderful of wonderfuls.
Yes, comes with sacrifice. Yes, refutes the idea of the impossible. Yes says, “I don’t know where this journey is leading me, but Lord, I accept the challenge. I choose Your cause and I choose this day to order my life according to that cause.”
Mary’s yes could’ve ended in her death. Surely there must’ve been shame and ridicule hurled at her. Never once, not even when her eldest Son, Jesus Christ, hung on the cross to redeem man, did we ever hear of her recoiling from that original yes. There had to have been troubling times and days of confusion – yet, her yes remained yes, and to Him, she surrendered all.
Yes, it can be glorious and lead one on the wildest journey they could ever experience. But, yes can also be the hardest and most selfless decisive act one can take on. Nevertheless, God’s invitation has gone out to many. How will you respond today? Will you recoil in fear, or through faith, say, “All aboard!” I choose to ride with God through this journey by saying yes today!
What to do with this day when things aren’t clicking and time keeps ticking? When things refuse to fall into the designated places you had for them? When it feels like it’s completely squashed before it starts? So many plans lay ahead but the weight, the feeling, and the pressure of it all leaves one with a sense of having things unaccomplished and unfulfilled. To look on the outside, it seems that everyone else is getting on with this day and their doings, but the fight in here, right now, and the press that comes with it, it just doesn’t seem to want to work out. All the gears for all the mechanics of this day are present, in place, and spinning, but they are just not grabbing correctly to move what we are trying to achieve successfully.
What to do with this day when there seems to be conflict and strain with one another? When relationships don’t hug the way you want them to hug or love in a way you want to be loved? When misunderstandings, assuming, and yes, even one’s own personal views on a matter put barriers between the spirit of fellowship and love. When hurts cause one’s steps to move ever so fragile as if on eggshells, fearing the disappointment and disapproval of someone else?
What to do with this day when rogue feelings break away from the pack you had planned for the day and invade and try to rob you of the potential joy that lay ahead in the hours to come? Thieves of insecurity. Thieves of shame. Thieves of feeling woefully torn. These thieves come with many hideous and damaging names. The day was brand new and fresh at the start, but that didn’t stop these unwanted parasitic nuisances from latching on and tainting it with the feelings of mess-ups, adversity, pain, and disappointments from your yesterdays.
So, what to do with these kinds of days when our plans, people, or feelings just don’t want to cooperate with the vision you had set for it?
Give it to God! That one answer tells us how to deal with it, the proper response to it, and what to do with the rest of it. This is not some Christian rhetoric or cliche. It is a solid truth that we can stand on and base our faith upon. We give it to God.
The real truth is that at any given time on any given day, we will all or have all experienced one or many of the daily upsets listed above (and sometimes even more than these). It is all a part of life, a part that can really throw us off-kilter if we don’t process it right and deal with it in the right way.
Therefore, when everything is going absolutely bonkers, sometimes without rhyme or reason; when nothing within our power or control is working, we give it all to Him who has all power and control. Not as a mythical genie creature whose bottle we rub to have things or people turn out how we want them to. But, as releasing it to His majesty and sovereign will. It’s saying, “I trust you, God.” Whether this day turns out how I configured it or not, my plans, my people, my times, my heart, and my feelings are all in Your hands.
God is not only the Creator of all the universe and the Author of all mankind, but He is concerned about your daily needs for each individual day also. All the areas that need filling, all the upsets that need dealing with, all the plans that need to be taken care of, and all the worries that bog us down – He’s concerned about it all.
But, as we release the day to Him we must also realize His best answer for us may be to not move everything or anything into the places where we see fit. Sometimes, His best answer for what we are going through with this day is to let us learn from it, experience it, and still maintain trust in Him. Regardless of how it goes forward, despite what we feel in the process, no matter who we are dealing with and how we are dealing with them – He still sees it all, knows it all, and has it all in His loving and powerful hands.
So, when days like this come, we give it to God, step back, and just trust Him for every part of it.
Here are some verses and prayers to hold in your heart when the days just aren’t going right for you:
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Father God, I acknowledge that I don’t know everything about this day, my future, or even how to properly respond to it all. I pray for Your leading to show me the right path to walk so that my life might be pleasing in Your sight. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Father God, the end of all things may be vague to me or even remain a mystery. Help my heart hold on to the very real fact that You knew me from the beginning and You know how my story ends; and that if I am in Your hands, then I am in Your plan. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Psalm 126:6 “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Father God, my tears and confusion for the day, You see it all. Help me to know that it is not all in vain. Let my confidence be in You and Your love for me above all else, knowing that for every sadness, there will be joy. When You restore, for every sorrow sown there will be a reaping of happiness and peace. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I am more in love with Jesus today, and each day that follows, than when I first started out. Through experiences and growth in this spiritual journey, I have come to recognize the sweetness I have found in my Savior. The more I have gone through, and the more He has brought me through, the more I appreciate Him for holding my hand every step of the way.
In human relationships, there seems to be more excitement at the beginning of this adventure called love. We can’t wait to see what happens next or cannot wait for the next visit or phone call. But as I have come to know my Savior over these years, my excitement in Him builds more and more. Every day brings new revelations of how awesome His love is for me – and as one who sits back in the sun just to hear the birds sing – I sit in the splendor of His radiant presence and enjoy His love that sings over me.
His awesome love story with us is not like any other. It is complete yet renewing every day. As a fountain that never runs dry, it is full, yet it is constantly “pouring” into our lives (Romans 5:5, NKJV), uncontainable and overflowing, giving us more and more of Him each day. His love is not a one-shot deal. But it’s our covering, our reliance, our safety blanket, the cradle in which we rest in the comfort and care of the one who loves us best.
The awesomeness of His love story toward us was solidified when He was nailed to the cross. But can I tell you, it’s so much more than that? He didn’t stop there but chose every day of our lives to be there for us wherever we go – fully caring, fully involved, and fully in love with each of us.
Why?
Because He has a “steadfast love” for us (Psalm 86:15, ESV). His love is faithful, present, and enduring. It is not easily swayed or moved from where we are, no matter how ugly it may appear at times.
When people would have given up on us in those ugly moments, He still moves toward us.
Why does He do that? Because He chooses to.
In most relationships, people come to a mutual understanding of love before they move forward. Jesus is different. His love for us was never dependent on what we did or didn’t do (remember those He prayed for while suffering on the cross). He never waited for us to make the first move or come to some mutual understanding of what this love would be all about. But in the awesomeness of His love, Jesus moved forward in loving us while we were still “sinners” (Romans 5:8).
He has never waited for us to get it right or come out of those ugly shadows before we were counted worthy of His love. As a matter of fact, He showed us love before we showed signs of loving Him back. In His passion for us, He always made the first move. The Bible tells us, “We love him, because he first loved us,” (1 John 4:19).
So, if you are in doubt today about the awesomeness of His love story over you, no matter what voices are telling you, I am here to tell you differently. You and me are all unequivocally loved by Jesus and there’s nothing we can do about it because He already did it all. His love is constantly pouring into us, never giving up on us, and has already made the first move toward us. All we can do is accept His love and sit back and bask in the awesomeness of it. Now, that’s something to get excited about!
If you haven’t already, give Jesus your heart today and accept what He is already willing to give you. Find a good Bible-based church and experience His awesome love story up close and personal. He’s waiting for you.
As I write these articles and begin the editing process, it will sometimes require me to go through old photos to post with the article. Often, I come across times of family events, vacations, and the like and in my mind, I am allowed to momentarily relive and remember those precious moments.
Today is a good day for reflection. It may be Monday and the beginning of the week, or it may be a Wednesday, a Friday, or a Sunday, but if we just take a moment to think about God’s goodness and where He has brought us from, oh, the impact that would have for this day! The remembrance of His holy protection and love that has carried us this far could ignite a fire of passion inside us to do more, to be more, and to come up to where He wants us more.
The status quo goes into these given days’ business as usual. We can enter with a refreshed spirit and a new mindset because we remember, and our past has already testified that God has been there for us. So far, we have survived everything we have been through, and it is because of His power, His grace, and His mercy that has been directing and covering us. No, the path hasn’t always been easy. But we are here today because of the love of God at work in our lives and the belief that He has so much more in store for us.
Remembering and reflecting on the old days would reassure our hearts and souls that no matter what I am facing today, God is still faithful. Looking back reminds us, that He didn’t bring us this far to leave us. Recalling His goodness tells us, that if He did it once, He’ll do it again. The mindset is our God is able, He has before, and He will again be there for us through it all.
Today has just started, but because of the God in our lives, we can already see a victorious end. This day might be brand new, but it’s not new to Him. He has our days numbered. We are in His thoughts. He knows all about us, and it is in Him we rest and believe for so much more. The journey of our soul will keep pushing ahead because we believe God has held us thus far, and He will hold us through today as well.
“But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3
“The works of the LORD are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them,” Psalm 111:2, NKJV
Why such doubt? Why such confusion? Have you studied Him? Have you studied the works of our God?
Open your understanding to the truth of who He is. Open, and expand your knowledge of our Heavenly Father. Seek Him, and search Him out. As the greatest treasure that is to be found, don’t stop digging till you have unearthed His glorious truths.
“His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever,” (Psalm 111:3, NKJV). So, dig deep, my friends, and find Him for yourself.
Look through His holy pages and see Him. See what He has done. See the testimonies of the lives that have walked in those written lines. See the things He performed in them and through them. See what He continues to do even in this day. See, and believe.
For where the truth of this treasure is, it leaves no room for doubt and confusion. Truth eats up the empty spaces that make room for lies.
Therefore, study Him. Let not your appetite be quenched by the false junk and ideologies of this age. Take your fill of God, our Father. Learn of Him. Explore Him, and you will not only be satisfied with that which nourishes for all eternity, but you will enter an abundant adventure of a lifetime today (John 10:10).
It’s there, in those pages of the Bible. Seek Him. He’s not hiding from you. Study Him, and enrich your own life further and deeper than you could have ever imagined.
“He has made His wonderful works to be remembered . . .” Psalm 111:4, NKJV
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“Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;” Job 29:2
Have you ever experienced these same thoughts that Job expressed? Have difficult times ever made you look back to times when you felt everything in your world was right? When adversity strikes and we deal with things we do not understand, I am sure many of us like Job take our mind’s eye to those past days when trouble wasn’t knocking on our door.
The difficulty of the days he was presently in caused Job to look at those previous times as times of favor, saying, that’s when “God preserved me”. But now, his expressions tell a different story of what his feelings are feeling. His troubles caused him to think that just because he was going through adversity, God was not as presently with him as before.
Little did Job know, and many times we need to be reminded, that just as God was with us in the good times, so too is He with us in the troubling times. It may look different than we are used to seeing it, and it may feel different, but just because we don’t understand and may question it, it doesn’t negate the fact that God is presently near, watching, and keeping His people.
Jesus taught, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7).
A bird sold is not forgotten before God, and neither was Job, and neither are you. Our value before God is so precious and more than we could ever imagine. The clouds that come during those dark days may try to hide that fact, but the truth of God’s Word is a fact, that no matter how we feel or how hard it may seem, God is still there for us. Even if you are dealing with hurtful situations and even if you feel like you have been wronged, God’s loving eyes see and His precious hands are working behind the scenes, holding you, loving on you, and valuing you when others may not.
Difficult times are difficult because they are not easy. During these times, see Him with eyes of faith. See that He is still with you and that you have not been left in this alone (Hebrews 13:5). Take your cares, your disappointments, your hurts, and your discouragements to God in prayer. He is there listening. And trust me, He does care.
Just because it hurts it does not mean He’s not feeling what you are feeling (Hebrews 4:15). And just because we can’t figure out all this stuff, God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and we must trust Him with it, and with all the times in between.
God is here for you today, God is here. Regardless of what you feel or are going through, you are not forgotten.
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” Isaiah 49:15
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