I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.  Is anything too hard for me?
Jeremiah 32:27  NIV

Jeremiah is in prison, and Jerusalem is under siege by Babylon because of the disobedience of the Jewish people.  In the middle of this chaos, God tells Jeremiah to purchase land in a nation that is about to be conquered.  Confused, Jeremiah questions it, but God reminds him that He will one day restore His people back to Jerusalem.  After all, He is God, and nothing is too hard for Him.  I’ve often said we serve a God of restoration.  Can you imagine being in Jeremiah’s shoes, wondering why God would ask you to do something that doesn’t make sense?  It’s in those moments that God reminds us of who He is.

In 2020, my wife and I were so excited to share with our family that we were expecting.  In the midst of COVD, it felt like a glimmer of hope.  But when my wife went to the doctor, we found out her HCG levels were decreasing, and we were devastated to learn we were having a miscarriage.  What made it even harder, was that I couldn’t be with her during the procedure due to COVID restrictions.  I sat in the car, helpless, as we lost our first child.  The next time we became pregnant, we kept it a secret, trying to guard our hearts.  But one day, my wife walked out of the restroom during a staff lunch, and I could tell - it was happening again.  I told God I didn’t think we could go through this again.  Still, He was faithful to carry us through.  Later, we discovered a polyp that was removed.  During our third pregnancy, when fear tried to set in, God  gave us a sign.  My wife found a bracelet in her shoe that read, “Trust Him.”  That was the confirmation we needed.  

Today, our daughter is three years old, and we have another baby on the way.  Even when things feel dark and uncertain, nothing is too hard for God - and He is always faithful.

Lord, thank you that even in the midst of hardship I can rest in the fact that You are faithful.  Help me to remember that nothing is too hard for You.  Strengthen my faith today.  Help me to believe your word is faithful when I don’t see.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33  NIV

Jesus’ words to the disciples in John 16:33 come after He has told them about a great grief that will befall them, that He will be with them no more. The pain, despair, and confusion for the disciples after Jesus’ last breath cannot be understated. They had given up everything to follow Jesus. They had seen so many miracles, had dreamed of what life would be like, and it seemed all of their hope was dead on the cross.

This is where Jesus’ words can help bring us back to the reality of who He is. That even under immense turmoil, when the storms of life seem to have overtaken us, we can stand on solid ground. That with Christ, the victory is already won. We can have peace that no matter what, Christ will prevail. That even when this world throws everything at us, when we are shaken and disoriented by the pain inflicted by those outside and inside the church, when we feel like the world has won, we remember the everlasting words of our Savior, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

There is an overwhelming peace that should come from this. A peace that stems from trust. A peace that reminds us that time and time again, when we have stood on a foundation rooted in Christ, we have seen Him come through for us. We have the testimonies of our past to remind us that He can control storms, heal the blind, and raise the dead.

As Christians, and especially, Christian leaders, this is our call. We need to remind and reflect to our people that no matter what happens in the world, we can still have peace. A peace that comes from trust. That God in His infinite wisdom is still in control.

Thank you Lord for the times in your life where Christ brought you through trouble.  Pray that you both proclaim and reflect the peace that can only come from Christ.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2  NIV

In these passages, the Psalmist, David attributed his victory over his enemies to a clear understanding that his help comes not from his own strength or military might, but from God alone, the Maker of heaven and earth. These truths gives us hope and assurance that no matter what circumstances we are facing, “God will be our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Each of us faces struggles at different levels. There are times when it feels like we are down and out, trampled by the enemy of our souls, crushed and seemingly defeated. Yet our hope is in the Lord, and He will not leave us nor forsake us. The Psalmist encourages us to lift our eyes to the mountains from where our help comes. By doing so, we will see the hand of God come to our rescue, leading us into triumph.

Psalm 120:1 reminds us that “when we call on the Lord in our distress, He will answer us.”  The question is: where do we look for help? As followers of Christ, we are not exempt from trials and difficulties. I believe there are times God allows us to go through the fiery furnace of affliction to develop our faith and trust in Him. God is our deliverer, and He will set us free from every scheme of the enemy. The Lord, our helper, is the Maker of heaven and earth, and nothing is too hard for Him. Setting our eyes on Him and placing our trust in what He can do establishes our foundation that will not be shaken. As someone once said, “We may not understand how God’s hands work, but we can always trust His heart.” Let us look unto Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith!

Lord, I acknowledge that You are my source of strength and my ever-present help in times of trouble.  Help me to lift my eyes to You, trusting that when I call, You will answer.  I believe that You will set me free from the schemes of the enemy and deliver my soul.

“For I know the plans I have for you, “ declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11  NIV

In high school, we had a class project in which we were required to write out our life plan.  I loved this project and oh, did I ever have a plan for my life.  My plan included going to college, working in the family business, have a nice home, a beautiful wife, lots of kids, and success!  I thought I knew how my life was going to go.  What could go awry?  I found out quickly that life doesn’t always happen like we thought or hoped.  In fact, sometimes our life feels like a mess and sometimes our plans go awry, but we can trust God - He has it figured out for us.

In Jeremiah 29, God just told Israel that the mess that they created would lead them into captivity that would last for 70 years.  But, at the same time, God reminded them that His plan for Israel had not changed, if they would be willing to seek Him again.  And God’s plan for you and I haven’t changed either.  Occasionally, you and I may find our lives in what feels like a mess, but let’s remember that God’s plan for us is still the same as when He first called us.  His plan is still to prosper you and not to bring you harm.  His plan provides us with hope and a future.  God’s plan is not for us to stay in the bondage of our mistakes or in the confusion of our chaos, but to set us free into a life full of hope and a blessed future.  Whatever season you may be in, remember that God is for you!

God, thank you that even when my life feels like a mess and my plans seem to have gone awry, that you have not left me and that your plan to give me hope and a future have not changed.  Help me to seek you and trust you when I can’t see beyond the mess.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has send me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:18-19 NIV

Church two thousand years ago looked a lot different from what it does today. The scroll that was read in the synagogue, carefully picked and handed to the reader, “happened” to be from Isaiah as it is recorded here. Luke recalls this moment just a few short verses after telling of Jesus’ 40 days of testing in the desert. Forty days, I, myself, am weary after 4. But instead of crawling out of the desert, being depleted and exhausted from weeks on end of spiritual battle, scripture records that, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.” (4:14)

He didn’t take a vacation. He didn’t have a long sabbatical. Jesus faced immeasurable testing and emerged as a conquering victor. And on this morning, He reads what God’s people had only been promised: good news, restoration...freedom. Despite not yet having died and resurrected, Jesus boldly tells those who would hear, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (4:21)

When I imagine this moment on an otherwise usual Sunday morning service in His hometown of Nazareth, I can’t help but think of the familiar faces He was speaking to. People who had heard the words over and over. The same city that would reject Him and become an obstacle for any of those promised miracles to take place. But I also can’t shake the excitement and JOY that must have been radiating from our Savior. His face wasn’t stern, weary from the fight. Scripture records that He was full of grace. While the tangible reality of their surroundings and the familiarity of the messenger clouded their judgement, Jesus was resolute in His speech. He could see what they could not. They had no idea they were even bound; still, Jesus’ heart is to set them free.

May God grant your eyes heavenly sight for you to take hold of His promise and His will in all things.  May His words, not our desired outcome, be the driving force that empowers us to continue on in strength, sharing what God has already proclaimed and accomplished - freedom.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:36 NIV

In the tech world, there is something known as the Patent War. Large companies like Samsung and Apple have gone to court to defend their designs, software, and ideas. When someone tries to use something that belongs to another, the owner must go legal to protect their territory. The central question is always: Who is the true owner? This reality helps us understand a spiritual truth. As children of God, we also have spiritual territory. Christ Jesus bought us with his blood, saved us, transferred us into His kingdom, and gave us an inheritance. Our freedom is not disorder or absolute independence, nor license; it is true freedom within the territory of the Word of God. Jesus declared that when the Son sets us free, we are truly free. That freedom is legitimate because it was purchased by his sacrifice.

However, there is an intruder who tries to invade that freedom: the enemy. He often comes in by lies, sickness, thoughts of defeat or scarcity. He may whisper: “You’re no good,” “You’ll never change,” “There is no blessing for you,” but those words are deceitful and illegal. In Christ, we have healing, purpose, and spiritual abundance.

The enemy wants to keep what God has already given us. But that inheritance does not belong to him. Scripture says we were predestined according to God’s eternal purpose (Ephesians 1:11), chosen for praise of His glory (v 12), and sealed with the Holy Spirit (v 13), so do not let the intruder remain. The freedom Christ gave you is legal, it has a territory, and that territory is our inheritance in the Kingdom of God.

Lord, thank you because in Christ you have given me true freedom.  Help me recognize the enemy’s lies and remain firm within the territory of your truth.  Remind me each day that I am your child, that I have an inheritance in your Kingdom, and that your Spirit has sealed me to live in victory.  Strengthen my faith to reject every deception and walk in the freedom Jesus won for me.  Amen.