The bible through and through gives amazing examples of God’s providence and power.  He can do anything…one of my favorites…sort of…is in 2 Kings 6:24 through 7: 20.  Just to keep this blog short…I will give you the macro view. It is quite disturbing…and very powerful.

Samaria is being besieged by the king of Aram.  They have cut off supplies to the city…so badly that even scraps of food were being sold for a great deal of money.  Worse than that…people were resorting to cannibalization…I told you it was disturbing.

If you aren’t a reader of the bible, you will probably say….See…what a horrible God!  How could He let His people go through that?  My answer is that I have no answer…but I will tell you for sure, that everything is done so that God can show His power.  Read on…here are a couple of key verses…

2 Kings 6:24-27 - 24Now it came about after this, that Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and went up and besieged Samaria. 25There was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. 26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27He said, “If the LORD does not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine press?”

In other words…the people are crying out to the king…and he says, “what the heck do you want me to do?”  We need God to help us, because I certainly can’t.  Again, the macro story…Elisha tells them, by this time “tomorrow” the best food in the land will be selling for next to nothing….but notice the last part…the guy who questions it, won’t live to enjoy it…wow!  Now that is a prediction!

2 Kings 7:1-2 – 1Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says the LORD, ‘Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’” 2The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, “Behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” Then he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.”

By the way…I hate to tell you all…but that is where we are today.  Our nation is sprinting for Gomorrah, and we are asking to go faster.  God doesn’t like that at all…and we will suffer the consequences.  That passage that you just read?  It is not out of bounds for God to deal with us in the same way.  Read the paper…we all run around with our heads spinning…instead of calling on God.

BUT….when we do call on God, and we do it earnestly…He delivers!  You have got to read the story in Chapter 7…but the short story is that God sent “lepers” in to the Aramean city to beg for food…or die…either one was good for them.  But instead, God blessed them with a WHOLE city of food…free for the taking.

2 Kings 7:18-20 – 18It happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two measures of barley for a shekel and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, will be sold tomorrow about this time at the gate of Samaria.” 19Then the royal officer answered the man of God and said, “Now behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.” 20And so it happened to him, for the people trampled on him at the gate and he died.

Dude…if that isn’t encouraging, I don’t know what is.  So be encouraged…we don’t have to let our lives and our Nation go down the tubes!  Call out to God now!  And He will definitely deliver.

Grace and Peace, Dan

When the trials of life surround us…we are scared.  Any time we are in the middle of a project, or are facing a crisis…we are lonely and afraid.  God wants us to know that He is “always” here….not in some distant place, but here.  Just like gravity…you might not be able to “see” it…but it is there.  Same goes for God.

I can’t think of a better story in the bible than the one about Elisha and his servant.  Here is the story…The king of Aram is at war against Israel.  But God has given Elisha (His Prophet) the ability to know everything that the king of Aram is thinking…and Elisha warns the king of Israel.  Bottom line…the king of Aram wants to kill Elisha.  Here is the story…

2 Kings 6:13-17 – 13“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” 14Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. 15When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked. 16“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

God protects His own.  Period.  We may not see it, but He is there.  Think about it…if He weren’t there…He would be a liar….and ”if” that were true, God would not be God.  It is a house of cards…there is NO part of God that can be marginal or false.

So be encouraged…no matter the battle…God is with you.  He is right there…so close that you can feel Him…if you ask for that kind of nearness.  Ask Him to know His closeness to you…ask to have your eyes open.  I do it all of the time.  It is quite alright to say, “God…I ain’t getting it”…help?

Be encouraged by this verse…and by God’s promise…

Romans 8:31-33 – 31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

Grace and Peace…God’s grace…and God’s Peace….is there any other?

Have a great day!  Your Brother in Christ, Dan

You will fail without encouragement.  You will fail without “somebody” to stand alongside of you.  You need a cheerleader, counselor, friend…it is too hard without it.  The road is too lonely to go it alone.  You need a Barnabus.  The role model for Barnabus is found in the book of Acts in the New Testament.  He is introduced in Chapter 4.

 Acts 4:36-37 – ³⁶ Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas   (which means “son of encouragement”), ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

But his reputation is later talked about in Acts 11:22-24 –  ²² News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴ He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Barnabus comes on the scene with the first century Christians.  It is a real Koinonia environment in that everybody was trying to meet everybody’s needs.  Let me say that in a different way…the focus was on OTHERS!!!  People were looking for ways to be encouragements to others.  But Barnabus is way cool…he obviously had ”means”…and by the way, the bible never condemns you for having money…GOD GAVE IT TO YOU!  But Barnabus USES that money for GOD’s purposes.  How are we all doing in that category????  But I digress.

In addition to that…Barnabus uses his influence to help another guy out…and his name is Paul.  Just a short time before Barnabus gives some credibility to Paul….Paul was running around trying to kill Christians.  In case you didn’t hear that…Paul was trying to KILL CHRISTIANS!!!  Who among you reading this are going to stand up for that guy…but Barnabus does!  You don’t think Paul was a bad guy?

Read the account in Acts 7:58 – When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

and then in Acts 8:1-3 – 1Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. 3But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.

Fast forward a little…Now the Good News of Jesus is spreading around the world.  By the way…when the enemy decides to “crack down” on God’s men…that is when God uses that to get men in the game.  Read that again a couple of thousand times…so it sinks in.  So anyway, big stuff is happening, and the Apostles want to find Paul….so they send Barnabus to look for him.

Acts 11:25-26 - ²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus   to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first   at Antioch.

See, guys like Barnabus take action.  Guys like Barnabus stay with you.  I am blessed to have many men in my life that fit that role, because I have cultivated those relationships.  But Chuck Lappe is one in particular that I want to highlight today.  You see, Chuck is a guy who no matter what you say. responds by saying, “let’s go!”  Chuck is the guy that whips up support amongst others to join the team.  Chuck is the kind of guy who tirelessly provides encouragement, prayer, and time because you “need” it.  Chuck is one of those guys who doesn’t quit because it is tough….he digs in.  He doesn’t accept the status quo…he challenges it.  When you need somebody to hold your arms up when you are tired…he is right there.  When I am being lethargic…he gives me a swift kick in the butt.

But the best thing about Chuck is that he is one of God’s guys.  He spends time with God in prayer and study of His word…so when you get counsel from Him…it is counsel from God.

Be encouraged….guys like Barnabus and Chuck are out there.  You NEED THEM!  If you don’t have them in your life, you will fail.  But they are there!  You just need to ask God to send them to you, and cultivate the relationships to make them fruitful in your life.

By the way…you need to be a Barnabus for somebody else as well….and maybe a bunch of guys.  This is a two way street.   You will be blessed if you do it…so Get in the Game…and be a Barnabus!

So Chuck and all of the other guys at Burke Community Church…if I haven’t told you lately….Thanks!  I would have quit a long time ago if it wasn’t for you all.

Grace and Peace, Dan

The Bible is amazing because there is no way that men could have written it.  Case in point…Moses.  He gets frustrated.  So what is the big deal with that?  Answer…would any of “you” have included those weak sides of your famous leader?  Or would you have just said, Moses was a great leader…and he woke up and every day was great…not so much.

Put yourself in Moses’s shoes.  He is in the desert with about 2 million Israelites….TWO MILLION!!!!  And ALL of them are looking to him for guidance and leadership.  God told Moses that He was going to take them to a land flowing with milk and honey….but Moses is looking around, and it is basically just him…and it is a little lonely, and a little frustrating when you “think” that it is just you.  But the great thing about that is that is exactly the time, when God shows you something that will keep you keeping on…

There is one line in the bible that is used with no one else.  It shows the relationship between God and Moses.  Exodus 33:11 – the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend… Wow!  How cool is that.

BUT…right after that description, we see Moses in a real quandry, and he needs God to “hook a brother up.”  It is found in Exodus 33:13…

Exodus 33:12-13 – 12Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ 13“Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.”

Let me put it in my paraphrase for you.  Okay God…”You” told me that “You” wanted to me to take these people  from Egypt to some place that you would take us to.  But I look around, and I don’t see who you are sending to help me!!  Ahem….God, I am a little scared, and I am a little bit doubtful…and I am going to lose it if you don’t send somebody now.  Or at least remind me that You are in charge?  Please?

That is what I love about the Bible…I WOULD HAVE BEEN FREAKING OUT if I were Moses!  Especially when God said that the Israelites were His people!!  But friends don’t have to worry about asking…the just ask. Moses did…and God responded…

Exodus 33: 14- 14And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”

My paraphrase…”you got it Moses.”  But Moses makes it even clearer for God, just in case He needed it.  Moses basically says, if You aren’t in this…I don’t want any part of it.  Because if YOU aren’t with us…we will be just like everybody else.

Exodus 33: 15-16 – 15Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. 16“For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”

Friends…this is what it is all about.  GOD WANTS US TO BE DIFFERENT!!  He wants to take care of us…because when HE takes care of us…HE gets the glory.  If we are taking care of ourselves…we will brag about what “we” did…and then sometime after we brag for hours or days about ourselves…we will say something like, “oh yeah…praise God.”  But that should be the first words out of our mouth!

So be encouraged!  God is there!  God will not leave you alone!  God will answer you if you ask!  God wants you to be His friend…please let Him.  You will never be disappointed. So be strong, courageous, and trusting….

Joshua 1:9 – Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

How is that for encouragement???  God promised…and He will deliver!

Grace and Peace, Dan

I was thinking yesterday that I have been doing this for 100 days, and sometimes I wonder if this is any encouragement at all…

And then I realized that our encouragement is embedded in the fact that God doesn’t hide anything from us.  I heard this from somewhere else, but it is a great quote. “The Christian life has not been tried and found wanting…it has been tried and found too difficult”, and that is why people often run from it.

Let me go one step further…it is IMPOSSIBLE!  Isn’t that great?  We can just rely on the fact that we can’t do it…but God can.  We can rely on the fact that no matter how much we plan, and how big our thoughts are…we are cutting God short.  He doesn’t look at your life and want mediocrity.  He wants surrender!  Because once we get out of His way…He can finally get us going on the path that He wants us.

1 Corinthians 2:9 – However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”

So don’t waste your time groveling, wondering, moaning about trying to find God’s will!  Just get on your knees and say, “God…I surrender!”  “Lord, I have no idea what your agenda is for today or my life, but I am excited to be a part of it…don’t let me get in Your way.”  If you do that…God will start speaking to you…consider this.

1 Corthians 2:10-11 - but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

And then let the journey begin….but beware….THERE IS NOT MUCH TIME!  You have no idea how many days God will give you here on earth…don’t waste them.

Be encouraged, you now have permission to let go…and let God!    You will NOT be disappointed!!!

Grace and Peace, Dan

One of the best lessons from Moses is one of the ones that he learned!  Don’t be a micromanager…share the load of leadership.  You can’t do it alone…everything else will disintegrate if you do!

This goes to all of those high and mighty….important folks who have bought in to the lie that if they don’t do it nobody will.  While in some cases, and at some scale that may be true…let me be honest with you.  If you are in a position of “authority”…and you move on, or well…die…there will be somebody to take your place in about 38 seconds.  You just aren’t that important.  God never put you here to burn yourself out.  He wants you to have joy.  Look at the lesson that Moses learned.

Moses 18:13-20 – 13It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening. 14Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” 15Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16“When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.”
Jethro Counsels Moses
17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18“You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.19“Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, 20then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do.

Now that is some good counsel.  You will wear yourself out.  What good are you to God when you are worn out?  Hmmm….none!  AND, if you don’t share the burden of leadership, and “disciple” people so that they can take over after you are gone…because someday, you WILL be gone…what God has given you to do will fail.  Plain and simple.

So be encouraged, you don’t have to work a gazillion hours a day, and check emails all night long.  You aren’t as busy as you think.  Compare yourself to Moses.  He had about 2,000,000 people who he was caring for….how about you?  AND, he was listening to people’s problems from morning to night…everyday!

Isn’t that good news?

Grace and Peace, Dan

Being in charge is not always fun…ask anybody who is there.  In fact, it is a crucible, and as you are ground down, you are being refined for the task.  But a leader leads…and takes the mantle when it would be easy to put it down.

What happens when the people you are leading let you down?  Blame them….walk away…not Moses!  He gives the perfect answer when God is ready to give a just judgment.  You all have heard the story…Moses goes to God and He gives him the 10 Commandments…but all is not well at the foot of the mountain.  The Israelites had built a golden calf and started worshipping that instead of the God who had just delivered them from Egypt.  By the way, before you cluck your tongues at them…we do the same thing almost daily.  But we call our gods, work…and money….and pleasure…

But Moses really shows what a man of integrity and grit he is.  When God says, step aside…let me wipe these guys out…Moses stands up and intercedes.  Pay attention to the bolded verses.  God told Moses, “I will make you into a great nation.”  Moses had the chance to have all of the blessing, but instead he chose to LEAD!!!  The whole story is found in Exodus 32…

 Exodus 32:7-14 – 7Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’9“I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

11But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “O Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?12Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” 14Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

Oh that God would lift up men with that kind of fortitude.  Men who didn’t care about personal gain and glory…but thought about those whom he was responsible for.  NO MATTER THE PERSONAL COST!

But be encouraged…while you don’t have to do that for an entire nation, you can be that same leader…in “your” household.  That same leader among your friend.  God will bless you for it, and your family/friends will be blessed because of you.  You may never get a thank you…but that doesn’t matter…do it for the right reason…because GOD PUT YOU THERE!!!

Grace and Peace, Dan

Moses is in the desert, and he has been “pruned” for about 40 years.  God has gotten all of the rich kid pharaoh stuff out of his system.  Moses is a shepherd in the desert…it doesn’t get much lower than that.  But that is right where God wants/needs you to be…helpless.  Because then He can get to work, and send you down the path that He has prepared for you.

So Moses has seen the burning bush…and goes to it to see what is going on.  I guess he had two options…run out of fear, or figure out there is something here worth checking out…especially when the burning bush is calling his name….let’s face it, that doesn’t happen everyday.  So Moses takes the step of faith, and God talks to Moses and tells him that He has something for him to do.  And like all great men…Moses says in my paraphrase, “You sure You got the right guy?”  Here is the passage…

Exodus 3: 11-12 - But Moses said to God,  “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” ¹² He said,  “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt,  you shall serve God on this mountain.”

I just want to focus on Moses…many of you know the story, and if not, it is found in Exodus 3.  But Moses makes another excuse…again my paraphrase, “who in the world is going to believe me?”  Here is God’s response…

Exodus 4: 1-4 – Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” ² The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said,  “A staff.” ³ And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. ⁴ But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— ⁵ “that they may  believe that the Lord,  the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

God went on to give Moses two more miracles to use as proof, and you can read those in Exodus 4.  But Moses is still unsure.  By the way…that is the same way we are!!! So don’t EVER get high and mighty about what the men in the bible “should” have done…because God just may write something about your life with your name on it!  So anyway Moses has one more excuse…

Exodus 4:10-12 - ¹⁰ But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but  I am slow of speech and of tongue.” ¹¹ Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now therefore go, and  I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” ¹³ But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

God “could” have said…Come on Moses, you were Pharaoh’s kid…you are probably pretty well educated, and maybe took a couple of speech classes?  And maybe addressed crowds occasionally???

But God is too patient for that.  Instead He sends Aaron to him to be his spokesman…and guarantees him that He will provide the words.

Isn’t that encouraging?  God doesn’t smack you down when you hesitate….instead, He encourages you to get in the game, and promises you that He will provide.

Be encouraged…if God sends you on a mission HE PROMISES THAT HE WILL GO BEFORE YOU…and work out all sorts of things for you to succeed…and HE PROMISES THAT HE WILL BE WITH YOU through all of it….now that is a God worthy of faith.  But even cooler…He knows that we will stumble…but He will always be there…because that is how much He loves His people.

Grace and Peace, Dan

Summer is coming, and the great thing about summer on the east coast is the fruit and vegetables.  And what a great lesson in life that is.  A fruit tree is planted for one thing….TO BEAR FRUIT!  Let me put it to you bluntly…if you aren’t bearing fruit…what good are you?

Think about it this way.  Isn’t it interesting that the a tree without branches is useless.  And a branch without a tree is useless.  So the two come together to achieve its purpose.  But it is even better than that.  The branch exists to bear fruit…if not, it is useless.  BUT…the branch, or the tree for that matter get no satisfaction from that fruit. That relationship only exists so that “others” may enjoy the fruit of their labor. But it gets even better than that.  The fruit does two things: 1) it provides nourishment and pleasure for those who desire to pick from the tree (think about a nice, juicy, crisp apple…or delectable peach), and 2) it produces seed, so that other trees can grow and produce the same fruit, so that others can enjoy that as well.  Isn’t it unbelievable how God allows us to enjoy fruit, and at the same time ensure that it will there will always be fruit in the future?

AND…if the fruit is good, then people are drawn to it.  Don’t think so?  How many people reading this would drive for an hour to go pick cherries, apples, peaches, etc.  LOTS…because good fruit is worthy of the expense.

BUT…for a branch to be really productive, the farmer “must” prune it, or else the branch wastes it energy producing leaves/twigs that it doesn’t need…because it reduces its ability to produce fruit.  AND WE ARE HEAR TO PRODUCE FRUIT! So that is why we can be happy when God is “pruning” us, because HE knows what He is doing!

Well my friend…when you meet Jesus (and we all will), He will ask you about how productive your branch was in the life that He gave you. Christ explains it to us in the gospel of John.

John 15:1-7  1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

 Be encouraged…it is not that hard. If you spend time with God, He will really make you productive, and will make you produce much more fruit than you could ever imagine.  That is because He wants you to do that….because that is why you are here…PERIOD!

And, like I said…people will be drawn to you because of the fruit that God allows you to bear, and all areas of your life will be richer because you let God be your farmer.  By the way, the other really cool thing about branches….the more a branch produces, the lower it bows.  In other words, the more fruit that your life produces…the more humble that you will be because you will know that it is only God’s doing that allowed you to be fruitful.

Luke 14:11 – “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Grace and Peace, Dan

God wants to be “your” God…not just one of your gods.  God is the only god that is real.  And He always tells us to put Him to the test. Moses is in the desert, and he has just seen the burning bush, and He is getting ready to meet God, and begin that path to really get to know him.

But there are many times in the bible that God says, in my paraphrase…you go to your gods that you worship when you are in trouble…and see what happens.  There is a great example of that in the bible that was part of my reading today.  It happens in 2 Kings 13.  Three kings have bonded together to fight the Moabites.  They are the king of Israel, the king of Edom and the king of Judah.

The king of Judah is the only “good king” in God’s eyes, and it all hinges on who the king follows (by the way, it is the same today…God doesn’t change).  The other two kings in God’s eyes are “bad.”  Check out verse 13…I bolded the part that confirms this.

2 Kings 3:13 – Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do I have to do with you?  Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” And the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.”

And it gets even better in verse 14.

2 Kings 3:14 - Elisha said, “ As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you.  

Because God is a good God…He takes care of His own, but will leave others to call out to the feeble gods that they worship…who are not real, and have no power. But for God’s children…others benefit because of you! Jesus explains it to us…

Matthew 5:43-45 - 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOUSHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Now that is a good God…and a powerful God….and the ONLY God.  He is worthy of our praise, and our faith.

Be encouraged….He wants to be your God.  And it is really easy…just tell Him that you want to follow Him.  It doesn’t matter what you have done yesterday or the day before…it only matters about your decision about following Him today!!!

This isn’t some made up story…this is THE God who designed you for His purpose…but you will never know what that is if you don’t let Him guide you.  Please…please…hear Him…He is calling you now!

Grace and Peace, Dan