Golda Meir once wrote, “Whenever I felt overwhelmed by fatigue or my circumstances, which was often, all I had to do was to remind myself that I was now talking as an emissary of the Jewish state, and my tiredness simply drained away.” She overcame her fatigue and discouragement by focusing on her mission – Israel’s survival, which at the times didn’t look too bright.
Paul writes much the same from a Roman jail cell, “I open my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.” (Eph. 6:20) Paul fought off fatigue and discouragement as he focused on the good work God saved him for – being an apostle to the Gentiles.
Discouragement seems to sneak in when we’re tired and not seeing the results we had hope to see. Yet, we’ve all been given something to do for Jesus while hanging out with Him each day the moment of salvation (Eph. 2:8-10). One of those tasks is that we are ambassadors of the King!
People are watching how you handle life, where their eternal destination, which is far more important than this temporal one, is at stake. Defeat that discouragement by staying focusing on Jesus’ smiling face while becoming more like Him. Leave the results to the Spirit.
Set Fre“E” Nowww

For me at least, waiting on God to act is not easy. I’ve come to understand, though, from my son, who recently returned from a dream vacation to Europe, that this is a very American trait. It’s not necessarily a good trait to have either, especially when it comes to our walks with Jesus.
Jesus isn’t in a rush. He will act on His timetable. He can see the big picture of every person who lives on this planet all at once. He knows at the exact moment to act in achieving His purposes in every single person’s life too. To become impatient and act in our timing can have disastrous results (1 Samuel 13).
I’m not sure whether you know it or not, but waiting on the Lord to do His thing is an act of love. Jesus said if we love Him, we will obey Him…even if that means to wait patiently on Him to act.
Love waits. Getting tired of waiting? Say you love Jesus by continuing to worship Him through peacefully waiting. Want to jump ahead of Him? Don’t!! You’re the only one who loses.
Set Fre“E” Nowww

I heard in a recent conversation, “If I know what I teach, I can teach what I know.” My biblical filter started beeping. I asked the person, “Do you actually use what you’re teaching?” After the pregnant pause, they said, “I don’t know.”
The operative words are if I know. Is it knowing facts in your head or experiencing them in your daily life? Proverbs uses three very important words – knowledge, understanding and wisdom. We absolutely need biblical facts or knowledge. This helps us to discern whether something is a lie; and thus, filtered out of our heads. Western Christians often stop here! Scripture doesn’t.
We must take those truths and ask, “What is God trying to say by what He wrote?” Once we’ve thought that through, we must ask, “How do I use that truth in my daily decisions?”
Knowledge alone leads to pride. Cliché answers to life’s struggles lead to frustration for ourselves and to those with whom we pass on biblical knowledge. Understanding biblical truth, knowing how to use it and then actually practicing that truth leads to life transformation – becoming more like Jesus.
James writes, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” (3:13) Humility comes from understanding it’s not as easy as it looks to live out biblical truth as the cliché responses make them out to be. As a good friend of mine says, “Struggle well!” As you do, your life and those you’re teaching through your words and actions you will be changed.
Set Fre“E” Nowww

Whatever Adam and Eve wore when first entering the garden (Gen. 2:25) or Job wore when exiting his mother’s womb (Job 1:21), Isaiah walked around in Isaiah 20. In other words, God asked Isaiah to literally walk around without clothes and shoes for all to see…for three years!
Crazy, but why? Two reasons were given. One, it was to show what was going to happen to both Egypt and Cush when Assyria attacked them. And two, it exposed the fallacy of trusting those two peoples, rather than God Himself, for one’s physical protection.
People often ask God, “Why is this happening to me?” The answer at times is, “Does it matter?” I know that sounds harsh, but Isaiah might have thought so as well. Sometimes what happens in our lives has nothing to do with us. God could simply be using the life He already owns, ours, to teach others about Him.
If Jesus is truly Lord, does He not have the right to ask anything He wants of us, even if it sounds really crazy? Like Isaiah, Jesus did what He did, not because He deserved to be humiliated, but because God wanted to save others from humiliation.
Will we submit like Jesus did in Gethsemane so that we might live? What Jesus may ask of you might sound crazy, but it could be exactly what others need to find true life in Him.
Set Fre“E” Nowww

I was thinking about Peter and his water walking experience. He was afraid. He thinks he saw a ghost, but heard Jesus’ voice. He ventures, “If it’s You, tell me to get out of the boat,” which is exactly what happened.
He was doing what Jesus told His disciples then and now to do, “Listen and follow Me.” Will it take faith to get out of our comfort zones, no matter how scary those comfort zones actually are? You bet it will.  Now, here is the crucial question. If you fail in the follow through of what you heard Jesus say, like Peter did, will you get out of the boat next time?
Two chapters later, Peter is out of the boat…again! Peter heard God tell Him who Jesus was, the Messiah (Matt. 16:17). When asked, he blurted it out. He heard God speak and acted on that intel.
You will get better at hearing the voice of God and then at getting out of the boat. Don’t waste time beating yourself up over past failures, no matter how that sinking feeling overwhelms you at times. Walking on water is wonderful. You get to be with Jesus and experience Him in ways the disciples before you did.
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