Gather As Much As You Need

I love bread! I grew up in a bread family. Mom always had some kind of tasty rolls or biscuits, homemade yeast bread, sourdough pancakes, or the ever-loved cinnamon rolls – that I watched rise in a covered bowl as I longed for their sweet goodness. No wonder bread is my weakness. No wonder I began to notice bread in the Bible.

For some reason, I’ve always thought of manna as bread. I’m not sure why. Manna literally means, “What is it?” It was that strange substance provided by God to sustain the Israelites in the desert. I suspect it was perfectly nutritious – God’s little nutrition bar. That would be just the kind of thing God would do. Every morning it was there. They never had to worry. They could boil it. They could bake it. But, they couldn’t keep it. When kept till the next day, it grew maggots and began to stink. Except on the Sabbath! Can you imagine? It didn’t go bad on the Sabbath! God is amazing!

God provided for the Israelites. He told them through Moses, “Each one is to gather as much as he needs” (Exodus 16:16). God provided exactly what they needed for that day. They couldn’t store it up and stockpile it – just in case God took a day off in the middle of the week. They were forced to rely on Him every day.

This idea so speaks to me. It’s like my finances – the money isn’t always there ahead of time, but somehow the Lord provides. It’s like the time my husband lost his job – the Lord provided work until something just right arrived. It’s like the strength I need daily to deal with aging parents, growing kids, and the steady demands of the to-do list – the Lord gives me what I need each day.

The Israelites ate manna for 40 years until they entered the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Each day God provided for them until they arrived in the place of plenty. I know He will do the same for me. No matter how barren things might look around me, my God’s hand is upon me. I am reminded that “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided” (Genesis 22:14). I will take Him at His word, for God is faithful. I hope you will do the same. Together, let’s give God praise for the things He has provided. Let’s shout our thanksgivings. Let’s enjoy His manna every day of our lives!

Thank You, LORD, for faithfully providing the things I need. Help me to be obedient with what you’ve given me. Help me to always remember the manna you give to me – gifts to sustain me in the desert and never take them for granted. I praise You and thank You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Finding His Faithfulness in Spring

Are you heavy-burdened? Is the weight of the world resting on your shoulders? Step outside. God’s renewal is on display all around you. Spring is unfolding. Look! The trees are first. Golden ornaments transform into tender green leaves. Bright grass pushes through dark earth. Colorful flowers unfurl revealing sweet scents and delicate blooms.

Listen! Birds herald the morn with songs of praise. Each one awakens and sings for joy. Those sweet moments just before sunrise are a symphony announcing the break of day, the chance to begin again. The air is liquid with sound. The birds sing before the darkness is chased away. They sing knowing the sun will rise. Do you hear the hope?

Feel! The sun warms your skin, breaking the chill of winter. The breeze lifts around you softly wrapping you in its presence. The warmth lets you know, you too can grow in His care, casting aside the shell of burden, and stretching your arms toward His light.

Taste! Honeysuckle clings to the vine with one drop of sweet nectar to tickle your tongue. Berries – ripe, shiny, sweet – hold the flavor of spring, the promise of the sweetness of our Lord: “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8)

Smell! Warm, fragrance-filled air overtakes your senses. Like an offering to the Lord, the aroma floats on the breeze, lifts toward heaven. Glorious! It is more than just spring. It is a display of His majesty, His power, His creativity. It is a display of His faithfulness – a faithfulness that promises new life in the world and inside each of us. We should stop and “consider the wondrous works of God” and worship Him (Job 37:14).

But how often do we neglect this? How often do we walk right past His glorious gifts of spring and never notice the details? We are busy, so we hurry along. We are stressed, so we focus on our troubles. We are discouraged so we try to find approval from the glow of our screens. We are empty so we tether ourselves to the constant scroll of monotony trying to fill the void. We have forgotten that the void can only be filled with our LORD. So let’s loosen our chains of busyness and stress, go outside, and fill our senses with the goodness of God. The hope and the promises of spring surround us in Christ. A new life. A new name. A new beginning. He can take your broken, your weary, your wounded, your dormant, and make it new again. Give it to Him. Lay your burdens down at His cross. Let Christ transform that wintry thing inside you. Little by little you will begin to see it spring to life.

Dear Lord, Thank You for the sweet reminder of Your love found in spring. It is such a beautiful picture of what You can and will do for us when we confess, repent, and give our hearts to You. Thank You for the hope of renewal it offers. Your faithfulness cannot be matched! Help me to cling to these promises when life feels overwhelming. Give me strength to persevere knowing that Your spring is on the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Whatever!

“Whatever!” I read the word and had to stop. I could hear the echoes of someone with sass saying, “What-ever!” That wasn’t what this “whatever” meant. This was humble and honest. This whatever meant anything or even everything. I found it in the story of David, and it made me stop and consider my Jesus.

David had been anointed, but was not yet king. He knew Saul, the current king, was threatened by this, therefore he was fearful for his life. As David confided in his friend, Jonathan reassured him, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you” (1Samuel 20:4). Some people might say this, but they don’t necessarily mean anything or everything. Jonathan meant it – right down to giving his life.

Surely, it was an unlikely friendship. Jonathan was heir to the throne, and David was the God-ordained king. By all rights, Jonathan should have seen David as a threat. David was a shepherd, a servant. He had no cultural rights to expect Jonathan to serve him. Their roles were reversed. Jonathan, the would-be king, was willing to serve David, the anointed king. And yet, Jonathan held no ill-will. He was not mad. He was not jealous. He did not seek to destroy David. In fact, they were best friends. Jonathan “loved him as he loved himself,” the Bible tells us (1 Samuel 20:17). He was willing to do “whatever” to serve David.

This is a perfect picture of the choice we have in Jesus Christ. The world tells us to serve ourselves, be our own kings. We do what we want, what pleases us. We look out for #1. It’s all about us. After all, we deserve the best, right? That free-will has been given to us. But Jesus is our rightful God-ordained king, so there is a dichotomy in our being. Like Jonathan, we are in a place where we have to make a decision: Will we serve ourselves, or will we serve Christ?

Jonathan’s words made me reflect on my attitude toward Christ. Do I feel this way about my Lord and Savior? Would I say to Him, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you?” Whatever. Money. Time. Words. Deeds. Work. Sacrifice. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for You? Is that my heart-felt oath to my Lord?

My attitude is short-sighted compared to the all-encompassing “whatever” offered by Jonathan. “Whatever” is huge! How often do I just do what needs to be done, never going beyond, and never considering my Lord? How often do I say something to someone, or about someone, and I never consider how my words might honor the Lord? How often do I grouch and complain about doing things the Lord has entrusted to me alone, and I never consider that I’m being ungrateful to Him? How often is my “whatever” really small compared to my LORD?

Sometimes the “whatever” God is requiring of us is difficult. Maybe your “whatever” is walking through a season of hardship. Maybe you’ve been called to serve the Lord in some way. Maybe you know it is time to overcome an imprisoning sin-pattern. Giving “whatever” to the Lord will require attention, focus, and purposeful actions. It won’t happen accidentally or by default. Giving “whatever” will require an override of our self-will. It will require that we think about things daily, hourly, all the time. That’s not easy. But here’s the thing: our God is all about helping us get it right. He is a God who brings renewal and sanctification. He brings light into the dark places of our hearts. All we have to do is give it to Him. He won’t leave us to figure it out alone. He will come and guide us with His gentle Spirit. I don’t know about you, but I want to do “whatever” right. I want to say, “Come, Lord Jesus. Come and broaden my 'whatever.' I want to glorify You!”

Dear LORD, Thank you for Your patient instruction and for Your revealing light. Broaden my “whatever” so that I might accomplish what You’ve set before me, to Your glory. I ask this in Jesus’s name, Amen!

Other “whatever” verses:

Proverbs 16:3 - “Commit to the LORD whatever you do and He will establish your plans.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 -“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Colossians 3:17 -“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the LORD Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Colossians 3:23 - “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.”

Learn to Trust, Not Control

As soon as I finished writing the words in my prayer journal, I knew they were a lie: “Forgive me for secluding parts of my life from You and for keeping the Holy Spirit out. Forgive me for not giving You my whole heart.” These words scare me. I don’t really want to give all of my heart to the Lord. What would that require of me? I feel like Smeagol holding on to his Precious. But why? Why do I clutch at things that are better off in my Lord’s sweet hands?

Is it control? I do like control. Without my lists, plans, and routines, I feel reckless. Control makes me comfortable. Control makes me feel that I can manipulate a situation in the direction I want it to go. But control gives a false sense of power. My frenzied attempts to control a situation do not make me “in control” of the final outcome.

Deep down, I know . . . there is something else lurking in my uneasiness. When I push these thoughts aside, I know what it is. Trust. I do not trust my Lord. What if the Lord doesn’t do what I want? What if He has something difficult in store? What if He demands something I can’t do or don’t want to give? What if life isn’t good? What if . . .? I know it is the “What ifs” that scare me. But my “What ifs” imply the Lord does not want good for me. Is that how I really feel: The Lord wants bad things for me? This is not the truth!

Romans 8: 31-32 rings in my ears: “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He 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?” These words are the truth, not my “What ifs.” The gracious giving God who sent His own son to come and rescue me from a pit of sin and death would not harbor ill-intent for me. He has no desire to harm me or set me up for failure. His desire is that I will walk with Him and learn to trust Him above all else. He has what is best for me, even if I don’t understand it at the time. He is trustworthy!

I am the one that can’t be trusted! I don’t follow through. I walk away. I ignore. I put off till later. I would never build this kind of trust with my family or friends. So why do I ignore my Lord? I am the untrustworthy one! But how do I change?

The first step is adjusting my view. Sometimes I view my Lord in some lofty place, far removed, governing over everyone. This makes me feel alone and causes me to act on my own, sometimes in fear. I must remember who I am in Him. As a Child of God, He has sought me out and redeemed me through Jesus Christ. He is not far away but near. The second step is remembering that His intentions are good. No matter what comes my way or what He asks me to do, I should not fear because I have His love and “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear . . .” (1 John 4:18). I need to learn to trust in His love, not in my ability to control. The third step is to remember all the good things my Lord has already done for me. When fear makes me clutch tighter to the things I think I can manipulate, that should be my cue to rest in His proven trustworthiness. These things will help me to trust in His love, then step out with confidence.

Dear Lord, I want to trust You, even in the most confusing times. Help me to stop racing to control what is not in my power to determine. Help me to never forget who I am in You: chosen, redeemed, loved, protected, child of the Most High God. I want that perfect love that drives out fear. Please help me! In Jesus’s name, Amen!

Moved By the Spirit Wind

It rained last night, so as I sit on my porch this morning the world around me seems new and clean. Little drops of rain still clinging to green leaves surround me in glittering golden light. It dazzles like diamonds. The breeze intermittently blows – sometimes swaying the palm fronds of my potted plant, sometimes caressing my face. The breeze is fascinating. You cannot see it, but you know it is there. Thoughts of the wind and the Holy Spirit are rolling through my mind.

Jesus met with Nicodemus one night. Nicodemus had questions he wanted Jesus to answer, maybe without the scrutiny of the other Pharisees. Jesus told Nicodemus of a kingdom one cannot see unless he is born of the Spirit. Jesus said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3: 8). Truly, we cannot see the Spirit, but we can see how He moves around us and through us. We can tell the Spirit is there because of a person’s actions, their words, their attitudes, the way they live their lives. The Spirit moves people in different directions than the flow of the world. Can you look at your own life and see how the Spirit moves you? Maybe, like me, you see some places you need to open up to Him and allow Him the freedom to move you.

There is a river birch beside my porch. As I sit here this morning it is mostly still. But way at the top of the tree, there is this one little leaf flickering back and forth with all its might. It catches my eye as it rotates because no other leaf is stirring. Why that one? Where is the breeze that it only moves that one little leaf? The wind is mysterious. Maybe it is the way the leaf is positioned on the tree. It makes me think of myself. Am I positioning myself to be moved by the Holy Spirit? I want to be. All around me there are people who do not know my Jesus. All around me there are opportunities to move differently than the world. I want to be like the lone leaf showing that the Spirit is here, flickering with the light of truth, pointing the way to Christ. I want people to know what Nicodemus learned that night: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3: 16-17).

Sometimes we focus on the world and we forget to be still and look for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are easily distracted. But for those who believe and belong to Christ, one day the veil will be lifted from our eyes and we will see clearly what the Spirit has been doing all along. And like the Casting Crowns song says, we will know we were moved by the “Spirit Wind.” So stay focused on Him, follow where His Spirit leads you, and watch as He moves. You won’t be disappointed! But most importantly, you will pointing the way to Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me for secluding parts of my life and keeping the Holy Spirit out. Help me to overcome this tendency. Come into my heart and move me so that I can make more of Jesus to the world around me. Breathe Your Spirit Wind into my dry bones and give me strength and passion to do Your work. Thank You! In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Sanctification Through Surrender

Growing in grace is not easy. I have lofty expectations for myself. When I don’t meet them, disappointed strikes. Negative talk starts: “You’re a loser. You’ll never get it right. You’re no good. Why do you even try?” This throws me into the pit. I know my cycle all too well: lofty expectations, failure to deliver, disappointment, negative self-talk, pit-dwelling. Sometimes I sit there for a while, but the Lord never lets me stay too long. He always comes to get me. A Bible verse. A message on Sunday morning. A worship song. A friend’s kind words. My Lord always pulls me up, brushes me off, and says, “Let’s try again.”

I’ve been praying about this cycle of mine. Something has to change! Like a bad dream, I’m stuck in Romans 7, focusing on my goofs: “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19). Yep! That’s me. But what if it isn’t about being perfect? What if it is about resigning each area of your life to the Lord? I keep seeing my pit-dwelling cycle as a sign of how imperfect I am, but that’s not what it is. I believe The Lord is showing me these are the things I need to surrender.

Sanctification is the process of growing to be more Christ-like. His holy character is not automatically given to us at salvation. We are not immediately transformed into perfect beings. We must work at it. This work is good. It requires that we lean on the Lord. It develops perseverance and obedience. It grows our spiritual muscles. This work brings us closer to the Lord, which is what He wants and exactly what we need. The only thing in His way is our own refusal to surrender. We need sanctification through surrender!

Our lives hold three types of surrender. Total surrender - you know you can’t do a thing. No surrender- you feel completely confident. Avoiding surrender - you just really don’t want to do it God’s way. The avoiding surrender spot is where my worst faults lurk. That is where I end up in the pit. This place causes a restlessness in my spirit. I know I need help, but I want control. Romans 8: 7-8 reminds me, “. . . the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” I am left vulnerable when I allow my wayward desires to rule over me. This is where the battle rages.

Surrender is a battle word. It paints a picture of defeat and victory, submission and rule, slave and master. When we walk outside of God’s will, we may keep our desires, but we will surrender something: joy, finances, self-esteem, relationships – the list could go on. When we surrender those wayward desires to the Lord, He will help us in the battle.

I love Romans 8! It is a picture of us winning. There is hope, love, and the promise of glory. It tells us that the Spirit and Christ are both interceding for us. It reminds us that “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (v. 31). It concludes with “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 37-39). Did you hear that? We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. You cannot lose! That battle you keep fighting . . . you will eventually win when you stand with Christ. Surrender it! Be sanctified through it. You will walk out on the other side a victor! Don’t wait. Surrender.

Dear Heavenly Father, I know the place You are calling me to surrender today. I know You promise love and grace and help to overcome. You promise victory! Help me. I want so much to live for You. Thank You for a love that nothing can remove. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Growing in Grace

I blew my “Whatever I do, I’ll do it all for the Lord” commitment on the first day. I was trying so hard to be the perfect person who does everything just right. Unrealistic expectations always leave me feeling like a loser. Deep down, I know that no one is perfect, everyone goofs up, but still . . . I was hoping to get it right this time.

As I prayed through my broken commitment that day, I confessed my feelings of hopelessness to the Lord: “I want so much to serve you well, yet I always goof up. Where is the hope in that, Lord?” He whispered to my aching heart: “You put your hope in what you do, not in what I’ve done. My grace is sufficient for you.”

“Grace. What is grace? I don’t even think I understand what that means – my grace is sufficient for you. Help me understand, Lord.”

So I poured over His word seeking answers. I walked away understanding this truth: My best at anything is only filthy rags before the Lord (Isaiah 64:6). It is my faith in Him that brings righteousness, not my actions (Ephesians 2:8-9). He desires that I grow in Him (2 Peter 3:18). Through this sanctification process, I will grow a little at a time, learning as I go, conquering obstacles, overcoming faults one-by-one (1 Thessalonians 5:23). It is arduous work; some lessons are harder than others. However, my Lord is faithful. As long as I walk with Him, I will grow to become more and more Christ-like (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

I knew that part of God’s grace is when He overlooks our mistakes because He knows we are not perfect. I began to understand that growing in grace happens when we allow God to use our mistakes to instruct us, correct our short-comings, and become more like Him. Here is the thing: we get His grace when we are saved through faith for “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). By His mercy, we are all covered in grace. The question is, will we grow in that grace or just stand still? He wants us to grow. He tells us, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

I will not grow through all of my perceived goodness, but through what I do wrong. That’s where instruction happens. My mistakes highlight my weaknesses; it gives the opportunity to change, to grow, to be a better witness for the Lord. The trouble is our enemy would like us to wallow in shame and guilt. It keeps us down. Steal, kill, destroy – that’s our enemy’s goal. This includes stealing my joy, killing my confidence in redemption, destroying my relationship with the LORD. Satan doesn’t want me to have any of these things.

I must remember – when I am weak, then I am strong – because the Lord is my strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). I must remember Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” The Lord does not want us to wallow in shame. He gives us strength and hope.

May my hope be ever in the Lord and never in myself!
May my weaknesses prompt growth in His grace, strength in His name!
For His grace is sufficient for me.

Dear LORD, Thank You for Your all-sufficient grace. Thank You for helping me work this out through Your Word that speaks into my life. Your love is overwhelming. Thank You! In Jesus’ name, Amen!