Month: September 2023

Stouthearted…not a word you see used much today. It’s meaning according to the dictionary is being brave, strong, and courageous. The Psalmist knows and has assurance that God not only hears him but answers his prayers…and in doing so he gains confidence & strength to face whatever obstacle is in front of him. Psalm 28:7 affirms this inner faith & security when it says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him…” So be fearless today…for the Lord goes before you…whatever the circumstances.

Paul & Silas could of allowed their surroundings to intimidate them, for the last place you wanted to spend the night was in a dark & dank Roman prison. They could of focused on the unjust way they had been thrown into prison in the first place by the Jewish leaders. Or they could of just sat there contemplating their very uncertain future…but they did none of that. Instead of focusing on the unknown and allowing fear, anxiety, and doubt to creep into their minds…they focused on what they did know. God was with them, He loved & cared for them, and He would never abandon them…and this is why at midnight they were singing praises to God. Psalm 119:62 reminds us of this too, “At midnight I rise to give You thanks…” In other words don’t allow the fear of the unknown to control your mind & heart…rather, focus on the things you do know & praise Him for that.

Trust between two people is built one step at a time, one encounter at a time, one personal experience at a time…and the same goes for our relationship with God. Psalm 22:5 reads, “They cried to You and were saved; in You they trusted and were not disappointed.” We can confidently trust in God without the chance of being disgraced, dismayed, or disillusioned…why? Because He is trustworthy. And the more we place our hope & trust in Him, the more He is shown to be trustworthy, and our confidence grows. Isaiah 12:2 tells us to trust and not be afraid…which is easy to say but hard to do at times, but it’s not because God has moved away…He hasn’t & He won’t, and He never will.

Eleven years ago today Safetypinlove came into existence, and eleven years ago today this Scripture & the devotional to go along with it was the very first one I wrote. So fast forward eleven years and over 3,800 devotionals later, I find this special devotional speaking directly to my soul today. The original devotional back then read like this…”God’s Presence is there in the midst of you right now! This powerful verse should be read with your name inserted within these glorious declarations of God’s love for you. He is with you…He delights in you…and He rejoices over you. Today allow God’s affirmation of His love for you fill you with all hope.” Oh how I needed to hear that! For this Scripture describes perfectly the many blessings of God…His Presence, His Power, His Protection, and His Peace, and is a reminder of a loving God who holds us together in times of crisis…from which the name Safetypinlove came to be. For twenty-seven years ago when I found that little safety pin, it was God’s tangible evidence that He was there with me no matter what…and today, this devotional that I wrote eleven years ago has now become the safety pin to hold me together for the uncertain future ahead.

A blessed life is one filled with happiness, hope, and peace. And we are blessed when we walk mindfully in His ways as a God-fearing Believer. “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103:11) And this isn’t just the really important stuff in our lives, but the everyday activities of daily life that come through obedience from a deep-seated faith in the Lord. Proverbs 10:22 says that the blessing of the Lord brings wealth…this meaning that peace & prosperity comes from Godly wisdom as we walk closely with Him…wealth not being wisdom’s goal, but often wisdom’s reward in both practical & economic benefits.

Instead of looking at our sufferings as somehow God’s judgment…we are told here to find the joy in it because of what God is producing in us through it. Instead of fearful uncertainty & discouragement of the future – we can have an assurance of His love and find that joy in Him. And through this affliction & hardship our character grows as it is tested…demonstrated by our ever increasing faith that bears up under pressure with patience. And our confidence & hope will not be frustrated because it is guaranteed…and in that we can place our eternal confidence.

I Samuel 3:1 tells us that, “In those days the Word of the Lord was rare.”… all because of Israel’s great sin. People could still read God’s Word, but it was like reading a story book. The words were dead on the pages, and with no one to explain the meaning, the people did not accept its message. This famine of God’s Word & Presence was even more devasting than a severe lack of food & water…for while a need of food & water is deadly for the physical body, a lack of spiritual food that nourishes the soul is truly disastrous looking at eternity. A famine of God’s Word has got to be the ultimate picture of God’s judgment on His people…for there’s nothing more terrifying as God’s silence.

For many of us the Pandemic caused us to self-isolate…out of fear, anxiety, and mandate. But sadly, many of us are still in that seclusion mode. We continue to work from home, rarely go out, and wouldn’t even think of inviting people into our safe cocoon. We’ve become accustomed to and even draw comfort from our cloistered and solitary lifestyle where we can control our environment. But this Scripture tells us to practice hospitality. That’s because Biblical hospitality is a generous & gracious reception of guests into our homes and more importantly into our lives…and thus opening up ourselves in a transparent & honest candor. Now while the world’s definition of hospitality is self-centered, closed off, selective, selfish and only done when & if we feel like it, we are to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us. (Romans 15:7) For to love one another as brothers & sisters in Christ, we need to practice hospitality.

This wasn’t the first time the Jewish Leaders attempted to entangle Jesus by insisting on a miraculous work with the fingerprints of God on it. But Jesus never performed miracles on demand, and for them to command one “from heaven” only went to show their stubborn refusal to acknowledge that Jesus was indeed the Messiah they were waiting for. In His conversation with them, Jesus observes the irony that they can distinguish the signs in the sky to predict the weather, but fail to fully grasp what His miraculous signs signify about the “Spiritual weather” or season they were currently living in…namely, the era of the Coming Messiah. So the sign of Jonah signifies the parallel & preview between Jonah spending three days and three nights in the belly of the fish before being “resurrected” onto dry land and Jesus spending three days and three nights in the heart of the earth before being resurrected into glory. (Matthew 12:38-40)

This week I had the unfortunate opportunity to deal with a Contractor & our Insurance Company. After many phone calls trying to tie up all the loose ends, I was done for the night. So the Lord & I had a long conversation about showing kindness and mercy to others and how a good name, integrity, & a good reputation wins favor not only with God but man. If we live godly lives with good common sense, righteous moral character, and virtuous understanding, we will find respect, helpfulness, and favorable treatment before men.