"Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

"Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:3-4 (NIV)

Devotion:

My faith struggles. It occurs most often when something happens in life that is beyond my understanding. My faith plunges to below sea level depth when I witness a natural disaster, a family tragedy, or another Christian's failure. In my humanness, I cannot comprehend the "Why?" Regardless of my stinkin' thinkin,' God is faithful. Scripture states the following three truths explicitly throughout the Bible.

God is faithful.

"He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!" (Deuteronomy 32:4, NLT)
God always works in our best interests.
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. (Jeremiah 29:11, AMP)

God's ways are beyond our understanding

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV).

So what do I do when my faith plummets? I need to look to the truth that is deeper than my human reality. I need to acknowledge this fact - my faith can only grow when I have to trust God without the benefit of understanding every aspect of His divine will. I also need to realize that faith fluctuates and I am not the only one that struggles with the issue of doubt.
A biblical example of a person who struggled with his faith is the disciple Thomas. Thomas spent three years with Jesus. He watched the Lord perform miracles. But still his faith floundered. Jesus never gave up on Thomas but kept encouraging him to believe and to trust.

So when my faith struggles to stay afloat in a sea of doubt, I will look to Jesus for support. I will readily admit that I do not understand the why of the situation. And I will accept that it is part of the process of growing my faith. I will hold onto our Key Verse as a faith preserver. "Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:3-4, NIV).

If your faith is struggling today, join me in the journey of faith. We can walk in encouragement together knowing we are persevering and maturing and that one day our faith will be complete, not lacking in any area.

Dear Lord, at times my faith struggles. Help me to hold

onto the truth of your Word. Allow me to remember my faith is in a state of growth in every circumstance. Grant me strength in my faith so that it may persevere and mature. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application Steps:

Copy onto note cards the following verses: Deuteronomy 32:4, Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 55:8-9, and James 1:3-4. The next time your faith feels shaky, read these verses to strengthen you. Ask God to reveal the truth of His faithfulness.

Reflections:
Are there certain areas where my faith quakes?
Do I feel guilty about my lack of faith at times?

Power Verses:
Romans 10:17, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." (NIV)
1 Peter 1:7, "Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory." (MSG)

BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!

DAWN

DIVINE DELAYS

There are times when we pray about something maybe once, perhaps twice, even three times, and if we don't receive an answer in the affirmative, then we give up and assume that it must not be God's will.

But Jesus taught His disciples "that they should always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1 NIV).
We need to understand that when we pray, a spiritual battle is raging behind the scenes. In the Book of Daniel, we find an interesting story in which Daniel offered his request before God and the answer finally came. An angel appeared to him and said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me. . . . " (Daniel 10:12–13 NLT)

It may be that you have asked God for something in your life that He wants to do. Just because it has not happened yet does not mean that it will never happen. God's delays are not necessarily His denials.

Clearly, there are some prayers the devil will oppose more than others. For example, when you pray for someone's salvation, you need to know that it is a spiritual battle. The last thing the devil wants to do is to release one of his captives.

In April 2003, U.S. military forces undertook a courageous operation to rescue Jessica Lynch, a soldier whose unit had been ambushed and captured during the Iraqi invasion. These soldiers risked their lives to save this prisoner of war and recover the bodies of eight other American soldiers.

In the same way, the devil has prisoners of war. And the only way people can be freed from spiritual bondage is when the power of Satan is bound. That is why, when we pray for a person's salvation, we need to pray that God will open his or her eyes so they will see their need for Jesus Christ. We can't give up.

One of the classic stories of persistent prayer is that of the Syro-Phoenician woman, a non-Jew who came to Jesus and asked Him to touch her demon-possessed daughter and deliver her. Jesus said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs" (Matthew 15:26). But instead of taking offense, she replied, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table" (verse 27).

Jesus was so impressed with her response that He said, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire" (verse 28). The Bible says her daughter was healed from that very hour.
What do we learn from this story? Jesus was not putting up barriers to keep her away, but to draw her closer—barriers that genuine, persistent faith could hurdle. Her faith was so great that even a tiny leftover of Jesus' power, in her estimation, would be enough to deliver her daughter.
Jesus urges us to be persistent in our prayers: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7–8). If you were to directly translate these very familiar words of Jesus, it would sound something like this: "Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. . . . "

Jesus also said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11). This reminds us of the intimacy and fellowship we have with God. Jesus taught the disciples to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name" (Matthew 6:9). When we bring our requests before God, we need to remember that we are speaking to our Father.

You see, it is His will to give you the things that you need in your life. Maybe you have been praying about something and there has not been an answer. Maybe there has been an interruption. Remember this: sometimes, an interruption is actually the intervention of God. Disappointment can be His appointment. So don't give up.

BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!

DAWN

DEFEATING THE ENEMY (PART 1)

As Goliath moved...to attack, David quickly ran...to meet him." 1 Samuel 17:48

The Bible says, "For forty days, twice a day" (1 Samuel 17:16) Goliath mocked the children of Israel. Now your giant may not wear armor and brandish a sword, but he'll taunt you day and night about unpaid bills, past sins, a failing marriage, or a job you detest. Goliath's ancestors had been Israel's enemies and Joshua annihilated them all - except the inhabitants of Gath where Goliath hailed from. Why is that important to note? Because if you leave your old enemy a leg to stand on he'll rise to fight again.

Maybe you're dealing with issues your parents and grandparents grappled with - things like addiction, divorce, anger and depression. When the Israelites "heard the Philistine's challenge, they were terrified and lost all hope" (1 Samuel 17:11). If that's how you feel, do what David did, "As Goliath moved closer to attack, David...ran out to meet him."

Max Lucado writes: "We retreat behind a desk, or crawl into a nightclub, or a bed of forbidden love. For a moment we feel safe, insulated, anesthetized, but then the work runs out, the liquor wears off, the lover leaves, and we hear Goliath again...Rush your giant with a God-saturated soul! [TELL HIM] "Giant of divorce you aren't entering my home, depression you won't conquer me, alcohol, bigotry, child abuse, insecurity...you're going down." When was the last time you picked up your sling and ran towards the roar? The Bible says, "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard [flag of victory] against him" (Isaiah 59:19). God has given you the power to fight this battle and w in - use it!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9


BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!

DAWN

TRUE TOLERANCE

I find it ironic that those who tell us we need to be tolerant are very intolerant of the gospel. In fact, the most intolerant people seem to be those who are always telling you to be tolerant. I have heard the complaint that Christians are so intolerant, yet I don't think that is true at all.

I think Christians are the most tolerant people of all, because we want to reason with those who have a different belief system than ours or live a different lifestyle than we live. Yes, we believe in absolute truth and believe in it unapologetically. But I have found that people who are the most intolerant are the ones who say, "I don't like the fact that you believe in absolute truth, and I am tolerant of everyone except you. I want you to shut up. I don't want you to state your views." What happened to all their tolerance? Where is the so-called love?

To proclaim that Jesus Christ is the only way to God will offend some people. But we proclaim it because the Bible clearly teaches it. This is what we call an essential, a nonnegotiable. Jesus stated it as succinctly as it could be stated when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). When we state that as fact, it will offend certain people.

When a physician discovers a problem with a patient's health, he or she must tell the truth, even if it could upset the patient. As Christians, we must tell the truth about a person's condition, which, according to the Bible, is sinful. We must explain the problem and then offer the solution through Jesus Christ. And this will offend some people.


BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!

DAWN

The Lord calls us to share His truth with others, but oftentimes our actions and attitude completely contradict the words that are coming out of our mouths. This is an area in which we all seem to struggle from time to time.

Every day, every one of us communicates something to someone. We send messages by what we say and by what we don’t say, by what we do and by what we don’t do. For example, if a father quietly decides to stop tithing his income, he is sending a loud message to his children. Without ever opening his mouth, he is declaring, “Kids, you can’t trust the Lord with your money. God isn’t faithful to meet your needs, so you better hold on to as much as you possibly can.” Is that the message you want to pass on to your children?

You might argue, “Well, I’m not really a tither, but I would never tell my kids that you can’t trust God.” Yet you have already sent an unspoken message loud and clear. What people—especially children—witness in our behavior speaks much louder than what we actually say with our mouths.

The apostle Paul understood what powerful lessons we teach by our actions. For this reason, he made sure he modeled the right behavior and values for his spiritual children to emulate (2 Thess. 3:7-9).

It is not an issue of whether or not we will communicate a message. Rather, the issue is, What kind of message are you already communicating? Search yourself for any disparity between what you say and what you do, and choose to share a complete, unified message of hope with the world READ James 2:14-18

BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!

DAWN

MATTERS OF THE HEART

Is a Christian entitled to self-defense? If that is the case, how does that work with the
teaching of Jesus that we are to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile? Should a true follower of Jesus be a complete pacifist? Or can a Christian actually be in favor of war? More specifically, can a Christian, in good conscience, serve in the military or as a law enforcement officer?

These questions have been asked for hundreds of years, and they are valid questions. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), Jesus deals with this issue and far more.
Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount to His disciples. Its standards are not those by which a society is governed as much as they are principles by which a true follower of Jesus is to live. The real theme of the Sermon on the Mount is simply this: the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.

That is why Jesus saved His most scathing words not for tax collectors or for prostitutes, but for Pharisees. He told them, "Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (Matthew 23:28). Jesus was looking at their hearts. And God is still looking at human hearts today.

Have you ever actually wanted to kill someone? Has someone ever made you so angry that you almost could have? Let me put it another way: Have you ever driven on a freeway during rush hour? Let's be honest. We have all felt that kind of anger. This is why we are warned about going "in the way of Cain" in Jude 1:11. Cain was a murderer. His murderous motive started with envy when he saw that God accepted his brother Abel's sacrifice over his. That envy ultimately led to murder. And that is why we have to nip these things in the bud.

Jesus said, "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment" (Matthew 5:22). The word Jesus used for "angry" in this verse means a settled anger, malice that is nursed inwardly. Jesus was speaking of people who become bitter and then develop a grudge and nurse it. They are not letting go. Every day, they are fueling the fire.

This is wrong. And this actually can lead to the kind of sin Jesus was referring to.
There are times when anger is proper. There is such a thing as righteous indignation. Certainly Jesus demonstrated that when He drove the moneychangers out of the temple, not once but twice. Of course, there is also wicked anger. This is the kind of anger where we let something settle in and turn into hatred. According to 1 John 3:15, "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."
Anger is murder in the heart, just as lust is adultery in the heart. Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment' " (Matthew 5:21). In the original language, the word used in this verse for "murder" is very specific.

Sometimes people will quote this verse and say, "It is a sin to kill. That is why there should be no wars and no one should ever use a gun or try to defend their lives." But the Bible does not say that. Rather, it says, "You shall not murder." Let's understand the difference. All murder is killing, but not all killing is necessarily murder. There are times when killing is acceptable, though not desirable. The Bible makes allowance for war. Throughout the Old Testament, there were many occasions when God told the Israelites to go to war. So there is a place for peace and a place for war. There is a place for the use of force and a place for turning the other cheek.
Jesus was not refuting capital punishment or the proper use of force, but He was essentially saying, "You pride yourselves on the fact that you have never actually murdered someone. But have you ever wanted, in your heart, to kill someone?"

If we only focus on the outward, we won't get to the real issue:

Righteousness is a matter of the heart.

BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!

DAWN

HONESTLY............

Devotion:

I think we all get to a place sometimes in our life where we have to honestly assess, "How I am doing?" It's not really a conversation I have with a friend or family member. It's one of those middle of the night contemplations where there's no one to fool. There's no glossing over the realities staring me in the face. I know certain things about myself need to change but it's easier to make excuses than tackle them head on. Rationalizations are so appealing: I'm good in every other area. I make so many sacrifices already.I need this comfort in this season of life- I'll deal with it later. I just can't give this up. The Bible doesn't specifically say this is wrong.

It's not really a problem, if I really wanted to make a change, I could - I just don't want to right now. Oh for heaven's sake, everyone has issues, so what if this is mine?And on and on. But excuses always get me no where fast. This is especially true for me in the area of healthy eating. Even if that's not your issue, I suspect this same script of rationalization has played out in your mind over other things. So, the cycle continues day after day, week after week, year after year.

A whole lifetime could be spent making excuses, giving in, feeling guilty, resolving to do better, mentally beating myself up for not sticking to my resolve, feeling like a failure, and then resigning that things can't change. And I don't want to spend a lifetime in this cycle. Nothing will change until I make the choice to change. I have to want it, spiritually, physically and mentally.

The battle really is in all three areas: Spiritually: In Colossians 3 1-5 we are told to set our minds and our hearts on things above. In order to do this, we have to put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature which sets itself up as an idol in my life. Idolatry is trying to get my needs met outside the will of God. Bingo. Can't deny it. This described food for me at times. Again, it wasn't a huge problem where I was medically in danger. But, any idolatry, no matter how small is a problem. Physically: According to an extensive study done by Northwestern University, calorie restriction is the key ingredient for managing weight issues. Of course, they state that exercise is also important but good nutrition is crucial. Bingo. Can't deny it. It does matter what I eat. My weight is a reflection of what I consume. Mentally: Don't settle. Don't compromise. What happens when you cut the "com" off of the word compromise? You're left with a "promise." We were made for more than compromise. We were made for God's promises in all areas of our life. Honestly. I am made for more than a vicious cycle of eating, gaining, stressing - eating, gaining, stressing... I am made to rise up, do battle with my issues, and using the Lord's strength in me, defeat them - spiritually, physically, and mentally - to the glory of God.
;
Dear Lord, help me be courageous enough to speak honestly

to You and to myself in those areas I'm giving in to compromise.

Show me how to rely on Your strength for more self-discipline

in my life - not for my glory but for Yours. In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Application Steps:
So, how are you doing spiritually, physically, and mentally? Decide today to set your mind on things above and ask God to reveal to you an area in which He wants to usher you to victory. It will take prayer. It will take faith. And it will take the encouragement of a friend.

Reflections:
What issue do I have that consumes way too much of my mental energy and produces stress in my life? Why not start tackling it today? How might I apply the insights from this devotion to my particular situation?

Power Verses:
1 Timothy 4:16, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." (NIV)

Philippians 1:25-26, "Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." (NIV)

Psalm 27:8, "My heart says of you, 'Seek his face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek." (NIV)

BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!

DAWN