Hard words, hard people and hard situations are hard to accept. Do you or someone you know feel like they are between a rock and a hard spot? Do your options seem like they have dried up; your energy to press forward is depleted? Perhaps its time to accept the cold hard facts of where you find yourself. Reality has a way of catching up with our denial.

It is ok to be optimistic, but not to the peril of ignoring your predicament. Are emotional reactions driving your decision-making, or do you prayerfully process the facts clearly and objectively with wise input from others you trust? Do you need to give up something: your house, your car, your career, your travel or your expectations? What is the Lord asking you to give up, so that you can gain Him and His peace? Acceptance requires action.

Furthermore, there are people who require additional patience and grace to accept. Has someone wronged you to the point that your resentment is blocking your acceptance of them? You may justify your rejection of them because of their rejection of you. For example, children and parents can let us down–even devastate us–but Christians do not have the option of not accepting them for who they are. Love accepts even unworthy recipients.

Do you find yourself in a situation where you don’t feel accepted: A new job? In-laws? A new school? A new city? A new relationship” You can stew in self-pity, or you can take the initiative to reach out to your rejecters. Kindness reaches out and rejects rejection. “A man who has friends must himself be friendly” (Proverbs 18:24, NKJV).

Above all, are you willing to accept God’s call on your life? When His will is uncomfortable and uncertain, will you still go there in trust? Start by accepting Christ by faith, as your Savior and Lord, and then continue to accept His commands as evidence that you are His disciple. Acceptance of the Lord allows you to love Him and other people. Acceptance cannot continue alone, but is accelerated and accompanied by the Almighty’s grace and love.

Do I wholeheartedly accept God’s plan for my life? Who do I need to accept in love?

Related Readings: Genesis 4:7; Ecclesiastes 5:19; Romans 11:15; 1 Timothy 1:15

Jesus spent thirty years in private preparation for three years of public service. He knew the necessary need to wait on His Heavenly Father for the power of His blessing, before He embarked on His eternal mission. What passionate desire has the Lord laid on your heart that awaits you thorough preparation? Like Elijah, you first prepare an altar of sacrifice by faith, and wait on God to send forth His fire from heaven to ignite your work.

Similarly to Jesus, you probably depend on others as part of your preparation process. The creditability of John the Baptist paved the way for the “Lamb of God”. In the same way, the good reputation of trusted friends can accelerate your success. This is why it is wise to wait on the endorsement of other trusted leaders. Pay the price of being mentored, before you run ahead to your next assignment. New leaders need the old leaders approval.

Pain is another product of preparation. Until your perspective has been seasoned by adversity, your confidence has not been tempered away from arrogance and toward humility. God doesn’t waste pain, as it produces the character required to represent Christ. It’s in our hurt that we cry out in humble dependence, confession and repentance. We learn the good and the bad about ourselves in pain’s process. Pain produces patience.

Are you expecting to receive the fruit of preparation without paying the price to prepare? Ministers who prepare are endowed with power from on high. Preparation precedes anointing. Parents who prepare learn from experienced parents. Preparation precedes obedient children. Students who prepare privately are recognized publically. Preparation precedes education. Leaders who prepare their minds and hearts feel God’s favor.

What is your next step in the process of preparation? Is it to silently serve the poor, or to boldly challenge the rich? Is it to earnestly work with your hands, so you can better relate with your head? Do not dismiss thorough preparation in place of zealous shortcuts. Stay the course in Christ’s school of learning submission, as His power rests on the prepared.

“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!” (1 Kings 18:37-39).
What patient preparation do I need to complete? Am I serving others in God’s power?

Related Readings: Psalm 85:13; Amos 4:12; Ephesians 4:12; 2 Timothy 2:21

The wisdom of God goes beyond your ability to understand right and wrong. Wisdom transcends uncertainty in areas that may be unclear and murky. Wisdom asks, why do you want to do want you want to do? What is your motive? Is your drive to succeed for you, or do you strive for excellence, because it is the Lord’s expectation for you?

Wisdom sees opportunities as options to further God’s Kingdom, rather than a way to expand self-appointed power and status. The Lord is looking for other-centered people whose heart’s desire is to obey Him. Yes, books can increase your knowledge, but only God can bestow wisdom. Knowledge that just feeds pride and ego misses wisdom.

People are not impressed by what you know. They are attracted to what you do with what you know. Wisdom applies God’s perspective by transforming the human worldview. For example, you decide not to marry someone because it is not the wise thing to do. They are a nice person, intelligent; financially secure and even religious, but they lack an unselfish commitment to you and God. Wisdom waits for what’s best.

Thus, wisdom comes from God and it’s received through a heart of character. The Lord does not entrust His thoughts with someone who will prostitute His wisdom for wrong purposes. He looks for a heart of humility and honesty. A wise person prays to God and says, “I need you and I need your direction. Without your wisdom, I am lost and unclear in your ways”. Humility is the gateway to wisdom and honesty applies it well.

Your humility means you are teachable to learn from God. Your honesty means you will use God’s wisdom in an honorable way. Wisdom can be used to settle disputes between individuals or organizations. It can serve you in becoming an expert in your field. Wisdom takes knowledge, and, like paint in the hands of a gifted artist, creates beauty.

Wisdom leads you in your decision making process, so you are consistent to ask, “What is the wise thing to do?” You search the Scriptures daily and God fills your heart with wisdom. You enjoy the company of wise people; learn from their mistakes and from their wise choices. Wisdom is not microwavable, for it comes over time. Be patient. Talk to God about your need for wisdom, as He gives freely to all who ask with a humble heart.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

Am I wise to seek the Lord’s wisdom and the wisdom of His humble servants? What is the wise thing to do right now?

Related Readings: 2 Chronicles 1:11-12; Daniel 2:23; Mark 6:3; Ephesians 1:17

Doubt seeks to destroy our faith. It is in our discouragement—even despair—that we begin to question God. “What did I do wrong?” “Lord did you call me to this place of confusion?” “Where is my joy and hope?” “Are you even real or just a figment of my imagination?” Left to its natural conclusion doubt crushes our faith in Christ.

Fortunately, faith does not have to take a furlough when we are frustrated and fatigued. It is in your confinement that Christ wants to remind you of His great power. So cry out to Him in your confused circumstances and He will earnestly listen in love. “In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears” (2 Samuel 22:7). He does not leave His loved ones alone and in doubt.

It is ok to be in doubt, but it is not ok to remain in doubt. What doubts challenge your faith in God? His provision? His promises? His presence? His character? His care? When these questions assault your confidence in Christ take a step back and review His track record. The reality of your salvation set you on the productive path of peace and forgiveness. Answered prayer over the years is proof enough of His love and concern.

Furthermore, use this temporary time of distrust to go deeper with Jesus. The pressure you feel on all sides is your Savior’s way to solicit your attention. When in doubt seek out the Lord, learn to love Him completely, and discern more fully His profound promises. Use doubt to dig deeper into the truth of Scripture, marinate your mind, “Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).

When in doubt stay steadfast in seeking out your Savior. Wait on Him, especially when you wonder what’s next. Where there is true faith there may be a mixture of unbelief, so remain faithful even when questions fondle your faith. Perseverance will one day free you as a stronger and more committed follower of Christ. See Jesus for who He is–as doubt dissolves in His reassuring presence. Doubt starves to death when it’s not fed.

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever” (Psalm 146:5-6).
What doubts do I need to acknowledge and release to God? Is Christ trustworthy?

Related Readings: 2 Chronicles 33:12; Job 36:16-19; John 20:27; Jude 1:22

Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading? How will I respond?

It is important to begin with the end in mind, as your last words will be a reflection of what in life was important to you. As a follower of Jesus Christ your expressions will probably include God’s faithfulness, love of family and gratitude for your salvation. You will not be thinking about how much more money you can make, the next deal around the corner or more stuff to accumulate. Your main focus will be your loving Heavenly Father, your caring family and heaven. Last words represent lasting priorities.

These are concerns that capture us today for they will be all that matters tomorrow. Your musing on the last things tends to keep life in its proper perspective. So do you live like you are dying, or do you float through life oblivious to the obvious? Every moment counts in God’s scheme of things; life is a great rehearsal for heaven. Have you auditioned for Him? Are you playing your part with passion? What’s your Savior’s script for your life?

“Last words living” means you have thought about your obituary. When your lifeless body is horizontal and cold what do you want others to remember about you? As they respectfully walk by, what will they say? Hopefully their last words about you will be something like: “They loved God and people. Their family was priority. She could not get enough of her husband and kids. The orphanage in Africa was their family’s focus.”

“Instead of lavishing more stuff on themselves, they spent at least a week a year as a family with the poorest of the poor. He led his family to give of themselves for Christ’s sake.” You want the last conversations of others to describe your career as a means to an end, not an end for ego’s sake. You allowed your work to serve Kingdom purposes rather than selfish purposes. Your children practice generosity, because they observed your quiet, but significant giving over the years.

Make your last words the language for a lasting legacy of love for God and people. Stay engaged with God today, as He is the scriptwriter, producer and director of your life. Strive to win “God’s Oscar”, so that your last words will be a commendation of Christ’s faithfulness. At life’s end Paul said, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

Do I live like I am dying? What last words do I want to leave with my family?

Related Readings: Genesis 50:16; 2 Samuel 23:1-3; Luke 23:34; John 17:4

Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading? How will I respond?

Brutal facts are not always pretty or inviting, but they are reality. Initially brutal news may take you back and even make you feel beat up. But take heart, it is good for bad news to travel fast. You are better off to hear negative news first, before the information becomes filtered through other perspectives, or the facts fester and become worse.

Brutal facts that are not given attention move from an inflamed infection to relational and organizational gangrene. Inevitably there follows an amputation; someone or something has to be severed. This extreme action could be avoided if the brutal facts are revealed, recognized and acted upon. Brutal facts are our friends; so do not dismiss the messenger because the message is bad. He or she is just the delivery person.

Yes, the messenger’s attitude and character may not always be stellar, but the content of their words can be extremely accurate. The wise receiver of brutal facts will extract the “chaff and keep the wheat”. Brutal facts may mean you have lost touch with those who love you the most. In your zeal to provide for them, you have failed to get to know them.

A brutal fact may relate to your finances. What is the reality of your cash situation? Come clean with your spouse and seek accountability from a trusted third party. Or, the state of your physical health may be a heart attack waiting to happen. Take care of your ‘temple’ or it will take care of you by tumbling down around you. Do you rationalize that all of your activity is for the Lord? The truth is, He can get by without any of us just fine.

So where can we find these brutal facts? Your spouse, parent or friend is a good starting point. They have a vested interest in you, so normally their perception of the facts is fairly accurate. Listen with an ear to learn, but if you become defensive or argumentative they will eventually shut down. Because they care, is why they want you to be aware.

Why not change on your on terms rather than being forced to change on another’s? This is the essence of brutal facts—there are some things that need to change. You, the work culture, and your family are always in flux, so use this as an opportunity to move from mediocrity to excellence. Embrace the brutal facts, learn from them and become better.

“Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says.” (2 Samuel 7a).

Who currently has concerns that I need to seriously consider? How do I need to change?

Related Readings: 2 Kings 5:10; Haggai 1:13; Romans 9:1; 3 John 1:12-13

Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading? How will I respond?

A Christian’s quality of love for Christ makes their love for anyone else pale in comparison. The Lord expects this level of love, because He knows all other degrees of love benefit from beginning with Him. The love you have for your spouse becomes more significant when you see them through the eyes of the love they have for your Savior. Thus, marry your best friend, make sure your heart flutters and make sure they love God more than they do you.

Has love for someone else become competition to your love for Christ? If you are driven to please a person in deference to your devotion to God, everyone is disappointed. Because a person can only find full satisfaction in their Savior Jesus, and giving God your leftovers always leaves you lacking. Perhaps this means briefer relational activity at night, so you can rise earlier to experience God. Love makes time for its lover.

Picture a love triangle with the Lord at the highest point. So you love Him at the pinnacle and then your love for others flows down the other sides in an avalanche of affection. When you determine to place Jesus at the summit of your worship, your service to people is the most significant. Temporal love–driven by eternal love–feels real and robust.

You are worthy of Jesus because He makes you worthy. His death on the cross–for all who believe– is a declaration of worthiness to all disciples who take up their cross and follow Him. You find your life–by losing your life in a love relationship with the Lord.

Who are you willing to walk away from for the sake of your walk with Christ? Who or what do you love more than Him? Name it and forsake it, as your love for Jesus should have no peers. No one is worthy of the same level of love that you have for your Lord. This is idolatry, but forsaking all others is freedom. Thus–love Him first–or He is worthy. The quality of your love for God determines the quality of your love for people.

What relationship competes with my love for Christ? How does Jesus expect me to love Him?

Related Readings: Deuteronomy 33:9; Micah 7:6-7; John 21:15-19; 2 Timothy 3:4

Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading? How will I respond?

There is no need to fear, because your Heavenly Father is here. He is here to listen to your concerns. He is here to defeat the devil. He is here to heal your hurts. He is here to comfort you in a crisis. He is here to give you peace and encouragement. He is here to rebuke and correct you. He is here to give you wisdom. Your Father is here, so don’t fear.

He knows the details of your disappointments, like He knows how many hairs are on your head. You feel the stress of overwork and underpay, and you wonder if Christ will change your circumstances. He may not, at least for now, so continue to do your best and trust that in His timing He will provide. The Lord is never late.

Christ’s work is not always as convenient as we might want, but it is in the inconveniences of life that we learn to persevere. We sometimes lament that the labor is long and hard, but we can be grateful that we have the health and good fortune to work. God implores us to remain faithful during dark times, so we can be His shining light. He whispers words of admonishment to our heart, so we are able to speak with confidence His truth to tired and fearful friends.

How valuable are you to your Heavenly Father? What worth does He place on your life? If He knows and cares about the death of a sparrow, how many times more is He concerned about your cares? Embrace His interest in your body, soul and mind. The Lord’s appraisal of your life is not at a discount, but a premium. You can be sure that He sees tremendous value in you. So only fear not reaching your full potential for Him.

Have you deployed your gifts for God? You may say, “I did, but not now”. Why? If fear has frozen your faith, so that you have stopped attempting great things for God, let trust thaw out your inertia. Draw on the resources of heaven and your confidence will return. You are on assignment from Almighty God and His mission is very meaningful. Fear God, but don’t be afraid, because His will is where you walk in security and peace with Jesus.

What is the difference between fearing God and being afraid? What am I worth to God?

Related Readings: Isaiah 8:12; 41:10; John 12:42; 1 Corinthians 16:10

Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading? How will I respond?

Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ require a level of shrewdness that is pure in motivation and innocent in intentions. Christians are not to create their own naïve world; rather we engage the realities of the world with keen insights and discernment. We have been given the mind of Christ, so we can comprehend through His eyes problems and solutions.

“For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Furthermore, be on guard against those who leverage the Lord for their own agenda. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing whose cause is to use the church and Christianity to fill their coffers. These imposters of light deliver dark outcomes, instead of righteous results. Don’t be duped by those who only want to use your creditability for their cause.

“For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people” (Romans 16:8). Shrewdness is able to see past shallow words into the depth of the heart. Discernment goes deep and knows.

Is your Christianity practical and purposeful? Are you willing to suffer even when your intentions are innocent and pure? The wolves of the world do not care about Christ; they only want their way. Thus stay true to truth and transparency, and trust the Lord to keep you in times of danger and uncertainty. Be wise and walk in His ways, not the world’s .

This is why your Savior Jesus sends His shepherds to accompany you on your faith journey. Your minister of the Gospel is God’s representative to guide you. His teaching exposes lies, so you are able to apply truth and understanding to relationships. Your great shepherd is Jesus, but His ministers represent His authority and insights. Shrewdness and innocence comes to those who follow Christ and His shepherds in faith and hope.

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).

How do I balance shrewdness and innocence in negotiating business deals? How can I submit to the shepherding of the minister at my local church?

Related Readings: 2 Samuel 13:3; Micah 5:4; Luke 16:1-8; Philippians 4:7

Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading? How will I respond?

What is your motivation for giving? Is it to freely give, or is it to give expecting something in return? This is an ongoing tension for the generous giver. We give our time, our expertise, our money, our friendship, our commitment; we even give our very life, but with what expectation in mind? Disappointment follows gifts with strings attached, but gifts given freely lead to fulfillment. Can we be hilariously generous and still trust Christ?

But you may ask, what about my stewardship in giving gifts responsibly? Wise givers do give prayerfully and responsibly, but not to the exclusion of the Spirit’s leading. If the Lord is leading you to invest time and money in a person, ministry or church, then obey and trust Him with the outcomes. Everything we have is His to begin with, so He is ultimately responsible for the fruit from your generosity. He blesses His work, done His way.

Because Christ’s gifts are not conditional, our gifts are not conditional. For example, at your conversion God freely gave you His Spirit for comfort, conviction and direction. The Bible says, “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

So, even when we grieve the Spirit with our disobedience, He still remains. The gift of the Holy Spirit does not come and go from our life, as He is here to stay. His resolve to reside in our soul is reassurance that we are not alone. In the same way when people you trust are in turmoil, stay with them through the rough ride until things smooth out. Anyone can give in the good times, so be there to give when they need you the most.

Faithfulness freely gives not to gain, but to do good deeds. The Lord’s freeness to extend goodness to you compels you to freely give back goodness. Grace is a gift to be received gratefully and given liberally. Give freely and observe how much more is freely given to you. Your Heavenly Father gave you His Son, because He loves and forgives you freely.

“He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:5-7).

What are the Lord’s expectations for His gifts to me? Am I freed up to give freely?

Related Readings: 1 Chronicles 29:9; Proverbs 11:24; Romans 3:24; 1 Corinthians 2:12

Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading? How will I respond?