FAVOUR

'WILL THE REAL JESUS PLEASE STAND UP?'

2026-07-23T01:41:33.312+01:00

'By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.' John 13:35 KJV

Have you seen the poster depicting three men, each representing a different version of Jesus? The first looks like an uncouth mountain man, the second is tanned and athletic, the third is a slight, meek-mannered character. The caption underneath says, 'Will the real Jesus please stand up?' In John 13, the real Jesus stands up. He tells us what He is all about and what He wants us to be all about - and it's love!

In the upper room, Jesus recognised that His time was short. The cross was looming, Judas was about to betray Him, and He had to prepare His disciples to continue without Him. It's like asking a pastor, 'If you had one last sermon, what would it be?' Or asking a teacher, 'What great truth would you most like to convey to your students?' Or asking parents, 'If you could tell your kids only one thing, what would it be?' Jesus spells it out: 'I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you...By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another' (vv 34-35 KJV). Like a last will and testament, Jesus' final message is important not only because of its content but because of its tone and timing. It sums up His life and our responsibility to God and to others - to love them!

Now, since love isn't what you say but what you do - today go out and find practical ways to express God's love to those you meet. They will feel good, and you will too.

START LIVING ON PURPOSE

2026-07-21T17:21:32.633+01:00

"Those who help others are helped." Proverbs 11:25 MSG

One of the best ways to keep your life in balance and stay on track spiritually is to share what you know with others. The Bible says, 'Those who help others are helped.' As you pass along your insights, you will get more insights from God. Paul challenges Timothy, 'Now I want you to tell these same things to followers who can be trusted to tell others' (2 Timothy 2:2 CEV).

If you know people who haven't yet discovered their God-given purpose in life, it's your job to share with them what has been shared with you. For example, don't just read this devotional and keep it to yourself; share it with friends. The more you know, the more God expects you to use that knowledge to help others. That's how things are supposed to work in His Kingdom. James writes, 'Anyone who knows the right thing to do, but does not do it, is sinning' (James 4:17 NCV). In other words, increased knowledge brings increased responsibility. Passing along the purpose of life to others is more than just an obligation; it's one of our greatest privileges. Imagine how different the world would be if everyone knew their calling. That's why Paul writes, 'If you teach these things to other followers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus' (1 Timothy 4:6 CEV).

Not only does God want us to live out His purpose, but He also wants us to help others do the same. That is what assignment-centred living is all about. Regardless of your age, the rest of your life can be the best of your life if you will do this one thing - start living on purpose!

GOD CAN CANCEL YOUR PAST

2026-07-18T09:59:49.063+01:00

"He cancelled the record of the charges against us." Colossians 2:14 NLT

Jesus 'cancelled the record of the charges against us...by nailing it to the cross.' The word 'cancel' means to remove, to neutralise, to offset something. Have you ever got most of the way through a project and wished you could start over? Suppose you were painting the lounge, and you stepped back and looked at the colour on the sample chart. On the wall, however, it doesn't look the same. You wish you could redo it.

Many of us feel that way about life, as one author describes it: 'I've made so many mistakes. I wish I could just wipe them out and start over.' Failures, problems, bad decisions - we have all suffered from them. But some people can't let go of the past and, as a result, they let their past limit their present opportunities. They live in a constant state of regret, continually lamenting, "If only I hadn't done that" or "If only I had made these changes." They repeatedly second-guess themselves. And they are tormented by painful memories. "I blew it, and I'm going to be paying for it for the rest of my life." You may choose to carry guilt, but you don't have to! The moment you put your trust in Christ. He 'cancels the record' of your past. Actually, you no longer have a past; you only have a future! You can lay down, once and for all, your heavy load of guilt, old hurts, and memories of mistakes.

Jesus 'took it away by nailing it to the cross'. God has promised to 'blot out your sins...and will never think of them again' (Isaiah 43:25 NLT). You must too!

DON'T COMPETE, AND DON'T COMPARE

2026-07-16T08:46:20.284+01:00

"He alone decides which gift each person should have." 1 Corinthians 12:11 (NLT)

In Scripture, the church is never described as a democracy. Certainly, every person deserves equal treatment in terms of kindness, love, and respect; but as our God-given assignments differ, so do our gifts. 'It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. ' Pay close attention to the words 'He alone decides.' Parents want to see all their children succeed in life. But they also need to recognise that just as children's individual talents differ, so do their unique destinies. That's why it's a mistake to compete with or compare yourself to somebody else.

The Bible says, 'God was validating it with gifts...as he saw fit' (Hebrews 2:4 MSG). Don't question and second-guess God; He knows what He is doing and never makes mistakes. Even among His twelve disciples, Jesus had an inner circle. He took Peter, James, and John up the Mount of Transfiguration and sent the others into town to work. He didn't feel obligated to take everybody up the mountain so nobody would feel slighted. Does that mean He loves one person more than another? No, the experience Peter, James, and John had on the mountaintop that day was part of their training for the assignment Jesus was calling them to.

There is a lesson here. You have to move beyond other people's opinion. God made you for a special purpose; He has a job for you that nobody else can do as well as you. When you know that something is right for you, do it and trust God to vindicate you in the eyes of others.

STAND IN FAITH

2026-07-14T20:10:38.495+01:00

"All things are possible to him who believes." Mark 9:23

One day a distraught father came to Jesus and said, 'My son...frequently...he falls into the fire and...the water...I brought him to your disciples, and they were not able to cure him' (Matthew 17:15-16). Notice, he never once said, 'Maybe my son inherited this problem from me' or 'Perhaps if I had raised him differently.' No, he dumped the responsibility onto the disciples, who were themselves in training. Whenever we're in trouble, we like to blame the pastor, the church, our spouse, our boss, our family, our looks, our social status, or find some other excuse. We're unable or unwilling to admit that we stuck our own hand in the fire or almost drowned by jumping in headfirst when we couldn't swim.

After Jesus healed the boy, His disciples asked Him, 'Why can't we do the things you do? (Mathew 17:19). That's like asking, 'Why isn't my situation changing?' when we haven't brought the problem to God, prayed about it, and trusted in His transformative power. Jesus replied, 'Because your faith is too small' (Mathew 17:20). Sometimes you need the kind of faith that makes you seem a little weird; the kind that doesn't care whether or not you fit in. That's the kind of faith that made Noah say, 'Even though there has never been rain and nobody in my generation believes, I'm still going to do what God said.' As a result, he came out on top! Paul writes, 'Having done all...stand' (Ephesians 6:13). Stand on what? Stand on what God has told you in His word, because ultimately, it's the thing that will work.

DON'T BE A MUDSLINGER

2026-07-11T16:12:38.385+01:00

"The slinger surrounded and attacked it." 2 Kings 3:25

In the Old Testament times, 'slingers' were people who defeated others by slinging stones, blocking their wells by throwing mud and rocks into them - wells of water that were essential to their survival. Today, mudslingers are people who make malicious attacks against others. Now chances are that you may have encountered some 'mudslingers' yourself, and even suffered at their hands. What should you do? Avoid them because they're dangerous. You can't mud wrestle with a pig without getting dirty. Not only will the pig win - he will enjoy the fight! And if you yourself have become a slinger, here is a portion of Scripture you would do well to read and keep in mind: "Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." Isaiah 58:9-11.

Now there is a benefit package worth working for! So, guard your thoughts because they become your words. Guard your words because they become your actions. Guard your actions because they become your character. And guard your character because it determines the level of God's blessing in your life. So, here is the word: don't be a mudslinger.

SHEPHERD YOUR PEOPLE

2026-07-07T20:24:15.615+01:00

Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands (Micah 7:14).

You and I are called to be shepherds in the workplace. Your "staff" (vocation) represents your calling to your work life ministry. Moses’ staff represented his calling as a shepherd. God’s first words to Moses were: "Remove your shoes. For this is Holy ground." God came to Moses during his workday. His work became holy because God’s presence was there.
God used Moses’ staff to perform miracles and deliver the people of Israel from bondage. (Ex. 4:17). He is still issuing this same call today to you and I in the workplace. For most of us, this is where our inheritance lies. As we minister through our work life call, our inheritance will come as a result of letting God use our abilities. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:23,24: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
What makes our work holy is the motivation by which we do it. If we work to glorify God in it and serve others in the process, that is what makes it ministry. The word ministry and service are derived from the same Greek word, diakonia.
Those in the workplace are like a remnant of a wayward people in a forest awaiting harvest. It is a fertile pasture awaiting a shepherd who can lead them into a life of purpose and destiny. Will you be the instrument of God to shepherd His people out of bondage?
Ask the Lord to use your "staff" to perform miracles and to become a shepherd to those He has called you to lead. Why not start today?

LIVING FOR A CAUSE GREATER THAN YOURSELF

2026-06-30T16:35:26.741+01:00

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13

In the thirteenth century, a man named William Wallace became the instrument of freedom from England's tyranny over Scotland. A very wicked king ruled England. A tragedy in the life of William Wallace launched him into living for this cause. Initially his cause was revenge, but soon his cause turned to something bigger than himself - freedom for a nation. When he challenged the commoners to fight for this freedom, they responded that the enemy was too great and that they might die on the battlefield. They also refused to fight for the nobles, the knights, and leaders who had a vested interest in gaining more land for themselves versus a pure cause of freedom. Wallace's response: "Yes, we might die. We will all die sooner or later. But we will die for a cause worth dying for. So that our children and their children might live in freedom." This story was popularized in the movie Brave Heart (Sherman Oaks, California: Paramount Pictures, 1995).
Today we find many Christian workplace believers living a status quo relationship with God that is more characterized as "business as usual" than a life demonstrating God's power. Our focus is often more concerned with improving our standard of living than improving the Kingdom of God through our circle of influence. While this takes place, millions upon millions die without the saving grace of Christ. Many other Christians die never experiencing the freedom in Christ that His blood paid for. God has called each of us to live for a cause greater than ourselves - a life that is dependent on His grace and power to achieve things we never thought possible through our lives. This is His plan for your life. The apostle Paul prayed that He might experience the power of the resurrection in his life. This power is available to you and me to live for a cause greater than ourselves. Ask God what He wants to achieve through your life today. And consider yourself dead already to the consequences of what that might mean for you.

COMING OUT OF EGYPT

2026-06-25T23:09:11.111+01:00

“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Rom. 6:17-18).

Becoming a new person in Christ is part of a life-long journey that begins at conversion. Before coming to Christ, we were living (in a metaphorical sense) in Egypt, in the land of bondage. Just as the people of Israel toiled as slaves in Egypt, we were slaves to sin and worldly ambition.

Before we came to Christ, we sweated and toiled to build our career and acquire material possessions. Work was our idol. Greed was our taskmaster. We may have had all the trappings of power in the business world – a corner office, a staff of our own, a key to the executive washroom – but we were living as a slave in the land of Egypt. We didn’t run our career; our career ran us.

Jesus once said, “No servant can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13). In the original language, the word translated “money” was an Aramaic word, Mammon. This does not refer merely to money as a medium of exchange but also to a demonic spirit designed to promote a mind-set of ambition for riches, power, and worldly gain. The word is capitalized in the original text because the people of Jesus’ day thought of Mammon as a false god. Jesus was saying that those who spend their lives seeking worldly gain are idolaters. No one can serve two masters. No one can worship both the true God and a false god.

We cannot experience the grace that God gives to His children because we are too busy striving for riches and enslaved to Mammon. The only way we can be free is to turn away from Mammon and allow the one true God to transform us into a different person.

Ask yourself today if your life is best represented as Egypt or the Promised Land.

A QUESTION OF OWNERSHIP

2026-06-23T18:22:19.172+01:00

"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." - Matthew 10:39

Otto Koning was a missionary in New Guinea. He worked among a native tribe that had known only their village ways. One of those village ways was stealing from others. When Otto and his wife arrived and moved into a hut, the natives often came by to visit. The Konings would notice that after the natives left the missionaries' home, various household items had disappeared. They saw these items again when they went to preach in the natives' village.
The only fruit Otto could grow on the island was pineapples. Otto loved pineapples, and he took pride in the pineapples he was able to grow. However, whenever the pineapples began to ripen, the natives would steal them. Otto could never keep a ripe pineapple for himself. This was a frustration, and he became angry with the natives. All during the seven-year period in which this took place, Otto preached the gospel to these natives, but never had a conversion.
The more the natives stole, the angrier Otto became. Finally, one day, Otto had a German Shepherd dog flown in from another missionary to protect his pineapple garden after other frustrated efforts failed. This only further alienated the natives from him.
Otto took a furlough to the United States and attended a conference on personal rights. At this conference, he discovered that he was frustrated over this situation because he had taken personal ownership of his pineapple garden. After much soul searching, he gave his garden to God. Soon, the natives started having problems among their tribe. They discovered that Otto was the reason for their problems because he gave his garden to his God. The natives saw a correlation between what Otto had done and their own lives being affected by calamities in their village. When Otto gave his garden to God, he no longer got angry and was free from worry. The natives started bringing him fruit from the garden because they didn't want any more calamities to come into their village.
The light came on one day when a native said to Otto, "You must have become a Christian, Otto. You don't get angry anymore. We always wondered if we would ever meet a Christian." They had never associated Otto with the kind of person he was preaching about because his message did not line up with his life. Otto was broken in spirit when he realized he had been such a failure.
At the end of seven years, he witnessed his first conversion, and many began coming to Christ once he fully gave his garden to God. The fruit grew so abundant that Otto began exporting it and growing other types of fruit, such as bananas. His village became the most evangelized in the whole region, yet for seven years, he had not one convert.
Otto realized something each of us must realize: To gain your life, you must lose it, along with your possessions. It was only when he gave all his possessions to God that he became free from them. God measured back to him manifold once He had complete ownership.
Do you have some possessions that you need to give up to God today? Let God have all that you have. Become a steward, not an owner. You will be surprised at how well God can take care of His possessions.

Listening To The Father’s Heart

2026-06-21T16:44:25.343+01:00

"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you". Matthew 6:28-33

Son, I marvel at the unbelief that many of my sons and daughters exhibit. They worry and fret over the smallest of matters. Can they not see how much order there is in the universe? Can they not see how the animal kingdom balances out life? Can they not see how the seas remain in their boundaries? Can they not understand how precisely I positioned the sun from the earth? Sometimes my creation cries out through storms and natural disasters, but even this is a part of the natural order of things that you cannot fully understand at this time. Worry is a fruit of unbelief. It says you don’t believe I am there. It says you must depend on yourself. Release all your cares to me. Rest in the knowledge that I am a Father who cares and will respond to your needs.

FAITH IS SPELLED R.I.S.K

2026-06-18T18:06:15.936+01:00

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" (Matt 14:29-30).

Jesus told Peter to get out of the boat. There is always a risk when we attempt something never done before. Naysayers seem to come out of the woodwork. Why? Because it’s not their vision, it’s yours. Sometimes we fail the first time out. It’s a fact that most entrepreneurs fail before they are really successful.
"Success," said Winston Churchill, "is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Everybody fails. It’s part of the process that leads us to maturity and success. Most successful entrepreneurs don’t think of their failures as defeats. They think of them as lessons.
If you hope to succeed, learn everything you can from your failures. In The Three Success Secrets of Shamgar, Orlando Magic executive Pat Williams observed, "Our experiences may not all be triumphs and successes, but so what? Failure is usually a far better teacher than success—if we are willing to learn the lessons. As Houston Astros pitcher Larry Dierker observed, ‘Experience is the best teacher, but a hard grader. She gives the test first, the lesson later.’"[1]
God never gets mired in our past failures. He is constantly viewing our lives with future success in mind. "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland" (Isa. 43:19). Someone once said, "When your memories are bigger than your dreams, you’re headed for the grave." God wants to give us new dreams that are bigger than anything that has ever happened to us in the past.
Don’t let past failures keep you from future successes.

[1] Pat Williams and Jay Strack, The Three Success Secrets of Shamgar (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc., 2004), p. 103.

RECEIVING YOUR INHERITANCE

2026-06-16T17:59:29.506+01:00

“But the Danites had difficulty taking possession of their territory, so they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it….” – Joshua 19:47

What is the spiritual inheritance God has reserved for you? When God told the Israelites they were going to receive the Promised Land, it was not given to them on a silver platter. In fact, they would encounter 39 battles in taking the land God promised to them. It took a joint effort between God and the Israelites to engage and battle the enemy that maintained control of the land.

God has given you and me a spiritual inheritance that must be won in the heavenlies. A dear friend and mentor once counseled me after watching my life over a period and said, “The Lord has given you a spiritual inheritance. That inheritance lies in relationships, and because it lies in relationships, that is the place the enemy has attacked you most. The enemy always attacks us in the area where we are to receive our inheritance. You must walk in faithfulness and obedience to His righteousness in how you deal with relationships.” These were words of wisdom that have since guided my path. The Lord has proven these words to be true.

What is the spiritual inheritance He has reserved for you? What areas of your inheritance must you take possession of? The enemy of your soul does not want you to take possession. Put on your armor and begin walking in obedience into the areas God has called you to possess.

FAITH VERSUS PRESUMPTION

2026-06-11T08:12:29.739+01:00

"So she said to Abram, 'The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.' Abram agreed to what Sarai said." - Genesis 16:2

Presumption is based on our own reasoning. Abraham and Sarah fell into presumption when they got too old to have children. God had promised a son to Abraham and Sarah - a son who would fulfill His promise to birth a nation. But Abraham and Sarah were past the normal age for childbearing. So, they concluded that God needed help to work out His plan.
Many workplace believers make the same mistake every day. We make assumptions about what we believe God is doing and wants us to do. However, before we really have full assurance that God has spoken to us on the matter and revealed His perfect action plan, we move forward with our steps to get it done. How do we protect ourselves from presumption? The Proverbs tell us that there is safety in a multitude of counselors (see Prov. 11:14 KJV). Submitting our decisions to others for confirmation protects each of us from the deceit of our own heart. This process will protect us from presumption and encourage us to move in faith. The next time you believe God is directing you toward a specific action, consult with your spouse first, then some close, spiritual friends who will take the time to prayerfully consider your request. If you don't have consensus, wait until you do before you move forward. God will move through this process to His desired will for the matter.

YOUR TESTIMONY

2026-06-09T10:12:54.181+01:00

"I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony." - John 3:11

Over the last several years, I have seen two distinct types of Christian workplace believers. One type enthusiastically teaches their Bible knowledge to others. These people, though they may be genuine in their motive, lack one essential ingredient to being effectively used by God - a testimony. The second type of people I have encountered has a genuine testimony of what God is doing and continues to do in their lives. This was the case in the early Church. Men and women were able to give powerful testimony of events and experiences that could only be explained as a work of God.
God desires to build a testimony in each of us. Each of us is one of God's chosen vessels to reflect His power in and through us. When others see this power reflected, they are impacted because they cannot explain that power. God desires to frame your life with experiences designed to reflect the character and nature of Christ. Sometimes these events can be very devastating, but they are designed to reveal His power in and through us.
Every one of us has a testimony. What would others say your testimony is today? Can others see God's work in your life? Is your testimony one of Bible knowledge only? Are things happening in your life that can only be explained as God? These can be problematic questions for each of us. Ask God to build a testimony of His life in and through you today.

FORGIVENESS ENSURES FREEDOM

2026-06-06T08:56:16.771+01:00

"See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." - Hebrews 12:15

In business and life, the opportunity to harbor bitterness for a wrong suffered is great. We are given plenty of opportunities to grow bitter from relationships that bring hurt and pain. The writer of the Hebrews passage above admonishes us not to miss the grace of God so that we won't take up bitterness as a response to life's pain. He cautions us against this because he knows that a bitter root grows and grows until it eventually defiles many others through a wake of bitterness. If bitterness is allowed to take root, we become imprisoned by it. God's grace will no longer have as great an effect in our lives. We become ineffective, insensitive, and spiritually dead. We can even become physically ill from it. God does not live in bitterness. He lives in grace. He has provided grace for every person to walk in.
One day, I was challenged to deal with an individual who hurt me terribly. I was faced with a decision. Would I choose bitterness, or would I choose grace? Oh, how my natural tendency was to choose bitterness. But God provided the courage to choose grace. With that grace came freedom - a freedom to love and even accept the person who was the source of such pain.
This is the real place where Christ's power is most revealed. We cannot live without His supernatural grace. Are you in need of grace today? It is there for the receiving. It will take courage to accept it and walk in it. This will be your step to freedom.

A NEW REMNANT OF PRIESTS

2026-06-04T08:20:39.335+01:00

"Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards." - Isaiah 61:5

God is calling forth a remnant of workplace believers whom He will use mightily to bring good news to those who have never heard the gospel. The "10/40 Window" is commonly referred to as those areas of the world where no one has heard the name of Jesus Christ. This region represents many of the Muslim nations in the Middle East, India, China, and the former Soviet Republics. If Christian missionaries are not welcome in these countries, how do you suppose God plans to bring His message to these people? Certainly, He loves these people just as much as He loves us.
God is mobilizing His workplace believers around the world to be the vessels who will bring the good news to these people. These countries welcome commerce, and in most cases, this represents the only way to bring the gospel to these nations. In these countries, workplace believers are often viewed as those who have corrupt morals. However, God wants to change this. The "Joshuas and Calebs" are spying out the land. This class of workplace believers has a pioneer spirit that is seeking ways of penetrating strongholds of spiritual darkness in these countries. God is raising them up. They see the risks, but they see the awesomeness of God that enables them to accomplish something for His Kingdom by using their resources and talents.
And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of their shame, My people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs ( Isaiah 61:6-7).
Workplace believers in these nations will be called priests of the Lord. They will feed on the wealth of these nations. The wealth of these nations are the souls who are precious in God's sight. Salvations will be their true reward as a result of their efforts. No longer will the shame many of these people live under rule their lives. God will set them free.
Has God called you to be such a vessel? Has He called you to be a catalyst in some way? Ask your heavenly Father if He might want you to affect nations for Him.

PREPARATION FOR GREATNESS

2026-06-02T08:18:52.177+01:00

"He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze." - 2 Samuel 22:35

David was a mighty warrior, and God described him as a man after His own heart. God took David through a training ground that could be looked on as cruel and unusual punishment by many a person. God chose him at a young age to be the next king, yet King Saul rejected him and hunted him down. David was a fugitive for many years. He had uprisings in his own family, and he had relationship problems. He had a life of extreme ups and downs. He certainly did not have a life free of problems; he made mistakes. He was human like all of us, yet he learned from his mistakes and repented when he failed. This was David's training ground; it made the man. Without these hardships, it is doubtful David would have accomplished what he did.
Toward the end of David's life, he recounted his relationship with God. It is a sermon on God's ways of dealing with a servant leader.
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me Your shield of victory; You stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn (2 Samuel 22:33-37).
God was David's source for everything. God gave him the ability to achieve the many extraordinary things in his life. It was a lifelong training ground that moved him from one plateau to another, often dropping into a ravine of despair and hopelessness from time to time. These are God's ways. They drive us deeper and deeper into the heart of Him who has prepared a way for us. Let God take you to the heights or depths He desires for you. He never promised smooth sailing during the trip, but He did promise to be the captain and companion along the way.

STRIVING VERSUS ABIDING

2026-05-30T08:58:34.574+01:00

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain." - Psalm 127:1a

What does it mean for the Lord to build the house? It almost seems a contradiction when we consider that we might be the builders in this passage. God wants us to allow Him to build the house. He explains further:
"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for He grants sleep to those He loves" (Psalm 127:1-2).
God is telling us there is a way of working without striving. There is a way to conduct business without sweating and toiling for outcome. His warning to each of us is to avoid thinking that outcome is based on our sweat and toil. Outcome is based on obedience. That outcome is sometimes more than we deserve. Sometimes it is less than we hoped for. His desire for each of us is to see Him working in our daily work life. He wants us to avoid looking to our own effort to gain an outcome.
One day, Jesus called out to Peter from the shore of the lake and suggested he throw his net on the other side of the boat. It was this simple act of obedience that yielded a tremendous catch that he would not have received unless he obeyed.
We are called to work; He is called to bring forth the fruit. He is the vine. We are the branches. Fruit comes forth naturally from a healthy tree.
Today, ask God to show you when you enter into striving. Ask Him to show you the difference between loving trust and obedience and striving for outcome. It can be challenging for us to balance this in our daily work experience. He wants to help us walk in this freedom and rest.

DISCERNING THE WORK OF GOD

2026-05-28T03:47:09.657+01:00

"Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me." - Nehemiah 6:14

Nehemiah set out to rebuild the wall at Jerusalem that had been destroyed. Nehemiah held a position in the Persian Empire that would be comparable to Chief of Staff in our government. Nehemiah wept over the destruction of the city wall and repented for the sins of his generation and the generations before him that had led to the fall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah responded to the news by seeking approval from his superior to take time off to rebuild the wall. Tobiah and Sanballat met Nehemiah's action with resistance, as did Noadiah the prophetess and other prophets. These were the religious and political leaders of his day. They became distractions to his work and opposed him.
Whenever God does a new work, it is often met with resistance by those in the established religious community, and sometimes among those from whom we would expect support. Jesus met the same resistance when He began His public ministry. This same phenomenon happens today. When God begins a new work that cannot be easily explained based upon prior experiences, many make the mistake of assuming it not to be of God. The very people who should embrace and encourage the work become the source of skepticism and opposition. God tells us that His ways are not our ways. He does things in ways beyond our limited understanding.
Before you are tempted to criticize or oppose something that looks different from your past experience, ask God for wisdom and discernment. Examine why you might be tempted to oppose it. The Lord cannot be put in a box. He delights in doing things in ways that may not fit our former paradigms.

THE GOAL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

2026-05-26T08:38:49.393+01:00

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." - John 12:24

The goal of the Christian life is death, not success. A popular teaching says that if we follow God, we will prosper materially. God may, in fact, bless His people materially, but few can make this claim among third-world countries. Wealth must never be the goal of a person's life, only a by-product.
A missionary to a Middle-Eastern country has shared a motto among their ministry team: "God does not require success, but radical, immediate obedience." Jesus' obedience gained Him the cross. It did not gain Him popularity among the heathen, the religious or financial success, or a life of pleasure. His obedience resulted in His death on the cross. This is the same goal Christ has for each of us--the death of our old nature so that He might live through us. That may not sell well among outcome-based Christian workplace believers, but it will result in an eternal reward that far exceeds any earthly reward. "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done" (Rev. 22:12).
The Christian life is a paradox--the first will be last, death in return for life, and we are encouraged to offer praise to God to overcome a spirit of heaviness. It requires faith in a God who operates from a different set of values that are sometimes difficult to measure from human standards. Let death work in you a life that only God can raise up.

SUFFERING FOR THE SALVATION OF ANOTHER

2026-05-23T16:44:23.388+01:00

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me." - Matthew 5:11

Recently, a friend told a true story about one of his closest friends who experienced great suffering for the soul of his persecutor. This man worked on a cargo ship. His boss was the captain. This friend was a committed Christian who shared his faith with others and was a good worker. One day, the friend led the sea captain's girlfriend to Christ. The sea captain already hated and ridiculed the Christian worker because of his faith in Christ. When his girlfriend came to Christ, she stopped sleeping with the captain. The captain blamed the Christian man for the change in his girlfriend. One day, he entered the restaurant where the Christian man was having lunch. He walked over to his table and began hurling obscenities and began beating him. The Christian man simply tried to defend himself but did not fight back. The captain kept beating him until, eventually, the man lay on the floor bleeding.
Two men entered the restaurant and saw what was taking place. They jumped the sea captain and took him outside and began beating him. The sea captain was beaten so badly that he needed immediate medical attention. The Christian worker saw the condition of the sea captain, came to his aid, and began helping him. The sea captain was so moved that this man could do this after he had literally beaten him bloody that he began to weep, not understanding what could move a man to have such love in the face of being beaten. The sea captain accepted Jesus at that moment.
The Bible tells us that while we were yet sinners, Christ came and paid our penalty so that we might live eternally. Many in the workplace have never known the love of Christ. You might be the only one they ever meet who can introduce them to this love. Ask God to show you how to love the unlovable in your workplace today.