Trusting God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotions (29 page)

Over time, David and I learned to get along well. Now he runs our world missions department, has opened eighteen foreign offices, and oversees numerous international outreaches. I am very thankful for his good work and glad God told me to not give up on him.

When you are tempted to give up on your loved ones, remember David and me. Whether you are believing for someone you love to become a Christian, change their behavior, leave a bad relationship, stop using drugs, go back to school, come home, or get a job, keep believing change is possible. Do not give up on the ones you love; as long as you continue believing, God can keep working. Your love and patience may be exactly what they need to make a complete turnaround.

Love never fails. In other words, it never gives up on people. The apostle Paul describes what love is in 1 Corinthians 13 and mentions that love always believes the best; it is positive and filled with faith and hope. While Jesus was on earth, He gave a new commandment to His followers: that we love one another (see John 13:34). I believe walking in love should be the main goal of every Christian.

God is love (see 1 John 4:8), and He never gives up on us. Let’s choose to live with that same attitude. Believe in the power of love to change and transform anything and anyone.

D
o you ever feel you are like an eagle in a chicken yard—grounded and pent up when you should be soaring? You know there is much more within you than you are experiencing and expressing in your life right now. You know God has a great purpose for your life—and you cannot escape or ignore the inner urge to “go for it.”

Know this: all eagles are uncomfortable in a barnyard; they all long for the clear, blue, open skies. When you are living in a place that keeps you from being who you were made to be and doing what you are meant to do, you will be uncomfortable, too. But also realize that people around you may not understand your desire to break out of the box. They may want to clip your wings. When you hear their comments and questions, something inside of you may ask,
“What is wrong with me? Why do I think as I think? Why do I feel this way? Why can’t I just settle down and live a normal life like everybody else?”
The reason you cannot just settle down is that you are not a chicken; you are an eagle! You will never feel at home in that chicken yard, because you were made for something bigger, more beautiful, and more fulfilling.

I encourage you today to fan the flame inside of you. Fan it until it burns brightly. Never give up on the greatness for which you were created, never try to hide your uniqueness, and never feel you cannot do what you believe you were made to do. Realize that your hunger for adventure is God-given; wanting to try something new is a wonderful desire, and embracing life and aiming high is what you were made for. You are an eagle!

W
hat does this Scripture mean when it says, “Fear not… for I am with you… I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties”? It means God makes us stronger and stronger as we go through things. It also means that over time, we become less affected by the difficulties and challenges we face. It is like exercise. When we first do it, we get sore, but as we press through the soreness, we build muscle and gain strength. We must go through the pain to get the gain.

Consider your life. Are there situations you now handle well that would have previously made you feel fearful and anxious? Of course there are. As you have been walking with God, He has been strengthening you and hardening you to difficulties. In the same way, I can also assure you and encourage you that some of the things bothering you right now will not affect you the same way in five years.

If God removed all challenges, we would never grow and overcome obstacles. He often permits difficulty in our lives because He is trying to reveal something that needs to be strengthened or changed in us. Our weaknesses are never revealed in good times, but they quickly show up in times of trial and tribulation.

Sometimes He shows us what we are afraid of because He wants to deliver us from that fear and strengthen us for things that will come in
the future. In those times, we need to say,
“Thank You, God, for allowing me to see that fear in my life. It reveals an area that needs to be dealt with in me.”
Once that particular area of fear is dealt with, then the enemy will have a very hard time bothering you—and succeeding—in that area again. This is one way God hardens us to difficulties and teaches us to not be afraid.

I
f we know by faith that God is with us, we can take on any challenge with confidence and courage. We may not always feel God’s presence, but we can trust His Word and remember that He said He would never leave us or forsake us.

In Joshua 1:1–3, God called Joshua to a great challenge of leadership—taking the children of Israel into the Promised Land: “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ minister, Moses My servant is dead. So now arise [take his place], go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, the Israelites. Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses.”

The Bible simply tells us in this passage that Moses had died and
Joshua was going to take his place as the leader of God’s people. As soon as God gave this news to Joshua, He immediately assured him: “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong (confident) and of good courage…” (vv. 5–6).

Later in this same scene, God encouraged Joshua again, saying, “Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (v. 9). Basically, God was saying to Joshua,
“You have a big job to do, but don’t let it intimidate you. Fear not. Do not be afraid, because I will be with you.”

In the Bible, the basis for not fearing is simply this: God is with us. And if we know God’s character and nature, we know He is trustworthy. We do not have to know what He is going to do; simply knowing He is with us is more than enough.

G
od has put a craving for adventure in us, and adventure means trying something we have never done before. Adventure means stepping out, doing something different, doing something a little bit on the edge, and not always living in a zone that we consider “safe.”

I remember a particular Sunday in my church many years ago that I believe was a life-changing day for me. At that time of my life I truly loved God, but there were many biblical truths and principles I did not know. I knew a little bit about what a person needed to do to be saved,
but I did not understand victory, overcoming obstacles, power, authority, or being used by God. I had no real hope that my life would ever be any better than it was at the time.

In that church, we had Missions Sunday once a year, and on that day, we always sang the song “Here Am I, Send Me.” I remember one specific time, something welled up in me from the bottom of my heart and I sang the words with every fiber of my being:
“God, here I am! Send me! Send me!”
I do not know where I thought He would send me because I had a husband and three small children at home. But in my heart, I sensed I wanted Him to use me. I may not have had a lot of ability, but I was available to God. I was willing to say,
“I may fall flat on my face, God, but if You want to use me, I am willing to try.”
Many years after that Sunday, God did call me to teach His Word, but it began the day I boldly said,
“Here am I; send me.”

If you want God to use you, offer yourself to Him and do not let the fear of failure stop you from obeying Him as He leads you. God not only sees where you are, He sees where you can be. He not only sees what you have done, He sees what you will do with His help.

W
e all want to succeed in life. No one sets out to fail or wants to fail. But I do believe failure can be an important stepping-stone on the way to success. Failure certainly teaches us what
not
to do, which is often as important as knowing what we
are
to do! So-called failure is all about how we look at it.

Many stories have circulated about how many times Thomas Edison failed before he invented the incandescent lightbulb. I have heard he tried 700 times, 2,000 times, 6,000 times, and 10,000 times. No matter how many attempts he made, the number is staggering. But he never gave up. Edison is reported to have said in all his efforts he never failed—not once; he just had to go through many, many steps to get it right! It takes that kind of determination if you are really going to do anything worthwhile.

I have often pondered why some people do great things with their lives while others do little or nothing at all. I know that the outcome of our lives is dependent not only upon God but also upon something in us. Each of us must decide if we will reach down deep inside and find the courage to press past fear, mistakes, mistreatment at the hands of others, seeming injustices, and all the challenges life presents. This is not something anyone else can do for us; we must do it ourselves.

I want to encourage you to take responsibility for your life and its outcome. What will you do with what God has given you? I truly believe God gives everyone equal opportunity. He said, “I have set before you life and death… choose life.” Fear is in the category of death; faith and progress fill us with life. It is your choice, and I believe you will make the right one!

W
e will all go through situations in life—some bad, some good. Many times, we think the phrase
“I’m going through something”
is bad news, but if we view it properly, we realize “going through” is good; it means we are not stuck! We may be facing difficulties, but at least we are moving forward.

Isaiah 43:2 says: “When you pass
through
the waters, I will be with you, and
through
the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk
through
the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you” (emphasis added). God’s Word here is clear: we
will
go through things. We
will
face adversities in our lives. That’s not bad news; that’s reality.

Let me repeat: we
will
go through things in life, but the things we go through are the very circumstances, challenges, and situations that make us people who know how to overcome adversity. We do not grow or become strong during life’s good times; we grow when we press through difficulties without giving up.

Growth is not an automatic result of difficulty. Hardships do not necessarily produce growth or strength in us; it is not that simple. We must choose the right attitude toward our challenges and refuse to quit or give up. We may have to do what is right for a long time before we feel it is “paying off,” but if we stay faithful and refuse to give up, good results will come. Once we get
through
the adversities and challenges we face, we emerge as better people than we were when we went into them.