Hymn of Heaven

Hymn of Heaven

by | Aug 6, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“And every prayer we prayed in desperation
The songs of faith we sang through doubt and fear
In the end, we’ll see that it was worth it
When He returns to wipe away our tears”

Hymn of Heaven, Phil Wickham

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:3-4, NIV

While it is true that the Kingdom is come it is only a part of the Kingdom. We also look forward, expecting the Kingdom that is yet to come.

The Bible makes this clear, that the Kingdom has come but it is also coming.

In Revelation 21 we read about this coming Kingdom.

It is a place where God reigns in totality. Where His dominion is established and recognized by all things. It is a place where every tear is wiped away – where there is no mourning, crying or pain. The coming Kingdom is a place where there is no infirmity, no illness, no disability – where our bodies are complete and whole. The coming Kingdom is a place undefiled and incorruptible – completely Holy as God is Holy.

The coming Kingdom is a place where there is no death.

The truth is that while this life endures many of us will only see a portion of the Kingdom. In this age – this time of preparation in which God is preparing a Bride for Himself – we will still have hardships.

I have heard in this last week of two people who once were very dear to me passing on.

There is still death in this world.

A friend is currently in hospital under observation.

There is still pain in this world.

There is still mourning and crying, and not every tear is wiped away. Some tears are planted like seeds in the ground of our lamentation, supplication and intercession – one day to be reaped as joy.

In this current age we are to prove ourselves as a faithful Bride to the One who is to come.

We are to keep our garments clean and undefiled, trusting, longing and waiting on Jesus and His coming – the coming Kingdom – where all things, all of creation, will be made new.

In the mean time we endure. Steadfast in prayer – praying not only for ourselves but for the world at large. We pray for our families. We pray for our schools. We pray for our churches and our communities. We pray for a wave of repentance and a great awakening to occur.

We stay faithful in trial and trouble, we persevere even in persecution and press in and press on towards the final destination of our faith – where we will be united and eternally locked in communion with our Bridegroom and the Lover of our Souls – Jesus!

We stay faithful, knowing that in this world we will have trouble. In this world and in this life we will cry many tears – but this too shall pass and give way to glory. This current life will pass – wither and fade like flowers and grass – but His Word and His Kingdom will be forever.

Do not grow weary of waiting for the time is soon – the Kingdom comes like a thief in the night.

Do not grow weary of waiting. Keep your lamps trimmed and burning.

One day God Himself will wipe away our tears – but for now we keep planting those tears for our friends and family. We keep planting those tears for the unsaved, the unloved and the unwashed – we keep planting the tears of lamentation, supplication and intercession – for in the Kingdom come we will reap joy!

Prayer: Lord, today I cry for my family. I cry for my friends. I cry for my community. As I shed these tears Lord, tears of compassion, longing and love – let not one go to waste. Hear my cries oh Lord God of Hosts, shine Your face upon us. Save this broken and dying world. Hear our prayers, oh Lord, and give us peace. Give us the peace of knowing that one day we will reap joy unspeakable and full of glory. Help me endure in waiting. Help me keep my lamp trimmed and burning. In Jesus Mighty Name. Amen.

Manna For Today

Manna For Today

by | May 2, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“There’s mercy in the waiting
Manna for today
And when it’s gone I know you’re not
You are my hope and stay
When the sea is raging
Your Spirit is my help
He’ll fix my eyes on Jesus Christ
And I’ll say that is well
Oh I know that it is well”

You’ve Already Won, Shane and Shane

“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

Deuteronomy 8:3, NIV

In Exodus 16 the Lord sends bread from the sky – the Manna which we have so often heard about as a symbol of God’s provision – these frosted flakes reminiscent of coriander seed, white and tasting of wafers with honey that fed the camp of Israel.

An interesting aside is the direct translation from the Hebrew. The Hebrew word ‘Manna’ is not so much a description of the thing itself, but rather a description of the feeling it elicited in those who saw it – the word Manna, or Mahn, translates as “what is it?!

So baffling was the provision of God in the desert that the people walked around, wondering loudly, “what is it?!”

The Israelites took, day by day, whatever they needed for their homes and nothing more – processing it into bread to eat.

Numbers 11:8: “And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. (KJV)”

The fear of tomorrow, at first, did cause some of the people in the camp to hoard more than was necessary – but it would spoil overnight and breed worms.

The Manna was for today. It was an exercise in trust.

If we really think about it, our needs are always temporal – we are hungry until we get fed, thirsty until we drink, and so forth.

Jesus makes a very important point when He tells us to consider the lilies and the birds. Are you not worth more?

The truth is this, God had better in store for them. This whole exercise in trust was to get them to the Jordan River where they would ‘write their final faith exam’. 

Yes, today you might be waiting and praying for that  increase or promotion, but you are missing the manna in the situation – the opportunity to prove yourself. The manna needs to be processed into bread.

Yes, today you are waiting for ministry doors to open – for a platform or a pulpit – but you are missing the manna in the situation – study to show yourself approved, getting down on your knees and seeking His presence. The manna needs to be processed into bread.

Today you are waiting for your family relationships to be restored but you are missing the manna in the situation – the opportunity for fellowship and communion with your loved ones, the opportunity to build a relationship right now. The opportunity to reach out and plant the seeds of reconciliation is there  – now! The manna needs to be processed into bread if you are to make it to your Jordan.

But often we get discouraged, not being mindful of God’s timing and process, waiting for the big things and missing out on the miracles of our daily lives.

There is a point in their wandering where the people grew tired of the Manna that God was providing. They craved other food – forgetting the goodness of the Lord and how He had seen them through. Even though they were getting meat in the evenings, they craved more.

Numbers 11:31-34:31 Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers.Then they spread them out all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. 34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food.

Kibroth Hattaavah translates as the “graves of craving’.

God is giving you the ingredients for your daily bread – the bread that will sustain you all the way to your own Jordan. Let us not look to the left or to the right – but let us trust that the Lord knows what He is doing. This is the secret to contentment.

Let us eat with gratitude that which God prepares for us. Let us trust in Him knowing that His ways are higher than our own.

If we desire more, let that more be more of Him – and not the temporary satisfactions of this world.

God knows what we need. Keep waiting. Keep trusting – the land of His promise awaits those who are faithful and do not get sidetracked by the lusts and cravings of the carnal mind.

He will see to every need on your way to the banquet spread out for you.

Prayer:Lord, in the waiting, let my eyes be set on You. As those who have come before me in the faith have prayed, if You provide the bread and water, that will be enough. Help me bring my own desires into submission to Your perfect will, trusting fully that You know what You are doing. Help me see that Your plans for my life will always be better than the plans I have for myself, and do not let my small ambitions get in the way of what You want to do for me, in me and through me, in Jesus name. Let me run this race with endurance and stay true to my faith in You. In Jesus Name. Amen. 

 

The Goodness of God

The Goodness of God

by | Apr 26, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

Hearing God’s Voice

“I love your voice
You have led me through the fire
And in darkest night you are close like no other
I’ve known you as a Father
I’ve known you as a Friend
And i have lived in the goodness of God, yeah”

Goodness of God, Bethel

“27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

John 10:27, NIV

How do we learn to hear the voice of the Lord? 

The Good Shepherd cares for His flock – loves His sheep. The sheep trust Him and know His voice just as He knows them.

The Good Father cares for His children – loves them. His children trust Him and know His voice just as He knows them.

Our relationship with Jesus will determine the degree to which we hear and recognize the Voice of the Lord.

Samuel was sleeping in the temple when he hears the Lord call his name. Because there was no relationship yet he could not recognize the voice for what it was and goes to Eli instead.

God is always speaking. He never stops. 

We just need to get tuned in – like those old ‘rabbit-ear’ antennas we had growing up. They would ‘hear’ the signal and convert it into a vision on our TV screens. Sometimes it would take a little bit of effort – tuning your set, adjusting the position of the antenna, maybe even moving around the living room until you could see and hear clearly.

We need to get tuned in to God. We need to learn to hear, recognize, trust and love His voice.

Relationship helps us distinguish between the voice of our Father and the multitude of other voices around us.

Through daily prayer and meditation we get to know the Voice of God.

We learn to recognize His voice by spending time with Him.

I am reminded of Elijah. At one point he finds himself in a cave, hiding from the forces of King Ahab and Jezebel, despairing even unto death.

In 1 Kings 19 we read about how God spoke to Elijah – the Presence of the Lord came by in the form of a mighty rushing wind, an earthquake and even a fire – but the heart of God for Elijah was communicated in a soft and gentle whisper.

And in this whisper we find direction – in this intimate communication from God.

It is time that we draw near to God – near enough to hear the gentle whisper of God. Near enough to hear His heartbeat for us.

Too often we are waiting for the mighty rushing wind and the earthquake – an encounter full of goosebumps and sensation – but God is speaking to you in a much deeper way.

It is in the stillness of the secret place that we will hear Him much clearer.

Elijah tells God: “I have been very zealous for You.” (1 Kings 19:10,14)

“I have been burning with love for You…” 

And there is no indication in his words that he had ever stopped loving God. 

Take 15 minutes and retreat from your surroundings – your situation, your circumstances. Pour out your love for the Lord.

Another thing that Elijah does is bring his fear, insecurity and brokenness to God.

Take 15 minutes out of your day. Pour out your need for His love and mercy. Pour out your love like precious perfume. And then…

Wait… 

And hear what God wants to tell you today. Respond to this whisper with obedience. Act on what God is impressing upon your heart. Let His answer flood your heart and see how He fills your life with His presence.

Prayer: Lord, anoint the ears of my heart that I might hear Your sweet and gentle voice. Open the ears of my heart so that I might hear the whispers of Your love, mercy and grace. Fill me with Your presence. Saturate me with Your peace. I love You Lord. Help me seek You and see You more clearly. Draw me closer. Pull me deeper. And when You speak, Lord, in whichever way You deem fit – give me the wisdom to act and obey so that I might see Your Kingdom come in my life and the lives of those around me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

 

Trust in God

Trust in God

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine
He’s been my fourth man in the fire, time after time
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
And what He did for me on Calvary is more than enough”

Trust in God, Elevation Worship

“Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”

Psalm 40:4: (NKJV)

Trust and faith seem to be inextricably intertwined, so much so that they can be used interchangeably in most cases. In my experience the only real difference is the context in which they are most often employed. Faith implies some sort of mysticism or spirituality where trust just feels more tangible and material in a lot of ways.

In Psalm 40 David explores this concept of trust, contemplating on what it means to trust in God.

Trust is most often used to describe a relational situation where we have confidence in the reliability, truth and ability of someone or something.

David had a relationship with God. He was a friend of God. He loved God, and God loved him – flaws and all.

I like David. I feel strongly linked to him and relate to him on a level that I cannot explain. For a long time I thought it was because of a shared love of poetic and musical expression – but the truth is it is because we are both extremely broken people who go through valleys, fight giants, hide in caves and make huge mistakes – and yet… God, with His infinite love, mercy and grace picks us up every time, dusts us off and puts us back on solid ground.

David starts Psalm 40 with “I waited patiently on the Lord…”

It is easy for us to get discouraged in our waiting. The journey sometimes gets too long, the road winds too much – in the valley we look up at the mountain and wonder how we are going to get there.

I am no stranger to discouragement.

At a recent outreach I was talking to a young man who was struggling to get up in the morning – he just didn’t see the point in living any more.

I am no stranger to that kind of depression and existential anxiety – the kind that makes you want to crawl into a cave and hide there.

In all of this though, I have never lost trust in God.

I came to faith in a time and in a church where the Gospel was preached. Not prosperity, not promises of wealth and good health – but the Gospel. And yes, God promises all kinds of good things in His Word, but the moment these things become the centre of our faith we have lost sight of Jesus.

The Gospel is this: God so loved the world that He took on flesh and hung on the cross for us – so that we may be free of our burden of sin and the sting of death.

The Gospel is this: God loved us while we were still His enemies. He saved us from an eternity of fire and brimstone and restored us to proper relationship and right standing with Him.

In this life we will have trouble. There will be times when we are in the fire – He will be the Fourth Man in the inferno. There will be times when we feel we are sinking, but He will extend His Hand and help us take the waves in our stride.

Jesus is not a get rich quick scheme. Jesus is not some kind of quick fix or a band aid for what ails you.

You will still mourn. You will still grieve. There will still be situations and circumstances in your life – no matter how much ‘dominion’ you take over it.

But in all of this – in the sorrow and in the despair, in the pain and the anguish, in the trials and tribulations – we still rejoice. In the fire and in the flood we stand strong in the knowledge that we are not alone. He is with us.

I particularly like the way the NIV phrases Psalm 40:4: “Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.”

If there is one thing I have learnt from looking at the life of David it is that we all go through ups and downs – but God never fails.

His love will always be a balm to the broken heart, a comfort in sorrow and a firm foundation for us to stand upon. His love will always be more than enough for me.

Let us look towards the exalted Christ today. Let us look upon His beautiful face. Let us leave our idols in the fire where they belong. Let us leave our pride in the flood.

Let us look towards Jesus and trust Him, fully confident in His truth, reliability and ability to carry us through.

In perfect submission to His will and His purpose we find rest, peace and contentment. In perfect submission to Him – whether rich or poor, sick or healthy – we will know the God that David knew. This God in whom we can charge an army. The God in which we can jump over even the highest wall.

In perfect submission to His heart, will and mind for us we can rest easy knowing that He never fails. We can endure all things, do all things, make it through in Him – when we stand firm in the knowledge that He loves us.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your love today. Thank You for never giving up on me, even though sometimes I feel like giving up. Thank You Jesus for seeing past all my flaws and failures, all my mistakes and for loving me regardless. Thank You Lord that in You I am made strong. Even when my bank account is empty, even when my pantry has run dry – when the fig tree does not blossom, and the vines carry no fruit – I will trust in You. Even when the flock is cut off from the fold – even when my heart faints and my body fails, I will trust in You! Give me the strength to endure, Lord. Give me the strength to wait patiently on You. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Indescribable: Worship Devotional

Indescribable: Worship Devotional

by | Mar 5, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Indescribable, uncontainable
You placed the stars in the sky
And You know them by name
You are amazing, God” 

                               Indescribable, Chris Tomlin

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
2 “Who is this that obscures my plans
    with words without knowledge?
3 Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.

                               Job 38:1-3:  

Much of the Old Testament is about wrestling with God. It is about the struggle of getting to grips with and trying to understand God.

I often tell people that doubt is not the opposite or the absence of faith. Moses had his doubts, so did Jeremiah – Joshua had so much doubt that God had to tell him 3 times in the span of just 4 verses to be strong and courageous. 

Doubt is not the same as unbelief. When we doubt we are engaging in a questioning of our faith – and this can often lead us deeper into the heart of God. Doubt becomes a lens through which we often go searching for God. 

It is when we leave our doubts unaddressed and let them fester that it becomes unbelief.

J.D. Greear said the following: ‘Faith is not the absence of doubt; it is continuing to follow Jesus in the midst of doubt.’

Having questions and having doubts is a thing we all have to contend with. But faith means enduring, pushing through and taking those doubts to God.

In the book of Job we see a man going through some very real ‘stuff’. 

Job is described as a Godly man – a man of faith and justice. A good man. 

In fact, he is such a good man that the devil challenges God in regards to the purity of his faith. “Job only trusts You and worships You because You have favoured him.”

God permits Satan to tempt Job – and so his tribulations start. Job loses his wealth, his family and his health – he loses everything. Even his wife tries to convince him to denounce God – to give up and die. Job refuses and endures.

Poetically Job’s questioning of his life and faith are expressed. His doubts and concerns speak loud. So loud that God challenges Job.

God asks Job in chapter 38:4-7:

4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
    Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
    or who laid its cornerstone—
7 while the morning stars sang together
    and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?”

God continues to question Job – and this goes on for quite a few chapters. Hard questions. Questions with answers that only God has.

In all of this Job is confronted with his own lack of understanding – the constraints of his own wisdom and knowledge – but also comforted by the revelation of God’s limitlessness and infinite power.

God tells Job – just like He told Joshua – to be strong. There is a caveat to this though – we can only be strong in Him.

I’ve gone through situations where I couldn’t share what I was going through. I didn’t know where to begin to tell what was wrong, I was unable to put it into words, and even if I had the words my courage would fail me and I would stay silent. 

Sometimes our troubles, our trials and our tribulations are too big for us to even describe. They seem gigantic – like a Behemoth (Job 40:15-24) or a Leviathan (41:1-11) – but God…

God pierces the nose of Behemoth and makes it a pet, and pulls Leviathan out with a fishhook and makes it beg for mercy.

Job accepts his own lack of understanding – he takes his doubts and gives them to God.

And in doing that God answers. 

The Pharisees in the New Testament had ‘no doubts’. They believed they had God figured out. 

Those who didn’t have it all figured out found Jesus. 

It’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out today. It’s okay to have doubts, fear and uncertainties – in fact, as the book of Job demonstrates – actually, as much of the Old Testament demonstrates – God welcomes those who have questions. 

Because the answer is always God.

Share your doubts and questions with mature Christians, trusted elders and servant-leaders – and it will become the path towards growth and maturity in your own faith. 

Share your doubts with God. 

I’ve gone through situations where I would lay awake at night crying “why God?” 

And He always answered.

He will always answer.

The God who hung every star in the sky – who knows each one by name – knows YOU by name.

He sees you. 

He knows you.

He loves you.

Ask today and He will answer.

Job called out. He asked. God answered – God restored.

He will do the same for you.

Prayer: Lord, today I come with all of my questions, my doubts, my fears and insecurities – the things that I struggle to put into words, those niggly things that gnaw away at my resolve to follow you – and I lay them all down. I lay them down at Your feet. I might not know what to do next, I might not know where to go – and in those moments I will choose to go to You. When I don’t understand the things I am going through I will trust in the fact that You do. I will come to You with my questions and believe that You will answer. Give me the strength to endure and the patience to wait upon Your Word. Let my doubts and fears becoming stepping stones towards a deeper faith in You. Give me peace in the midst of my storm. And when I look up at the stars in the night sky, Lord, remind me of Your great love for me. In Jesus name. Amen.