Scripture says Abraham “rose up early in the morning” and that “on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off” (Genesis 22:3–4). For three days Abraham walked toward Moriah with a knife, a fire, and a son he loved. He had no idea that while he was traveling, God’s provision was traveling too. That ram did not stumble onto the mountain by chance. Somewhere, days or even years before, God had marked that animal. He guided its steps across the wilderness and brought it to the exact mountain, the exact spot, at the exact Read More
Category: Devotional
Fully Persuaded: Confidence in the Impossible Promise
“And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.” (1 John 5:14) Let’s revisit this scripture from last week. Confidence. Assurance. The privilege of boldness. Certainty. This is not wishful thinking or hopeful guessing. This is settled knowing. Abraham walked in that kind of certainty. God promised him an heir, and then the years piled up. Abraham turned ninety-nine. Sarah was long past childbearing. Every natural Read More
God’s Plan: Consult Before You Commit
The Condition We Skip “And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.” — 1 John 5:14 We love to quote this verse. We claim the confidence, the boldness, and the promise that God hears us. But too often we rush past four words that hold the whole verse together: according to His will. God Is Not Obligated to Your Plans Here is the pattern Read More
The Prepositions of Grace: In Him, By Him, Through Him
There is a language the Spirit of God loves to speak, the language of “In Him.” Scripture declares, “For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being]” (Acts 17:28). This is not poetic exaggeration. It is the foundation of your existence. Before you were a believer, before you knew His name, your very breath was sustained in Him. But salvation moves that truth from the natural to the supernatural. Now you don’t just exist in Him, you live in Him. John’s Gospel opens with a declaration that changes everything: “In Him Read More
Count it all Joy!: Enduring the Pressure
“Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]..” (James 1:2-3). Notice what James does not say. He does not say count it some joy. He does not say rejoice when the trial is manageable, or when the loss is small, or when the diagnosis is treatable. He says count it all joy — the totality, the whole weight of it. Not a fraction carved off and handed to God while we keep the rest for Read More
Rename Your Season
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” — Hebrews 11:1 People, it’s time to start renaming your seasons. I heard the Lord say: “Just because you do not see it in the natural, does not mean I have not already provided it. Just because you see emptiness, does not mean I have not already filled those empty places. I can supernaturally fill any space as easily as I can provide Read More