Daily Bible Reading and Thoughts Shared
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Biblical joy comes from the profound decision of faith and hope in the power of Jesus’ own life and love. When we believe that Jesus’ love has overcome death itself, joy becomes strangely reasonable. But this doesn’t mean we should ignore or suppress sorrow; that’s not healthy or helpful. Paul often expressed his grief alongside his joy. As he acknowledged his pain, he also chose to trust Jesus’ promise that his loss would not have the final word.
Read:
2 Corinthians 6:10
Reflection and Discussion Questions:
How did Paul express both joy and sorrow? What can we learn from this?0 -
When people ask Jesus about the most important command he answers by quoting from the Hebrew Bible: “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” But that’s not all. Jesus quickly follows up by saying that another command is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” For Jesus, no other command is greater than these.
Read:
Mark 12:29-31, Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18
Reflection and Discussion Questions:
How does loving God relate to loving other people?0 -
Titus 3:3-7
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
1 Corinthians 6:11
And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
My friend bill described Gerard, an acquaintance of his, as being 'very far from God for a very long time.' But one day, Bill met with Gerard and explained to him how God's love has provided the way for us to be saved, Gerard became a believer in Jesus. Through tears, he repented of his sin and gave his life to Christ. Afterward, Bill asked Gerard how he felt. Wiping away tears, he answered simply, 'Washed.'
What an amazing response! That's precisely the essence of salvation made possible through faith in Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross. In 1 Corinthians 6, after Paul gives examples of how disobedience against God leads to separation from Him, he says, 'That is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ' (verse 11) 'Washed, 'sanctified, 'justified' - words that point to believers being forgiven and made right with Him.
Titus 3:4-5 tells us more about this miraculous thing called salvation. 'God our Savior....saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth.' Our sin keeps us from God, but through faith in Jesus, sin's penalty is washed away. We become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), gain access to our heavenly Father (Ephesians 2:18), and are made clean (1 John 1:7). He alone provides what we need to be washed.
Why is it vital for you to be washed and sanctified by Jesus?
What has it meant or what will it mean for you to put your faith in Him?
Dear Jesus, I know I've sinned against You. And I realize that the penalty for my sin is separation from You. Thank You for the salvation You've made possible and for drawing me close to You forever.1 -
Thank you Marilyn for sharing;
Wellbeing & Healing
"Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6
The global pandemic has affected us all in many ways. Due to stress, loneliness, the pressure of their businesses going under, and losing loved ones, people have said to themselves, "what is the point of living?" They cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel.
We have all been there at some point in our lives. Society tells us that when we are feeling overwhelmed by life, we should see a therapist and I’d encourage you to do so, but we must remember to also make our requests known to God, because He is the only one that will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
Scripture encourages us to incorporate prayer in order to improve our overall well-being. As you pray, my hope is that your anxiety will lift as you give thanks.
Please join me in a prayer for healing:
Heavenly Father, help me to trust You when times are rough and when I feel like I cannot cope with life anymore. I pray that you will heal my broken heart, heal my soul from all trauma and past bad experiences, and heal my mind so that I can think clearly and remove every negative thought that comes to contradict the Word of God spoken over my life.
Let Jeremiah 29:11 be mine today, as I know that the plans You have for me are to prosper and not to harm me, to give me a hope and future. Amen.0 -
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Matthew 6:25
Inspiration
There is more to life than the food we eat, the money we make, and the clothes we wear. These are not things that should worry our minds. Set Your mind to the things of God which are always concerned about Your growth as a Christian and making sure that the lost in the world are brought to the light.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that my priorities will always be in line with what you consider important too. Lord, if a time comes where I find myself worrying about earthly things, may you remind me of what is truly important. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
From a King James Bible App.
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And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
John 18:3 KJV
Inspiration
Christ’s crucifixion is the example of love in it’s truest form, a selfless love so deep we will never fully understand it. God loved us so much, He couldn’t allow sin to separate us, so He sent Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice. It’s important that we abide by Christ’s example and love one another just as He loves us. When feeling impatient, frustrated or angered with one another, we must make sure our actions reflect Christ’s unconditional love.
Prayer
Dear God, we will never understand the depth of Your love. Help us to live by Christ’s example when it comes to loving one another. Amen.
From King James Bible App
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But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
Isaiah 43:1
Inspiration
We discover our lineage and research family history through modern genealogy tracing. It’s human nature that we desire to know who we are, where we come from and to discover the meaning of life. As Christians, we do not have to search very far. We know our earthly history is only a moment in time, a mist that quickly fades. God tells us that we belong to Him, and we look forward to spending eternity in His presence.
Prayer
Dear God, You are a wonderful living God and we rejoice knowing we belong to You. Amen.
From King James Bible App
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How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Romans 10:14
Inspiration
People cannot call upon the Lord when they have never heard of Him which makes evangelism a number one priority. Oftentimes, we leave all the witnessing to a preacher and overlook the fact that God has created within each of us the ability to meet people wherever they may be. We trust the Holy Spirit to help us see opportunities where our gifts can be used to tell everyone about You.
Prayer
Dear Lord, please help us open our eyes as the Holy Spirit leads us so that we may see opportunities to share the good news so that all will come to know You. Amen.
King James Bible App
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And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
Luke 4:43
Inspiration
Jesus couldn’t stay in one place very long because He had to introduce the world to our Heavenly Father. Since there was no TV, radio or social media, He had to walk countless miles through the hot desert and rely on each community for food and shelter. We have it so easy! With technology at our fingertips, we can share the gospel with people all over the world from the comfort of our own home. Let’s make sure we take advantage of every opportunity to witness!
Prayer
Dear God, Help us use every opportunity to continue to spread the word about You so that every soul has the opportunity to hear about Your everlasting love. Amen.
From King James Bible App2 -
Bible Reading:
Hebrews 11:23
Exodus 2:6
Exodus 2:5-10
Commentary:
“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” (Hebrews 11:23)
Not afraid. Those two words sum up how Moses grew to express such greatness. The parents who gave him life were “not afraid.” They lived with faith over fear. The DNA passed down to their son through this genetic transfer was that of belief.
But even more than that, Moses’ parents’ lack of fear in the face of an evil culture and evil king spared his life. They chose to hide him so he would not be killed, as the king of Egypt had mandated for all male Hebrew newborns. Then, when Moses had grown too old to hide, they came up with an elaborate scheme to position him in a safe and secure place.
The strategy involved placing Moses in a basket in the Nile River near the place where Pharaoh’s daughter bathed, accompanied by her maids. Knowing he was a beautiful baby, they assumed the best of her feminine instincts. And they were right. With one look at this crying infant, she “had pity on him and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children’ ” (Exodus 2:6).
Moses’ parents knew Pharaoh’s daughter would not be in a position to raise a child on her own. Those types of roles were for servants in that cultural time period. So they’d also placed Moses’ sister, Miriam, where she could keep an eye on the basket and present herself when it was retrieved.
The plan went according to their hopes, and when Miriam offered to find someone to help nurse the boy and care for him in the palace, Pharaoh’s daughter agreed. Miriam was more than willing to offer her mother to do just that.
As we near the end of the murals on the hallway walls, we see the baby being drawn from the basket, we hear the water dropping off the basket as it’s lifted from the river, and from a loudspeaker, we hear the Bible passage that describes the rest of the scene:
Pharaoh’s daughter said to [Moses’ mother], “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water” (Exodus 2:5-10).
Not only was Moses’ life spared from certain death in the violent culture he’d been born into, but his mother was paid to nurse him and raise him in the palace. This truth reminds us that we will never discover what God can do until we trust Him to do it. He can do things that blow our minds. Moses’ parents had decided they would not be controlled by the culture, so their decisions reflected alignment under the one, true God.
Living by faith means choosing God’s plan over the culture’s plan, then watching Him work it out for your good and others’ benefit.1 -
Bible Reading
Matthew 2:1-6
2 Peter 1:20-21
Isaiah 53
Micah 5:2
Skeptics aren’t the only ones who raise questions about the Bible. Even Christians might ask: How can believers claim that the Bible is true compared with any other book used as a foundation for religion? What makes the Bible stand out from other pieces of writing that claim they also came from God?
So how do we authenticate the Bible? Consider its historical authenticity. The Bible has been substantiated both historically and archeologically as more accurate than any other book handed down through time. Research and analysis by historians, linguists, sociologists and archeologists have demonstrated the soundness of the Scriptures through forensic science, the discovery and study of ancient literature, and much more.
The Bible is set apart from all other books in one other way: its prophetic accuracy. A large portion of its prophecy has already been fulfilled with unblemished precision.
A classic example is the foretelling of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.
In Micah 5:2, the prophet Micah told of our Savior’s birth over 700 years before it happened. Matthew has recorded the fulfillment of this prophecy for us in Matthew 2:1-6.
What makes this prophecy stand out is the obscurity of Bethlehem. Had Micah mentioned a major metropolis in Israel, the argument could have been put forth that Micah had merely guessed well.
Yet Micah recorded the mind of God by pinpointing this remote region as the site of Christ’s birth.
Prophetic Scripture is accurate in all its details because God Himself moved the writers to record it.
Of course, Micah’s prophecy is just one of several hundred that have already been fulfilled in Scripture. God is not bound by time, space or matter. He knows the beginning from the end, and prophecy involves the recording of His thoughts before an event historically happens.
In 2 Peter 1:20–21, the apostle wrote, “no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
If you were to mathematically figure the probability that 100 prophecies would occur accurately; that is, without any errors, it would require 200 billion earths populated with 4 billion people each to come up with one person who could give 100 accurate prophecies. In other words, it would be impossible.
But the Bible contains hundreds of prophecies written by a number of inspired writers over a period of centuries that already have come true.
That’s because these prophecies are not based on chance, but on the eternal knowledge of God.
Isaiah 53 alone contains a number of prophecies, including Jesus’ piercing, His scourging, and even His silence in the face of oppression and accusation.
The passage speaks of His grave and His purity. The passage also mentions that our own iniquities would be placed on Jesus as our sinless Savior. “He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains;” grief and sorrow tell a tale much more painful than scourging itself. Jesus came not only to bear our sins, but also our burdens.
In your pain, know this one truth: You are not alone. Jesus sees. He knows. He cares. He’s been there. And because He has suffered, He offers a comfort not merely rooted in intellectual assent but in compassionate understanding.1 -
Bible Reading
Hebrews 11:1
James 1:6
1 Peter 1:8-9
What should we do when we face Satan’s lies, especially the lie that God’s Word cannot be true? In the desert, Jesus was faced with a legitimate need—the need to eat to sustain Himself. His need wasn’t wrong. Jesus had the power to do what was suggested, but to do it at the demand of Satan would have been satisfying Himself apart from God.
What proceeds out of God’s mouth must be our foundation for everything. It must be the foundation for counseling, for work, for our families and for our finances. God has given us His definitive Word, and His Word addresses everything that is relevant to us today.
Christians who do not believe His Word and obey it do not see His power demonstrated today. God does not want us to pay homage to Him; He wants us to believe Him and act on faith. Faith believes God in the absence of empirical evidence.
In the Garden of Eden, Eve stumbled over this type of faith. She failed the test because she did not believe something she had never seen—death.
When it’s difficult to believe God but we act in accordance with His Word anyway, that’s faith.
In short, faith is believing something is so, even when it is not so, that it might be so—simply because God said so.1 -
Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 1
Key Verse: 15
Commentary Thoughts:
Are you the worst sinner you know?
Perhaps you are immediately starting to name all the people you consider worse than you. When we compare ourselves to other people, we can pretend that we’re not too bad. But what about when we compare ourselves to Christ?
That’s what Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII, did in her book, The Lamentations of a Sinner.
Comparing ourselves to Christ in this way might drive us to desperation as the extent of our sin is exposed. But when we look to Christ, we see, not only our model, but also our Savior. We see the one who came into the world to save sinners. Our sin may be great, but his mercy is greater.
"Shall I fall in desperation?
No, I will call upon Christ,
the Light of the world,
the Fountain of life,
the relief of all careful consciences,
the Peacemaker between God and man,
and the only health and comfort
of all true repentant sinners.
By his almighty power he can save me
and deliver me out of this miserable state.
For this is the life everlasting, O Lord,
to believe you to be the true God,
and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
By this faith I am assured,
and by this assurance I feel the forgiveness of my sins:
this is what gives me confidence,
this is what comforts me,
this is what quenches all despair."
-Catherine Parr (1512-1548)1 -
Bible Reading
Romans 5
Key Verse: Romans 5:8
Commentary Thoughts
There Are a Thousand Ways We Experience God’s Love Every Day
Each breath you breathe is his gift to you. But as the Puritan Isaac Ambrose reminds us, God’s love shines brightest at the cross. This is where we see the full extent of his love.
It is revealed in the depths to which Christ was prepared to descend, leaving the glories of heaven for the shame of the cross. And it is revealed in who he endured the cross for. Anyone might love someone who is lovely, but only Jesus was prepared to die for his enemies.
The glory of heaven will not be the splendor of our surroundings, nor the choirs of angels. The glory of heaven will be the wounds of our Savior.
"Lord Jesus Christ,
Your graces shine brightest in your bitter Passion.
Your life was a gracious life, and you are full of grace.
But as a lily seems most beautiful when among thorns,
so your graces are best seen in your sufferings.
Your humility was profound:
that the most high God,
the only begotten and eternal Son of God,
should condescend so far as to be condemned,
that you should be crucified upon a cross,
between two thieves, as if you had been their ringleader.
Oh, what humility was this!
Your patience was wonderful.
“ When they hurled their insults at him,
he did not retaliate; when he suffered,
he made no threats” (1 Peter 2 v 23).
Oh, what patience was this!
Your love was fervent.
“ This is love: not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son
as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4 v 10).
Your love is the supreme example of love:
the fire that should kindle all our sparks.
Oh, what love was this!"
-Isaac Ambrose (1604-1664)1 -
Bible Reading
Zephaniah 3
Key Verse 17
Commentary Thoughts:
We Have a Singing God! It’s an Amazing Thought
The infinite love of God is seen most clearly at the cross. That’s where we see the vast gulf between our provocations and the price Christ paid to redeem us. But this, says the 18th-century English theologian Anne Dutton, was not the end of Christ’s love.
Christ not only rescues us from sin; he also embraces us as his bride. He takes delight in us. He rejoices over us. He sings his love to us.
A compassionate person might take pity on a hideous creature, but only Christ would take us as his own, embrace us in our ugliness, and beautify us through his grace.
Can you hear his love song to you? It comes to you today in the gospel message. And it is embodied in bread and wine.
"Lord Jesus, we blush with shame,
for though we are the objects of your heart’s delight,
we wound and pierce you daily by our sins.
To our shame we count you unworthy of us,
though we are poor, base, little selves,
and yet you gave your great, glorious, matchless Self
for us and to us!
But, oh, even this is not the end of your love.
For to show your glory and reveal your heart,
you kiss and embrace us!
You rejoice over us with joy and singing (Zephaniah 3:17),
as if we were altogether lovely and delightfully fair!
Though you are our God and our Maker, we hear you say:
“You have stolen my heart,
my sister, my bride” (Song of Songs 4:9).
“How beautiful you are and how pleasing,
my love, with your delights!” (Song of Songs 7:6)
This is your voice to the most vile, ungrateful worms
whom you love and call your bride!
Oh, what dark creatures we are,
and yet you call us fair and your fair ones!
Oh, stupendous grace!
Wonder at it, you blessed angels!
Praise Emmanuel’s love, you winged flames!
Oh, that our hearts would melt and break
and be filled with love, under this
all-penetrating,
all-subduing,
all-surpassing love!
Glory to the Lord our Lover!"
-Anne Dutton (1692-1765)1 -
Bible Reading
Ephesians 3
Key Verses: 17-19
Commentary
In today’s prayer, Charles Spurgeon marshals all his considerable powers of oratory to express the love of Christ.
He tries to quantify Christ’s love by measuring the distance between what he came from and what he came to: “from the height of majesty in glory to the depths of shame on earth”.
But Spurgeon, like Paul in Ephesians 3, readily admits that describing Christ’s love cannot be done.
Yet, even though Christ’s love is something that “surpasses knowledge”, Paul still prays that his readers might “know this love”. We will never bottom out Christ’s boundless love. But we need to see more and more of his love.
Every time we sin, we need to appreciate afresh this love that welcomes sinners.
Every time we suffer, we need to appreciate afresh this love that mysteriously works all things for our good. Every time we face temptation, we need to appreciate afresh this love that captures our hearts.
"Your love, O Christ,
in its sweetness,
its fullness,
its greatness,
its faithfulness
surpasses all human comprehension.
Where shall language be found
which shall describe
your matchless love,
your unparalleled love,
toward the children of men?
Your love is so vast and boundless
that, as the swallow skims the water
without diving into its depths,
so all descriptive words
merely touch the surface of your love,
while depths immeasurable lie beneath.
For your love took you
from the height of majesty in glory
to the depths of shame on earth.
The most inspired mind
must utterly fail to fathom this love.
Here is love!
And truly it is love
that surpasses knowledge.
Oh, let this love fill our hearts with adoring gratitude
and lead us to practical manifestations of its power."
-Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)1 -
Exodus 3:6-7
Commentary
Once Moses responded to God and took off his shoes, God revealed to him who He was. We read this in Exodus 3:6-7.
God makes Himself known to Moses by first identifying who He is: the God of his father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He reminds Moses of His history before He tells Moses of what is to come. Not only that, He also lets Moses know that He has seen the affliction of the Israelites in Egypt, and He is aware of the same atrocities that plagued Moses’s heart some forty years earlier.
Remember that this whole thing started years ago. Moses thought he knew what he was supposed to do, to be used by God to deliver the people. He knew God had a handle on his life. He just hadn’t gone about it God’s way.
The calling and purpose were clear. The path just got distorted because Moses had too much Egypt in him at that time, to the degree that he sought to bring about the resolution through his own methods and means.
But, by introducing Himself to Moses in this way, God let Moses know that He had not forgotten the covenantal promises He made to Moses’s ancestors or what He had planned to do through Moses.
God had not forgotten what He had planned to do for His people either to fulfill those promises.
There may be something God put on your heart to do years ago, but it has yet to be fulfilled. I don’t know how long you may have been struggling as you wait on God. Or perhaps you have gotten to the point where you have given up hope that He will even do anything at all.
But I want to encourage you to keep your eyes open for the living Lord.
God hasn’t forgotten you. He knows where you are. He knows how you got there. He knows how long you have been there.
And like He did with Moses, He can call your name for you to carry out the plan He’s placed on your life, even if you have gotten off the timetable you had once envisioned for your life.1 -
Bible Reading
Exodus 13:21-22
Commentary Thoughts
In times of doubt that arise like these, you must remember that God always has a purpose in what He does.
God took the Israelites on the long route on purpose. He took them to the edge of the Red Sea on purpose. In fact, He led them straight into the corner Himself.
God had the Israelites right where He wanted them. He wanted them there so badly that He didn’t even allow for the opportunity for them to get lost.
During the day, He led them by a pillar of cloud. At night, He led them by a pillar of fire.
This was His plan. And His plan had a very important purpose.
The first half of a football game is never the whole story for how things will wind up. Many teams that are losing after the first half wind up winning the game in the end. Much of this shift comes because of their meeting with the coach at half-time when adjustments are made.
So if your story up to this point is one of loss, defeat, regret, and disappointment, then meet with God at your burning bush. Or, if necessary, ask Him to give you one.
He can reverse the things that make it appear that your life is over. He can move you from a regular existence to a premium, super-unleaded one and bring you to a victorious life as you discover and fulfill your kingdom destiny.1 -
Bible Reading:
Genesis 22
Key verses 13-14
Commentary:
One reason God puts you in a challenging situation such as a test is to give you the opportunity to enter into a relational encounter with Him. He does so by asking you to give up your own “Isaac.” What is an “Isaac”? An “Isaac” is anything you love, treasure, or value most.
God experiences your love for Him above the most valued thing in your life when your feet reveal your faith, especially when you obey without knowing in advance all the details.
Some promises God initiates and fulfills in His sovereignty simply because He has chosen to.
But there are many promises— and I would dare to say the majority of them—that He does tied to what we do.
God waits patiently on us to experience the level of our love and trust both for Him and in Him.God wants to feel your love. He doesn’t just want to hear it. He wants to feel it.
Choosing Him over something you already love gives God the opportunity to feel it. When God wants to give you a kingdom encounter with Him, it will involve a contradiction that involves a choice.
It may include having to choose to give up the thing you treasure most. But as bad as that seems, God is opening up the door for a kingdom encounter to take place.
Little did Abraham know that all the while he was hiking up one side of the mountain, God was bringing his solution up the other side of the mountain.
While Abraham climbed up the steep path, the ram climbed up the other side.
Now, this had to have been the quietest ram in the history of all rams. If a ram is caught in a thicket, it has to be trying to wiggle to get out. But God kept the ram still. God kept the ram quiet.
Abraham couldn’t have seen or heard the ram ahead of time because God chose not to reveal what He was up to until obedience had been completed.
You see, a lot of us are looking for the ram when we haven’t finished the obedience.
As a result, God is keeping the ram quiet. The solution is already there. It just isn’t revealed until after God experiences from us what He desires to experience.
Far too often, we accuse God of not coming through for us when we are the ones who didn’t do what He had said.
Yet God didn’t show Abraham anything until Abraham took the knife to slay his son.
Abraham arising early in the morning wasn’t enough.
Abraham chopping the firewood wasn’t enough.
Abraham climbing the mountain wasn’t enough.0 -
Todays Bible Reading:
Psalm 104:1-17
Commentary
God (alone) is your Source. You only have one Source. As simple as that sounds, it is life transforming when you truly understand it. You cannot have multiple sources. Anything outside God is a resource. It is not a source. It’s merely a vehicle of provision. The grocery store is not your source. It’s merely a resource you go to. They don’t make the food. They sell the food. It’s not your source. It’s a channel through which you get something rather than the origination of the something you get.
Whenever you treat a resource as though it were the source, you have made it an idol. For some people, their job is an idol. Or their bank account is an idol. Even their contacts can be an idol. Or their education. Whatever is viewed or relied on as a source other than God instantly becomes an idol.
God is your Source. And until you establish that principle in your heart and mind as truth, you will always be controlled by either the presence or absence of a resource. Because when your resources go left on you, or your friends go left on you, or your health goes left on you, you will succumb to worry, doubt, dread, and despair. But when you recognize God as your one and only Source, circumstances do not have to ultimately dictate your emotions or actions.
One reason this truth is so important, and why it’s so freeing for me personally, is that when you come to understand and believe it, you will no longer be controlled by anyone or anything. No one can own you. If God is your Source and your resources turn sour, you are still not controlled because you were never depending on your resources to begin with. They were merely a mechanism through which God was choosing to provide. But God has a million mechanisms, and then some, through which He can provide. He used a raven to feed His prophet Elijah, after all, and ravens were even classified as “unclean” birds in Israelite culture (1 Kings 17:2–16).
God doesn’t need our permission to use whatever resource He chooses to. Which is also why it’s never wise to box God into our own understanding. He can hit a bull’s-eye with a crooked stick. His ways are higher than ours. His provision can often come through unexpected and unknown channels.1
