Independence from Britain was a great and good thing for the people that became the United States of America. But independence is not a good thing for the people of God. In fact, as God’s people we should make a formal “Declaration of Dependence” on our Creator.

Those of us, who have been born again spiritually, by the power of God in Christ, have no rights. We are not our own, we have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20). We have been set free from the bondage of sin and death so we can become slaves of Christ (Romans 6:22).

In fact, according to the Bible, we are totally dependent on God for everything. We can do nothing without Christ (John 15:5) but with Him we can do everything (Phil 4:13). Without Him, nothing. With Him, everything.

So why do I still try to do things my way, in my own power and strength? Maybe it’s because I still think too much of myself and too little of Him.

Lord, I declare today “Dependence Day.” Will you help me be totally and utterly dependent on you in everything I say and do?

These kinds of storms are scary and, unfortunately, also inevitable here. We expect them and try to prepare for them. What about life’s storms? Do you expect them? In John 16:33, Jesus said we would have trouble in this world. (And, praise God, He also said to “take heart” because He has overcome the world!) So why are we sometimes surprised when trouble comes?

Here are three things that can help us when we find ourselves in the midst of trial and difficulty:

1. Reflect on God’s purposes – Both James and Peter tell us that we can rejoice in the midst of trials. (See James 1:2-4 and 1 Peter 1:6-9.) I know, it seems crazy to think about rejoicing when times are hard. But they didn’t mean to be happy about the difficulties themselves. God uses the storms of life to refine us and shape us into the person He wants us to be. He molds our character and burns off impurities. He turns your life into one that will bring praise and honor to Jesus. Now that’s something to be joyful about!
2. Rest in God’s promises – Spiritual maturity is great, but how does that help us get through the storms? The Bible is full of promises from God about how He helps us in times of difficulties. The 46^th Psalm contains one of my favorites. “God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear through the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, thought the mountains tremble at its swelling (Ps 46:1-3).” We may have to walk through painful and dark days but God will be there. Everything else may be falling down around our ears, but God is our refuge, a safe place where we can run.
3. Rejoice in God’s presence – When we have nothing else we have God. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. (See Hebrews 13:5.) Even when everything else in life is wrong God is present. His presence means comfort, peace, and help. Seek to be consciously aware of His constant presence. Then rejoice in it!

Do the skies overhead look dark today? Run to the Light and reflect, rest, and rejoice in Him!

Recently God has presented me with a new opportunity. Since it’s a bit different from anything I’ve done before I’m a little nervous about how to proceed. I know I will have to depend on Him. And that’s a good thing.

This morning I was reading about David’s task of planning for the temple in First Chronicles, chapter 28. God did not allow David to actually build the temple because David was a man of war. God assigned that task to David’s son Solomon. However, God did ask David to do the planning and make preparations.

I know I’ve read this passage many times, but this morning I noticed truths about the Holy Spirit’s involvement that I had never slowed down to think about before.

The Spirit put all the detailed plans for the temple and its furnishings in David’s mind, from the massive stones to the amount of gold to be used in each serving fork (vs 17) to how the duties for the priests and Levites should be organized (vs 13). David knew and acknowledged that all the plans came from “the hand of the Lord” that was on Him. The Spirit gave David “understanding in all the details of the plan.”

When David’s task was completed he passed the baton to Solomon. As he did, David gave Solomon advice on serving the Lord and fulfilling His purposes:

“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. Be careful now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.”  1 Chronicles 28:9-10, ESV

Here are a few things from this passage I think we can apply to ourselves as we step forward in obedience to tackle God-sized (or any size for that matter) tasks.

• “Know God” and seek Him – Make time with God a priority every day.
• Ask God to constantly check your attitudes and motivations for service. Are there any self-serving motives behind my “obedience?”
• Serve God with a “whole heart” – God shouldn’t just be my priority. He should be my everything.
• Pray for discretion and understanding – In 1 Chronicles 22:11-12, David asked God to give Solomon discretion and understanding as he began to build the Lord’s house.
• “Be strong and do it” – As you seek God, ask Him to keep your motivations in check, and pray for His direction, then whatever He shows you, step out and do it!

What is your God-given and God-sized task? Are you depending on His Spirit? “Be strong and do it!”

God saved His people Israel. He chose them out of all nations to be His. God rescued them from slavery in Egypt. He brought them safely through the waters of the Red Sea. Then after centuries of rebellion, the prophet Isaiah warned them of God’s pending discipline. They would soon face exile in Babylon, but God would redeem them again. Like a loving father, God would lavish His children with grace and mercy. He would snatch them out of exile and bring them safely home.

God has a unique relationship with us, His people. First, He made us. He intimately formed you and me. Then He chose us to belong to Him. He called us by name. He redeemed us out of slavery to sin and claimed us as His own.

He promises to save those who belong to Him. Are you passing through a fire right now? Whether you’re experiencing God’s discipline, Christian persecution, or a refining trial, God is with you. You may feel the heat and smell the smoke but you will not be consumed. God may not choose to rescue you out of every trouble, but He will always rescue you through them. He will not leave your side.

1 But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,     they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

³ For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.

⁴ Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.

Isaiah 43:1-4, NIV

God’s greatest act of salvation on our behalf was in sending His Son to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. Have you received God’s great gift of eternal salvation? Have you experienced God’s saving hand in past circumstances of your life?

Remember, the God who saved your soul and acted on your behalf in the past is the same God today. Will you trust Him with your current circumstances?

I read a Psalm recently during my quiet time that I’ve read dozens of times. However, this time God showed me something I had not really noticed before.

Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. Ps 19:12-13

Sometimes I sin against God and don’t even realize it. My sinful heart keeps me from being able to recognize the depth of my transgression against our holy God. I’m clueless. My sin nature blinds me to my own sin.

The psalmist, David, asked God to forgive him for the sin he was not even aware he had committed. Then he asked God to protect him from yielding to blatant temptation. David longed to be blameless – innocent in thought, attitude, and deed. And not in just the things that people would notice. David wanted to be innocent in the eyes of his holy God. Wow!

God has brought me back to these verses several times in the last week. Do you think He’s trying to tell me something? Every time, my prayer has been David’s prayer:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Ps 19:14

We rolled up our sleeves and proceeded to sift through about four decades worth of Christmas decorations, artificial arrangements, warped candles, and a bunch of stuff that nobody knew what to do with but couldn’t bring themselves to throw away. A few things we thought someone might want went to a second hand shop and a lot went to the dumpster. The rest was cleaned, sorted, organized into plastic containers, and labeled for easy access.

Wow! I couldn’t get over what a difference it made. Before we started one person could barely get in the space at a time. But now it’s open enough to use as a small classroom if we needed to. I was so excited about the transformation, I wanted to conduct tours of our closet on Sunday morning.

Before our work day the space was a catch-all for every bit of unwanted junk. It simply gathered dust and trash. The wasted space was no good to anyone. But then we took stock, threw away, cleaned up, made a plan, and put everything in its place. Now the space is usable, serviceable, and valuable.

Just like closets full of junk our lives can become cluttered and dirty with stuff that shouldn’t be in there in the first place. God wants us to regularly “clean out and organize” our lives. Let’s ask God to search us and show us all the worldly junk we’ve allowed to creep into the closets of our hearts. Then let’s have a spiritual “work day.” What do you say?

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Ps 139:23-24

What was I thinking? So often, things did not turn out like I’d planned. And I ended up breaking my promise. Eventually I learned to be very careful about making promises. Because sometimes, no matter how hard I tried or how badly I wanted to keep a promise, there were circumstances beyond my control. And one of my kids was particularly sensitive about broken promises.

We humans are not very good at keeping promises. But, our God is the ultimate promise keeper. God doesn’t break promises. There are never circumstances beyond His control, never situations He didn’t foresee.

In the sixth chapter of the book of Hebrews we learn that it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). Because of this we can take hold of the hope He offers and be “greatly encouraged” by the promises He has made to us. Verse 19 reads, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

The Bible is full of promises God makes to His children. Many of them are promises to help us, strengthen us, walk with us, and guide us in the midst of trouble. The truth that we can firmly trust in the promises of God is like an anchor for our souls. This hope holds us fast and secure as the waves of life toss us about. We may get a little seasick, but we won’t drift away and we won’t sink!

What promise of God do you need to hold onto today?

Have you ever looked through a trunk or box full of old keepsakes and been flooded with sweet memories long forgotten? Events and people you haven’t thought about in a long time? It’s funny how are minds can work. Significant events and dearly loved people get pushed to the dark recesses. But then we see a physical item connected to that memory. A light shines in that dusty place – and we remember. 

I have had many encounters with God and witnessed His activity around me over and over again. But sadly my memory is short. I tend to forget what He’s done for me. Over time the awe and wonder of watching Him work dims. And that should not be!

Yesterday I read about Joshua leading the Israelites across the Jordan into the Promised Land (Joshua 3:14 – 4:24). When the priests stepped into the water carrying the Ark of the Covenant, God stopped the water upstream from flowing. All the people crossed over on dry land. Another miraculous provision from God for His people!

But God knows how easily we forget. He wanted His people to remember His mighty works! God told Joshua to have one man from each tribe pick up a stone from the river bed and use them to build a memorial. Joshua told the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you crossed over.” (See Joshua 4:21-23.)

God wanted them and their children to remember what He had done for them so He gave them a visual reminder, a physical memory prompter. The memorial was to be a permanent reminder to God’s people and the nations of God’s power. Jesus did the same when He established the Lord’s Supper on the night He was betrayed. He gave us a visual reminder of His sacrifice for us. Some things are just too important to forget.

I have a print that portrays Jesus with the one lamb that wandered away from the 99 others (Luke 15:4-10). My husband bought it for me to mark a glorious season we spent on the front row of God’s activity. We were blessed to participate in Him drawing dozens of lost people to Himself.  Henry Blackaby calls these kind of items spiritual markers – something we deliberately choose to be reminder of God’s presence and activity.

Do you have any spiritual markers? Should you have a few? When we forget what God’s done we fail to give Him all the glory He’s due. What do you need to remember with a few well-placed markers?

I will remember the deeds of the LORD; I will remember your miracles of long ago.

Ps 17:11

First, God knows our every need. The Lord of all creation – the One who knows when a sparrow falls to the ground – knows when you’re hungry and when you’re grieving. He promises to meet your needs as you seek Him first (Matthew 6:33).

Second, God promises that no matter what we go through He is with us in the middle of it. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” I love that phrase “an ever-present help.” We are not alone. He is with us to give us strength and guidance even in the hardest of days.

Third, God uses our trials for our good. I know you’re thinking you’d be just fine without the trials, right? I’ve thought that many times too.  But as much as God cares about our physical needs He cares even more about our spiritual condition. James 1:2-4 explains that God uses the “fire” of our trials to refine our faith. To burn off impurities and shape our character.

Fourth, God wants to bring glory to Himself through our trials. He wants to reveal His power and authority to us and those watching. God did this when the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. Their serious condition required a dramatic deliverance. When God redeemed them with His “outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment” Israel knew without a doubt it was Jehovah that broke their yoke of slavery (Exodus 6:6-7). And Egypt knew it too (Exodus 7:5).

Anybody out there going through a little character building these days? Anybody in need? Anybody in slavery? Oh, watch and see what God will do.

I’ve been reading about Joseph during my daily Bible reading. This morning  I read Genesis 41:46, “Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”  I thought, “Not too shabby. Joseph was still a young whipper-snapper when he obtained the second highest position in all of Egypt.”

Then I remembered that when Joseph was a teenager God had revealed to him through dreams that his family would bow down to him. Then his brothers sold him into slavery at seventeen. Joseph spent thirteen years as a slave and a prisoner. Yet, Scripture doesn’t tell us that Joseph sulked or got mad at God or stomped around asking God when He planned on doing something about his circumstances.

But Scripture does tell us alot about Joseph during those “waiting years.” He faithfully kept his moral integrity even when it cost him dearly (See the encounter with Potipher’s wife in Genesis 39). He did his best at whatever task God put before him, even as a slave and prisoner. He gave God the credit for His activity. He never blamed God – or even his brothers (See Genesis 50:19-20.)

 Joseph spent thirteen years facing one difficult trial after another. If we merely look at the circumstances it may seem that God’s initial plans for Joseph were derailed. Yet, time and again through the Genesis account we see a deeper truth – God was working; God was actively involved in every moment of Joseph’s life. For example:

• The Lord was with him and gave him success in everything he did. Gen 39:3
• God gave Joseph favor in Potipher’s eyes. Gen 39:4
• The Lord blessed Potipher’s household because of Joseph. Gen 39:5
• In prison, the Lord was with Joseph, showed him kindness, and granted him favor in the warden’s eye. Gen 39:21
• The Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. Gen 39:23
• The cupbearer remembered Joseph. Gen 41:9
• God revealed the meaning of  Pharaoh’s dream to Joseph. Gen 41:25

Are you in the middle of difficult circumstances? Are you waiting for God to do something? Has it seemed like forever? I encourage you to be a Joseph. Keep looking for God’s activity. Keep doing your best for God’s glory. Keep trusting. Keep waiting on God.