“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you.” (Philippians 2:14, NLT)

Do you enjoy waking up early? I don’t. I emphasize with the psalmist when he writes: “I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.” (Psalm 119:147, NLT)

It’s not that I’m lazy, I’m just not a “morning person”. That’s why I need to continually turn away from the temptation to complain.

Just after the Exodus, when Moses had miraculously led the Israelites out of Egypt, the Israelites sung a song of praise to the Lord for their deliverance. (See Exodus 15.) But just a few days later they encountered hardship and quickly changed their tune. The title of the next section after the Israelite’s song of praise reads “Complaining in the Wilderness,” in my Bible, which is a poignant example the way our hearts can often be fickle.

How can we guard against becoming “complainers in the wilderness”?

Think about the end of Psalm 119:147: “I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.” Throughout the Bible we are constantly reminded to remember what God has done for us. All history is truly “His story” … the story of God’s mighty acts. When we are faced with difficult times, we can reflect upon what God has already done for us, and His promises for the future which we find in His Word, because we know that God is faithful and will fulfill all that He has promised to us, including our own resurrections to eternal life in fellowship with God Himself.

I’m still not a morning person. But I try to remember that when I wake up early, that groggy feeling lasts only a few fleeting moments, and then the rest of the divinely gifted day awaits me. It’s hard to complain about a free gift, and a promise of the ultimate free gift to come.

Question: What has been bothering you lately that you need to bring to God in prayer?

Dive into the Word with our study on 1 Peter.

“Give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3).

For some reason we take it all for granted. We find a few choice verses from the Bible and use them as a moniker for our lives, a slogan of sorts. We pray for guidance and hope that it brings with it a continual shower of blessings. We attend church, yearning to be fed, motivated and fired up to make a difference in the lives of others.  But no sooner do we walk out of the church building do we realize that something is missing. We are.

You can’t expect to unleash the power of God in your daily life by showing up once a week. He created us to need more than this. There will always be a void in our lives until we learn to seek Him continually. Daily. Moment by moment.

Imagine a husband-wife relationship where they elected to spend time together once a week, but then went on about their business as if they were single until their next appointed time to be together. There is no way this relationship could work without the commitment of time, energy and an investment into each other.

Imagine a parent-child relationship where the parent met on Sundays with the child and attempted to provide everything they would need for the following week. Food, clothing, safety instructions, hygiene, love and help with homework. None of this can be accomplished in advance. The journey is constant; and the needs are fresh each day.

The same is true for our relationship with God, and the problem is that spiritually, we are starving ourselves.  We would never consider going a week without food. On the contrary, we train ourselves to eat at predetermined times; sometimes even eating before we are actually hungry because we have grown accustomed to eating, no matter what.

The same should be true for our spiritual journeys. God has a new message for us each and every day. If we allow Him to do so, He will give us enough meat to chew on for that particular day, using it to propel us down the path carved out for us. He is always ready to listen to us, but we rarely take the time to return the favor.

He intended for us to eat daily. Not weekly, monthly or on special occasions. He created our thirst and hunger, both spiritually and physically, and we will never be satisfied or reach our full potential until we recognize that hunger, filling it with the perfect love that only He can provide.

When the Israelites were following Moses throughout the wilderness, on their journey to the Promised Land, God proved his desire to feed them daily by sending manna. In Numbers 11:9 – it says, “When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.”

However, manna was only good for that particular day. If the people tried to save it for later, other than on the day of Sabbath, it rotted and turned disgusting. God taught His people to feed themselves daily, and to seek Him in the process. Moment by moment, in a beautiful blend of dependence and discipline.  What we have to realize, as Christians, is that Satan will do everything in his power to keep our Bibles closed.  You see, he loves it when we starve ourselves.

Questions: How do we keep from becoming spiritually anorexic? What are some results of neglecting our time with God?

Does it feel like your life is under construction? Try our online study Golden Nuggets from Philippians.

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward”‘ (Exodus 14:15, NKJV).

Sometimes we pray and pray about something but nothing seems to change. Maybe God is saying the same thing to us as he said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Do something!” There are times in which we can be like little children sitting on the floor crying and just waiting for someone to pick us up and fix everything. The truth is that God picked us up at the point of our salvation, and He fixed everything at the cross. From there it is our responsibility to take hold of what has been accomplished for us, apply it to our lives and go forward.

Too often we think that God should be moved by our “need,” but God is not moved by need, He is moved by faith. Faith requires action. It starts by knowing what God’s promise is for you in your specific area of need. Get into the word and find the scriptures that speak the truth about the matter and start to saturate your mind and spirit with that truth. This is what it means to have our “minds renewed” (Romans 12/2).

By the power of the Holy Spirit, the word of God, and a decision on our part to go forward and take hold of the salvation promises that God has for us, things will start to change. Jesus said that it was finished at the cross, now it is for us to take up the cross and follow Him into victory!

“Then He touched their eyes, saying “according to your faith let it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29, NJKV).

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26, NKJV).

Questions: What does it mean to have our minds renewed? What causes God to be moved?  How would you describe faith?

Want a significant life? Learn how to find significance today.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish…” (Proverbs 29:18 King James Version).

“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed” (The Message).

So many meanings to the word dream: to think, imagine, have ideas. An internet search reveals over 200 million sites related to that one word! People of renown have used the word to inspire and challenge: ‘I have a dream’ (Martin Luther King, Jr.); “Nothing happens without a dream” (Carl Sandburg); “Hold fast to dreams…” (Langston Hughes).

Of all people, followers of God should dream big because God is the reason for our dreaming. From the beginning of time it has been His plan that all people everywhere know of His great love. He used—and continues to use—men and women and His creation to tell the story, and the ultimate message became His very Son.

With God’s goal in mind and His Holy Spirit to empower us, we can look at the needs of the world and dream about how God would want those needs met. When God challenged Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, He asked, “What is that in your hand?” God had a dream and was ready to use Moses in the fulfillment of the dream, even when what he had in his hand looked like a mere stick of wood.

We would do well to consistently look at what is in our “hands,” consider God’s vision for the world and then dream big about how He might use us. We must constantly encourage our children and grandchildren along these same lines. Involve them early in projects where they see how their seemingly small efforts contribute to the fulfillment of God’s dream, projects such as making sandwiches for the homeless, meeting missionaries, going on short-term mission trips and living out God’s vision of love with the those around them, especially towards the un-lovely.

When we open our eyes to God’s dream—“what God is doing”—and then “attend to what He reveals”—we will be blessed.

Father, I stand in awe of exactly how big your dream is. Then I am humbled by the understanding that you have chosen me to help accomplish that dream. Guide my imagination and my dreams so that they line up with yours.

Questions: What are some dreams that you have had about being used by God? Stop right now and think about what  skills or talents do you possess that God could use in fulfilling His dream for the world?

“They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning” (Exodus 36:3).

The Old Testament tells of God’s relationship with the Hebrew nation. It begins with His promise to Abraham to make him into a great nation, to give the promised land to him and his descendants, and to bless all peoples on earth through him. (Genesis 12:1–3)

Abraham believed God and followed where the Lord led, but the Egyptians enslaved his descendants. The Hebrews cried out to God, and He heard them. God called to Moses from a burning bush and said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt…and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians” (Exodus 3:7–8). And that is what He did.

First through Abraham, then through Moses, God revealed Himself to the Jewish people, but God’s presence caused such fear and awe that they begged for Him not to speak with them directly. So God commanded the Israelites to build a tabernacle, or a portable temple. He put the Levites in charge of the tabernacle as mediators between Himself and the Israelites. He gave artistic gifts to a chosen few so that they could construct this sanctuary (Exodus 35:31–33).

The people brought gold jewelry, blue, purple and scarlet yarn, spices, oils and fragrant incense, onyx stones and other gems to be used in building the tabernacle. Everything they had they gave to the work of the Lord. The true and living God had chosen to dwell among them; no expense could be spared. And the people continued to bring their offerings morning after morning until finally Moses had to command them to stop! (Exodus 36:6).

With the coming of Jesus, everything has changed. God no longer dwells in a sanctuary made by human hands; He dwells in the hearts of every believer. We are His sanctuary! God no longer enables a select few to do His work; He gives spiritual gifts to each of His children. He has enabled every Christian to do the works which He has prepared for them.

God rescued the Hebrew people from slavery to Egypt. He has rescued us from slavery to sin and death through the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins on the cross. And rather than taking our requests to God through a mediator, we have Christ as our Mediator. Therefore we can approach the throne of God boldly, without fear.

So like the Israelites, who understood the immensity of privilege God had bestowed on them by dwelling among them and calling them His people, let us give generously of our gifts to the Lord—gifts of time, talent, and treasure. We who have received the bounty of blessing which comes through Jesus Christ can do no less.

Dear Heavenly Father, You have rescued, adopted, and empowered me. You have given me direct access to approach Your throne with boldness. I want to give back to You through my time, my talents, and my treasure—not as repayment, for what do I have that You have not given me? But I give my gifts to You  with a heart of gratitude. Use them for Your glory. Amen.

Questions: You are God’s sanctuary. How does that impact you? How has God enabled you to do His Kingdom work?

“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you.” (Philippians 2:14, NLT)

Do you enjoy waking up early? I don’t. I emphasize with the psalmist when he writes: “I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.” (Psalm 119:147, NLT)

It’s not that I’m lazy; I’m just not a “morning person”. That’s why I need to continually turn away from the temptation to complain.

Just after the Exodus, when Moses had miraculously led the Israelites out of Egypt, the Israelites sung a song of praise to the Lord for their deliverance. (See Exodus 15.) But just a few days later they encountered hardship and quickly changed their tune. The title of the next section after the Israelite’s song of praise reads “Complaining in the Wilderness” in my Bible, which is a poignant example the way our hearts are often fickle.

How can we guard against becoming “complainers in the wilderness”?

Think about the end of Psalm 119:147: “I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.” Throughout the Bible we are constantly reminded to remember what God has done for us. All history is truly “His story” … the story of God’s mighty acts. When we are faced with difficult times, we can reflect upon what God has already done for us, and His promises for the future which we find in His Word, because we know that God is faithful and will fulfill all that He has promised to us, including our own resurrections to eternal life in fellowship with God Himself.

I’m still not a morning person. But I try to remember that when I wake up early, the groggy feeling lasts only a few fleeting moments, and then the rest of the divinely gifted day awaits me. It’s hard to complain about a free gift, and a promise of the ultimate free gift to come.

Question: What has been bothering you lately that you need to bring to God in prayer?

God knows…God Cares…God loves You…There is hope. Someone is waiting to talk with you now.

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good” (Deuteronomy10:12-13).

What are we to do as God’s children? Moses told them quite plainly. Fear (honor, awe) God, walk in His ways, love Him and serve Him. To do that takes three things. It takes keeping God’s commandments and doing it all from the depth of your heart and also with all your soul.  The Prophet Micah’s book in the Old Testament has similar threefold list—Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God. Three steps. All have to do with how we walk with God.

In Deuteronomy, Moses warns the people to “walk in His ways” several times. Leviticus 26:12 has God saying He will walk among the Hebrews and they will be His people. The prophets warned the people to once again walk with God, and Paul stressed that since we now are His temple, we must walk in His ways. What does it mean to walk with God, or to walk in His ways?

Think of two people in an intimate relationship. They walk side by side, matching each other’s steps almost subconsciously because being close is what is of the utmost importance. They are not in a rush. They are enjoying each other’s company too much. Chatting, whispering and even laughing as they stroll. Cares disappear. All they see is each other.

Or picture a child with their parent. The parent holds tight to the child’s hand so the child doesn’t dash off into danger. The parent may try to match their giant steps to the child’s, but if that can’t happen or the way becomes too arduous, the parent hoists the child up and carries them through crowds, around obstacles and over cracks in the pavement that might have caused the child to stumble.

Now consider a man walking his obedient dog on a leash. He gives the dog some freedom, but the dog is well trained. He knows staying by his master is the safe thing to do. If the master tugs on the leash, the dog obeys, changes direction and goes where the master tells him to go.

Do any of those three ways describe your walk with God? Perhaps, depending on the circumstance, all three have. They have for me. There have also been times I have been a disobedient dog, yanked away the leash and ran off on my own. As a child, I have slipped from God’s grip only to get temporarily lost in the crowds. At times, my intimate relationship with God ends in a quarrel and I stomp off. But, each time, He finds me, forgives me and once again I get back in sync with His steps. All is right again.

Questions: Where are you in your walk with the Lord? Are you serving Him, loving Him and trusting in Him, or are you dashing off on your own?

Are you overwhelmed by fear? Take this study.

“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you:  I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5b).

In the first chapter of Joshua, the Lord calls Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan and into the Promised Land.  Along with the call, God promises, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you:  I will never leave you nor forsake you.” In the New Living Translation, it says, “I will not fail you or abandon you.”

The Lord goes on to command Joshua to be strong and courageous, you will be the leader, study this Book of instructions, and do not be afraid or discouraged, “For the LORD your GOD is with you wherever you go”.

The call and promise are clear.  However, Joshua has to trust the promises of the Lord – Joshua must lead where he has never been before.  The Lord assures Joshua that there will be a battle, but God promises that Joshua will be victorious and the Israelites will indeed inherit the land He promised.

The book of Joshua accounts for the battle, the distribution of land – at the end of the book, in chapter 24, it says, “The people of Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him – those who had personally experienced all that the LORD had done for Israel.”  As I was reading and meditating on this verse, I wrote in my journal, “when there is no personal experience of trusting God and seeing His glory it is a breeding ground for fear – living vicariously – we lose our faith.”

As we listen to Him and do what He says, trust His instructions, and take risks to show His love, we will see His glory and witness His work in the hearts of others.  In His strength, our confidence will grow as we experience for ourselves what it means to walk in His ways, His power, His love…obediently following His Spirit.

As we take steps of faith, we realize for ourselves that God is with us, and this assurance builds our confidence! Recently, one of our volunteers testified of God’s unswerving faithfulness when we trust the Lord and step out in faith.

I have learned that I didn’t really have a fear problem.   I had a faith problem. I had lost confidence that my heavenly Father would take care of me.  Since my faith has increased in going (reaching out in prison), it has been my experience that my fear has decreased. Don’t get me wrong, I have not conquered the spirit of fear, but I am in the process of learning to put my fear in the hands of the One who knows everything, and to move forward in spite of it.

Confidently sharing our faith comes with experience.  Confidence does not develop vicariously but grows during the adventure of faith and risk.  Trust grows when we see His glory for ourselves and discover that indeed the LORD is with us and He will never abandon nor fail us.

What is your Jordan?  What is the Lord asking of you in these days?
Remember, “Be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the LORD your GOD is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Father, You have promised that you are with me wherever I go.  Thank you for the assurance of Your promises and constant reminder to not be afraid.  Please build my faith and trust and help me to take steps today and in the days ahead to grow in confidence beyond the fear that wants to hold me back.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Questions: What is the Lord asking you to do these days? How does our faith increase?

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:  How to share your faith

About the Author Donna Mitchell

Hurting from the pain of losing a baby? We want to stand in the gap for you.

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18 (NLT).

The Bible describes prayer as “standing in the gap” or “bridging the gap” – the channel through which God’s will is brought to earth. We are going to look in God’s Word to see some examples of people he used to stand in the gap so his purpose could be accomplished.

God chose or appointed Moses to stand in the gap between His people, the Israelites and Pharaoh. Esther stood in the gap for her people, the Israelites with prayer and fasting when Haman wanted to destroy the Jews.

After God created the earth, He said, “It was very good” (Genesis 1:31). There was no gap between God and the earth, however, after Adam and Eve sinned, sin created a gap between God and what He had planned for the earth.  Fortunately, God stood in the gap for us by sending His Son, Jesus to the earth to live as a man, die for our sins, and arise from the dead so we could have a personal relationship with Him.

God is our source of power and He chose us to be intercessors, a channel for His power to bridge the gap between himself and the earth. Daniel knew that prayer was the means that would bring God’s will from heaven, causing His will to be activated, releasing His power for His purpose on earth.

God chose us, as parents and grandparents to partner with Him in behalf of our children, grandchildren, and future generations to share in His work and blessings. Jennifer Kennedy Dean writes in her Bible study, Live A Praying Life, “Prayer is the most aggressive, offensive, pro-active, invasive work you can ever engage in.”

Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10-18, we are to be strong and firm in our relationship with the Lord. We are to stand firm against Satan’s well- thought-out plans and agenda for our children, grandchildren, and ourselves.

Just as Jesus, Moses, Esther, Daniel and many others in the Bible stood in the gap, we as parents and grandparents have the privilege to stand in the gap with prayer for our families. Satan is very active in the world today; he knows his time is short. Let us urgently and intentionally pray for God’s will and protection for our family members.

As parents and grandparents, let us be the channels through which God’s will is brought down to earth for our children, grandchildren, future generations, and ourselves.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP: How to pray for your kids

Questions: How can you best stand in the gap for your family and for others? Can you name some examples of people who stood or are standing in the gap today?

About the Author Lillian Penner

1 Jennifer Kennedy Dean, Living A Praying Life, (Birmingham, AL: New Hope, 2003). p 60.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalms 27:14

Waiting patiently is not a strong suit in our fast paced society. We want instant everything and we want it with overnight doorstep delivery. We are in a hurry to get everywhere and once we get there we are in a hurry to leave. We are living in a horn-honking, microwaving, fast-food, express lane world.

We have invented the “honko-second,” which is the time between when the light changes and the person behind you honks his horn. It is the fastest time interval known to man.

Waiting may well be the hardest think a person may be called to do and simultaneously often the most valuable investment of our time. For it is in waiting that we grow. Haste can bring more than waste. It can bring disaster, especially if you are a type A+ personality like me. I want everything done and I want it done today, even if it is done wrong. Not really, but I often act and think that way. On the DISC chart, I am a D+, but when I wait and plan and calculate my moves, I move so much better.

God told Moses to wait four hundred years. In fact, forty-three times in the Old Testament, the people are commanded to wait upon the Lord. The last words in the Bible are about waiting.

The ability to wait is a test of maturity, often referred to by psychologists as the ability to endure delayed gratification. What we want, we want now, but if only we will wait, often the reward will be al the greater.

Isaiah writes to remind us that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

We gain strength as we wait and when we are ready to run, we run with power and strength. When we soar with the eagles, we rise above our problems that otherwise weight us down.

Most importantly, when we wait, we have time to put everything else out of our life and focus on God. Waiting can be a spiritual experience, a resting experience, a growing experience, a strengthening experience and a building experience. Remember the next time you get impatient that it may be God’s time for you to wait so you can be ready to soar.

Question: What kinds of situations make you impatient? How can you seek to avoid or respond better to those kinds of situations?

About the Author: John Grant