Craig's Living H2O

June 30th - "Are You Battle Ready?"

"He trains my hands for battle, so that my arm can bend a bow of bronze."   2 Samuel 22:35

Holding on to God and His promises through difficult times in not about your understanding the "why?". True soldiers don't need their orders explained; they just do them. They have been trained for battle and when difficulties arise they keep going. What kind of soldier for Christ are you?

June 29th - "Failed Leadership"

"Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria; your nobles are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains and there is no one to regather them. There is no relief for your breakdown, your wound is incurable."   Nahum 3:18a-19

It is not a pretty picture when leaders fail; in fact, there is no remedy for failed leadership. "There is no relief for your breakdown, your wound is incurable." When leadership defaults people are scattered and lost because there is no vision and no common goal. This Scripture likens failed leaders to lazy shepherds, shepherds who are sleeping and lying down while their sheep are scattered and endangered. Like these lazy shepherds, leaders fail when the are lazy, passive, indifferent, and unresponsive to the people that they are leading. Are you called to be a leader? Then lead or get out of the way.

June 28th - "Help Through the Maze"

"Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, 'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.'"   Isaiah 48:17

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'In those days ten men from all nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"   Zechariah 8:23

God is with and for us! He has already declared His favor and companionship over us. The follower of Christ can rest assured that no matter what trial may come their way, God is with them as a personal instructor; teaching them how to "profit and to know the way they should go." These are awesome promises for us today. Life can be quite the maze, leaving us at a loss as to what to do or where to turn next? But God has promised to lead us into a blessed future. As I write this, the words of a song are echoing in my ear, "Just to know that you are near is enough, God of heaven come down, Heaven come down. Just to know You and be loved is enough, God of heaven come down. Heaven come down."

"Do not My Words do good to the one walking uprightly."   Micah 2:7

June 27th - "God Keeps His Promises"

"As for the promise I made with you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst, do not fear!"   Haggai 2:5

I've have got fantastic news for you today - time does not cancel the promise! Have you been waiting for the promises of God to be fulfilled in your life? Have you been waiting for what seems like an eternity? Do you find yourself wanting to give up on what you are trusting God for? Israel had been out of Egypt for hundreds of years, and yet God says, "As for the promise I made with you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst, do not fear!"  Don't you dare give up child of God. This is your word today. God is faithful and when it seems the darkest, the dawn is about to break. Soon you will be sharing your own testimony of God's faithfulness.

June 26th - "Angel Food"

"Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again."   2 Kings 19:6

This was the awesome provision of the Lord sent by an angel to Elijah. God is our provider! When you can't see a way out, He can make one!

"But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me."   Micah 7:7

June 25th - "Bad Idea"

"He who touches you, touches the apple of His eye."   Zechariah 2:8b

Touching the apple of God’s eye doesn’t sound like a good idea to me! Who really wants to go around poking their fingers in the eye of the Lord God Almighty? We must be careful who we "touch" with our critical words and judgmental attitudes. God's children are precious to Him. Watch your words and thoughts, especially in regards to God's people.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29

June 24th - "Wrestlemania"

"And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day... But Jacob said, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.'"   Genesis 32:24-26

Jacob would not take a "no" for an answer. He would not let go even with a dislocated hip! We must persevere in our prayers. The Bible says that these things are written, "For our example." God wants us to persevere in our prayers. "Jacob was left alone." Persevering prayer often means going it "alone." We go it alone because we have requested prayed for the answer so many times, that we no longer want to ask one more person to help us pray. We have carried the burden so long that we don't want to drag anyone else into it. If you have been "left alone" with your long standing prayer, don't let go now. It was when Jacob got to this place, the place where most quit, that he kept going and received his blessing. Wrestle with God until you get the answer -  DON'T LET GO!

June 23rd - "Faltering Faith"

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."   Matthew 26:41

 

Often I find that my faith wants to falter when my eyes first open from sleep. My spirit knows to trust God, but my flesh is oh so weak. When I am feeling anxious I know it is not what God wants from me, but nonetheless, the uneasiness remains. It is during these times that the instructions from God's Word becomes so vital. It is only when I implement His Word that I can extinguish my fears. "Watch and pray" Jesus said, "your spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Prayer has become an absolutely essential component of each and every day of my life. And as I pray, I rehearse the following verse, trying my best to put it into practice:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."   Proverbs 3:5-6

And then the relief comes. How do I spell relief? The B-I-B-L-E!

June 22nd - "He is Coming for Those Totally Surrendered"

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

 30"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”     Matthew 24:14,30-31

Do these words strike fear in you or bring you comfort? There was a time in my life when they only frightened me. At that time in my life, I only wanted Jesus as my Savior, but not as my Lord. I wanted to have control of my own life, I didn't want to give the control to Him.  I went to church every Sunday and read my Bible, so that I could get my ticket punched for heaven; but I still knew in my heart that I was not ready to face Jesus. Thank God the day came that I surrendered everything to Jesus. I committed to go anywhere and to do and say anything He wanted. That is when my life truly changed. From that moment until now (over 20 years), I now read these words with great anticipation, in fact, I am longing for Jesus to return. Check your own heart today. Are you ready to look Jesus in the eyes and give Him an account of your life?

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."     Mark 8:34-38

June 21st - "A Father's Discipline"

“My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." Proverbs 3:11-12

A dad has to discipline because he wants the best for his children.  Children raised in the discipline of a strong and loving father have greater discipline as adults, and disciplined adults make greater contributors to society. Discipline is difficult, and it is often times received by our children as a bad thing, but it is a primary fruit of fatherly love. Dad has to discipline if he loves his children. This Father's Day many fathers will be thanked for many things, I wonder if the discipline they gave will be one of them? If you don't discipline your children, life will.

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."  Ephesians 6:4