Craig's Living H2O

October 31st - "Finishing the Race"

"But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved."    Matthew 24:12

These are the words of Jesus. It is hard to argue with the words of Christ; after all, what higher authority will you plead too? Who knows better than Jesus? We need to remind ourselves and others that following Christ is not a sprint, but a marathon. There is much to be said for enduring and for finishing. Just how high are the stakes?

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.    Hebrews 6:4-6

October 30th - "Laying Things Aside"

"But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your side, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live."    Numbers 33:55

When one begins to follow Christ there will be habits and relationships that must be abandoned along the way. Many do not wish to change their environment when they themselves have been totally changed, born again. Yet God's warning to the Israelites is applicable for all of us today. Like the Israelites traveling from Egypt (which represents our old sinful nature), followers of Christ are on a journey to the "promise land" (heaven). Along the way there will be people and things that we are asked to lay aside. We must remember that though it may be painful to do so now, it is for our good. There are consequences we will not enjoy if we do not obey. Once again, here is God's warning:

"But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your side, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live."   Numbers 33:55

October 29th - "Honor God"

"Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."    Proverbs 3:9-10

When we give we are actually "honoring" the Lord in a tangible way. When we give our worship goes beyond just talk. The great benefit of giving is the huge return we receive back, but first and foremost, our giving should be about honoring Him.

"'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."    Matthew 15:8

October 28th - "Who Are You Going to Believe?"

"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.  They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."    Psalm 92:12-15

 

Proclaim it in the face of your trials, "The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him." All of us will have times when we have to choose who we are going to believe; our circumstances, or the Word of God. Those "planted in the house of the Lord," will "flourish" their entire lives and still remain "fresh and green." This is the storyline already written for the righteous. So who are you going to believe?

October 27th - "End of Story"

"I am God Almighty, walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly."    Genesis 17:1b-2

Everyday I remind the Lord that my family is under His covenant with all the blessings that accompany this bond. There are some days that I don't "feel" particularly blessed. Some days I "feel" downright abandoned and anything but blessed. So I must take a stand: My emotions will not lead me, for they will deceive me. My circumstances cannot lead me, for they will lie. I certainly will not be led by fear though it may be screaming in my ears. I must only rely on the covenant made between God and I. "I am God Almighty, walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly."   Genesis 171b-2  END OF STORY!"  

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."   Psalm 46:10

October 26th - "When Trouble Comes"

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."    Psalm 91:14-16  

When trouble comes, He has promised to be with us. Our Emmanuel, "God with us," is present to deliver us and honor us, during our hard times. It may feel like He's not there. It may seem like He doesn't care. You may wonder why He has allowed such terrible things to happen to you? Heaven can be incredibly silent during these times, but friend, He is there with you. He will deliver you. He will honor you. He will place you on high out of the tempest and the storm. Why? Because He loves you! Call upon Him you who acknowledge His Name! And never, never, never give up hope.  

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?    Numbers 23:19

October 25th - "Repentance"

"Take a scroll and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel and concerning Judah ... Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity ... in order that every man will turn from his evil way, then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin."    Jeremiah 36:2-3

God's intent was not to threaten, but to do all He could do to have men turn from their sin so that He could once again forgive and bless them. We have been given the God-given right to choose our own way, for good or evil. God will not violate that right, but He will however do all that He possibly can to cause us to stop and turn away from evil. To be forgiven we must turn away (repent) from evil and move toward Him. Our Father stands ready to forgive and bless as soon as we forsake evil and repent.

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate." 
Luke 15:22-24

October 24th - "Recount the Victories"

"Not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times-  not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it."    Numbers 14:22-24

These Israelites were judged because that did not remember and value what God had already done for them. They had seen the miracles of Egypt, the Red Sea parting, and yet they doubted God's delivering power. Not only were they not allowed in, but also their children suffered for their unbelief (see Numbers 14:33). But Caleb and his children were rewarded for his faith and trust in God's delivering power. To enter into the reward that God has for me, I must build upon all He has already done on my behalf. I must use my past victories, achieved by divine intervention, as a stairway to the next reward. First the lions and bears are beaten in my life and then the Goliaths can fall. Stop today and recount your victories rendered through divine intervention. This is the key to our endurance and ultimate victory.

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us, yes, establish the work of our hands."    Psalm 90:17

October 23rd - "Your Decisions Affect Others"

"Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert."    Numbers 14:33

What a sobering verse. Our children suffer when we are found unfaithful. The devil's big lie is that your decisions won't really affect others. He whispers in our ear, "You deserve happiness, after all, no one will get hurt." This is a lie! When we willingly disobey and violate God's directives, we begin a ripple effect that is as long lasting as the ripples in a still pond when a huge rock is thrown in it. A husband who secretly looks at pornography sets off a ripple effect in his family that is devastating. Don't do it! Repent and turn from it. Your decisions, good or bad, leave their mark.

"Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?"    Ezekiel 18:31

October 22nd - "Always Doing Good"

"I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me."    Jeremiah 32:40

God is a covenant keeping God. He has promised to never stop doing good to His covenant people. It is the "children of faith" that are "counted as heirs of the covenant." If you are in God's family through the blood of Jesus, you can hold on to this promise that is for you today.

"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands."    Deuteronomy 7:9