As I write this, the seasons have turned from winter to spring. There is so much spiritual significance to the change of these two seasons. Winter represents death, while spring represents new life. Even though there is a severe drought where I live, there are signs of new life springing up. Trees are starting to sprout, and the grass is pushing through the soil. Nature is starting to flourish and grow. Did you know that there is a way that you can flourish and grow?

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭92:12-13

“The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the courts of our God.”

What is going to make your life flourish and grow? The Psalmist shows us two things, righteousness, and roots. The person who does the right thing will flourish, and those who plant themselves in the presence of the Spirit will grow. Righteousness is evident by the obedience in your life, while deep roots are manifested in maturity. God wants you to desire righteousness and His presence in your heart. You will be like a plan tree and mighty cedar if these are present.

The amount of scams out there that promise for you to get rich quickly boggles my mind. People are desperate to discover the source of success. They will watch endless videos on what made someone else successful and then try to apply it to their lives. The story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis shows us how he prospered and what was the source of his success.

‭‭GENESIS‬ ‭39:3

“Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand.”

Joseph was born into privilege, but he knew how to work hard. That served him well when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. At Potiphar’s house, the Lord was with him, and everything his hand touched prospered. When he was put into prison, the same thing happened. As the Prime Minister of Egypt, he led the nation through a severe drought. His source of success was his faithfulness to God and his work ethic.

The COVID pandemic has left many full of fear. It has caused people to go into hiding, avoid previous friends and family, and cling to solutions that have been proven not to be effective in the least. What has caused once mature believers to be reduced to quivering hermits? Fear. They are afraid of something they can’t control. Jesus wants to deal with your fear. Paul tells us to take those fears to Him.

‭‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭4:6-7

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This passage falls into the category of one of the most quoted. People cling to this verse when in times of trouble, and rightfully so. It brings hope and instructs how to deal with your fear. One of Satan’s most extensive tactics is to fill you full of doubt and discouragement because he knows that will lead to fear. When a Christian is full of fear, they are paralyzed from following the leading of the Holy Spirit. You can overcome that.

Teenagers want to be independent, but they also want to know their parents have got them covered when then they run into a jam. As a parent, that is a difficult place to be in because you want them to spread their wings, but you still want them close. As you mature in your faith, you are going to want the same thing. Let me assure you that God has got you covered.

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭91:1‬

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”

Psalm 91 is known as the protection Psalm. If you feel you are being attacked and vulnerable, this is a chapter you need to read over and over. God promises his protection for all of those who follow Him. The key to this verse is for the person who dwells in the shelter which the Most High. To dwell means to remain or abide. It is a person who takes up residence and plants roots. Those will be covered by the shadow of the Almighty. God has Got You Covered.

One summer, I went white water rafting near Bend, Oregon. The river was crystal clear and bone-chilling cold which was a relief for that hot summer day. At one point, we came to a fork where another river joined ours, and the river got wider and more robust. It made for great rapids to ride. While I enjoyed my time, my heart reflected on today’s passage. Jesus wants rivers of living water to flow from our hearts.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭7:38

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’

This is one of the verses that should give every believer hope. Jesus promises that rivers of living water will flow from our innermost being if we believe in Him. That makes me think of Ezekiel 47, where water flows out from under the temple and keeps getting deeper as it goes. That living water is more than just life. It brings with it joy, peace, and purpose. Every disciple should be fountains of joy wherever they go.

I must confess that I have a severe sweet tooth. I like sugar in almost all its forms, especially in desserts. It’s hard to pass up a piece of pie or a slice of cake. That has its ramifications. It is evident in my waistline. I definitely need to learn some self-control in that area. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, dying to yourself is a big part of following Jesus. Paul gives us one of the best descriptions of what that looks like in today’s passage.

‭‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭3:10‬

“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;”

Paul knew how to summarize the life of a disciple in short, concise messages. He wanted to know Jesus and the power of the resurrection while at the same time being part of the club when it came to suffering and dying to himself. Even as I type those words, I shudder at the reality of what it means. The life of a disciple is called to a deeper commitment than most people can comprehend. Sure, we want to know Jesus and benefit from the resurrection, but do we want to know its true power while we suffer standing for our faith? That’s a lot.

Just a quick program update. I have strived to put out five devotionals a week for the last five years. For the most part, I have accomplished that goal, but going forward, for the foreseeable future, I will only produce 3. They will be put out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This will allow me to pursue some other projects and handle the increased workload at the church now that COVID has subsided. Thank you to all that have faithfully read these over the last five years.

‭‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭3:2-3

“Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,”

Even in the early church, some people tried to cause problems. Paul refers to them as dogs, evil workers, and fake circumcision. They were disrupting God’s work in the new churches, and it was producing confusion in the saints. If it seems like there has been an increase of these types of people in the church over the last few years, you would be correct. They claim to be Christians (false circumcision) who are spreading false doctrines (evil workers), and they attack anyone who challenges them (dogs).

The average life expectancy of someone living in the United States is 82.1 years. Did you know that lines up with Scripture? Life expectancy was 70 years, 80 if things went well back in King David’s times. Not much has changed in over 4,000 years. All the technology we have developed and people still live the same time. King David challenges you to live for something greater than yourself.

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭90:10‬

“As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away.”

What are you going to do with the 70 years appointed to you? Are you going to spend most of it trying to extend it to 80 years, or will you waste it away with purposeless living? David almost sounds like his son Solomon when he says, “Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, For soon it is gone.” People will work their whole life, and it will amount to nothing. David is challenging us to live for something greater than ourselves.

Do you ever get confused by all of the diet fads and information out there? Don’t eat carbs, fast sixteen hours a day, eat only clean foods, keto is the only way to go. It can make your head spin trying to figure out. Jesus tells us to feed what is important, our spirit. That is where our life comes from. The flesh profits nothing.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭6:63‬

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

If you are honest with yourself, you will admit that you spend excessive time and resources on your flesh compared to what you spend on your spirit. The flesh profits you nothing, but in your spirit is life. Jesus spoke to your spirit to breathe in new life. It is essential to spend time each day strengthening what will benefit you the most. Neglect it, and it will start to impact every other area of your life.

It seems like the world is going south real quick. You have a worldwide pandemic, staggering inflation, and countries on the brink of a Third World War. These times will take a measure of faith that hasn’t been seen in centuries. God is presenting the church with a unique opportunity to share the Gospel. Are you ready to stretch your faith? God is calling disciples to step up and be the church.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭6:13

“So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.”

There is something special about the feeding of the five thousand. There are really no other miracles like this and the feeding of the four thousand. To provide for so many people on such a grand scale boggles the mind. Jesus prayed began breaking the bread, and pretty soon, the disciples were gathering baskets of leftovers. Most miracles were for individuals, but these were for the masses. It shows that God is sovereign and capable of doing what needs to be done when needed.

Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones coined our culture perfectly back in the sixties when they released the song “I Can’tCan’t Get No Satisfaction.” The following decades have proven that people live unsatisfied lives and always think that getting more will make them happy. Jesus provides an alternative by telling you to come to Him, and He will satisfy your soul.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭6:35‬

“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

There are seven “I Am” statements from Jesus in the book of John. Some examples are “I Am the good shepherd” and “I Am the light of the world..” Here He says that He is the bread of life. Anyone who comes to Jesus will no longer hunger and thirst. Jesus fulfills that spiritual longing inside our hearts that only He can fill. There is no need to search any longer because all spiritual sustenance will be provided. He will satisfy your soul.

I grew up in the church, and I am not ashamed to admit it. That’s not a popular stance to take today, but my childhood is filled with wonderful memories of church. One of those was my grandmother. She loved to sing and had most hymns memorized. She never needed a hymn book and sang with all of her might. Inside those hymns were some of the most important lessons I’ve learned. That’s what you see in today’s passage.

‭‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭2:6-7

“who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

Last week I told you how Paul inserted several creeds and songs that the early church sang. These were there to help teach and preserve essential doctrines. It doesn’t get any more important than the incarnation (Jesus coming to earth as a human) and the atonement (Jesus dying on the cross as our substitute). Jesus was both God and man while he was on earth, but He emptied Himself and became a servant. Those are life-changing doctrines.

Amazing things can be accomplished when people work together. Tiny armies defending their homeland have overcome large militaries when they are intent on one purpose. Paul calls the church to be of the same mind and come to a Godly unity so that Jesus can accomplish...

There is nothing better than going to church on Sunday, worshipping the Lord, and being taught His Word. Surrounded by His people and in the presence of the Holy Spirit can make you feel closer to Jesus than any other time. King David knew this from an early age. He experienced the lovingkindness of the Lord out in the fields as a shepherd and the halls of a king’s palace. Sing of the Lord’s lovingkindness.

‭‭PSALMS‬ ‭89:2

“For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.”

David loved to sing of the Lord’s lovingkindness. Many psalms are expressions of David’s gratefulness. We get some of the Bible’s most descriptive language from his songs. These were all an expression of what was gushing out of his heart. Not bad from one of Israel’s toughest warriors. It shows you can be both strong and heartfelt in serving the Lord.

History is littered with one-hit wonders. Whether in music, sports, business, or politics, some people rise quickly and fade even faster. It’s no different in ministry. An author/speaker bursts onto the scene, and their platform explodes. Then just like that, they disappear. They were used for a season by God to reach the masses. John the Baptist was used for a season to ready the people for Jesus.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭5:35

“He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.”

It would be easy to think this verse standing by itself is about Jesus. He is described as the “light of the world,” but this is actually about John the Baptist. Jesus is telling the crowd that he doesn’t need man’s witness or testimony to validate His ministry, but God did send John the Baptist. While he was alive, the people basked in the brightness of his light. He was new and was willing to challenge the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.

The precision and synchronization needed for sports like rowing always amaze me. You watch as up to eight people row in unison. They are serving together to achieve one objective, victory. Paul calls the church to have the same purpose in mind striving together for the faith. If we all work in unity, it will be an unstoppable force against Satan.

‭‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭1:27

“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

The church in Philippi has unity issues. Some people were in it for themselves. They preached the gospel for personal gain and wanted their way in particular issues. It was tearing at the fabric of the church, so Paul encourages the saints in what he would like to see them accomplish. I love how Paul spends little time addressing issues and offers solutions instead. He wants their conduct to be worthy of the gospel, stand firm in the Spirit, and strive together for the gospel. In this encouragement, he addresses the unity issues and what needs to be done.

Public speaking is still one of the biggest phobias. Ask someone to get up in front of a group of people, and their palms begin to sweat. It takes courage to speak in front of an audience, and only a minority of people are comfortable with the task. The same can be said for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but you can pray for the courage to speak.

‭‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭1:14

“and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.”

Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from prison. His imprisonment had caused his haters to use that as proof that he wasn’t a real apostle, while his supporters used it to be bolder in preaching the Gospel. Tribulation will cause people to act like this. Some will do anything to prevent pain or suffering, and at the first sign of trouble, they bail, while others will see the trouble as confirmation that what they are doing is on track. Paul rejoiced at those who had the courage to speak.

Things change around a farm when it’s harvest season. The activity increases one hundredfold, and the day the farmer gets paid draws closer. If they reap a bountiful harvest, his wages will reflect that, but they often lose money if the harvest is weak. Christians are called to reap a harvest as well. The fields you are called to harvest is the place God has you right now. Those who do will receive their wages in heaven.

‭‭JOHN‬ ‭4:35-36

Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
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Jesus uses the analogy of fields that need to be harvested to get His point across. He starts by describing how the fields are ripe, to the point of going bad. If you take too long to harvest your crops, you run the risk of rotting. Then Jesus says that those reaping are receiving wages and storing up fruit for eternal life. If you are evangelizing the lost, you will receive a reward in heaven. Jesus is encouraging every believer to share the Gospel.

Do you believe that Jesus can change people? I mean those types of people you move to the other side of the road to avoid because they are dangerous. God can take the hardest heart and transform it into a new work. He is the Almighty God. Nothing is too big. He wants to do a work in your life as well. He desires to see you living a fruitful life.

‭‭GENESIS‬ ‭35:11‬

“God also said to him, “I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you.”

Right after Jacob wrestled with the Lord and had his name changed, God spoke over him that “A nation and a company of nations shall come from you.” This was referring to the nation of Israel and some other small ones that would fragment off. The twelve tribes would be named after his twelve sons. God was going to bless Jacob by making fruitful and multiplying his offspring. This was being done to a person whose name means “scoundrel.” He changed a scoundrel to a prince when he changed his name to Israel.

One of the lingering side effects of recovering from COVID is that your energy is sapped for months. In the process, your muscles atrophy, and you find yourself weak and without energy. It is a long process of recovering the strength and stamina you had before. As a Christian, you can find yourself without strength when it comes to spiritual battles. Paul tells you to be strong in the Lord.

‭‭EPHESIANS‬ ‭6:10-11

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

Every disciple wages a daily battle against an unseen enemy. This enemy is deceptive in his ways, and his goal is to distract and derail your faith. You have to prepare yourself to battle this formidable foe with the proper weapons and in the right strength. This will enable you to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Equip yourself with the full armor of God.