God Nuggets Blog

As Christians, there are two ways we can live: 1) according to the sin nature); or, 2) according to the Spirit (Galatians 6:7-9). We are given a vivid word picture of the contrast between these two lifestyles in the following Scripture.

Jeremiah 17:5-8

⁵ This is what the LORD says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

⁶ He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.

⁷ "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

⁸ He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."

Have you been that bush in the wastelands? . . . just a dried up pile of twigs in the desert, burned out, isolated, and unable to see the good things in life? . . . I have. That’s the fruit of self-effort and self-reliance.

What a contrast we see between the tumbleweed in the desert and the majestic cottonwood by the stream. When we walk in the Spirit (relying in faith on God to live through us), hard times still come but we are not destroyed by them. We continue to bear fruit for God, and are free from worry. Our roots go deep, drinking in the Water of Life; we may be shaken but will not be torn down.

It may take 100 years to grow a cottonwood, so if you're still the dried-up bush, wait for the Lord (Psalm 27:13-14). If you continue to put your confidence in Him, you will eventually flourish!

Blessings,

Come visit us at warrenfamilylife.com
Image: Circle Z Ranch

When you pray do you ever feel like you are putting a coin in a slot machine? Maybe God will answer, and maybe He won’t. Nevertheless, “Thy will, not mine be done,” we pray, more as a cop-out for our lack of faith than a statement of submission. It’s not that we believe that He can’t answer, we believe He won’t. But the Bible sends a strong and clear message about this in all four gospels and throughout Scripture. Take a look at these passages:

• Matt. 21:22 "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
• Mark 11:24 "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
• Luke 17:6 "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."
• John 14:13 "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father."
  
• 1 John 3:22 "[We] receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him."

God is telling us that we can ask Him for anything and He will say “Yes!” whenever He possibly can. Taken out of the context of other things the Bible says about prayer, Scriptures like these have been misused as an excuse for greedy materialism and the “name-it-claim-it” doctrine. Of course God won’t answer a prayer that is contrary to His will or prayed from evil motives (James 4:3). Also, there are a few things that hinder prayer. For example, unbelief, unforgiveness, rebellion against God, and treating others harshly all put static on the line.

But don’t let caution water down the power of these Scriptures! Nothing is impossible for God. He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). We’re not gambling with an unfeeling slot machine. God has a father’s heart, and He’s waiting for you to pour out your heart to Him.

Don’t be overly cautious about praying for what you want; God has placed many of His own desires in your heart. Pray to the Father freely and boldly; believe and wait for Him to answer. Don’t give up. You just might change the world.

Blessings,

Come visit us at warrenfamilylife.com
PHOTO: ARGENT / MONEY

God is our Fortress. That isn't really news.

But think of it this way. God is all-powerful so nothing is strong enough to break through. God is everywhere-present so nothing can get around Him to get to us. God is even inside us and can protect us from ourselves. He will never leave us nor forsake us, so the fortress can never be removed. And finally, nothing can stand against Him or thwart His will (Daniel 4:35; 2 Chronicles 20:6).

Keep these things in mind and look at this Scripture:

Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

So, what have we to fear?

We fear the door.


This is my problem. Sometimes God opens a door in the fortress and allows evil in. There is so much good in our lives that we know it isn't very often. Even though I am protected over and over, day after day, that tiny door of suffering makes me afraid to trust the Fortress sometimes. My question to you is:


In your mind and emotions, and with your faith: What do you do with the door? How do you get through the suffering in your life? What do you do with the problem of evil? Romans 8:28 promises that God will only open it for our good. But often I just don't want to go through the bad to get to the good. I'm calling a locksmith!

I would love it if you would leave a comment with your thoughts.

Peace to you,

Come visit us at warrenfamilylife.com

PHOTO: Fort Pulaski Door by Rachel Pennington. " Looking up at one of the huge doors into the fort, Savannah, Georgia, USA"

Friend, nothing is too small for God's care and concern! He gives equal attention to black holes, world affairs, and bad hair days. He has numbered the hairs on your head - a detail too trivial for even you to know. Not a sparrow falls apart from His hand, and you are more important than many sparrows.

Pray about everything; worry about nothing. Your problems, large and small, are important to God!

Blessings,

Come visit us at warrenfamilylife.com