The Lord your God has blessed everything you have done and has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the Lord your God has been with you and provided for your every need so that you lacked nothing. Deuteronomy 2:7 NLT

If we let God take care of our fortune, we can look around in gratitude. God has blessed us in our work. Insight, intelligence, and income are all heaven’s gifts. Our ambition and ability do not ensure wealth—God is the One who empowers us to make money. When we sit down to pay our bills, we have two choices—complain because we owe a lot, or celebrate because God gives us enough money to pay our debts. It might be a good idea to designate one day a year to get griping out of our system, and use all the other days for heartfelt thanksgiving. The Lord has blessed us spiritually in our work. Opportunities to serve God are a sacred trust—so we should work conscientiously and cheerfully, keeping in mind who our Supervisor is. It is wise to keep a Master “to do” list and put our heart into the Master’s service.

If we let God take care of our food, we can look within in praise. Our Father has blessed us in our wants. Because He has cared for us, we have never gone hungry. God has blessed us generously in every way—spiritually, emotionally, domestically, physically. Desirable gifts cascade like a river from His heart of love. El Shaddai is the Enough One. Heaven’s well never runs dry, so our cup constantly overflows. It is rewarding to put our energy into the number one priority of His kingdom.

If we let God take care of our future, we can look up in faith. God has blessed us in our wandering—guiding us through life’s maze, testing our character to see if we are serious about obeying Him. As we have journeyed through a vast desert, God has watched over us all the way. We may sometimes feel we are going in circles; but we should remember that though the Holy Spirit sometimes leads us around, He never leads us astray. Our Lord is always thinking about us and concerned about what aggravates us. Wherever we have lived, God has loved us. The faith road is not always easy, but it leads to the promised land of purpose and serenity. There are battles to fight, but we do not have to freeze in fear—Jesus will engage in combat right alongside us until we march in a victory parade down heaven’s High Street.

f we let God take care of our forever, we can look forward in joy. God is our Greatest Blessing. He is our Travel Companion every mile. He has made our heart His home and He will never move away.

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

This devotional based on day 93 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

Book available from Amazon

You must give the Levites six cities of refuge where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety.  Numbers 35:6 NLT

God is our Hiding Place from sin. If we got what was coming to us, we would be destroyed as quickly as a dandelion in a windstorm, but thankfully judgment is softened by mercy. God’s heart is a city of refuge. In Calvary’s shadow, we are home safe—the crossbeam stained with the Lamb’s precious lifeblood is an eternal storm shelter. Satan accuses us, but our Priest-Friend is also our Defense Counsel. Guilt will never get the best of us, if we nestle near our Father’s heart—we are inseparable.

God is our Hiding Place from the strategies of Satan. Resisting the Devil prompts him to leave us alone. When we wash our hands, that is cleanliness; when we purify our heart, that is godliness. The highest wisdom is to don sacred armor—truth belt to counteract hell’s propaganda, witnessing shoes to battle barefoot lethargy, faith shield to extinguish fiery arrows of temptation, salvation helmet to protect our thought life, and Holy Spirit Sword to combat the evil one. Armed and ready to fight sin, we can win!

God is our Hiding Place in the stress of life. If we ever feel we cannot take another step, God is our Resting Place. If burdens are about to crush us, we can take refuge in the sanctuary of His company and find relief from unbearable strain.

God is our Hiding Place in the storms of life. Walking the trail of tears, we find asylum in His companionship. Crying the blues, our Face-Healer inspires us to sing His praises. When scary waves on high seas threaten to engulf us, He keeps us from drowning in despair. In lonely nights, Jesus is our Night Light. Listening carefully, we hear the future melody of hope. Taking His hand, the Lord of the dance teaches us how to dance for joy.

God is our Hiding Place in the shadows of life. Inside Holy City limits, we will experience unlimited ecstasy. We will see Christ’s smile, and His name will forever preoccupy our mind. There will be no need for artificial light, because the Light of His Presence is always shining to illuminate the golden streets.

God is our Hiding Place whatever happens. Hiding in rituals is a poor substitute for hiding in our Redeemer. Hiding in thoughts is not as liberating as hiding in Truth. Hiding in defense mechanisms cannot match the liberation of hiding in Love. Hiding in legalism is destructive; hiding in Grace is delightful. Hiding in routine is not as rewarding as hiding in Reality. Hiding in the comfort of noise is the world’s way; hiding in Peace is the Christian’s. Hiding in our guilty past is a downward spiral of gloom; hiding in the promise of His glorious future is a staircase of joy. Hiding from God causes us to miss the blessed assurance of hiding in God.

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

This devotional based on day 92 - Book is available from Amazon

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Give these instructions to the Israelites: When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your special possession, these will be the boundaries.’” (Numbers 34:2 NLT)

Providentially, God engineers the lay of the land to develop our spiritual maturity. In all possible coordinates, He lavishly provides for His children.

In the desert, God is our Delight. We can be cheerful even in wilderness meanderings. We can survive any situation, relying on our Travel Companion.

At the Dead Sea, God is our Life. Satan is a thief out to steal hope, kill joy, and destroy enthusiasm—his pleasure is our pain. But God’s purpose is peace. When we walk through life’s dark valleys, if we gaze beyond towering mountains we can envision the bright future God promises.

At Scorpion pass, God is our Praise Song. Unbelievers call such locations “God-forsaken,” but we have learned better. Wherever we live, maintaining a thankful attitude is God’s will for all who love Christ’s name. In stressful environments, Jesus teaches us how to sing.

When life’s sea is wide and our boat is small, God is our Captain. The Mediterranean need not intimidate us. On the coastline of “impossible situations,” we can count on accomplishing infinitely more than we dare pray or dream. In stormy waters, our Savior keeps us on an even keel.

At the Sea of Galilee, God is our Teacher. Mount Hermon’s melting snow flowed into and out of a harp-shaped lake, reminding us that God wants us to receive and distribute grace. If we think getting makes us happy, we should try giving!

At the Jordan River, God is our Joy. Rivers of living water cascade through our trusting heart. Thrilling convictions of unseen realities flow through our innermost being.

At Jericho, God is our Victory. God conquered that “invincible” city for Israel, and He captivates us to march in Christ’s triumphal procession. By faith, we can claim the territory heaven has assigned us and win our battles even before they are fought. God gives us a guaranteed conquest formula—Jesus + Any Problem = Victory.

If we find it difficult to be thankful for the topography, we should remember God is the Land Lord. Our Father knows what is best for us, so we can trust Him and be humbly grateful. Whatever our address, God is our Home. 

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

This devotional based on day 91 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

Book available at Amazon.com

"Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites by displaying passionate zeal among them on my behalf."  (Numbers 25:11 NLT)

Christians should be zealous for heaven’s sake. Zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse; on the other hand, knowledge without zeal is a dead horse. A live wire improperly grounded and insulated is dangerous; but a dead wire cannot conduct light, heat, or energy. Immobility gets people nowhere. Indifference makes God want to vomit. Sincere faith does more than just fill our mind with ideas—it permits God’s ideas to possess our mind. Opinions, like suitcases, can be carried around and easily set aside; but convictions carry us around. If we let the Holy Spirit Dynamo stir our soul to live passionately, some people may ridicule our goings-on and label us fanatics; but we should not let our critics’ lack of excitement stifle ours. It’s time we quit sleeping in! It’s time we listened to heaven’s wake-up call! It’s time we let the Fire in our heart melt the lead in our feet! Loving the Lord with all our mind will keep us awake.

Christians should be zealous for holiness’ sake. We should never imitate Balaam, who was more interested in money than mission. We should refuse to emulate Zimri, who flagrantly violated God’s orders and disregarded His law. It would be foolish to copy the Israelites by allowing ourselves to be seduced by the Devil’s wiles, compromise with culture, descend sin’s slippery slope, and commit spiritual prostitution. It is the highest wisdom to submit to our Sovereign Lord and let Him change the way we think so we can transcend the slavish thinking of majority opinion. If we are like Phinehas, we will be like God—hating sin. Inspired by the indwelling Holy Spirit, we will run from half-heartedness. Serving the King of kings, we will avoid laziness and whistle while we work. Loving the Lord with all our strength will keep us busy.

Christians should be zealous for God’s honor. His Presence within creates enthusiasm without. Burning and shining lights never turn into icicles. An inner Flame blazing within our heart glows on our face, makes us intensely alive, and motivates our good works. We should not make mediocre plans—we should aim for the stars! Loving the Lord with all our soul will keep us excited.

Christians should be zealous for God’s house. Jesus got angry at sin—so should we. Passion for the Temple caused him to bound loan sharks from the vestibule of his Father’s house turned shopping mall and unplug their cash registers. We should expel everything from our inner being inappropriate for one named after Christ. We should upend shiny, reflective tables of narcissism. Loving the Lord with all our heart, we will keep on.

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

This devotional based on day 89 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

Book available on Amazon. com