Ready to Reply

So. I got a phone call from an angry mother yesterday evening. The reason for her anger? I had failed to return her phone calls for days. She had called, I was usually sleeping, and I never returned the call. She wasn't too happy about that.

Anyways, where I'm going with this, is are you going to be ready to reply when God calls upon you? There are times in life where God calls upon each and everyone of us. For various reasons and tasks. And the question is, will you be ready to reply?

Genesis 22:1-12

22 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.”
2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”
And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

Acts 9: 10-18

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.”
And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

When the Lord calls upon you, I pray that you will be ready to reply with "Here I am, Lord." Be prepared to reply and act upon His command. He has designed each and everyone of us for His purpose and will, and has provided all the gifts and skills you will need for it. All that is takes is you being willing to reply when He calls.

I apologize for not posting for a long time then just having a short one. My computer is completely done for. The screen is broken. I can't see anything on it. I have ALOT of stuff to post, but am never by a computer to post it. Trying to work something out. Anyways. Be in prayer and in the Word! Love all of you. Kyle.

Hyperafflictionitis (Part Two)

Now. I know you've all been desperately awaiting for this blog. Time for handling some Hyperafflictionitis. I am proud to present to you the only guaranteed cure to this awful condition. We can just call it affliction, problems, trials, suffering, or any word you wanna throw at it.

So. Back to our story. Let me just quick set the facts and history real quick, and we'll move right along. So, David has gone into the land of the Philistines, and they gave him the city of Ziglak. The Philistines then went to war with Saul, and David and the men of his city went out to war with them. However, before the battle began, the Philistines became worried that David might betray them and fight for Saul, so they made David and his men return to Ziglak. Upon arriving, they find the city burned to the ground, and all of their wives and children taken. David's men, angered by their wasted march to battle that lost them their city and families, speak of stoning him.

So. David in just a very short period of time, marched to battle, was rejected, marched back to his city to find it burned, his wives were taken and his own people want to stone him. Rejected by your allies, wasted time, lost all worldly possessions, home burned, family lost, and his own men now want him dead. All together it makes for some pretty challenging times in David's life. Just losing your wife, or home, or friends, that would be plenty to call it a bad time in life, but David has it all at once. But did David contract Hyperafflictionitis? Lets take a look.

1 Samuel 30:6

"Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."

There it it my friends. We're told here that David was greatly distressed. Much like many of you and myself are at times. But David did not allow that to overcome him, because he knew where he could find the strength to carry on. Our God is a provider of great strength and comfort for His people in times of need. Through the entire Bible we see Him giving strength to His people, and we continue to see it in the world today.

So whatever you may be struggling with in your life, don't allow it to overcome you. The things of this world are so much smaller than the strength of our God. Run into His open arms and be revived today.

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Hyperafflictionitis

Hyperafflictionitis is a common disease that is contracted by most people. It that breaks you down emotionally, physically and spiritually. Nasty stuff right?

Symptoms:

1. Stress

2. Worry

3.Anxiety

4. Fatigue

5. Sadness

6. Hopelessness

7. Loneliness

8. Anger

9. Apathy

(Having one, several or all of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have Hyperafflictionitis. They are generic and can be found as symptoms for everything from the common cold to trench foot. So nothing to worry about.)

Hyperafflictionitis is the condition of being overtaken and overwhelmed by the afflictions in your life. This happens most commonly when there are several uncomfortable situations in your life at once. It feels like EVERYTHING is wrong. And you just become consumed with the negativity of it all. If this may sound like something you've experienced, read the following text, and keep checking back for the vaccine!

1 Samuel 30

1"And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. 3So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. f4Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters....."

Now, no reading ahead! Soon I will show you the cure for Hyperafflictionitis, so that all of you can live in the peace of not being a slave to your afflictions!

If you came here thinking Hyperafflictionitis was a legit medical sickness that you could use to get out of an obligation, I brought on a guest star to teach you an easy way to fake sick:

The Shire.

Acts 2:40-47

"40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

Okay. So its not actually the Shire. It's the Church. But you know, they share some similarities. The Hobbits of the Shire are a great community. Much like the Church is called to be. It's a stretch, but I was feeling some Lord of the Rings. Anyways. I shared a quick devotion at a Superbowl party over this kind of idea. Discussing the unity of the Church and the edification that goes with it. The text says "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." I've been to several different churches in my life, and I can tell you that there is nothing more spiritually uplifting than the kind of church described here in Acts. To be able to go into the house of God and be one in fellowship with other believers is an amazing experience. So I just wanted to encourage you that if you haven't found a church where you can enjoy that fellowship and growth, be looking for it. The Christian life was never meant to be walked alone. Each one of us has spiritual gifts that are meant to edify one another. Only by being in the community of the Church can you fully receive that edification. During those times in life when I've been the most spiritually exhausted and dormant, the church has been that support that I needed.

(Is there a better example of fellowship than the Fellowship of the Ring?)

So. Anyways. I didn't have much. I was just in Acts and ran across that. Thought I'd throw it out there. Anyways people. Go fellowship with someone! Go love on your brothers and sisters in Christ today. We could all use the encouragement. Continue steadfastly in fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. I will be in prayer for all of you as well!

A Fiery Valentines Day Circus Act

The "Valentines Day" in the title is reflective of today's holiday, and is in no way the topic of this blog. The title does however accurately describe this blog.Sorry if I got your hopes up! But on that note, gentlemen, I sure hope you're stepping up your game today with the ladies in your life, because I sure am. Anyways, in other news, I have repaired my keyboard, and am now back on task. I apologize for the absence. I was tempted to blog about love today.... But then I started to think about it and realized that its tricky to blog about. I suppose I could throw a 1 Corinthians 13 at you and call it a day, but I won't do that. (I apologize, but the main point of my blog doesn't actually arrive till the very end... I got carried away. Be patient with me!)

I think I will share with you the blog I began several days ago, and never completed because my keyboard. Sorry if its not great. I've kinda lost my train of thought.

Well. Here we are again. Today, I have a bit of an embarrassing story about myself. . . . A few hours ago, I was starting a fire in my fireplace. After about 20 minutes, I had the fire going was decently well, and I went and made myself some food. After enjoying my delicious treat, I decided it was a good time to poke at the fire a bit and get it stirred up. So I go over there and start moving some logs around, at which point.... I put the first completely out. That's right. It went from a blazing inferno, to a pile of hot nothingness in a matter of seconds. I had successfully put out a fire with no water, liquids, or any other extinguishing device. Kind of a touchy little booger wasn't it? Well anyways, I was pretty amazed at the fact that I completely destroyed a perfectly good fire in an attempt to make it bigger. Telling this story makes me sound about 32% less manly. But I'll take that hit. I'll grow a beard tomorrow and make up for it.

Alright, now that that's over the reason I'm telling this story, is I was reminded of someone who's fire skills far exceed mine. God. So the next three or four blogs are going to be covering stories about fire... Particularly fires started by God Himself. They are pretty spectacular sights, and nothing has captured man's imagination and innovation more than fire, which is probably a big reason God used it as a tool to communicate through. So here we go, on a little journey through the fire and the flames.... And not the hellish variety.

1Kings 18:30-39

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”

Now. You might think aw, God showed Himself to the prophets of Baal through this miracle, they professed Him as Lord, and their lives were changed. Not exactly. In the verses following this Elijah orders that they not allow one prophet of Baal escape, and he executes every one of them. Maybe it's just a guy thing, but there's something super awesome about that. Kinda like that time Samson killed 1000 men with the jawbone of a donkey? Awesome stuff.

"Then Samson said: 'With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men!'"

That's what a man says after he slays 1000 men with a jawbone.

Okay sorry. Back to fire! What an amazing display of God's power. And even more so, what an amazing display of Elijah's faith. How many of us would be willing to make such a bold request of God and do it publicly? Elijah obviously had NO doubt that God would fulfill his request, because He made one heck of a show out of things. First and foremost he stuck his neck out by challenging the prophets of Baal, and then he proceeds to mock them as they call upon their god. And THEN he covers his entire offering wood and all in water, just to top it all of. Elijah was quite the entertainer in my opinion. The guy really knew how to draw a crowd. If I was going to start an Old Testament circus, Elijah would be my ringmaster, Methuselah would be my worlds oldest man act, and Job would be the poor beggar outside the tent because he lost everything, Daniel would be the lion tamer, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego would be firewalkers, and we'd bring the blind Samson out for entertainment at the end (we all know how that ended up. And if you don't know what I'm talking about "blind Samson," go read the story. ) I could go all day, but that's my main act.

Okay. Yet again, back on topic of Elijah and the fire. Man I'm everywhere. I apologize. After so many days of not blogging, I have too much to say for one blog. This should have been separated into two. Anyways, Elijah's faith here is really what astounds me. Of course God can set it on fire. That's no problem for Him. What is incredible in the story are the extremes that Elijah is willing to go to to prove that His God is the one true God. He is so assured of His existence and power that he is willing to call upon Him in front of his enemies fully expecting that He will provide, and He did. Now, I'm not sure if when Elijah saw the flames come down he had a massive sigh of relief, but I sure would have. But okay, before I continue to get further and further away from what I was trying to say, I will wrap this up here. It is my prayer and hope that all of us would have the faith and boldness to live our lives as though God exists. We can claim to believe in Him, we can say it, but do we act as though He does? Are our steps evident of that faith, or do our lives point that our faith lies elsewhere? Elijah's faith was apparent because he openly displayed his belief and LIVED it. And for that, Elijah's request was fulfilled. So just kinda give your life a long look today. Are your daily steps a testament to your faith in God, or are they a testament to your doubt?

Hmmmm....

If anyone wanted to email me a reader written devotion that would be super cool! Give it some thought. If you have something you wanna share let me know!

Set Back

Attention readers. I'm sorry to announce that the keyboard on my laptop has gone completely out. . . I am having to click each letter individually on the on screen keyboard. I apologize for not having a blog up yet. I am doing my very best to come up with a solution! -Kyle

Animated Role Models

I've noticed a trend both in myself and the people around me. I can go throughout my day, have all the food and water I desire, have a roof over my head, and be provided with everything I need and a whole lot extra, yet still I want. I find myself lying down at night still just wanting more and more of something that I have already been provided with. I'm just like this living breathing black hole that no matter how much you give me, I'm not satisfied with it. I am always going to want more and more of everything. I never can just be completely satisfied with exactly what it is that I have. My Pastor tonight at dinner made a comment that really sunk in with me. He was saying that he really felt that the Lord was trying to say to him, "I have not called you to be a steward of what I have not given you. I have called you to be a steward of what I HAVE given you." What a beautiful beautiful statement. And I believe that is the commandment that God has given to us all. To be stewards of what He has given to us. Not to desire more and more, or to worry or be troubled with the things that He has not given us, but to be grateful

and glorify Him through our stewardship of His many blessings.

1 Peter 4:10

"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

Luke 12:35-40

“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

We have all been called to be servants of Christ and therefore should be good stewards of the gifts and responsibilities we have been given. I've mentioned recently and been doing alot of study about spiritual gifts, and the role they play in the edification of the Church. The verse from 1 Peter touches on that and how we are to be good stewards of the gifts which we've been given and to minister it to one another. The Son of Man is coming at an hour we do not expect, like a thief in the night. Blessed are the servants whom He finds watching and waiting for their Master to return. If as servants we spend too much of our times serving in roles and fulfilling responsibilities that our Master has not given to us, then will not be prepared when He returns.

The Lord has blessed each one of us with everything that we have. From the very life we live all the way down to the computer you're reading this on. Our time, money, spiritual gifts, relationships, belongings, they are all gifts, and all require our stewardship. And He has called us all to be good stewards of it. Not to groan and complain about it not being enough, because it is more than enough. But rather to be good and faithful stewards of all that He has supplied. So today just look around and realize all the many blessings you have and remind yourself that as receivers of these great gifts, we are called to be stewards of them as well. Maybe I was a bit repetitive in this one. I probably could have summed up "take care of what God has given us" in a paragraph. I apologize. But nonetheless. There it is.

Phineas and Ferb are doing it... Are you?

(If you're digging the Phineas and Ferb thing, this will make your day:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhIJS0eoUm0)

I was jie dnkfowddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

So. I'm about four paragraphs into a blog. One that was meant for today. And it has been a very long and stressful day. And I'm trying to force this blog to completion, and in the process I'm butchering it. I must accept that my strength has faded, and I am unable to complete the task at hand. In interest of not posting an awful blog, I will simply accept defeat on it for tonight, and finish it for tomorrow. But just in case you took the time to read this, I refuse to let you leave here without somehow pouring the Word of God into your life. This morning I read this passage. But this time I read it all aloud. And it's a very refreshing experience. Maybe it was best my blog didn't work out. So I could challenge you all to just enjoy God's word in a refreshing way. I want you to read this passage. Out loud. See how it goes. I'm confident you will be uplifted. By the way, I am consistently in prayer for all of you who read this. . .

Psalm 42

1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So pants my soul for You, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my food day and night,

While they continually say to me,

“Where is your God?”

4 When I remember these things,

I pour out my soul within me.

For I used to go with the multitude;

I went with them to the house of God,

With the voice of joy and praise,

With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

For the help of His countenance.

6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me;

Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,

And from the heights of Hermon,

From the Hill Mizar.

7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;

All Your waves and billows have gone over me.

8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,

And in the night His song shall be with me—

A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my Rock,

“Why have You forgotten me?

Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

10 As with a breaking of my bones,

My enemies reproach me,

While they say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.

Structural Engineering 101

Okay. I have a bit of a confession to make. If you haven't noticed, my blogs have been primarily out of the Old Testament. And by that I mean I've only had one blog that has been about a passage from the New Testament. There is a couple of reasons for this... They're not good reasons. Let me first say that I love Jesus as much as the next guy. The New Testament is God inspired scripture and is His Word and is every bit as credible and beautiful as the Old Testament. It is completely wrong of me to feel this way.... But I'm kinda biased towards the OT.... I just have a real passion for it, and because of that, I spend a lot more time reading it than the NT. I know its bad. But I do it. And then.... Paul kinda gets on my nerves. I know that's a terrible thing to say. But it's just the truth. And he wrote most of the NT. So there you go. There's my confession. I apologize, I'm working on it. That being said, I have something from the New Testament!

Just ten minutes ago I had a friend ask me if I got my house all fixed up. I just moved into my house, it needed a lot of work, so they were asking if I had gotten it fixed up yet. And I'm very proud of what I've done with my house so far, so I replied yes. I've done some repairs, filled it with some things, and it feels like home now. It's something I really enjoy and it is very comforting for me to walk in the door and just have this feeling of ah... I did this. This is mine, and it's home. It is a wonderful thing to experience. So after being asked this question, and it bringing up that feeling, I thought about a little something Jesus told me about homes once:

Luke 6:47-49

"Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

You could take the analogy in this parable and apply it to several different aspects of life. The Church, your own life, your family, or possibly even the three little pigs. I just wanted to address the analogy kind of as a whole, and leave it open to any application you choose.

First things first, we have a man building a house. So in a sense, we have a kind of creation. Something is just beginning to grow and take shape, whatever in your life that may be at the moment. It could be a relationship, friendship, family, church, ministry, anything really.And as the builder you have a choice to make: On what will I build it? You must choose what material it is that you will base all of it on. As you do your research, you will find that all building materials can be separated into two basic categories: 1) Worldly 2) Godly. I know its not a very wide variety, but I'm just a middle man, don't shoot the messenger. Now. A short description of your options to help you to choose:

1) Worldly.

As the adjective describes, worldly materials consist of anything of this world. Which is everything that isn't of God. Just a few remarks the Bible has to say about the world:

1)"And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

2)"The grass withers, the flower fades,

But the word of our God stands forever.”

They can be rather expensive, but are very easily assembled. They can be thrown together and be up and running in no time. Of course, they're running nowhere fast, and will one day collapse.So. If the things of this world are the materials you are looking to base this new thing in your life on, I hope you're planning on it being temporary and basically worthless. If so, these are great materials for you. All the hype of this world will one day end. All the products we enjoy, the things that entertain us, all of the possessions, and everything else that is dependent on this world, will one day disappear. (Not implying that all those things are necessarily evil, or condoning any of them either. Simply stating the fact that they will one day be gone and therefore make poor building materials.) So, unless you're planning on building something that will never stand up to any kind of opposing force, you should probably base it on something a little more solid. I'm no engineer, but Jesus said it, and I hear He was a carpenter, and is building mansions and streets of gold at the moment.

2) Godly

This group consists of any materials collected from God Himself. These can be easily obtained either through a book He wrote called The Bible or through your personal relationship with Him. All materials are free, and never fade away or change. WARNING: if you attempt to use godly materials in ways that they were not originally intended, they are no longer godly, and will therefore will not stand. Through the Bible and God revealing it to you, you will be able educated in the ways in which to use these materials. There is usually some assembly required, and it is not at all easy to put the materials together and use them all correctly. You will fail at times, and things will break and need repairing. But as I mentioned earlier, that Carpenter guy does a pretty swell job at patching things up. So, if you are searching for something in your life to be never failing, strong, and worth while, then I strongly suggest these materials. As I said, they are free to all who will accept them, and feel free to spread the word about them to your friends and family.

So for all of you out there doing some building and growing of your own, I'm a strong supported of using godly materials. And as for those worldly materials? I say not by the hair of my chinny chin chin. (If you don't understand that, this will fix you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olo923T2HQ4)

Free Blog Inspired by a Pigeon Chaser. (My titles keep getting better)

Just as I promised, today's blog is coming to you free of charge. No need to bother with entering your credit card information or mailing me a check, it's on the house. I feel that as the writer of this blog it is my duty to do what is in the best interest of my readers, including financially, so to all of you out there, enjoy this completely free blog. And for the record, I have a new poll going over there -> Be sure to vote!

I just read quite possibly one of the funniest pieces of scripture I've ever come across. Maybe its not THAT funny. But it is the only recorded time of God calling someone out about their laughter. And something about that just tickles me.

Genesis 18:

13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.

And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

Does anyone else just get cracked up at God shouting "No, but you did laugh!" Gets me every time. I think its awesome. Well, anyways. Moving right along.

Today, I witnessed a very refreshing site. I was running across the Walking Bridge again today, and out in front of me there was another man running. Probably about 30 years of age. And on the bridge there was a small flock of pigeons. This man proceeds to spread his arms out like wings, flap them frantically, and spring through the flock of birds, causing them to scatter. Best part about the whole thing?!?! He turned around to run back through them again! As I watched this whole thing occur, in the back of my head I'm like well... That guy is making a fool of himself. Running around flapping his arms like that and all. And then as I continued my run I thought, when was the last time I was THAT joyful? At the point where in one moment I could take so much pleasure in such a simple and seemingly unimportant action. When was the last time my heart was in the position where I could be cheerful, and not weighed down by the troubles of this world. Honest answer? A while. I'm sure we can all relate. Life just seems too busy and hard and important to flap our arms around and run through some pigeons. (You can replace the pigeon incident with any act of playful fun you want. All the same.) The point being, I think a lot of thetime I allow the troubles of this world to completely rob me of my joy in Christ. And I forget to experience that on a regular basis. So, rather I'm making it there or not, what I'm getting at is the overwhelming joy that we have been given as a result of salvation, and how that joy should be overflowing into our lives DAILY.

(If you're curious, this is this man's interpretation of rejoicing. Feel free to create your own, and send it to me, and we'll do a funny rejoicing photo blog. Doubt I'll get any, but it was worth a shot!)

Psalm 63:3-5

"Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

Thus I will bless You while I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips."

The loving kindness of our God is BETTER than life! Your soul should be satisfied with God and God alone, and your mouth should praise Him with joyful lips. I think sometimes It's important to take that step back from our trials and our stresses, and come back to the realization that you have been given a gift that is so much larger than your time here on this earth. A gift that when this earth fades away in time will go on for all of eternity. All the pain and worry in your life is fleeting. It too will pass. And the day WILL come when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall profess the majesty of Our Lord. And we will sing His praises forever, and dwell with Him in the place He has prepared for us. That alone is reason enough for us to rejoice. No matter what you may be facing in life, no matter how bad things get nothing this world will ever do can take away that joy and hope that you have. It is an everlasting promise, and it brings me back to probably my favorite verse.

2 Samuel 23:5

“Although my house is not so with God,

Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant,

Ordered in all things and secure.

For this is all my salvation and all my desire;

Will He not make it increase?"

Free Blog Tomorrow!

I'm really sorry I didn't get a blog up today. It was crazy. My buddy Jordan came down to visit. I got a last second call to go give a devotion at Red Bank United Methodist. It was really awesome. Today was an extremely spiritually uplifting day. So, tomorrow, I will put up a blog. I apologize once again for not having one!

For the inconvenience, tomorrow's blog will be completely free of charge. You're welcome!

Living, Not Waiting

Last night my friend Josh and I went to a worship service at Calvary Chapel. I really enjoyed the message there, especially the passage of scripture used. What I wanna touch on is a slightly different message than what the pastor there was speaking on, but this is what I gathered from this passage.

Jeremiah 29:4-7

"4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace."

In case you're not aware of the history going on here, Israel has been delivered into captivity in Babylon. The Lord is going to leave them there in captivity for 70 years, but many of the Israelites are living as if the Lord is going to rescue them from Babylon soon, so they are waiting. God then sends words to them through His prophet, Jeremiah, that He will not deliver them soon, but that they will stay there for 70 years. God is telling His people to stop sitting around and waiting to be delivered, but rather to live there lives and prosper where they are.

A lot of times I feel like I'm in the same position that Israel is in here. Life can sometimes seem like a waiting game, just waiting on our plans to finally work out. We say well after high school THEN I'll do this, then after college I'll do this, and so on and so forth. And i get it in my head that in order to accomplish God's will, I first have to wait it out. I believe that God's message to His people here is to not sit around and wait. That is not why He has placed them where they are.

Wherever we may be in life, God has a will for us THERE. His will for us is not tomorrow, or five years from now, it is always in the present, no matter what stage of life we may be in. So many times I get caught up in thinking about "What does God want me to do with my life?" or "Where am I gonna end up?" and the truth is that that isn't the point. It is not my place to know the future, or to wait for the future simply to happen. I need to be living my life within God's will daily, wherever I may be.

So, I encourage you all today to stop waiting for your future, waiting to fulfill your purpose. You don't have a specific place you have to reach to begin living it, you can do it today. Right now. God does not place His people places for them to lie dormant. The Body of Christ is a living, breathing, and moving thing. Each one of us has a purpose NOW. Don't wait, live.

Here We Are

It's gonna be a short one for now. Just a passage I found this morning that really spoke to me, and I thought I'd share it with you. Working on something for later today as well!

Well, I thought I would share with you that the verse I originally typed here to blog about, I realized I was WAY wrong about. The point I was trying to make was good, I was simply discussing rejoicing to the Lord, but the verse I was planning to use I was taking way out of context. Fortunately I noticed what I had done before I posted it. So just a warning to you all during your times of study, always make sure you know everything that is going on in the passage that you are reading, and if you try to pull out a single verse, be very careful in the way that you do that. Otherwise you will make the same mistake I did. And you will be forever known as... A Quote Miner....

Now, I will continue to use the same verse I planned to, but in the correct context.

Nehemiah 9:36

"Here we are, servants today!

And the land that You gave to our fathers,

To eat its fruit and its bounty,

Here we are, servants in it!"

Now, my original point was how great of a shout this would have been to the Lord. Proclaiming to Him that we are servants in the land which He has given to us. And I was going to discuss rejoicing in our service for a bit. But then I came to the realization that they are not shouting that they are servants to the Lord, but that they are servants to the Gentiles in the land. Which changes those words pretty drastically from my original point. However, what I'd like to share with you, that the Jews here in Nehemiah, while they are upset that they are servants to the Gentiles, they confess to God that it was they who broke the covenant and not God.

Nehemiah 9:33

"However You are just in all that

has befallen us;

For You have dealt faithfully,

But we have done wickedly."

While the Jews are not fond of being delivered into the hands of the Gentiles, they realize that their troubles are of their own doing, and not of the Lord's. I think a lot of times we tend to blame or question God for things going on in our life. It is a pretty natural response in times of hardship to blame the One in charge, after all. What we need to come to realize is that the Lord has dealt faithfully with His people, and He always will. When the covenants have been broken, it has always been by us, and not God. His decisions will always be just, and His people will always be provided for. From Egypt He delivered them, in the wilderness He provided for them, and the Promise Land He secured for them. Just as the Lord dealt with Israel He will do unto you. From sin He has delivered us, in life He provides for us, and the Promise Land He is preparing for us.

Water by the Cup Full

So, for the past few years I've had this complete fascination with large bodies of waters. I see a big lake, or a river, or the ocean, and I'm just completely amazed at how much water is there. And I always ask myself, if I took a cup, and scooped it full of water, how many scoops would it take for me to even make the water level drop the tiniest bit? It just completely perplexes me how much water there is right there in front of me. The amount just seems immeasurable. Today I went for a run in Chattanooga, and I ended up running across the bridge, which of course goes over the river. And I stop in the middle and just stare out at all the water. Let me tell you, its a lot. I wish I had a good camera, so I could take pictures for my blog... but I'll find one of what I was looking at....

It's not the best picture. Nor is it really necessary, you've all seen bodies of water. But this is the area I was at basically. And as I was standing there thinking of all this, this verse came to mind:

Isaiah 40:12

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,

Measured heaven with a span

And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?

Weighed the mountains in scales

And the hills in a balance?"

God could easily measure the waters in His hand, and the best I could come up with was a pathetic little cup?? It's a very humbling thought to know that there are things that you can simply not accomplish under you own power. There are things that I am just much too finite to do, such as measuring the Tennessee river with a little cup. I could scoop for a lifetime and I would never get anywhere. The river would just keep on flowing like nothing had happened. I do not have the power to conjure the waters into my hand and measure them, but our God does.

So if anyone is in desperate need of a humility check, I encourage you to grab you a cup, go to the nearest body of water, and scoop until you realize that your own power is not sufficient for the task. But, I'll leave you with this promising verse!

Matthew 17:20-21

So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

Even in our weakness, our God is a provider of great strength. Where you would think your abilities end, the Lord will supply the rest to accomplish His will. So I encourage you to be in prayer, have faith, and experience the blessings of our Lord.

A Light to All

(I just love these types of paintings

depicting Bible stories. Some of my favorite art by far.)

Isaiah 49:6:

"Indeed He says,

It is too small a thing that

You should be My Servant

To raise up the tribes of Jacob,

And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;

I will also give You as a

Light to the Gentiles,

That you should be My salvation

to the ends of the earth."

How gracious our Lord is that He would extend his mercy not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles. Just the tribes of Jacob were not enough for Him. He said it was too small of a thing. He declared that Christ would be His salvation to the very ends of the earth. And then Christ, after coming to this earth, commissioned us just as His Father had done to Him.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

From the Old Testament to the New, it has always been God's plan that His salvation be spread to all the nations. And that those who had received it would go out and make disciples of ALL the nations. I think a lot of times I tend to short change people. I refuse to share the Gospel with them because I feel it's not worth my time. I decide that obviously they won't listen to me anyways, its outside of my comfort zone to go to them, and they're just not the kind of person I want to be sharing the Gospel with. But it is God's will that the message be shared with all the nations. It is HIS salvation and HIS grace to give, not mine. The commission was never to make disciples of the people who you judge as fit, but to make disciples of ALL. It is not within my power or right to decide who receives the Gospel. I can have no control over that. Only God can reveal His grace to someone, but as a receiver of that great gift, I should be more than willing to fulfill the commission given by Jesus, as to expand the Kingdom of God. We have all received a grace that none of us could have ever earned or taken for ourselves. It was given to us freely through the blood of Jesus Christ, which was spilled for all nations. Let the Church go out into the world daily and spread this good news. Each of us as recipients of salvation were given our gifts for this very purpose, the edification of the Church. Make sure your gifts are being used fully for all of God's Kingdom, and not just the ones who we view as worthy. For to reach only the tribes of Jacob is too small, let's carry the Light to the ends of the earth.

My Apologies

Sorry It's been several days since I last updated my blog. I've been getting moved into my house! I'm all set up now and ready to go! So, I'm working on something really huge that I'm gonna put up here, and it's taking a VERY long time. But I think if I get it just right, it'll be worth the effort. So while I'm working on that, I thought I would share with you a story I heard a few weeks back that I found very amusing. Some friends were talking about it, and I had never heard the story before. At first I was fairly convinced that they were making up, but in all seriousness, it's real:

"23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”24 So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.25 Then he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria." 2 Kings 2:23-25.

The man in the story is Elisha by the way. Just think about this story though, some kids are by the road and start mocking him, and how does he react? He curses them and sicks some bears on the. Forty-two of them. This is just one of those stories that amaze me. It really makes the Bible a fun read. Who doesn't love some good bear mauling action?

Where's the Rest?!

As some of you may know, as of tomorrow I will be moving out of my parent's house, and into my own place. As I was discussing this last night, I realized that I've lived here for about 7 and a half years now, and that reminded me of one of the stories about my all time favorite character from the Bible: David.

"1 In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.
The LORD said, “Go up.”

David asked, “Where shall I go?”

“To Hebron,” the LORD answered.

2 So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns. 4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the tribe of Judah.

As you're probably already aware, David was anointed to be king over Israel at a very young age. The Lord sent Samuel to Jesse, and chose Jesse's youngest son, David, to be king over Israel. However at this time, Saul was still the king. David eventually was brought under the service of Saul, killed Goliath, Saul got jealous of David, David and Saul have a falling out, and thats about as much of the story as I'm willing to fill you in on. If you can't fill in the details go read it!

Anyways, now that that's out of the way. David was anointed to be king, but that promise was in no immediate. He wasn't anointed and then BOOM king of all Israel. It was a long hard road for David to eventually fulfill that anointment. In the passage we read above, David is STILL not king of Israel! He is king over only the tribe of Judah. The rest of Israel is still under Ish-Bosheth. (Fun name to say. I know you're sounding it out in your head)

Now, why me moving brought this story to mind? I've been living here for around 7 and a half years. How long was David ruling in Hebron over the tribe of Judah?! That's right. 7 years and six months. After which he was finally made king over all Israel. Which MUST mean that when I move, I will be elected mayor of Chattanooga. It's just meant to be! Or maybe that's aiming too low. Maybe governor of Tennessee is a more realistic thought.

On a more serious note, having nothing to do with me moving or my hopes of political success, I can only imagine what David must think of all this. He is told from childhood that he will be king of all Israel. He waits all these years, fights battles, and struggles through life. Then one day what does he get? Judah. Just put yourself in David's shoes. You're promised to be king of Israel, then the day comes and the Lord gives you Judah?? It's kinda like "Oh hey! Thanks for Judah and all but uh.... What happened to the other 11 tribes I'm supposed to be king over?" It's like being promised a new car for a graduation gift, and them sending you pedal car. It's just not quite what you imagined it would be. I believe at this point I'd be a little frustrated. I mean I killed a giant, ran for my life, my own city was burned to the ground and my people wanted to kill me (didn't tell that story, maybe I'll tell it tonight), and I get one of the 12 tribes I'm supposed to be king of?

David had to be one patient man. He ruled over Judah alone for 7 and a half years before he was finally king over all Israel. Just another reminder of God's everlasting promises. You may not see them coming true or happening, and you may have to serve where you are for 7 and a half years before that promise is fulfilled, but it will happen. Remember to be patient with God's plans, and accept that His will is perfect. He knows His plan for you, and it will come to pass, but it will be on His time, and not ours. If all you have been given for now is one tribe, serve there with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might.

P.S.- Well, that one went a little bit of everywhere. Not really a full drawn out through. I apologize!

Humble Hygiene

12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:12-17)

This is a pretty popular scene from the Bible, and one that never ceases to amaze me. Never gets old. So I thought I would share it with you today. It came to mind earlier when I walked out into the yard bare foot on this particularly rainy day, and consequently got my feet muddy. So, before we jump into it, a quick fact or two on feet washing.

In the Hebrew culture, the job of washing the feet was an especially degrading one. So much so, that local servants were not even chosen for the task, but rather foreign slaves were responsible for it. (Well, not as much history and background as I imagined this paragraph would have, but its all I really got. Enjoy)

So we have the most degrading and humiliating task available, and a room filled with the 12 disciples, and their leader, Jesus Christ. (Must I reiterate the fact that He is God, King of King, Lord of Lords, etc.) The disciples of course, are under the teaching and leadership of Jesus, they being His followers and students. Yet, Jesus fills a basin, and proceeds to wash all of their feet. The most humiliating task available performed by the person with the highest position, not the lowest.

Jesus tells us Himself in the above passage that He has set an example for us and that we should do as He has done. If our Lord and Teacher was willing to serve in such a humble manner, how much more so should we be willing to serve? All too often I look over tasks that seem much too trivial for my time and effort. I simply can not see how doing it could possibly benefit myself, anyone else, or the Kingdom of God. I will over and over leave the job undone, thinking that someone else should perform that, because there are greater and bigger things for me to do. What a prideful and terrible view to have of myself. If my Lord Jesus Christ was willing, in all of His perfection, to kneel down and wash the feet of flawed men, then there is no task on this planet that I am too great for.

Never overlook even the smallest of jobs. Be willing to submit yourself humbly into the service of Christ, even if that means accepting what appears to you to be the most insignificant of tasks. The Body of Christ is made up of many different parts. Not everyone is a head, an arm, a leg or a foot. There are no greater or more significant parts to the Body. Each individual within it has their own set of spiritual gifts with which they are to contribute to the growth and expansion of the Kingdom. Humble yourself, and be better fit to serve the purpose for which you were placed here. "If you know these thing, blessed are you if you do them" -Jesus Christ

Nearly got off track there and got sucked into a whole different topic about spiritual gifts and our places within the Body of Christ. Maybe another time. For now, go wash some feet. (Figuratively that is. Unless of course you have the opportunity to do it literally, in which case you should definitely follow through with that.) -KT

Ruth

I posted earlier about a mighty man, and I felt it only appropriate to write a couple of thoughts about a woman in the Bible as well. So I've decided to jump to Ruth, one of my favorite stories. Ruth has always stood out to me as one of the most devoted people in the Bible. I won't share with you her whole story, you can go and read the book of Ruth for yourself. (It's a very short book. Shouldn't take you more than 30 minutes to read through it.) But what I do want to share with you is a very short piece of the book, from the mouth of Ruth herself:

“Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever you go, I will go;

And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

Your people shall be my people,

And your God, my God.

Where you die, I will die,

And there will I be buried.

The LORD do so to me, and more also,

If anything but death parts you and me.”

If you're struggling to understand the meaning of the word devotion or what that may look like, then here is your answer. She is so devoted to her mother-in-law that she will allow nothing but death to separate herself from her. This is what devotion should look like.

Ruth will follow, lodge with, be one with, die with, and be buried with this person that she is devoted to. There will be no degree of separation between them. This is the kind of devotion we should all be pursuing towards God. No degrees of separation us. I'm going to take a few liberties (please forgive me) and rewrite Ruth's words into a prayer:

Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever You lead, I will go;

And wherever You send me, I will stay;

Your people shall be my people,

For you are my God.

Not my will, but Yours.

Turn Your face upon me Lord,

If anything but death parts You and I.

Amen.

A Mighty Man

(Figured a He Man picture was appropriate)

What is it that makes a man “mighty” or “godly”? Such strong words, ones that we Christians strive to recognized as. We all desire to live up to the so-called spiritual giants that we read about in the Bible, characters such as David, Solomon, Peter, and Paul. We read about their lives and the words they wrote and we use them as examples of how godly people live. The question is what empowered these men to lead the lives they did? What is it that they had that we don’t? Let’s take a look at a maybe lesser known godly man from the Bible. From Judges (NKJV).

12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord,[a] if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

16 And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”

17 Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. 18 Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.”

And He said, “I will wait until you come back.”

So let’s walk through this…. If you go back and catch up on a bit of history, the Israelites are being oppressed by the Midianites. They have sinned in the eyes of the Lord, so they are now in the hands of the Midianites. And the Midianites are destroying the harvest and livestock of the Israelites. So in the beginning of our story Gideon is hiding in the winepress threshing wheat, so that the Midianites would not come and take it. Then the Angel of the Lord appears to him and addresses him as a “mighty man of valor.” (Allow me to point out again the fact that the man is HIDING in a winepress.) Not exactly the mightiest scene we have here. Gideon then proceeds to doubt the Lord, saying that the Lord has forsaken them by delivering them into the hands of the Midianites. The Lord then replies with “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel….” When the Lord refers to “this might of yours,” I would imagine that He isn’t referring to Gideon hiding in the winepress. Gideon again questions the Lord’s words, saying that his clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and that he, Gideon, is the least amongst his people. The Lord again assures him that he will defeat the Midianites as one man.

So, we have this mighty man, Gideon. He is of the weakest clan of Israel. Within his clan, Gideon is the weakest of the men. Yet the Lord appears to him and calls him a “mighty man of valor.” What’s to be seen here is WHY Gideon was a mighty man, and why he was able to defeat the Midianites as one man. Gideon was no powerful and mighty man. He was weak, hiding in a winepress, and he doubted the Lord, even when the Lord appeared and spoke to him directly. Much like all of us doubt the Lord in our lives. What made Gideon mighty and gave him the ability to do great works for the Lord? The answer is simple: The Lord. “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” Have I not sent you? That is what gave Gideon his might. Not any personal attributes that earned him the title, but that he was sent by the Lord. Gideon was able to defeat the Midianites not through his own power, but by the guidance and strength of the Lord.

You can try all your life, and nothing you do will make you a mighty or godly person. We will always fall short, but there is infinite might in our Lord. Being His chosen people is our strength and salvation. In the words of David “Although my house is not so with God, Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase?”

Daily Bread

I wrote this devotional as I was reading this passage and I titled it "Daily Bread." I believe now that I will just write an entire series under the name "Daily Bread." Hope in inspires you today!

Daily Bread

“And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!"
Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat."
Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.” (1 Kings 19:1-6)

Here we see Elijah running for his life. He is out in the wilderness, and he prays to God asking Him to take his life because Elijah has sinned against God. So we have a man who is being pursued because he murdered the priests and he is overcome with grief about his sinfulness. And of course, he prays. That’s what we all do in situations like this. Life is going badly. We feel guilty for our sins. Everything is crashing down, and so out of our desperation we pray, because there is nothing more we can do. And we want so desperately for God to do something spectacular in our lives to rescue us from the troubles we face. Elijah was so burdened that he prayed that God would just end his life. However, God answers Elijah’s prayer in a much different manner. The spirit of God taps him on the shoulder, wakes him up and tells him to eat. He doesn't work some miracle in his life, come down and comfort him, promise to save him from Jezebel's wrath or any other exercise of His infinite power. He wakes Elijah up in the middle of the night and tells him to eat. Cake and water. Elijah is having the worst day of his entire life, and all that God has to offer him is some cake and water. Not quite the miracle answer to a prayer you'd expect huh?

In our most desperate of times, when we feel that everything has gone wrong, God answers with the most simple of answers. Yes He could make it all go away, but instead, He awakens you, and reminds you simply to eat. Partake in the most practical necessities of life. I find it to be a very humbling answer to a prayer. While He may not have answered it with balls of fire and mind blowing displays of His power that you may be wanting, He fed you. We are physical humans, living in a physical world. No matter how hard it may be, you were put on this planet. God isn't going to make this planet go away just because it's difficult for you. He understands your problems and your struggles. It will always be hard on us. We can't expect God to swoop down and stop things when they are tough. But we can expect Him to provide. Elijah prayed for God to take his life, in return God gave Elijah life. What a miracle food is.

God's answer to Elijah’s desperate prayer in a time of need is nothing more than food and water. We’re human, what else do we need? I think it was God's way of showing Elijah that he was provided for. The food and water that you and I eat and drink every day, is the answer to our most desperate of prayers. The only answers we need. "Give us this day our daily bread." It has been given. Partake of it, and be reminded of the tremendous power of our God. -KT