“Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” Psalm 34:5

Underlying many of our prayers are two dueling attitudes: hope and a fear of disappointment. On some days, hope seems to reign; on others, fear of disappointment gets the upper hand.

When we bathe in God’s Presence, fill our minds with His promises, and take Him at His word, hope rises up within us. When we look around at circumstances, measure improbabilities, and expect the usual or “normal” course of events, fear of disappointment quenches the hope we thought we had. Eventually, one of these attitudes has to dominate the other.

God wants our hope to be pure.

Hope fuels faith, and faith is almost always a necessary condition for answered prayer. Fear that somehow God will let us down, that His promises don’t really mean what we thought they meant, corrupts our faith. Even if it doesn’t quench faith completely, the mixture is toxic. It’s what James called being “double-minded” (James 1:8, NIV), or literally, “double-souled,” and it results in receiving nothing from the Lord (James 1:7). But if we look to Him for help—if our gaze is filled with hope and faith —we will be “radiant with joy?” We will not be disappointed. Having gone out on a limb in faith, we will not end up ashamed.

Don’t be afraid of going out on a limb in faith. Look to God for help.

Even if you stumble and fall, He will honor the heart behind your faith and bring you to a place of joy. His Presence will radiate from your life because you chose to trust Him. He comes to those who let hope defeat fear and who invest their hopes in Him.

Pray Today

Lord, I easily look to human sources and earthly wisdom for help and easily end up disappointed. Help me turn my gaze to You, to find my hope only in You, and I will never be ashamed.

***
©2024, Walk Thru the Bible, taken from One Year Experiencing God’s Presence 

It’s something the Bible instructs us on: ‘to give thanks in all things’. There are many benefits of a thankful heart, but how do you know if you really have one? I came up with seven signs I’ve seen in the lives of those who are truly thankful…

If you live with gratitude:

1. You aren’t always trying to prove yourself. You’re no longer trying to establish your identity by what you do or who you relate to. You know who you are, you’re grateful for who you are, and you’re content to just be who you are whether others appreciate you or not.

2. You aren’t petty. If your heart is full of gratitude, you feel no need to make trivial comments that dishonor other people, you don’t perceive personal slights where there aren’t any, and you don’t overreact even to real offenses.

3. You are generous. You are magnanimous with your words, you have room in your wallet and your schedule for other people’s needs, and you don’t live with a self-seeking agenda. Why? Because you know if you have been given much, you will be given more, and you don’t have to hoard resources or feed your ego.

4. You don’t begin sentences or thoughts with, “If only …” Everyone has regrets about the past and hopes for the future, but thankful hearts are able to move beyond the past and look forward to future blessings without anxiety over whether they will happen or not.

5. You aren’t always trying to get ahead. If you’re grateful for everything in your life, you feel like you already are ahead—even while you pursue dreams and goals for the future.

6. The people around you know they are appreciated. If you’re really a thankful person, the people around you will know they are a big part of what you are thankful for. Your gratitude to God will translate into gratitude for them.

7. You know you are appreciated—if not by others, at least by the God who made you and values you. You can rest in that love. There’s nothing left to strive for. There may be plenty to do, but nothing left to prove. Which leads us back to point number 1.

In short, a grateful heart strengthens you against many of the wounds and insecurities that drag people down and damage their relationships. Spend some time this week cultivating gratitude in your heart. It will bear fruit in your life you’ll never regret.

*****
by Chris Tiegreen.

THE FULFILLMENT OF THE AGES

The Messiah had been prophesied for centuries. But on the surface, the prophecies were patchwork, a confusing array of diverse predictions. Prophetic “calculators”—the Scripture experts— couldn’t quite add them up. The best they could do was watch and wait.

Hindsight has helped us; we would have been just as confused. We would not have known what to make of seemingly contradictory facts: Messiah would be from Bethlehem and from Egypt. He would be the seed of the woman and the Son of God. He would be David’s descendant and David’s Lord. He would reign and He would suffer. Yes, the prophecies of the Reconciler were hard to reconcile.

But at the appointed time, Jesus came, born of a virgin. Son of Man and Son of God. Born in Bethlehem (a lowly place), sojourning in Egypt (a sinful place), and settling in Nazareth (a despised place). A suffering Servant, a King in humble disguise. A Branch (Isaiah 11:1) and a Root (Isaiah 11:10). Worshiped by kings and despised by men. Dying, yet eternal. Any way you look at it, our Messiah was a walking, talking bundle of paradoxes.

It is often calculated that the odds of one person fulfilling all the messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures are one in some astronomical number. I’d suggest that the odds of fulfilling these particular prophecies are even more astronomical. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill prophecies (not that there is such a thing). These appear deeply conflicted—not just extremely unlikely for more than one person to fulfill, but impossible for anyone to fulfill. Ever.

These foretastes of salvation come from a diverse range of prophets and poets and scribes, from various Hebrew cultures across vastly different ages. They speak of life and death and suffering and joy and birth and betrayal and the power of the almighty God. They promise unimaginable glory and offer an unimaginable kingdom. They address every need of a human heart. But the one thing they don’t do is paint a simple picture.

After all, no one can be from Bethlehem and Egypt and from a despised, separate place like Nazareth. No one can be from the seed of the woman and be divine. No one can be a baby and “God with us.” No one can be the son of Abraham and the Father of Abraham, or the son of David and the Lord of David. No one can die and live. Can he?

But Yeshua the Messiah did.

The impossible became real, not just in prophecy, but in every aspect of Jesus’ ministry. When Jesus stepped into this fallen world, “impossible” lost all relevance. It just doesn’t apply anymore. Paradoxes can be resolved, enigmas can make sense, and sinners can be saved. The blind can see, the captives can be released, the lame can walk, and dry bones can get up and dance.

Jesus came not only at the appointed time, but also with an appointed, prophesied meaning. Everything is made complete in Him. So, whatever hopes you have this Christmas season—whatever enigmas riddle your life while the rest of the world celebrates a holiday—remove the stamp of “impossible” from them. And hundreds of fulfilled prophecies will bear witness to your faith.

by Chris Tiegreen. ©2021 by Walk Thru the Bible.

The Daily Bread Principle

By Chris Tiegreen

“Give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3).

More than a million people had been led straight into the desert. It was clearly a deliverance, but to what? There was no food. But God had a solution. He always does. Manna, a mysterious bread from heaven, would fall to them daily. They could gather only enough for one day, no more (except on the day before Sabbath). If they gathered more, it would rot. It could not be hoarded. They would just have to trust, at the end of each day, that the manna would come again on the next day. They would just have to believe God for tomorrow. “This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow My instructions,” God said (Exodus 16:4).

Saving up is not an option for us, either. Yes, we can buy a week’s worth of groceries at a time, but that’s not what Jesus is talking about. True bread, heavenly bread, is given on a day-by-day basis. We cannot pray or worship enough for the whole week on Sunday. The directions we got yesterday won’t apply today. We cannot tithe the first portion of our paychecks and think that our sacrifice is done for the month. The daily bread principle is unalterable. You can’t store up the things you need from God. You have to keep coming back for them, keep trusting Him for them, day after day after day.

“You will never need more than God can supply.”

– J. I. Packer

Why is this so? Because God insists—absolutely insists—that we have a relationship with Him. Relationships must be maintained. He knows well that if He gives us our supplies for a week or a month we will only seek Him once a week or once a month. The temptation is great to gather in all that we can today—physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. But the daily bread principle is always at work, in all areas. There is no loving trust when there’s a full storeroom.

Just as our loved ones are not content with one “I love you” for the year, God is not content with a periodic appearance before Him. Manna doesn’t work that way, and neither do relationships. Ask for daily bread in every area of life. And come back again tomorrow.

For a Deeper Walk, read Exodus 16:13-19 and Luke 11:1-10.

Handling the Keys of the Kingdom

by Chris Tiegreen

I can still remember my “season of discovery”—that time after someone becomes a Christian when everything is new, the whole Bible comes alive and waits to be explored, and every truth becomes deeply personal. (Not that those seasons have to fade, but they seem especially intense in the first few months of faith.) And I can still remember the thoughts that went through my mind when I read that I had authority over snakes, scorpions, and every power of the enemy (Luke 10:19); that as an abider in Christ, I could ask whatever I wish and it would be done for me (John 15:7); and that I have the power to move mountains with my words (Mark 11:23). I felt like a spiritual Superman.

I tried out that authority, a few well-chosen prayers, and some choice words for the mountains in my life. Nothing. Well, nothing visible and immediate. Apparently there was more to being a spiritual Superman than putting on the cape of a few isolated verses.
I now understand these truths a little better than I used to. I realize how foolish it was to try out my newfound authority in Christ before trying out my newfound character, values, and priorities in Christ. Clearly, the kingdom agenda and abiding in Him involve a maturing process. Few of us receive the keys of the kingdom, stick them into God’s ignition switch, and immediately go for a spin on the highway. We need a little driver’s training first. We need to understand that we don’t grab for the perks of the gospel we most desire while ignoring the responsibilities that come with it. It’s a whole Person who lives inside of us, not just a power supply.

There was more to being a spiritual Superman than putting on the cape of a few isolated verses.

But I still wonder sometimes, in light of the extravagant promises of God, why divine power isn’t just oozing from my pores because of the Christ who lives within me. I’ve gotten clear glimpses of that power, of course—answered prayers, words that really did move mountains, and the unraveling of the enemy’s strategies. But I’ve also experienced painful contradictions to those truths. If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’ve probably experienced both extremes of that spectrum too. Undeniable miracles, irreconcilable contradictions. A clear “yes” right next to an apparent “no.” And a whole lot of theological gymnastics to try to explain the difference.

The Fork in the Road
I’ve noticed two reactions—both in myself and in others—to the juxtaposition of those extremes. Some people are drawn to God in it, and others are driven away. Some see the “not yet” of promise and pursue Him more zealously and intentionally, while others see the “not yet,” ask a demanding “why not?” and throw up their hands and walk away. This dynamic of partial fulfillment is really a very accurate tester of faith. It reveals a lot about a person’s heart.

Those who press through the questions and even the doubts will discover an encouraging trend. When we grow in God’s presence—when we live as though we are thoroughly and constantly aware of Him—we find that healing flows from our prayers and our hands in increasing measure; that our vision of eternal truths and purposes comes to the screen of our minds much more often; and that the treasure within us burns brighter than all the circumstances around us.

This dynamic of partial fulfillment reveals a lot about a person’s heart.

In the process, we find that brokenness of the vessel reveals the glory inside it (2 Corinthians 4:7); that submission leads to authority (Mark 10:43-44); and that the deepest truths are the simplest (Luke 10:21). It’s an unexpected path to superpower, and it requires the eyes of the kingdom to see the way. But it’s an assured path for those who follow it in faith. Those who come to this fork in the road of faith and choose to pursue the promises will find them wholly true.

A Matter of Presence
Live with the awareness that Jesus is not only with you, He’s in you. Most Christians heartily affirm that great truth and then live each passing moment as though it isn’t true. The fact of Jesus’ presence then takes on all the power of an encouraging pat on the back rather than a living reality. That’s sad—and so much less than God intended.

The only way to experience His presence as a living reality is to talk to Him as though He’s in the room, make decisions as though He’s in your mind, let your feelings blend with His so that your heart coincides with the divine heartbeat, and remind yourself—constantly remind yourself—that He is really, truly, effectively there. As your awareness grows, your experience deepens; as your experience deepens, your inner life is gradually but radically transformed until you are shaped to be like Him; as your life is transformed, the power of the promises becomes more tangible; and as the power becomes more tangible, the outflow increases and bears more fruit.

That’s when authority can be wielded with a sense of maturity, that’s when answered prayers become an observable phenomenon, and that’s when mountains move. When the true spiritual Superman rises in our hearts, the unexpected power changes lives. Especially our own.