We Have the Key

My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise. Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees. I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.

Psalm 119:123-125

A famous quote by none other than The Eagles, believe it or not, says this: “So often it happens, we live our life in chains and never even know we have the key.” One thing that will bind you up on the inside stealing the freedom and joy that God longs so much for you to have is worry and anxiety and being impatient in your journey of knowing God and becoming more like Him. We sense a bit of that impatience in the writer of this psalm as he struggles to understand what God is doing and as he longs to see God’s promises fulfilled in and through his life. In the end the psalmist begins to understand that maybe his perspective and focus has been a little out of alignment as he has been focusing on the external instead of focusing on God’s word and God’s love and the miracle of who he would become once God’s promise of redemption had been fulfilled as it was many years later. And for you and I today as God’s children, maybe our focus needs to be calibrated back to our power source who does indeed break the chains that bind up our hearts and lives as we wholeheartedly focus on Jesus and on His word and on what His Holy Spirit is teaching us even in the midst of uncomfortable circumstances in our lives. Just yesterday I began to get bound up in my heart as a result of being impatient on seeing God’s promise fulfilled in my life and it is only this morning as I read this verse that I am aware of how my focus has been a little out of line as I have been focusing on external things such as other people instead of maintaining a Godly focus on the One who lives inside. You see, we have the key to freedom; we have the key to joy and awesome love that can be realized and lived out in and through our lives right now, right where we are. The key is Jesus Christ, focus on Him today and He will give you patience and He will give you freedom and you will experience His awesome love as you journey and strive to know and love Him more.

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Come to Me

Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live;
Do not let my hopes be dashed.

Psalm 119:116

I am taking a few vacation days this week and as a result had the privilege of viewing the new Narnia film (Prince Casper) yesterday afternoon. What an extraordinary film with a great message that comes alive through the characters of Lucy and King Aslan. As many of you who viewed the first film already know, Aslan is the hero in the story and one of the main morals of the story is communicated through these two characters in the words from King Aslan as he says to Lucy, “Why did that keep you from coming to me?” You see, the others did not believe that King Aslan was alive and could help and it took Lucy to go into the woods by herself, up against insurmountable odds, searching out and looking for King Aslan in order for him to come and save the day. Jesus tells us something similar in John 5:39-40 when he says, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think by them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” Today, Jesus wants you to have life! Jesus wants to fulfill your hopes and dreams, many of which you don’t even know you have as they are deeply hidden within the innermost parts of your soul. Jesus is waiting for you to “come to Him”. He is waiting for you to pour out your heart to Him, just as you would pour out your heart to a friend, or your father or mother or loved one. Jesus is waiting for you to come and listen for His direction and purpose for your life as you seek Him in silent prayer. He tells us in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus is waiting to do all that you could have ever dreamed or imagined in and through your life – come to Him today!

Trust and Surrender

If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?

Jeremiah 12:5

In the wee hours of the morning I am awake and struggling with the same thing that the prophet Jeremiah was struggling with more than 2,600 years ago, the issue of trust. My life seems to be in shambles at the present time. Our home is on the market and has been on the market for over 7 months now and the light of hope for a potential sale is dwindling with each passing day. My career is in shambles as I am questioning my work environment and whether or not I am where God would want me to be in regards to serving Him in the midst of my job. I have a deep longing to be used by God and to impact and encourage even more people for Him and although there are glimpses of this dream that come in the form of encouraging reports from people He has touched through this ministry, there seems to be a wall of resistance that appears incredibly high and unreachable at times. And yet, even in the midst of all of these things that may seem hopeless at times, I read the words of our God speaking to the prophet Jeremiah and I am encouraged greatly. The Hebrew for the word “stumble” usually means “trust” and in some cases is translated with a more negative meaning such as “reckless”. The thickets were very densely grown brush on the side of the river Jordan that would provide cover for lions who were in it’s midst. The story that God is revealing to us here in this passage is that the battle that we are in has a much larger scope that we could never begin to see or understand and this battle can only be won as we let go of our own strength and our own efforts and begin to trust in our Heavenly Father for the outcome. It is only in trust that we will be able to overcome even bigger obstacles that await us down the road in our pursuit of knowing God and sharing His love to a lost world in need. Trust in Jesus today – lay all of your burdens at His feet and rest in His awesome love and grace.

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Friend of a Wounded Heart

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

Psalm 119:114

You might recognize the title of a popular song in the 80’s by Wayne Watson in the title of this devotion. What a great reminder this is this morning in this passage in the book of Psalms of the refuge and protection and friend that we find in our relationship with Jesus Christ. As the song writer and performer so eloquently states in yet another track from the same album – “There is a harbor, there is a resting place, there is a refuge – a quiet sound; there is a lighthouse, there is a peace be still, there is an anchor to higher ground.” Jesus does indeed meet you right where you are this morning in the middle of this great battle that we are fighting to share His love with the rest of the world. He meets you right in the middle of your pain and uncertainty; he meets you even in the midst of failure and regret as He stands with His arms open wide and love in His eyes just waiting for you to come and rest in the comfort and protection of His awesome love. Spend some time with Him today – say a prayer to your Father and Friend, pour out your heart to Him and just see how His Spirit will heal your wounds and set you free.

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Godly Heritage and Intimate Joy

Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.

Psalm 119:111-112

It is in tough times such as these that our deep longings and desires, our innermost hurts and wounds from our past seem to come to the forefront of our minds as the facade of false hopes and dreams fades away in light of current economic times. It is in these times that we find ourselves asking the most probing and sometimes fearful questions like: Why am I here? What is my purpose? Why have I failed so miserably? What lies ahead? Where is the joy that I hear so much about but haven’t experienced? Why was I created? Where is God? The answer to these questions is so easy that it will make your head spin as God reveals the reason why things are as they are and the reason that you were placed in the middle of this story that can be so confusing at times. God created you to have an intimate relationship with Him, a relationship where you communicate with Him and He with you as He transforms and restores your heart by His Spirit that lives inside. God created you to leave a Godly heritage, not by anything that you do within yourself but by surrendering to His will in the smallest of activities throughout your day, obeying His statutes not out of a spirit of guilt but rather out of a spirit of love, His love overflowing and pouring out of you as a result of your intimate relationship with your creator and friend who loves you more than you could ever imagine. Yes, true joy, genuine purpose, meaning and significance in this life come even in the most difficult of times as it is in these times that God does his most amazing work in our lives as He holds us in His loving arms that will never let us go. Rest in God’s amazing love today as you surrender to His will and let His love and joy overflow from your heart onto a world that is in desperate need of God.

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Light and Lamp

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105

I can’t help but think of the Amy Grant Song from the 80’s when I read this verse, the lyrics go something like this: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path…when I feel afraid, and think I’ve lost my way, still you're there right beside me, nothing will I fear, as long as you are near, please be near me to the end.” The NIV study notes about this verse say: “apart from which I could only grope about in the darkness.” Indeed, God’s living Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit is a lamp that lights the way for our steps as we journey to know and love our creator more in this life. The lamp protects us as it exposes land mines and unstable footing that will cause us to stumble as we walk on the narrow road in search of the abundant life that God promises us through His Son, Jesus Christ. The light shows us the way to go; the direction to take; the intentional acts to make concerning our Faith as a result of the overflowing of love and grace that is present in our lives. The lamp would be the commandments that God has put in place in order to protect us here on this earth; the principles that are in scripture and that the Holy Spirit reminds us of in order that we could enjoy God’s presence in our lives and this freedom that Jesus has died for and avoid the consequences of sin in our lives. The light would be the example that Jesus and other saints have shown us in scripture of what to do, where to go and how to live out our newfound faith in Christ. The light directs us to love God and to love others, to forgive the unforgiven, to care for widows and orphans, to feed the hungry and to pray for the souls of the lost, to be a friend, to work as if we are working for the Lord, to live out and put into practice the gifts that God has given us in order that you and I could make a dramatic impact on the world around us. Without God’s word and without His Spirit who guides and directs and comforts and heals us, we indeed would be lost and just groping about in this dark world in which we live. Let his Word light your way today as you journey to know and love Jesus more.

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Perseverance through Obedience

Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
Your Faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth and it endures.
Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.
If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts, for by them they have preserved my life.

Psalm 119:89-93

Don’t you know this morning that God’s law is not a list of do’s and don’ts that have been put in place in order to control your actions but quite the contrary; it is indeed a boundary for believers to live in that protects and preserves our lives here in this fallen world. You see, God loves you so much that he gave His life in order that you could be free from the chains and bondage of sin that are present in this fallen age. He wants to see you live an abundant life that abides in Him and be free to love and serve and choose wisely in accordance with His perfect will and plan for your life. In order to accomplish this awesome task, He has provided the most secure and solid foundation for you to build your life around – the Word of God! His Word gives direction and guidance as to how you should live your life and how you should exercise your free will in order to make the most of your new life in Him. The enemy would have you believe that it is better and more satisfying and fulfilling to choose to disobey God and live outside of His will in order that you would revert back to your own fleshly desires that will do nothing but lead you astray and back into slavery to sin. Don’t believe his lies today, live according to God’s will, choose wisely as you study His Word and stay connected to His Spirit that lives inside of your heart of hearts and you will indeed persevere as you obey your heavenly Father in your journey of knowing and loving Him.

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Comfort from Above

I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me. May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.

Psalm 119:75-77

Sometimes it is only in persecution and affliction; in loneliness and discontent that we as believers can really begin to understand the unfailing love and comfort of our Lord and Savior as it is in these times that God holds us in His loving arms that will never let us go. You see, if we don’t ever face times in this life when we are forced to look His direction as a result of coming up empty on everything else that we have put our trust in during more bearable times of the past then we would never know just how much He loves and cares for us and we would never get to experience the awesome grace and unconditional love that Jesus has for all who trust in Him. It has been a difficult year for Paula and I for a number of reasons related to the real estate market, our work environment, the newness and uncertainty of getting plugged into a wonderful new church home where God has directed us, potential health dangers, relational issues with our neighbors, etc, etc, etc. The coolest thing though in all of the good and bad that has happened or not happened to us this year is that God has had His hand in everything and His love, comfort and compassion has never left us and is always near, even in times of defeat and failure in the trials of life. I am convinced that God allows us to go through the valleys of life in order that we can know and understand His unfailing love and magnificent grace in a very real and personal way as all the distractions are removed and our focus is completely on our Father and Lord. Rejoice and be glad as you travel through the valley today as your Father in heaven loves you more than you could ever imagine – He has great plans for you today as you just enjoy His presence and rest in His awesome love!

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Hope and Vision

Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.

Psalm 119:73-74

From the very beginning of time, God had a plan for your life! God made you and formed you with His own hands in order that He could live out His purpose, in and though your very life during your time here on earth. He gives you His word in order to guide and direct you and to give you hope as you put into practice what the Holy Spirit teaches you as you study and live out His word in the way that you live your life. This idea of God’s word guiding us and protecting us in order that we could live out an abundant life that our Father has planned for us from before the world was created really stirs something deep inside of me. In fact, it is this deep conviction and belief that drives me to write these daily devotions each morning. It is this hope and vision that gives me energy and gives me the ability to dream big about God’s plan for this book. My personal vision statement for Journey Bread: Five Minute Meals for the Soul is: “That God would use these daily devotions to make more and better disciples of Jesus in such a way that readers would develop a genuine relationship with God where His love would pour out of their hearts onto everyone that they meet, every day of their lives!”

There is hope, love, protection, guidance and understanding in the Word of God. It would do you well to dive into it today with all of your heart, let it consume your thoughts and actions as you live out what you learn in order that others could see and experience this great gift of God's love through you.

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Un-Ending Eternal and Faithful Word of God

Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth and it endures.

Psalm 119: 89-90

In this ever changing world of eroding morality, it is refreshing to know that God is faithful and never changing. It is comforting to be reminded that His Word is eternal and is a guidepost that we as His people can always look to for guidance, direction, comfort and love as we long to know Him more in the midst of a world that seems to have forgotten the one who died for them.

Father – Thank you for your faithfulness and thank you for your unchanging and never-ending love. Let us never take you or your precious Word for granted, and teach us to live it out every day of our lives as we journey to live a life of love that overflows to lost people who are all around us. We love you!

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Kneel Down at the Throne of Grace

He said to them, “Whey you pray, say:
“‘Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

Luke 11:2-4

Jesus, explaining to His disciples how to pray, quoted the prayer above as the words that we should say as we enter the throne of grace and communicate with our Father in heaven who wants more than anything to hear the sincerity of our hearts as we recite the words that Jesus has given us in a way to articulate our love for our Father in Heaven. We should heed the example here of Jesus in order to remain grounded in the ancient paths that have never failed to lead us on the narrow road in order to grow in our relationship and knowledge of our creator. In an attempt to keep our minds clear, as well as to keep them from being clouded by false teaching or self-motivation, it is good to recite the words of Jesus mentioned above, just as they are, from our hearts, lifting up our highest worship and praise to the one who gave His life to set us free. Pray the Lords prayer today, let your words overflow with love as you kneel down at the throne of grace!

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Taunts Crushed by the Unfailing Love of God

How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.
May your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise; then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word.
Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws. I will always obey your law, for ever and ever.
I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees

Psalm 119:40-48

It is through understanding God’s Grace and through experiencing His amazing unfailing love in your life that causes a love for His Word to grow in your heart of hearts. It is only as you genuinely understand how much our Father in Heaven loves you right where you are that you will be able to crush the taunting of our enemy who tires to entice you to live for yourself, apart from God. It is only as you are consumed by this amazing, supernatural love of Jesus, as you walk in relationship to Him, every minute of every day that you will be motivated to run after his precepts through obeying His law in an effort to remain free from the chains and bondage of the sin in this world that He has single-handedly freed and healed you from through His Spirit that lives inside. It is only as you accept and live out this sacrificial love of God that your love for Him and love for His Word will penetrate your soul and lead you into an abundant life that can and will be used by God. Rest and grow in this incredible love of Jesus today!

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Joy in Obeying God's Word

I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

Psalm 119:14-16

As the writer of this Psalm so eloquently describes, there is great joy that comes in reading, meditating and then ultimately obeying the Word of God, as it is God’s word that brings freedom and healing as well as excitement and adventure. The word of God is like penicillin for a very bad cold; it is like a declaration of independence for those that are bound up and in slavery to sin; it is a treasure map that points to the most valuable treasure in all of the world that if found will completely change your life for the better, not just here and now but for the rest of eternity. The coolest thing about the Word of God is that it is here for you to breathe in and enjoy whenever you wish and at no charge – let the Word of God permeate your soul today as it is the only thing in this life that is guaranteed to bring you great joy, ultimate fulfillment and eternal hope.

Thank you Father for your written Word, for your incredible love and for the awesome life that we can have in you today! We love you!

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God's Word - Protection, Purity, Guidance

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

Psalm 119:9

If you are like me then purity of the mind and heart seems to be a constant struggle in the midst of this fallen world where the battle rages on for control of our thoughts and actions by the enemy. There is a refuge from the battle; a safe place that can shield the arrows from our enemy and not only protect our new found freedom in Christ, but in addition provide direction and guidance for how we should live in this short time that we have to make a difference for Jesus before he returns. That refuge is in God’s Word. When Jesus was tempted by the Satan after spending 40 days fasting in the desert, his weapon against the enemy were words spoken directly from the Word of God. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). There is supernatural power in God’s Word and spending time each day reading and studying and committing it to memory is the key to maintaining your freedom in Christ by remaining pure in thoughts and actions. Be proactive today in fighting this fight for control of you mind by committing at least one verse to memory today and just see the difference that it will make for you as you live out the written Word and learn even more fully how to love God, love others and change the world.

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Judgment

For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) – if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.

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2 Peter 2:4-10

Be encouraged today as you let your light shine in the midst of a world that is chasing after their own selfish sinful desires and believing the lies of the enemy as God’s judgment will surely be enforced on all who decide to live their lives apart from Him. The evidence of this that we see all around us gives us all the more reason to be consumed by Jesus and to let His love overflow in the way that we live our lives today as we live in a world that desperately needs to see and experience the love and grace that has been so freely given to us as believers. So, with this in mind, let your light shine brightly today as you run in the path of God’s commands in pursuit of the freedom that comes as a result of Jesus’ awesome gift of grace and love and sacrifice that is available to all who believe.

Freedom through Obedience

I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.

Psalm 119:32

Freedom in this life comes only when we look to God’s Word for direction and then earnestly try to live according to his plan while walking side by side with our Savior Jesus who gives us the power and motivation to live our lives for him. As we abide in Christ and enjoy his presence, his Spirit gives us direction and fills us with an amazing love that will not only bring peace and abundance, but even more so, will provide an all consuming love that will pour out to others around you in a way that will change the world. Live your life in freedom today! Run toward the commands of our Father; be consumed by His love; be comforted and directed by his Spirit as you love him with your life and as a result his love will pour out to those around you who desperately need to be freed as well.

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God in the Present

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding-- indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God

Proverbs 2:1-5

The wisdom and knowledge of God is not found in dwelling on the past or in worrying about the future, no, understanding and the very presence of God is found as we cry out to Him in the seemingly insignificant tasks that we do throughout the day. Paying attention to the world around you and being sensitive to what the Spirit of God is trying to teach you through the sights that you see and the people that you meet today is the start of understanding what it means to walk with God. God can be seen and heard and understood, not only through His word that we read each day, but also in the lives of other people that you meet, in the beauty of a sunset, in the words and rhythm of a song, in the miracle of a new born baby, in the beauty of spring or even in the quietness of your mind as you leave all the distractions of this world to hear from God. Search for Him today – cry out to Him – call out to the God of love that wants to walk with you and use your very life to make a difference and change the world.

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Patience on the Journey

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

2 Peter 3:8

In this fast paced capitalistic society in which we live, patience is not something that typically gets ingrained into the filter in which we look at the world around us. This idea of our Lord’s perspective on time really being time-less gives me hope and encouragement as I consider my own personal journey of knowing Him throughout the past 31 years. You see, I started my journey of entering into this relationship with Jesus Christ at an early age of 7 years old. It wasn’t until much later in junior high school when I was around 13 or 14 that I really understood the prayer that I had prayed as a child and what that meant for my life here and now as it related to this idea of relating to the God of this world who somehow has made His home in my heart of hearts and was looking for a ongoing relationship of love and worship and transformation, not just on Sunday but on a daily basis throughout the week. Finally, it has taken me the past 24 years or so to begin to understand this relationship and to really get a grasp on God’s grace and love that comes to me so undeserved and without any works related action on my part other than just receiving and trusting and hanging out with Jesus who is somehow an awesome part of my everyday life now and who is changing me ever so slowly back to His image and back to the miracle and purpose that He had originally planned for our journey together that will last for the rest of eternity. I pray for patience today as I long to know Him even more; I long to be transformed and renewed and perfected by His Spirit as I journey to even more fully understand this great gift of love and grace that Jesus has given me to enjoy and to share with others so that they too can become alive in Him!

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