Category: Strength for Today

Numbers 13:29
“The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.”

The mentality seen in the verse above is nothing that we don’t see today. When the twelve spies came back to report to Moses and the people, ten of the spies had a defeatist mentality. Their summation was to go back to Egypt and accept the status quo of hardship and slavery. However, two men who believed that God could take them above the status quo and bring them into the Promised Land. Sadly, the defeatist mentality influenced the people not to go forward into the Promised Land.

One of the biggest hindrances to the work of the LORD are those who embrace the defeatist mentality. Those who have a defeatist mentality always see the negative and never have the faith to believe that God can do the exceptional. The story above shows us four traits of the defeatist mentality.

First, the defeatist mentality doesn’t believe in exceptionalism. If you truly believe in the power of God, you must believe that God is an exceptional God capable of taking you higher than where you are. Christian, the defeatist mentality will keep you from enjoying the victories God has in store for you. God is omnipotent, and He is very capable of helping you live the exceptional life if you don’t embrace the defeatist mentality.

Second, the defeatist mentality accepts the status quo. These people were happy to wander in the wilderness, which was the status quo for their lives. My friend, don’t believe the status quo that preaches average. Step over to the victory side and accept the promises of God that guarantee great victory if you go forward.

Third, the defeatist mentality sees everyone else as better than itself. It is interesting that these men who had the defeatist mentality could only see the walls, giants and great armies and not the omnipotent God Who had delivered them thus far. I’m not saying that you are better than everyone else, but you don’t have to accept that the world is better and stronger than you. You have a God Who lives on the inside Who wants to help you to live on the victory side.

Fourth, the defeatist mentality lacks vision and faith in God. These men couldn’t see that God’s power could destroy every excuse they used. If you accept the defeatist mentality, you will never experience the great victories God has for you in your Promised Land. God has already charted victories for you in your life, but you must not allow the defeatist mentality to hinder you from enjoying them. You must take off the blinders of the defeatist mentality and put on the spectacles of faith which gives you the vision to do things much greater than yourself. It is truly your choice of what you choose to look through.

Christian, don’t let the defeatist mentality rob you of God’s blessings and victories He has planned for you. Be like Joshua and Caleb Who had the faith to believe that God is an exceptional God capable of bringing you further than anyone could imagine. There are great victories for you to enjoy if you will look through the binoculars of faith and see the great victories God has for you.

Numbers 7:89
“And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.”

One of the characters in the Scriptures whom I admire the most and truly want to emulate is Moses. Nobody in the Scriptures knew God face to face like Moses. The verse above is one of those instances where he conversed with God. It was after the dedication of the altar that he went into the tabernacle when he heard the audible voice of the LORD. What a time that must have been to not only be in the place where the LORD’s presence was, but also to hear the audible voice of God.

We may not hear the audible voice of the LORD, but He still speaks today if the Christian will stop and listen. Christian, you should desire to not only be in the place where the LORD’s presence is, but you should also desire to hear the voice of the LORD. If you are going to hear the voice of the LORD, several things must be present in your life.

First, there must be a dedicated altar. Verse 88 says, “…This was the dedication of the altar…” You will never hear the voice of the LORD if you don’t have a place where you go to speak to Him. Let me ask you, where is the place where you spend time with God? In Matthew 6:6, the Scriptures talks about entering into “your closet” to pray. God still speaks to the Christian today, but He cannot speak if you don’t have a time when you go to speak to Him.

Second, there must be sacrifice. Before Moses entered into the tabernacle, the people had sacrificed their money, time and energy on the altar. What do you sacrifice to speak to God? The Christian who hears the voice of the LORD is the Christian who has sacrificed their desires, time and self to spend time with Him at the altar of prayer. It will take a time of sacrifice at the altar of prayer to hear the voice of the LORD in your life.

Third, there must be a desire to communicate. Moses went into the tabernacle to “speak with him.” Do you have a sincere desire to speak to the LORD? God won’t force Himself upon you. James 4:8 makes it clear that we must take the first step towards God with a desire to communicate with Him before He reciprocates by stepping towards us. If there is no desire, there will be no communication.

Fourth, there must be an ear to hear. Moses “heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat.” Are you listening for God to speak? You will never hear His voice until you silence the voices around you. Turn off the phones, computers and everything that has a voice and get alone with the LORD and just listen. My friend, God often speaks to His children, but they don’t hear because they have too many other voices speaking at the same time. You need a time of quietness if you want the LORD to speak.

Fifth, there must be a heart to obey. Every time the LORD spake to Moses he obeyed. The LORD knew that He wasn’t wasting His time speaking to Moses because he always obeyed. The best way to hear the LORD’s voice in your life is to obey when He speaks. If you have an obedient spirit, you will find that the LORD will gladly speak to you because He delights in the spirit of obedience.

Leviticus 22:7
“And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.”

God gave the priests specific instructions as to how to conduct themselves so that they would not be unclean. If they touched something unclean, they were specifically instructed by God that they were not to eat of the holy things or conduct their duties in the temple. However, this uncleanness didn’t last forever. God said in the verse above, “And when the sun is down, he shall be clean…” In other words, after a bad day they could look forward to the sun setting because, once it set, they were considered clean and able to partake of the holy things again.

Though these instructions were talking about the holy things in the tabernacle, the principle God set for the priests still applies to you. Everybody is going to have a bad day. Your status, money or name will not stop you from having a bad day. When you have a bad day, there are three things you must do to keep it from destroying your future.

First, realize that your bad day won’t last forever. When the priest had a bad day, all they had to do was wait for the sun to set to start a new day. You may be having a bad day, but let me remind you that the sun will set; the bad day won’t last forever. Don’t let your bad day emotionally destroy you. Many people have let their bad day devastate them when in reality they could have made it had they realized the sun was going to set and it wouldn’t last forever. Yes, you are going to have a bad day at some point, but it will end. The sun is going to set and you are going to be able to face and enjoy a new day.

Second, understand that there is always a tomorrow. The significance of the sun setting was that it was when their next day started. Unlike our modern calendar, they started a new day at sunset. When you have a bad day, remember that there is the opportunity for you to have a good day tomorrow. A bad day today doesn’t mean tomorrow has to be bad. Let each day live on its own. Tomorrow will bring its own challenges, so look forward to tomorrow’s challenges when you are having a bad day today.

Third, don’t let today’s bad day hinder the blessings of tomorrow. The only way tomorrow is going to be better is if you don’t carry today’s luggage into it. The priest never had to worry about being unclean for more than one day. When the sun set, their uncleanness was over. They could have lived as if they were still unclean the next day, but that would have been needless and kept them from doing their duties to help others. If you carry yesterday’s baggage into today’s opportunities, you will needlessly keep God from using you to help others. My friend, you are going to have to have a short memory when it comes to having a bad day. Don’t ruin the rest of your life by carrying around the baggage you picked up yesterday. Lay that baggage aside and live for your new day.

Everyone is going to have those days that are going to be long days that you wish never happened. When you are having one of those days, let this devotional be a reminder that the sun will set and there will be a tomorrow. Life is too short to let one day ruin the rest of your life. You can rejoice in the fact that God has already formed your tomorrow, and if you will live one day at a time, you can enjoy today’s opportunities if you don’t carry yesterday’s luggage into it.

Leviticus 20:24
“But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.”

When God gave the children of Israel the land of Canaan, He never intended for them to take the land to live like the people from whom they inherited the land. God intended for His people to be different. He says in the verse above, “…I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.” The children of Israel certainly inherited a land, but they also inherited a difference when God wanted them to be separated “from other people.”

Many Christians have never learned this principle that God expects His children to be separate from “other people.” Who is this “other people?” They are the people from whom they came out; they are the world. God wants His children to be different from the world, and He is the One Who has separated us. It is not the preacher who sets the standards of holiness, but God does through His Word. God set those standards so that His people would be separated “from other people.” Three principles can be learned about the Christian’s inheritance to be different.

First, God never intended for His people to be accepted by the world. To be separated “from other people” means that God didn’t want His children to be like them. I remember growing up and telling my parents that all the other children were doing something that I wanted to do. My parents always responded by telling me, “Allen, you are not all the other children; you are Allen Domelle.” What they were teaching me was that I was to be different. Christian, you are not to be like all the other people because you are a Christian. God never intended for you to be accepted by the world, He intended for you to live to be accepted by Him.

Second, God never intended for His people to be liked by the world. When God commanded Israel to be separated “from other people,” He was not concerned with them being liked by the rest of the world. Likewise, God is not concerned with you being liked by the world. Christian, you are going to have to understand that you won’t be liked by the world because the world has a different father. Our fathers are enemies of each other, and the Devil’s children will never like us. For instance, the reason the world does not like the nation of Israel is because they are God’s chosen people. It doesn’t matter what they do; they will never be liked because the world doesn’t like God. Likewise, it won’t matter how much you change; the world will never like you as a Christian because they don’t like your Father. The sooner you understand this, the easier it will be to accept God’s standards of holiness.

Third, God’s purpose for separating you was so that you can wholly belong to Him. Verse 26 says, “And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.” God doesn’t want part of you; He wants all of you. Let me encourage you to realize that when you separate from the world, you are yielding yourself to be wholly the LORD’s. Don’t allow the voices who desire the world to pull you away from allowing the LORD to have all of you. When you embrace Who owns you, you will have no issue with separation.

Psalm 131:1
“LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.”

It is disturbing to see people live with a troubled spirit. Many with a troubled spirit run to doctors who prescribe drugs to help calm their soul. The problem with trying to control the troubled spirit with drugs is that it still won’t solve what caused it. God’s Word is always the answer to every problem. God goes to the source of the problem, and if every person would follow His prescription, they could live in peace with a calm soul. The Psalmist gives five things you must do to keep a calm soul.

First, keep a humble heart. The verse above says, “…my heart is not haughty…” Part of the problem we face is that we feel we deserve something in our heart, which is nothing more than a proud heart. The best way to keep life from becoming troubled is to control your heart. Don’t allow yourself to feel that you deserve more than what you have. Always remember that a humble heart is a content heart. If you keep yourself from getting the attitude that you are better than others, you will keep yourself from thinking that you deserve more than what you have.

Second, have a modest appetite. The verse above continues by saying, “…nor mine eyes lofty…” You will always be unhappy if you allow yourself to look at things you know you cannot afford. It is like a child whose eyes are bigger than their appetite; they put more on their plate than they can eat. Don’t let your eyes of pleasure get bigger than the appetite of your financial budget. Live within your means and don’t let your eyes become so lofty that they compel you to purchase that which you cannot afford.

Third, keep a temperate behavior. The psalmist says, “…neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.” In other words, don’t meddle with things that are not in your area. Many people get their spirit so uptight because they are dealing in areas where they have no control. The best way to keep your spirit from becoming uptight is only to deal with the areas of life that you do control. Don’t try to control another’s life; just stay focused on your life and what you have been given to control.

Fourth, live a moral life. Nothing disquiets your spirit more than living an immoral life. The psalmist says in verse 2, “Surely I have behaved and quieted myself…” Don’t allow sin to stir the waves of your heart. If you stay away from sin, you will stay away from its tumultuous and troubling ways. Living a moral life keeps the spirit calm because you have no regrets or worries about what others may discover.

Fifth, keep a simple lifestyle. The psalmist talks about his soul is “as a weaned child.” Don’t trouble your life with having to get things. You will find that those who live a simple life have less stress than those who acquire things. Don’t always have to have the newest and the best. Be satisfied with what you have.

These five things will keep your spirit and soul calm through life if followed. Don’t listen to the voices of this world that try to lure you away from these five things. If you follow these five things, you will discover a tranquil life and a satisfied soul.

Leviticus 4:13
“And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;”

In the Book of Leviticus, you will find that there are three levels as to why people sin. The first level as to why people commit sin is because of ignorance. There are times when people do wrong but they don’t know what they are doing is wrong. It is not an intentional wrong, but it is still wrong. The second level is that people commit sin “somewhat against” the commandments of the LORD. This level of committing sin is when people have a feeling that what they are doing or about to do could be wrong, but it is still sin. The third level as to why people commit sin is that they do wrong because they want to do wrong. The verse above reveals several things about these three levels of sin.

First, sin is sin no matter why you do it. Whenever a sin is committed, you are going to have to deal with it as sin no matter why do it. The consequences of sin don’t change because you didn’t know better. Sin has consequences whether or not you knew what you were doing was wrong. Let me illustrate if I may. Just because a person doesn’t know anything about electricity doesn’t change the fact that they will get electrocuted if they touch a live electrical wire. Just because you don’t know anything about electricity doesn’t change what it will do to you if you touch it. Likewise, just because you don’t know if something is sin doesn’t change the ramifications of what it will do to you if you do it.

Second, ignorance is not an excuse to do wrong. Just because you didn’t know something is wrong doesn’t give you an excuse to do it. Too many people want to use ignorance as their crutch for wrong, but the verse above teaches that God still holds you accountable for your actions. Ignorance is a poor excuse to continue in sin.

Third, your attitude towards sin is important. It should bother you when you do wrong, and to use ignorance of sin as a crutch to continue doing it only shows that the attitude of your heart is rebellious. A person who sincerely wants to do right will immediately deal with their sin when they realize they have done wrong. Your attitude towards sin will ultimately determine whether or not sin destroys you.

Fourth, immediate action is God’s expected response towards sin. Verse 14 says, “When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation.” You will notice that God expects a person to immediately deal with their wrong when they know what they did was wrong. Any delayed response towards sin is rebellion. You cannot continue to play the ignorance card and think that God doesn’t know your heart and mind.

Christian, everyone will at some point do wrong without knowing that they have done wrong, but to continue to do it without dealing with it is wrong. Let me encourage you to study the Scriptures so that ignorance is not your downfall. If you learn what God wants you to do, you have a better chance of avoiding what He doesn’t want you to do. Let your discovery of ignorance be the catalyst to learn God’s Word better so that you can please Him by avoiding sin.

Exodus 32:32
“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin––; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.”

Israel had committed the unpardonable sin against God by setting up the golden calf in the wilderness. Aaron took their golden earrings and necklaces and made the calf, and the people took their clothes off and danced around the golden calf to their shame. One would wonder what would lead this people to do this after God had so wondrously delivered them from Egypt and through the Red Sea.

After Moses received the ten commandments, he went down to meet the people only to see their wickedness. The next day after Moses dealt with the people, he went to the LORD to ask forgiveness. The verse above is Moses’ prayer to God. He asked God to forgive the people, and then suddenly the statement ended by a line. Many look at the “––“ in the sentence as a line, but it is more than just a line. It breaks the sentence and shows the heart of a leader who is so burdened for God to forgive those he led that he could no longer word his prayer to God. The only thing that God in His infinite knowledge could put down to show the prayer of Moses’ heart was a line. That line represents several things that every Christian should emulate.

First, the line represents the love of a leader for the follower. Moses could have agreed with God to destroy the people, but he loved them so much that he was willing to put his own eternity on the line for those whom he led. He asked God to blot his name out of the book if He would not forgive them. Christianity needs people who love others this deeply. This is a selfless Christianity that will not only change lives, but it will change a society. Churches will never change their community until they get the type of selfless Christians like Moses who deeply loves those whom they are trying to reach.

Second, the line represents the intercession of one for another. Moses couldn’t word what he felt for those for whom he was praying, so God put a line to show the power of intercessory prayer. This line is a good representation of James 5:16 which says, “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” You will never see God do a great work through your life until you learn to intercede for others like Moses. Let me ask you, are you so deeply grieved for the needs of others that when you pray for them there are no words to say to God about what you feel? It is this type of intercessory prayer that makes a difference. Oh, the need for a Christianity that intercedes for others like Moses. Line Christianity is an intercessory Christianity that shakes Heaven’s doors and springs God to action. You will never see God do great works through your life to help others until you have this type of intercessory prayer.

Third, the line represents that God understands the prayer of the heart. God can understand what you are saying even when your prayer becomes so earnest that only the groanings of the heart can be heard. There will come a time in every Christian’s life when the only thing you can do is pray through a groaning heart because there are no words to express how you feel. Let me encourage you that God understands that type of prayer.

My friend, do you practice line Christianity? This is the type of Christianity that makes a difference in others and in society. If you want to be a difference-maker, you are going to have to become a line Christian.

Exodus 23:8
“And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.”

When God gave the requirements for a judge, impartiality should be one of the greatest attributes that a judge exhibits. The judge literally holds a person’s future in their hands. If a judge displays partiality, he could ruin a good person’s life or let a guilty individual go free because of his partiality. In the case of capital punishment, a judge holds a person’s life in his hands. It is vital that a judge shows impartiality when considering each case.

However, it is just as important for a Christian to be impartial as it is a judge. Though a Christian may not rule in a person’s life, they do influence their spiritual future, and it would be devastating to allow partiality to become a part of a Christian’s daily life. The most impartial being is God. When God offered salvation, He offered it to the world. When God gives judgments for sin, He always deals with the act and never the individual’s person. There are several things in this chapter that you should consider that will help keep you from being impartial towards others.

First, don’t allow money to influence your judgment. Verse 6 says, “Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.” Money is the great influencer. A Christian must never allow money to influence their treatment of others. Pastors and leaders must be especially careful of this. Just because someone has money does not mean that they should get away with things for which a poorer person would be punished. If a person tries to use their wealth to influence, that alone should be a warning sign that they want to use their finances to get away with doing wrong. Be careful as a Christian to keep the ground level in judgment with the poor and wealthy. Evil follows a biased judgment based on money. If someone tries to use their money to influence, you would be wise to distance yourself from that individual.

Second, don’t allow personal gain to influence your judgment. The verse above warns about allowing gifts to pervert your judgment. It doesn’t make it right to let someone get by with wrong because you personally gain. In fact, if you allow personal gain to influence your judgment of people, you are as guilty as the perpetrator who did the wrong. Don’t be the type of pastor, leader or Christian who allows personal gain to influence who you spend more time with and who you promote to influential positions.

Third, don’t allow closeness to influence your judgment. Verse 9 says, “Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger…” God wanted the stranger to be treated the same way as the citizen. Likewise, you should never allow your closeness to an individual to influence your judgment of a situation. Nepotism always leads to injustice. Nobody deserves leadership who allows their family to get away with things that others could not. Leadership that bases decisions off how it influences family or close friendships is wrong. The relationship an individual has with you should never influence any decision you make.

My friend, Christians must be impartial for the sake of Christ. The best way to influence people for right is to be impartial. Always remember that partiality hurts people and our ability to help them. If your life exhibits impartiality all of the time, you will find you will be better able to influence more people for right.

Exodus 17:4
“And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.”

When you read about the journeys of the children of Israel, you can empathize with Moses as he constantly dealt with their foolishness and murmurings. There is little doubt that the one thing that weighed on Moses spirit the most was their murmurings. These people murmured from the time that he started leading them in the land of Egypt all the way to the death of Aaron. In the verse above, you can see the pressure Moses was under when he “cried unto the LORD.” The murmurings of these people weighed on him so heavily that at one point he lost his temper and disobeyed God’s command so that he could prove a point to the people.

What is the reason these people murmured so much? I believe the reason was their shortsightedness. They quickly forgot what the LORD had done for them and only focused on the immediate. They depended on man to supply all their need instead of going to the same God to Whom Moses went to get their needs supplied. Their shortsightedness was a result of their lack of faith. There are several lessons you can learn from the murmurings of these people.

First, your murmurings are a result of shortsighted living. If you stop focusing on the immediate, you will see that God has always provided in the past. The only reason a person can’t see God’s faithful provision from the past is because they are living in the temporal. My friend, before you ever start murmuring, stop and remember all that the LORD has done for you in the past. Remember how you thought you were not going to make it and how God came through just at the right time. The same God Who came through at the right time in the past can and will come through for you in the present if you will be patient.

Second, murmuring is shortsighted trust. The only reason a person murmurs is because they believe man is supposed to supply the need. The last time I checked, the Scriptures teach that God supplies our need. Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Do you think that your leader doesn’t want what you want? Do you think that your leader enjoys seeing you not having what you think you need? Christian, what you don’t understand is that your shortsighted faith in man is discouraging your leader. They want you to enjoy what you have, but every time you complain to them you weary them. It is another load that they are going to have to carry because your faith is shortsighted.

Third, prayer is the answer to shortsighted faith. Your leader can only get what you need by going to God in prayer. In the verse above, Moses went to God the same way the people could have if they were not shortsighted. Let me remind you of 1 Peter 5:7 which says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Let me also remind you of Hebrews 4:16 which says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” God is the answer to your need; not murmuring and complaining to your leader.

My friend, just like the song says, “I must tell Jesus,” you must tell Him your needs. Don’t be a shortsighted Christian. Don’t let your faith be placed in man. If you keep your faith focused on Jesus Christ, you will keep yourself from murmuring and having a shortsighted faith.

Exodus 2:17
“And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.”

Two incidents in Moses’ life showed signs of a leader in the making. The first incident was when he saw his brethren being beaten by an Egyptian; he saw their helplessness and he slew the Egyptian. The second incident is seen when Moses fled to the wilderness after it was discovered that he slew the Egyptian. He came to a well and saw seven ladies trying to draw water from the well, but they were driven away when the other shepherds arrived. It says in the verse above when Moses saw what was done, “…but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.”

These two incidents, though they were very different in nature, had one identifying mark of a leader in the making. The identifying mark of a leader in the making was that Moses helped the helpless when no one else would stand. He didn’t have to be told to help them, but it was in his character to help them. Even though it was not right for Moses to kill the Egyptian, the instinct to help those who were being hurt is the instinct of a leader in the making.

You can’t make people leaders, but you can see the identifying marks of a leader in their actions. Many of these identifying marks will reveal themselves through the incidents of their lives. Moses’ life shows a few identifying marks of leaders in the making.

First, leaders in the making do right without having to be told to do right. Nobody had to tell Moses to stand for those who were being hurt, but he did it because it was right. A leader in the making will always be the one who does what is right because it is the right thing to do. If you have to be told to do right all the time, you are a follower in the making. Leaders can’t be told to do right; they have to do right. Leaders have the initiative to self-motivate themselves when others have to be told what to do.

Second, leaders in the making rise to the occasion and stand for right. When nobody else would come to the defense of these ladies, Moses came to their defense. A leader in the making is discovered. You will always find when something needs to be done that the leader in the making will stand for right. The leader in the making usually stands alone and does what is right, even if standing for truth means they will become an outcast. Many times real leaders have to stand alone. One of the biggest reasons our society is in the shape that it is in today is because many so-called leaders run with the crowd instead of standing for right. A leader in the making is easily identified because they are the one who always stands for right, and they usually stand alone.

Third, leaders in the making give of themselves to help the helpless. Moses helped those who could not help themselves. You will find that leaders in the making tend to gravitate to help those who nobody else helps. In other words, a leader in the making doesn’t need the crowd’s approval to help the outcast; they just help them even if they must do it alone.

The secret to being a leader is to be a good Christian. These three characteristics should be evident in every Christian’s life; however, when you see these characteristics in a young person, watch them because they are a leader in the making.