Today our congregation is celebrating its Centennial Anniversary. For a congregation to be around for a hundred years is quite an accomplishment. But even more rare is the fact that our church is as vibrant and impactful as it has ever been! There are a lot of congregations that still “exist,” but they haven’t been effective in many years. They’re like a person on hospice who’s just trying to stay comfortable until they die.
As I challenge our church to embrace “The Next Hundred Years,” I’d like to share a word of challenge and encouragement to congregations everywhere about what it takes to stay a force for the Kingdom of God decade after decade. Obviously, in this devotion, I can only give you a taste. If you’d like to hear my message on this, go to shartelchurch.org to listen to the sermon.
Since every church will tend to become self-focused and self-consumed, we must constantly keep pulling ourselves back to make our Mission our highest priority. And what is our mission? It’s been the same since Jesus left this planet. We are to make disciples who make disciples. We are to do whatever it takes to connect with the people in our community who are far from God, bring them to Jesus, and teach them how to do the same. There are LOTS of wonderful other things the church does, but the moment we move away from that mission, we have begun the death march. Making disciples who make disciples is simply why the church exists.
We have to be willing to change. Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all means I might reach some.” The idea of becoming an impactful church excites most church members. That is, until you start messing with their programs, their systems, or their music. When we make things sacred that aren’t sacred, we’re worshipping the wrong gods.
We have to keep ourselves dependent upon God. You don’t have to be a big, fancy church to make an impact for the Kingdom of God. But you do have to be a church where the presence and power of the Holy Spirit are moving among you. Only God can change lives, save souls, heal marriages, and give hope. Without Him, we are a ship with no wind in our sails. Churches that are broken, humble, selfless, and driven by prayer become tools that God can use. Go back and read Acts 2 again and you’ll see it at work.
Still breathing after a hundred years is no big deal. Still thriving after a hundred years is something worth celebrating and cultivating. May the Lord help each of our congregations to be churches where lives are being changed, and the power of God is experienced from generation to generation. And that future begins with YOU! That’s God’s Word for you today.

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” – Psalm 100:5 (NIV)  

When I read our passage today, my mind flooded with thoughts about how I’ve seen God fulfill this promise. I thought about a friend of mine who was very gifted as a pastor. But he went through a difficult time with a church that absolutely destroyed his confidence. For a few years, he battled depression, fear, and even his own faith. Then God broke through. As he found the strength to move forward in his calling, God led him to a church where he would thrive. The church flourished, his faith and confidence returned, and his ministry was more impactful than it had ever been.
I thought about a woman I knew who was suddenly made a widow when her husband died of a heart attack. It was not only personally devastating, but it was also financially devastating. It was a hole that most would have just laid down in and given up. But she didn’t. She changed her career, trusted God in ways like never before, and God helped her rebuild a life that she could have never dreamed of.
Sometimes what seems like “the end” is actually just a New Beginning. The Enemy wants to take the setbacks of life and make us believe that God doesn’t care. He wants us to think that the situation is just too impossible, or that we’re just too far gone to turn around. But what the Enemy means for evil, God can redeem for GOOD!
The people of God had just gone through a devastating time of loss. Swarms of locusts had stripped their land and left them hungry and desolate. But God assured them that He was still on His Throne. If they would but turn to Him and trust in Him, He would restore all they had lost and more. God not only has an endless amount of love for us, He also has an endless supply of resources to meet our every need.
Have the locusts swarmed YOUR way? Maybe you’ve gone through a major setback, a time of loss, or had your world turned upside down. Maybe you can hear the Enemy whispering that your life is over, your future is bleak, or that you might as well give up. Don’t believe a word of it. God is still in charge, and He who made everything out of nothing can take the tattered remnants of our lives and do something awesome and wonderful. What the Enemy means for evil, God can use for good. He will restore the years the locust has eaten. That’s God’s Word for you today.

I always loved the story about the church that was looking for a new pastor. After they narrowed it down to two candidates, they decided to have both come and preach a sermon, and then they would pick. Both candidates came, and ironically, both preached on Hell! After deciding on the one to invite to be their pastor, one of the church members was telling his neighbor about the experience. “Well, if they both preached on Hell, how did you decide which one you wanted?” The church member smiled and said, “We picked the one who preached like he didn’t want us to go there!” Good choice.
Say this out loud: “God is FOR me!” Now, say it again with emphasis. It’s an important truth to keep in mind. When life gets hard or we find ourselves in over our heads, it’s easy to think that somehow God is against us. When we have a flat tire or a fender-bender accident, or, like me this week, find out you have to get a new transmission for your car, it’s easy to think, “God must hate me.” When we’ve drifted from God, gotten into some things that we shouldn’t have, and end up in trouble or suffering as a result of it, the shame can make us think that God no longer cares for us. But He truly does.
Take another look at our passage today. “Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.” Drink this in for a moment. God’s people have messed up Big Time. Their sin is so rampant that God has to do something to get their attention and make them turn around. But notice how tender God’s heart is towards them. He doesn’t want to punish them. He doesn’t want them to suffer. He is “merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” God doesn’t want to hurt them. He wants to help them. He wants to come back where He can gather His arms around them and save them from themselves. God is FOR them, not against them.
Don’t let shame or fear keep you from coming home to God. Don’t let anger or disappointment keep you from seeking God and praying for His comfort and healing. When life gets rough, it may FEEL as if God is out to get you. But it only FEELS that way. No matter where you are or what you are going through, remember: God is for you. That’s God’s Word for you today.

On September 11, 2001, I was speaking at Spiritual Life Emphasis Week at Mid-America Christian University. After I got up and showered, I came out to the living room of the family that was hosting me for the week. As I got my coffee, the wife said, “A plane hit one of the Twin Towers in New York.” Since I had a little time before I had to leave to go speak, I watched the news with her. That’s when the second plane hit. And suddenly the world knew. This was no accident. This was an attack.
Almost all of you reading this will remember where you were when these events happened. It was as though the world stopped. All airplanes were grounded. Fear swept across our country. Having flown into Oklahoma City from Phoenix, where I was a pastor at the time, I scrambled and got the last rental car available. Whatever I had planned for that Sunday’s message got thrown out as I tried to prepare something that would help our people find faith and hope in this time of crisis. But something unexpected happened that Sunday when I got to church. Our church was FULLER. There were a lot more people there than usual. I guess sometimes it takes a disaster to motivate people back to God.
That’s what our passage is about today. A locust plague has enveloped the country. Crops are gone. The land is being stripped bare. People are beginning to panic. What will they eat? What will they feed their children? How will they feed their animals? Then God prompts Joel to give the people an idea: Cry out to God! Tell the people to fast in humble surrender to God. Bring people together to worship and pray. The people had drifted a long way from God, and now it was time to come home. These proud, self-reliant people were brought low by a horde of tiny insects. It made them realize how truly weak and needy they really were.
Disasters shake us up. They make us feel unsteady and unsure. They rock our world and make us wonder what we can count on. Disasters also drive us back to God. And that’s a GOOD thing! God can comfort us in our times of crisis. His Hand can steady us. As we cry out to Him, He can give us strength and confidence, assurance and direction. If we’ve drifted from God, they remind us how desperately we need Him. So today, if you’re going through a time of crisis, a time of uncertainty, a time when your world feels like it’s coming apart at the seams, heed the words of Joel. Take time to seek God. Fall on your face and cry out to Him. Even if you haven’t been to church or talked to God in years, come home to Him. Let God give you a shoulder to lean on, a power to depend on, and a hope that He will see you through. Sometimes even the most powerful country in the world, or the strongest person in the world, needs to learn this important truth. We ALL need God—and need Him EVERY DAY! Too bad it often takes a disaster to remind us. That’s God’s Word for you today.

The thing I love about the great grace of God is that no matter how far you’ve fallen or how badly you’ve sinned, you can always return to Him, and He will forgive you. But the point is you have to RETURN. You know what I mean?
I was watching a movie not long ago where a guy was standing before a judge declaring how he was a changed man. He was being overly dramatic with his presentation about how he had “seen the error of his ways.” Of course, everyone watching knew the man was lying through his teeth. Oh, he was sorry. Sorry he got caught. Sorry he was in jail. Sorry that he was about to lose his freedom. He was sorry for all the consequences of his actions. But what he wasn’t was REPENTANT. He was just putting on a good show to try to get off as easy as he could. It didn’t work out so well.
That happens in our relationships sometimes, doesn’t it? Have you ever had someone wrong you in some way, and when you confronted them about it, they gave you a half-hearted apology? Not really moving, is it? Like when we were kids, and our parents made us apologize to someone. We say the words, but that’s all they are—words. There’s no brokenness. There’s no “godly sorrow.” There’s no true caring that we did the wrong thing. It’s just a necessary action to get our parents off our backs.
We do the same thing with God. Somewhere along the way we get this idea that when we disobey God, we can just throw a half-hearted, “I’m sorry” or “Forgive me” His way and everything is square. As if just saying the words cleanses our hearts. It doesn’t. God knows the difference between a sincere heart and a good con. And that difference will decide whether we receive a “Well done” or a “Nice try” from God. He’s the one judge who can’t have the wool pulled over His eyes, no matter how hard we try.
What God wants is brokenness. What God desires is repentance. God wants US, not some trite apology. I love what God says to His people in our passage today. “Return.” Turn away from the idols. Turn away from the shameful behavior. Come back to honesty, integrity, and intimacy with Him. Brokenness and repentance aren’t in the words we say. It’s found in our attitudes and our actions. As we often say in recovery, “The best apology is changed behavior.” Don’t just be “sorry.” Return. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Have you ever wrestled with God? I have. About LOTS of things. Sometimes we wrestle with God about wanting to do things our way rather than His way. Sometimes we wrestle with God because there is something that we really believe is good, but God is trying to convince us that there is something better. Sometimes we wrestle with God because He’s taking too long to answer our prayers. Sometimes we wrestle with God because God answers with a “No.” Sometimes we wrestle with God because we’re confused or stuck or unsure. And, of course, there are some of us who LIKE a good argument, so we wrestle with God about EVERYTHING!
God uses Jacob as an example to His People. Jacob didn’t always do things the right way. God points out that Jacob wrestled with his brother coming out of the womb! But Jacob’s name meant “deceiver.” And he lived up to it. It was one of the character flaws that God had to deliver him from. It took a wrestling match to do it. Interestingly enough, God commended Jacob for wrestling. In the end, Jacob seeks God’s blessing—and God is able to shape him into the man of God he needed to be.
Maybe some of us NEED a good wrestling with God today. Sometimes instead of wrestling with God, we just ignore Him. We just go our own way, do our own thing, and deal with the consequences. Sometimes we just go on with God as if everything is okay. We treat God like we do our spouse when we’ve got a “cold war” going on between us. Sometimes we feel as if we can’t express our true thoughts and emotions to God. But come on, it’s not as if God doesn’t know how we feel! Sometimes a good wrestling match is EXACTLY what we need to get things off our chest and get to a place of realness with God. Then maybe God can touch us and bless us as He did with Jacob.
So go ahead. Lay it all out with God. He can handle your anger. He can handle your questions. He’s not afraid of your doubts and fears and frustrations. Don’t keep it inside any longer. Go to the mat with God as many times as it takes. In the end, He will win, of course. But so will YOU. It might even be the turning point of your life, as it was with Jacob. That’s God’s Word for you today.

One day when I was in high school, I was shooting baskets with a good friend of mine. As we talked, I mentioned our pastor’s sermon from Sunday on the Prodigal Son and how much I liked it. “I didn’t like it,” my friend said. It caught me by surprise. “Why not?” I asked. He frowned and said, “Because the pastor said God is like a father. Do you know what a ‘father’ means to me?” I did. My friend came from a home where he was treated abusively by both his mother and his stepfather. They were alcoholics. And they were mean.
We do that sometimes, don’t we? We see God through the lens of what we know or what we’ve experienced. If we’ve been mistreated and abused by our parents or other authority figures in our lives, it’s easy to believe that God will be the same. If we’ve been abandoned by others, especially in difficult times, it’s easy to assume that when things get hard, God is leaving us, too. Or if we were ignored, or grew up in a place where we weren’t given a voice or no one paid attention to us, why would we believe the King of the Universe would listen?
But this is why our passage today is so important. God reminds us of a truth we don’t always understand. He is not human. He is not like what we have experienced. He is altogether different. As God talks about how disappointed He is with Israel, He affirms that truth. “For I am God, and not a mere mortal.” Israel is certainly going to suffer for the choices they have made, but God is not going to unleash His fury on them as another king or ruler would do. He will let them learn their lesson and then do what most humans don’t do. He will give them grace. He will bring them back. He will restore them to Himself and to the land they have been exiled from. The opening line of our passage reveals His heart for them: “My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows.”
Someone needs to hear this today. God is not like the people in your life who have hurt you. God is not just “a” father. He is "The" Father. The Perfect Father by whom all other fathers are measured. God doesn’t just “tolerate” you. He is wholeheartedly in love with you. A love that never quits. A love that never ends. A love that never gives up. And even if every person in your life has abandoned you, God never will. Just like with Israel, in your darkest moments, in your times of greatest failure, on those days when YOU don’t want to be around you, God is always there. God isn’t like all the other people we’ve known. He’s the One we’ve wanted to know. The Father, Friend, and Companion we’ve always dreamed of. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Is there anything more heartbreaking than when our children or grandchildren decide to not follow the Lord? Especially when that path isn’t just about not serving Christ as Lord, but also when they begin making choices that we know are horrible. There is a helpless, gut-wrenching feeling as they destroy their lives, no matter how hard we plead for them not to. Sometimes they decide WE are the problem and distance themselves from us or even cut us out of their lives altogether. Our wayward children are our Great Sadness.
It’s hard not to feel like a failure when this happens. And no matter how hard we worked to teach them right, lead them right, and point them to God, we can easily start second-guessing ourselves. What could we have done differently? What if we had done this rather than that? There are a million “woulda, coulda, shoulda’s” that we beat ourselves up with.
But the truth is, no matter how good we are as parents or grandparents, our kids ultimately have to make their own choices and choose their own paths. There are no guarantees or magic formulas. If you don’t believe me, take another look at our passage today. God, who is the only Perfect Father who has ever existed, had kids who turned their backs on Him and went their own way. He gave them their identity. He rescued them from their oppressors. He protected them. He provided for them. He taught them. He guided them. He loved them as fully and unconditionally as is possible. But it didn’t matter. It was God’s Great Sadness.
I share this today for two reasons. One, go easy on yourself. All of us can look back and see things we maybe could have done better. Just like OUR parents could have done better. Give it to God and live in TODAY. Two, it’s okay to be sad for your kids, but never stop praying for them. Even if they are a long way from you and from God, they’re never beyond His Hand or the voice of His Spirit. God was broken-hearted for Israel, even outright angry with them at times. But His love never stopped, and He never gave up hope that they would return to Him. Let’s do the same. Whatever path our kids are on, let’s stay on our knees for them. We can’t choose for them, but we can pray for God’s Spirit to stay after them. And maybe one day, through God’s grace, our Great Sadness will turn into a Great Celebration. That’s God’s Word for you today.

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NLT)

“You reap what you sow.” Remember that old proverb? It’s so true. It’s stated repeatedly in Hosea. It’s the principle that reminds us that we get back what we put in. God tries to point out to His People through Hosea that their evil deeds and their sin will only bring death and destruction back upon them. They are the only ones who can change the path they’re on.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Look at the first part of our passage today: “Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love.” In other words, walk in the path of God and do godly deeds, and you will receive the good life and love that you want. You can’t treat God and others with contempt and expect to receive blessing and love in return. It doesn’t work that way. At one point, the Lord points out that if you throw the seeds of your life carelessly to the wind, you will reap the whirlwind. That is, chaos and disaster.
This is a great lesson for us to ponder. Think of it this way. What is it that you really hope to get out of your marriage? Love? Respect? Commitment? Then we need to ask: are we planting seeds that bring about that kind of return? Are we sowing love, kindness, respect, and commitment into the relationship? If not, it’s unlikely that we’re going to harvest any.
The same is true for our kids. What kind of adults do we hope our children will be? Are we sowing into their lives the kind of character traits that we want to see one day? Are we sowing the seeds of the knowledge of God and His Word that will be planted in their hearts and help grow them into men and women of God?
How about in our relationship with God? What are we sowing? We don’t just wake up one day as mature men and women of God full of His Spirit and strong in the faith. That grows out of reading His Word, seeking His Heart, and living out what God shares with us. Withered, weak lives of faith are not a result of any lack of effort on God’s part. It’s because we haven’t invested in the things that bring life, strength, and growth. Where we will be a year from now in our walk with God is totally dependent upon the seeds we’re planting in our relationship with Him TODAY. Tell me what you’re putting into it, and I’ll tell you what you’ll get out of it. Look in the mirror and say this out loud: “I’ll reap what I sow.” Now go sow wisely. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Have you ever had a friend or family member whom you only heard from when they needed something? You know what I mean. They don’t contact you to wish you a happy birthday, or to tell you congratulations when you get a promotion, or to ask how you and the family are doing. They only call when they’re in trouble.
They need help. They need money. They need to borrow your ladder, your mower, or your car. They want you to help them get a job. They want you to help them get their kid out of jail. They want you to solve their problem, fix their situation, or bail them out of some dilemma. What’s funny is that they are often people that you truly like and care about and really wouldn’t mind helping under normal circumstances. But it seems they only want “connection” when they're in trouble. So when you see their name on a phone call or a text or an email, you automatically ask yourself, “I wonder what they need now?”
Sometimes you even feel guilty because you think you shouldn’t feel that way. You ought to WANT to help. But the truth is, you want more than that. You want to feel valued, loved, and cared about in return. Not just used.
That’s what hit me when I read our passage today. God knows that as He takes His Hand of protection and provision off His people because of their disobedience, they’re going to suffer. They are going to make bad decisions, get in over their heads, and begin to suffer. But what God observes is what He’s seen happen over and over again. Trouble is what drives them to come looking for Him. They don’t come because they want HIM. They come to Him because they want what he can do for them. And God, in His Grace, is happy to help them. But God wants more than just to give assistance. He wants CONNECTION. He wants to be loved just as He gives love. I think we miss that sometimes.
I say this because I want you to know that it’s okay to come to God when you’re in trouble. He truly is “our very present help in time of need.” He doesn’t tire of our requests. But I want to challenge you to come earnestly to Him when you’re NOT in trouble. Come to Him just to tell Him how wonderful He is. Come to Him to thank Him for already giving you more than you’ll ever deserve. Come to Him to tell Him what a great friend He is. Come to Him just to worship and praise Him. Come to Him with nothing more on your agenda than to spend time with Him. Let’s not “use” God the way some people might use us. Let’s come to Him in our untroubled times. Because that’s what good friends do. That’s God’s Word for you today.

This is one of the most amazing pieces of scripture in the Bible. After instructing Hosea to marry a prostitute and have children with her, she decides to leave him and go back to her wayward ways. So God comes to Hosea once again and tells him to go buy her back and take her as his wife AGAIN.
Process this with me for a moment. God tells him to marry a prostitute. Marrying a woman with that kind of soiled reputation would be absolutely humiliating for Hosea. People had to think he was crazy. Even though he knew God was using it to make a point, can you imagine the kind of ridicule he received? I wonder how many times people laughed at him, mocked him, and called him and his wife all kinds of names? People aren’t kind about stuff like that. Think of it like social media in 500 B.C. It’s probably what actually drove Gomer to go back to her life of sin. She most likely just couldn’t take it anymore.
Now, picture yourself as Hosea when God comes back and tells him to go marry her again. Only this time, because she’s owned by someone who rents her out, he has to PAY for her! Most of us wouldn’t take her back if she came crawling on her hands and knees and paid US to take her in. She made her choice. Let her live with it.
But God wanted the people to know just how great His Love really is. He not only welcomes those from the darkest parts of life, but He has also PAID to make it possible. Jesus Christ purchased us back from the Devil who owned us, so that we might be a part of the Family of God. But the price for us was a lot more than 15 shekels of silver and some groceries. The price was the life of our Lord Himself. His blood. His body. His death. That was the price our God paid to buy us back.
Take a moment today to camp on this thought. Think about how much YOU would be willing to pay for someone who rejected you, abandoned you, and threw your love back in your face. Then think about Jesus. He said that we were worth everything He had, even when we’ve lived lives as dark and soiled as Gomer. That’s God. That’s Grace. That’s the High Price of Love. And that’s God’s Word for you today.

In 1973, Dr. Karl Menninger wrote a book called “Whatever Became of Sin?” In that book, he talked about how our culture has become more and more uncomfortable with the term “sin.” The actions of people were described in more palatable ways. People were “disturbed.” People were “genetically predisposed.” People were “environmentally influenced.” People's behavior tended to be excused or blamed on society. It was a move away from what was regarded as morally wrong. If there is no “sin,” then individuals are no longer accountable.
I thought of that book when I read our passage today. God asks Hosea to do something outrageous. He tells him to go find and marry a prostitute and have children with her. Why would God do that? Look at what God says. “This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.” This dramatic show was an attempt to wake up Israel to what they had become and how far they had drifted from the Lord.
Listen very carefully to this because it is a symptom we often see. The Israelites had lost their conscience. They saw their worship of other gods as a way of connecting with and adapting to the culture they were in. But in truth it was a blatant disregard for the things the Lord called “holy.” Remember this commandment: “You must not have any other gods but me.” Or how about this one: “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.” They didn’t see what they were doing as “sin.” So God showed them what their behavior looked like to Him.
Today is a heart-check day. How’s YOUR conscience? Get real. Be honest. Are there areas in your life where you know you’re not doing what God wants? Have you convinced yourself God doesn’t really care? Have you told yourself that you’re doing enough good things that you’re entitled to a few wrong ones? Have you excused yourself by simply saying, “No one’s perfect?” Those are all signs of a calloused conscience. And it’s sin.
Let’s commit today to repent of our sin and turn fully back to God. Let’s commit to seek Him, serve Him, and love Him wholeheartedly. Let’s not fall into the same trap as the Israelites and treat our commitment to God so casually. Sin is still sin, no matter what else we want to call it. Let’s not make God have to get dramatic to point ours out. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Our passage today answers one question but raises another. It answers why it took the angel three weeks to reach Daniel and give him God's answer to his prayer. That reason was that in the spiritual realm, the angel was blocked by some kind of spirit in the kingdom of Persia. He couldn’t get through until he was helped by the archangel Michael. But that answer leaves us with other questions: What the heck is spiritual warfare? How did the spirit “block” him? What kind of battle did they fight? Why was the archangel Michael able to overcome? My answer is I have absolutely no idea.
I’ll be very honest. I don’t know how this whole thing works in the spiritual realm. I have no idea whether they fight like humans, duking it out with massive, muscular arms, or whether they zap each other with wands and spells like a Harry Potter movie, or whether they emit forces that push and pull on humans and spiritual beings alike. There’s not enough information in the Bible to develop a clear theology of spiritual warfare. But there is all kinds of evidence that it’s there. Listen to Paul in Ephesians 6. “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12 NLT) Paul then goes on to say that’s why it’s so important that we cover ourselves with the “armor of God.” We guard ourselves against the enemy by being saved by God’s grace, grounded in His Word, living in God’s peace and truth, and holding onto faith. And he closes it out with pray, pray, pray, pray, pray.
I share this with you because I think that though we don’t understand what all goes on in the spiritual realm, we need to be aware that it’s there. I believe that God answers our prayers there just as He does here. So as we pray for those who need to be saved, we’re pushing back on those forces that are pulling them toward darkness. As we pray for those who are discouraged and in despair, we’re battling back the Enemy that wants to keep them oppressed and without hope. When we pray for our churches on Sunday to be filled with the presence of God, we’re building spiritual trenches that keep the Enemy out and allow the Holy Spirit to do His work. So I encourage you to pray…even though you don’t understand it all, pray with all your heart for the forces of heaven to prevail.
And one last thought. Don’t be afraid. We already know that our Jesus has won and that the ultimate victory is ours. But until that day, let’s put on our armor and get on our knees and push the Enemy and his forces all the way back to the gates of hell. That’s God’s Word for you today.

We’re spoiled, aren’t we? We’ve created a world where waiting is thought of as something we shouldn’t have to do. We put food in our microwaves and can have it hot and ready in a matter of a few minutes. Better yet, we can call our favorite restaurant. They will get our food ready for us, and we can just pick it up on the way home. We go to gas stations that have 20 different pumps, so we don’t have to wait to get gas. We have multiple self-check kiosks at the grocery store, so we don’t have to wait for someone to check us out. We use text messaging so we can contact someone immediately. We want fast-acting medicine, instant mobile banking, and high-speed internet. I’ve seen people walk out of a store if there were more than two people in line at the counter. Having it ALL is not the driving force anymore. Having it NOW is. Which is why we get frustrated with God.
When the angel arrives in answer to Daniel’s prayer in our passage today, Daniel had been waiting three weeks. Let that sink in. THREE WEEKS. At what point would any of us have given up on God responding? Three days? Three hours? Three minutes? My guess is that after three weeks, a lot of us would have just moved on. We would make assumptions, such as, “God doesn’t care,” or “God doesn’t hear me,” or “God’s not going to answer.” Some of us might even begin to doubt if God is real at all.
Please hear my heart. I’m not saying waiting is easy. God knows that I’m not big at all on delayed gratification. But Daniel’s story reminds us of some important truths that we need to remember. One is that God hears our prayers right away. The angel told Daniel, “Since the first day you began to pray…your request has been heard in heaven.” We also discover in this passage that God began answering Daniel’s prayer right away. It simply took three weeks for Daniel to SEE the answer. Don’t miss this. Just because you don’t SEE GOD working, it doesn’t mean He isn’t working. Sometimes it just takes time for it to become clear to US.
Rest in that today. Don’t allow yourself to treat God like a microwave or ATM machine that instantly gives you what you’re asking for. If it’s taking you a while to see the answer to your prayer, there’s a reason. You may not understand that reason. You may not even like that reason. But God sees you, hears you, and responds to you out of His love for you. When you can’t see God working, you’ll have to trust that He is. His answer is already on the way. Even if it takes three weeks to reach you. That’s God’s Word for you today.

One night, several years ago, I came home late from work and was really hungry. After scrounging around in the refrigerator and not finding anything that I wanted, I finally told Wanda, “What I really want is a pizza. A pepperoni and mushroom pizza!” She smiled and said, “There’s some frozen pizza in the freezer.” I opened the freezer unenthusiastically and just stared at the box.
The doorbell rang, so I closed the freezer door to answer it. When I opened it, there stood a young man wearing a Pizza Hut hat with a large pizza box in his hands. I said, “Can I help you?” He said, “Yeah, I’ve got your pizza order.” I said, “I’m sorry, I never ordered a pizza.” His shoulders dropped. “Are you sure you have the right address?” I asked. He looked at the order and read off our address. I shook my head. “That’s our address, but we didn’t order a pizza.” He nodded and said, “It happens. Sometimes people write down the wrong street or address, and sometimes kids call in fake orders. No worries.” Then he smiled and said, “Would you like a pizza?” “What kind?” I asked. He looked at the order and said, “Pepperoni and mushroom.” My eyes got big with excitement. “Sure!” I said. He handed me the box and said, “We can’t sell it now, so it’s all yours!” I looked down at his name tag as he turned to leave. It said, “Michael.” I swear I could almost hear the angels singing.
Have you ever been visited by an angel? I’ll bet you have. It’s just that most of the time, like my pizza guy, they don’t look like angels. The word “angel” means “messenger.” And God sends us messengers all the time. Maybe you’ve had a messenger of encouragement who just happened to call you when you really needed someone to pick you up. Or maybe you had an angel show up just when you needed an extra hand or help. Maybe you had an angel text you and let you know that they were thinking about you at a time when you didn’t think anyone cared. Maybe your angel brought you some food or gave you some money. Maybe your angel offered you a place to stay. Or maybe your angel gave you a hug at a time when you really needed a hug, and they reminded you that you are loved and never alone.
Sometimes our angels look a lot like friends, family, and people at church, but they are angels just the same. God sends them as His messengers just like He did for Daniel. Why? “For you are very precious to God.” God put you in your angel’s mind. God laid you on your angel’s heart. God nudged your angel to contact you, help you, or encourage you…all because you are PRECIOUS to Him. He even knows what kind of pizza you like! That’s God’s Word to you today.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives.” – Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NLT)

One of my favorite stories from the Bible is the story of Joseph and his brothers. Joseph grew up favored by his father and blessed by God. This made his brothers jealous. When an opportunity came, they sold their brother into slavery and told their father he had been killed by a wild animal. Joseph ended up in Egypt, where the Hand of God again protected him. Because of the gifts and blessing of God, Joseph ended up second in command in all of Egypt.
Some years later, there was a famine in the land, and Joseph’s family was starving. His brothers came to Egypt on their father’s behalf to buy food. Joseph recognized them, but they didn’t recognize him. Think about it. Their lives were now in Joseph’s hands. He could have thrown them in prison and never let them out. He could have sent them home to die of starvation. He could have had them killed. But he didn’t.
After teasing them for a bit, Joseph revealed himself to them. They were terrified. They knew what they had done and what they had coming as a result. But rather than giving them what they deserved, Joseph was merciful to them. He fed them and sent them home to bring their father and their families back to Egypt to live under his protection, where they flourished and prospered.
Daniel reminds us in his prayer that this is how God deals with us. God doesn’t treat us as we deserve. If He did, we’d all be dead. But God, in His mercy, looks down upon us with compassion and love. Like Joseph with his brothers, God invites us to come to Him, live with Him, and bask in His gracious blessing and protection. As Psalm 103 reminds us, “He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.”
If you’re in a tough place today, turn your face toward the Lord. Invite Him to look down upon you in the midst of your despair. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t talked to Him in a while. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been living life your way with no regard to His Word. It doesn’t matter if you’ve blown it Big Time. Cry out to Him with a humble and broken heart. God won’t give you what you deserve. He’ll give you what you don’t deserve. Mercy. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Last month, a woman in Florida decided to take a three-day cruise to the Bahamas. So she bought a ticket and boarded a Carnival cruise ship to “get away from it all.” But while she was enjoying the sun, the music, and the cruise ship buffet, her children were left at home to fend for themselves. Four of them. All minors. One was two months old, and another was two years old. When noise was heard in the apartment, and it was known the mother was gone, police and firemen broke into the apartment. The four children were found hiding in the bathroom. When the mother returned, she was arrested and taken into custody.
We live in a world of broken promises, don’t we? Think about how many times people haven’t lived up to their promises to YOU along the way. Some of us came from homes like our story today, where our parents weren’t really “parents.” They were just people who brought us into the world. We were regarded as more of a bother than a child to be loved and nurtured. Others of us have had people who said they’d always be there for us. But they weren’t. When we needed them the most, they were nowhere to be found. Some of us have had someone who said, “Till death do us part.” But then they parted long before that. Promise makers are many in this world. Promise keepers are few.
That’s why Daniel’s prayer is so meaningful. “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love…” God is not only great, powerful, and awesome. He is always THERE. He is always there to care for us. He is always there to attend to us. He is always there to listen to us. God FULFILLS His covenant with us. God KEEPS His promises to us. Whatever He said He’ll do, He DOES. He’s the one you can always count on. No. Matter. What.
So if you’re feeling the sting of a broken promise today, my heart goes out to you. Like those children, you may be hiding in your world of pain, wondering if anyone really does love you or cares. But someone does. God has promised that He will NEVER leave you or forsake you. You are never alone, and you are never without His love. Reach out to Him today. He’ll not only hear your cry for help, but He will also draw near to you. He’s not just another promise maker. He’s the Promise Keeper. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Daniel read his Bible. I guess that shouldn’t surprise us, but for some reason it stuck out to me today. Obviously, the Old Testament was still being written when Daniel was alive, but Daniel was already reading it. As he read the writings of Jeremiah, he realized God had foretold the exile to Babylon. He also realized that it was only supposed to last for 70 years and that time was nearly up!
Several things happened to Daniel as he read. One was that he felt great conviction. As he read about the sin of God’s people and how they had turned away from God, he realized things hadn’t changed all that much. If you follow his prayer in this passage, you’ll find that much of it is confession to that effect.
Daniel was always prompted to pray. Jeremiah cried out to the Lord on the people’s behalf, so Daniel would, too. Daniel knew that the Lord listened to his prayers and had answered them time and time again, so he prayed honestly and passionately for God’s mercy and grace.
As Daniel saw the revealed Hand of God at work in the Scriptures, his faith and commitment were renewed. The God of History that had led them to this moment was with him NOW and would be with him in the future. Daniel realized he was a part of the ongoing, never-ending work of God. It filled his heart with humility and hope.
As I was reading this account of Daniel, it hit me. Life is an open-book test. All the answers we need are found right there in God’s Word. When we read it, we realize that as wicked as our world is, God never stops loving us or believing in us. We remember that God invites us into His Presence and that our prayers are “powerful and effective.” We find HOPE in God’s Word. We find PURPOSE in God’s Word. We find promises that give us a foundation to stand on and handles to hold onto. If life is testing you, open The Book. Just like Daniel, that’s where you will find the answers. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Early in my ministry, I had a conversation with a young man just out of seminary. He was a really sharp guy and, as I found out, very ambitious. As we were talking, he asked me what my ministry “plan” was. I asked him what he meant. He said, “What kind of track are you planning on your ministry taking?” I shook my head and said, “I don’t have a plan.” He got a big smile and said, “I do!” He then proceeded to tell me how he planned to get a job at a good-sized church as an associate pastor. Then he said his plan was to become the lead pastor of a congregation and basically leapfrog to larger and larger churches until he landed a job with our national office. He smiled and said, “I’m going to be INTENTIONAL with my career.” I think he actually lasted about 10 years in ministry before he quit.
There was a key to Daniel’s success. He trusted God with his destiny. He didn’t aim for power or position or wealth. He simply did his best for God wherever he was and allowed God to take care of the promotions. Daniel obviously had his ups and downs and was not only threatened with losing his job but also losing his LIFE! But when you believe that God alone controls your destiny, you don’t worry about the ups and downs. You simply focus on being faithful and serving with all your heart. When you do that, you ultimately come out on top. I want you to rest in that today.
Look in the mirror and say this out loud: “God alone controls my destiny.” Let that truth sink deep into your heart. That truth will help you let go of your need for acknowledgement and reward. It’ll set you free from feeling as if you need to cut corners or “sell yourself” to get ahead. It’ll give you security when you get passed over, demoted, or fired. Please hear my heart. I’m not telling you not to work hard at what you do. I’m telling you the exact opposite. Do your job with everything you’ve got. Teach that class or preach that sermon with all your heart. Give yourself to any ministry or opportunity you get with passion and excellence. Just don’t do it for the hope of being raised up another level. Do it because God deserves it. And trust Him with your destiny. That’s God’s Word for you today.

A few years ago, there was a story in the news about two men who got into a road rage incident. One man felt as if the other driver tried to run him off the road. That led to obscene gestures, throwing things at each other’s cars, and yelling. One man eventually fired a shot at the other man’s car, missing the man but hitting the man’s five-year-old daughter in the leg. That man then pulled out a gun and started shooting back, wounding the other man’s fourteen-year-old daughter. Eventually, they pulled off the road and started fighting. They were both arrested and taken to jail.
Revenge has a boomerang effect. Sometimes, as in the road rage case I shared, it can be dangerous and deadly. I’m sure neither one of those fathers ever dreamed that their daughters would be the victims of their lack of control. All that was on their minds was making sure the other guy knew he wasn’t getting away with it. Each one wanted the last word. But the “last word” wasn’t the word they were expecting. In the words of Gordon MacDonald, “You can control your choices, but you can’t control the consequences of those choices.”
When Daniel was selected by the king to be the head over all of the kingdom, the other officials felt slighted. So they plotted to get Daniel killed. When the king agreed to their edict of not allowing anyone to worship anyone other than the king, the officials were quite proud of themselves. Their plan worked. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. They had their revenge at last. Only they didn’t. God closed the lions’ mouths and exonerated Daniel. In light of this miracle, the king had the conniving officials and their families thrown into the lions’ den. This time the lions did their job. The boomerang of revenge had come back in a devastating way.
Take this lesson to heart. I know it’s hard to let people get away with stuff, especially when you feel as if you can really get them good. But God can’t honor a vengeful heart. In fact, God says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” You’re better off giving them over to God and letting Him have the last say. Revenge may feel good at first, but don’t forget. The boomerang effect of revenge can be more painful than you can imagine. And even those you love may have to pay the price. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Have you ever found yourself in a pit? A time when you felt stuck, abandoned, or helpless? Sometimes we go through seasons where life comes at us HARD. Maybe it’s an injury or illness that has us bedridden or hobbled. Maybe it’s a loss that has covered us in a pit of grief. Maybe we’ve taken a financial hit that makes every single bill feel overwhelming and out of reach. Maybe it’s a season of depression where the world feels dark and cold. Or maybe it’s a spiritual pit where God feels a million miles away.
I realized while I was reading about Daniel that his story is a lot like ours. Hard times, difficult people, and little to no control over what was going on. Just like us. Oh, except that Daniel had lions down in his pit. At least we don’t have to deal with that, right? Wrong. We have a lion, too.
1 Peter 5:8 says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Whenever we fall into a “pit,” the devil tries to devour us. He tries to consume us with despair. He tries to paralyze us with fear. He tries to swallow us in depression. He tries to eat away at us with doubt and confusion. He attacks our self-worth. He claws away at our faith. He tries to make us believe that we are helpless and hopeless, with no way out. My guess is that most of us have heard him roar from time to time.
But just like Daniel, we are not in our pit alone. God is with us. Today, if you’re in a pit with the Enemy snarling away at you, turn to the Lord. Claim the promises of God until your shouts of hope drown out his growls of despair. Turn on your worship music and let your praise of God hurt his ears until his roaring turns into whimpering. Take time today to remember how the Lord has delivered you before, time and time again, until the Lion of Hell has to back away in awe. If you’re going to come out of your pit victoriously, you need God to do for you what He did for Daniel. You need Him to shut that lion’s mouth. After that, he’s nothing but an oversized pussycat. Listen very carefully. The Enemy has no power in your pit other than what you give him. Cling to the Lord and declare His Power and Glory. And the angels will shut that lion’s mouth. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Poor Darius. He painted himself into a corner that he couldn’t get out of. The law he signed was irrevocable. For all of his power, he was helpless. For all of his riches, he couldn’t buy his way out. He spent an entire day looking for a loophole, searching for an answer, but in the end he had to do the only thing he could do: He put Daniel in the Hands of God. He had no idea that’s where Daniel already was!
All of us have been where Darius was at one time or another. Someone we care deeply about is going through a painful or hard time, and we’re helpless to do anything about it. For those of us with control issues, this is especially maddening. We’re used to finding solutions. We’re used to making things happen. We’re used to stepping in and changing minds, impacting circumstances, and bailing people out. Then comes the day when we just can’t do it. It’s beyond our reach. It’s outside of our control. It’s something we can’t do anything about. And the feeling of helplessness is suffocating. But we’re really not helpless. We can do what Darius did. We can put them in the Hands of God.
Go back to the story for a moment. God was in the picture long before Darius was. It was God who brought Daniel safely to Babylon. It was God who gave him favor with Nebuchadnezzar. It was God who gave him favor with Belshazzar. And it was God who gave Daniel favor with Darius. Daniel wasn’t in the position he was in because of the good grace of Darius. He was there because of the Great Grace of God. God would see Daniel through. Darius liked Daniel an awful lot. But God LOVED Daniel more than anyone would ever know.
Keep that in mind this week. When your spouse, or your child, or a friend near and dear to your heart, finds themselves in a predicament that you can’t help with, let go and let God. He’s already there. He’s already involved. He can do what you can’t and may even have a plan of which you are not aware. I’m not going to tell you that their situation is going to play out the way you want it to, but I am going to tell you that in the Hands of God is the BEST place they can be. Though I know you care about them deeply, don’t forget. God loves them more than you can ever imagine. Put them in the Hands of God. That’s God’s Word for you today.