SEARCHLIGHT

  AUGUST 1, 2023   Isaiah 40:29-3 “He gives strength to the weary     and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,     and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord     will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;     they will run and not grow weary,     they will walk and not be faint.”    I WILL GIVE YOU STRENGTH When we are exhausted, tired, and weak. God tells us to come to Him. We all know that our human strength is limited, but God’s resources are boundless. When we are operating in our own strength, trying to do life on our own, we will always wear out. Is that where you are today? Is it where you are heading? Go back and read our verses for today. Did you see the promise? God promises that when we slow down, and lean into trusting Him, hoping in Him, and move at His pace, we will never grow weary. Truth is with strength renewed we will soar!! REFLECT Are you weary today? Exhausted? Where

  JULY 31, 2023 Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.   I WILL DO GOOD WORKS THROUGH YOU   I remember a gentleman in the first church I pastored, on every visit I had with him, he characterized his Christian walk as one that was a failure, he felt worthless, and believed that he was useless to God and to kingdom work. How many of you feel that way, or have felt that way about yourself? The verse before us today holds such powerful affirmation for all of us. It teaches us that God promises you and me that we were created with a special purpose. Put another way, we are created by God and for God. We are God’s incredible handiwork, that gives us value, add to that the truth we were created in Christ to do good works. So, do not believe the lie of the evil one, that You are useless or a failure in Kingdom work. Rather believe God’s word and promise that says “we are God’s masterpiece, han

  JULY 28, 2023   Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart     and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,     and he will make your paths straight. I Will Guide You on the Right Path Have you every taken a long trip for a summer vacation? You know the kind of trip that takes a few days to reach the destination. I have made a few such trips in our beautiful Canada, and on every long journey, I have noticed that there are many moments when I get tired, impatient, worried, or disoriented, and I wonder whether I have lost the way. I will be honest even with a GPS, I have been off track.   Have you ever had such feelings and experiences? Today in our reading we hear that God promises to keep us on the right path through the challenges that come our way. Those times where we feel at a loss, confused, perplexed, and disorientated . This is an amazing promise! Agree? Now notice all this Bible passage asks of us is to Trust in the Lord with a

  JULY 27, 2023   James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. I Will Give You Wisdom   God promises to give us the wisdom we need for understanding everything we need to know to meet our challenges or make the right choices. Our passage today tells us that God gives “wisdom” generously to all who come Him and acknowledge their lack of knowledge and understanding.  Let us be honest, we all have a hard time making sense of life. Don’t you experience discouragement, at times, despair in your living?  Many of us, I include myself in the us, when trials and difficult seasons come to us, we grumble and doubt God’s ability in those moments. This passage gets me to thinking that perhaps we miss an important step, that step is asking God for wisdom to help us make sense of the rough places. God is saying to us if you lack wisdom ask me for it. I want you to remember that throughout the Bi

  JULY 26, 2023 John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.   I will Give You Life to the Full Any of you who know me, know that I love this verse and the promise of life to the full. The reality of abundant life is ours through Jesus. In fact, this verse says that Jesus came for this very reason. It seems to me that for most of us each day our hearts and minds are occupied with what to think, what to feel, and what will give us the most satisfaction. Advertisers, media personalities, social influencers seem to tell us what we need or need to do to experience full life. What I love about this verse is that by comparison Jesus promises to simplify our choices and calm our restless hearts. Jesus came to Earth with a single-minded purpose: to give us life to the full. To show us that this kind of life was not only possible but in truth what God wants all of us to experience. In other words, maxi

  JULY 25, 2023  1 Corinthians 10:13   13  No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.   I will guide you …  through difficult circumstances Ever heard the saying, “God won’t give you more than you can handle”? If you’ve been in a situation where someone told you this, you know it’s far from the truth. I want to remind you today that God never makes the promise to us  not to put more on us than we can handle; rather, and thankfully God promises to guide us through adversity and those realities of life in which we are tested. Read this verse again “ God is faithful , and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so  that you may be able to endure it. ” In my experience, one of the best things that can come out of an overwhelming sit

  JULY 24, 2023 Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them intently and said,  “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” I WILL DO THE IMPOSSIBLE   We want to believe in God’s plans and purposes, and we want to experience the abundant life God promises.  But isn’t it easy for us to throw our arms up when we look at our human circumstances and our limits? God gives us a word of freedom, that takes the pressure off. God declares, What I am bringing about comes only in my power , not yours . Isn’t that “Good News”! We can take God at His word, and we can trust Him to grow our faith, to be active in our circumstances, and to give us the ability and strength to accomplish all that God says is possible. REFLECT What’s one situation you’re facing that seems impossible? How does this promise change your attitude? What does it look like for you to believe God for the impossible?  

  JULY 14, 2023 Lamentations 3:22-23 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,     for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;     great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The  Lord  is my portion;      therefore I will wait for him.”   I Will Have Compassion on You   Do you ever have those days that are so wonderful and enjoyable that you don’t want it to end? How about those days that are so hard and difficult that you just want it to end so you can begin again. The good news we find in our verse today is we can begin again. Our reading is such a precious promise, telling us that every day is a new opportunity to experience God’s love and mercy. God never runs out of compassion or wearies of helping and sustaining us. Our God is reliable, faithful, constant, and steadfast. God promises that because of his “Great Love” we are not consumed or destroyed. When we know this to be true, we can confess the words of Lamentations 3:24 t

  July 13, 2023 Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.   I Will Give You Rest   The yokes oxen wore were bulky, they were these wooden harnesses that allowed them to pull farming machines. Weighed down by their yoke, the work was exhausting, even for a big, strong ox. I don’t think we need to have seen a yoke like these, to understand what it feels like to be burdened. How many of us do not know something of the burdens of life that can weigh us down and wear us out? We all do, right? So take note of what Jesus offers us in exchange: Take off the yokes we’re carrying and attach ourselves to Him instead. Jesus promises that when we work alongside Him, we will find rest for our souls. How wonderful is that? No longer weighed down by our old burdens, Jesus teaches u

  JULY 12, 2023   John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. I Will Give You Peace Most of us think of peace as the absence of conflict, just take a brief look at the synonyms we use for peace, cease-fire, freedom from strife, end of war, even such synonyms as harmony, calm, and serenity acknowledge the absence of struggle, or skirmish as a generally accepted definition of peace. However, our Bible tells us that Jesus promises us something better. He gives us peace in the face of conflict. Jesus gives us his peace. You see when we open our lives to Jesus, when we say Jesus be active in my life as my leader, and when we trust Him with that, we can march into any situation with confident assurance knowing Jesus will be a strong and active presence in our time of need. He speaks to us today, just as he spoke to disciples, and says “Do not let your hearts be troubled and

  JULY 11, 2023   Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.   I Will Give You the Desires of Your Heart   When was the last time you wanted something desperately. Maybe it was a vehicle, a house, a vacation, or the person who eventually became your spouse. We’ve all experienced longing, this sense that if we could just get that one thing our lives would be complete. You know what I am talking about I am certain. But our lives are never complete after we obtain the “one thing” are they? The Bible tells us why we are never complete with the “one thing”, it is because the only “ONE THING” that will truly delight us, now and forever, is a relationship with God, our Creator. It is this relationship that makes us whole, that completes us. As we grow in our relationship with God, we notice a very interesting development.   Our desires begin to change. What is important to God becomes important to us. The things that please God become t

  JULY 10, 2023  ____________________________________ “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 1:20)   God revealed in the Bible is a promise maker and a promise keeper. The emphasis on each page of scripture is that when God says He will do something, He always follows through, and keeps his word. “Summer Promises” devotional is meant to help us start to discover or for some of us, to rediscover the many promises God makes to each one.  ____________________________________   I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU Isaiah 54:10 'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you.   No matter how hard we try, it seems that at some point we let other people down. Whether it is forgetting a birthday or anniversary, sayin

  JULY 7, 2023 Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” There’s a reason today’s passage is included in the ten commandments. No doubt God knew in advance our inclination to run ourselves into the ground and lose our connection with Him. Thus, the Sabbath. God’s beautiful gift to each of us. I have found that Sabbath-keeping is one of the most life-giving practices in which you can engage. Consider the prophet Isaiah’s words: If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath, From pursuing your own interests on my Holy Day; If you call the Sabbath a delight And the Holy Day of the Lord honorable; If you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights… Isaiah 58:13-14 For those who seek to follow Jesus, Sabbath keeping is not optional. It is essential for us to have the abundant life you’ve been called to. Jesus said “The Sabbath was made for peopl

  JULY 6, 2023 Colossians 3:15  Let the peace of Christ rule in  you r hearts, since as members of one body  you  were  called  to peace. And be thankful. Have you ever considered that a hurried soul is seldom at peace? It’s as if they are on opposing ends of a spectrum. Hurried suggests a frantic, frenzied, feverish pace. Peaceful is much more static. Serene. Calm. Hear this Abby McHugh quote: “God doesn’t call you to a life you don’t have time for.” “God doesn’t call you to a life you don’t have time for.” Reflect on that for a moment. Let me remind all of us that as followers of Jesus, we are called to peace. That’s what today’s reading reminds us of. It really is one of the most defining qualities of those who walk most closely with Jesus, “ an indescribable peace .” That is His precious gift to those who are willing to come near to him again and again. To slow things down and deliberately plan space for God. It is my prayer that we would be included as those who walk, live, and a

  JULY 5, 2023    Isaiah 30:15  This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”     In today’s passage, the prophet Isaiah is speaking to a rebellious people; those who were unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction. Isaiah 30 opens with ““Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin …” Then at verse 9 we read, “For these are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction.” Then we read of the people’s desire “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!” It’s a sad commentary really, isn’t it? The kind provision that God had given His people so that th

  JULY 4, 2023    Luke 10:38-42  As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.    But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”   “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”   The story of Mary and Martha is an important one for all of us. The invitation that the Gospel gives us is to see ourselves in the story, and to aspire to be more like Mary in our heartfelt desire to stop all our hurrying and simply be with Jesus.   I wonder if an underlying message here is that when we slow down and make space in our lives for Je

  JULY 3, 2023   Matthew 11:30  “For  my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”   What are you like when you are hurrying? How many of you would say that when I am rushed or hurrying I exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? If we are honest, chances are, we are not exactly reflecting the fruit of God’s Spirit in those moments of busyness. More likely we are impatient, annoyed, often late, overlooking or stepping on people, self-important, maybe even rude. Do you agree? Too much of a rushing and frantic pace can cause what some call “hurry sickness”. The symptoms of this sickness include: Lack of time Lack of meaning Lack of compassion Lack of grace That is not the kind of life that any of us desire. That is why Jesus invites us into a less hurried kind of life. As author Dallas Willard says, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” And whether we realize it or not, that is a choice that we can make. How