Friday, March 31, 2023

PALM WAVING

“The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: ‘Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.’ At first His disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about Him and that these things had been done to Him.”  (John 12:12-16 NIV)

The coupling of Palm Sunday on the same week in Jesus’ life as Good Friday (a name betwixt in paradox) is playing to our temptations as I’m sure it played for Jesus even more profoundly. The fanfare that might come with a noble life, let’s say, might give us gratification and notoriety. Jesus knew about fleeting applause better than anyone, but He also understands fickle hearts. He understands our hearts in the first order, given the turn of events that leads to His death. In a true sense, our lives must follow Jesus through His passion. We must see His suffering and our need. If we stay on the street corner waving palms, we won’t understand either one. 

-- Zach Kincaid, from an article called “Palm Waving” on www.cslewis.com


#5571

Thursday, March 30, 2023

THE PROCESSION BEGINS

“Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here.”  (Luke 19:30 NKJV)

It is indeed the lowliest of all memorable processions which Jesus plans, and yet, in its very humility, it appeals to ancient prophecy, and says to Zion that her King is coming to her. The monarchs of the East and the captains of the West might ride upon horses as for war, but the King of Zion would come to her meek, and sitting upon an ass, upon a colt, the foal of an ass. Yet there is fitness and dignity in the use of “a colt on which no one has ever sat,” and it reminds us of other facts, such as that He was the firstborn of a virgin mother, and rested in a tomb which corruption had never soiled.

Thus He comes forth, the gentlest of the mighty, with no swords gleaming around to guard Him, or to smite the foreigner who tramples Israel, or the worse foes of her own household. Men who will follow such a King must lay aside their vain and earthly ambitions, and awake to the truth that spiritual powers are grander than any which violence ever grasped. 

-- Adapted from Chadwick, as quoted in “His Passion: Christ’s Journey to the Resurrection” 


#5570

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

THE WORLD IS MY PARISH

SPECIAL NOTE: Today, March 29, 2023 marks the 24th anniversary of this SOUND BITES Ministry. It was begun in memory of our son, Dustin, who had died from a brain tumor on this date the previous year (1998). Since the beginning of SOUND BITES 5569 quotes, including today’s, have been sent out to our e-mail subscribers or Facebook followers or Blog readers around the world.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, once said, “I look upon all the world as my parish; thus far I mean, that, in whatever part of it I am, [it is my] duty to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation. This is the work which I know God has called me to; and sure I am that His blessing attends it.” (From Wesley’s journal entry on 11 June 1739)
 
As we continue through Lent, let today’s SOUND BITES quote speak to you, and then let it overflow to others everywhere. If you live outside of the United States, we would love to hear from you. Simply send an e-mail to SOUNDBITESMinistry@gmail.com with where you live and, if you would care to add, how God is using SOUND BITES to minister to you or through you to others. You are welcome to comment below as well. – DW

 

THE WORLD IS MY PARISH

 “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”  (Mark 16:15 NIV)

I remember when television first came out. Many Christians shunned it, believing it was run by the prince of the power of the air. The evil one certainly had his influence in the medium (and still does), but why not use television as a means to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ? Why not use radio? Why not use print? Why not use the Internet? Why not use any means at hand to take the message of the gospel and spread it throughout the whole world? The farther the better. The faster the better. The sooner the better. Until Jesus returns!

What Jesus was saying, in essence, to His disciples was this: “While I was on earth, I was localized. I could only touch individual men and women in My travels and speak to a few local audiences. But believe Me, after I am gone and the Holy Spirit comes to fill and empower My sons and daughters, then My ministry will be as far spread as Christians are.”

So wherever there is a Christian, there is Christ. Wherever there is a believer, there is ministry. 

-- Adapted from David Jeremiah


#5569

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

PRESSING ON TOWARD THE GOAL

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3:12-14 NIV)

I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others do the same.   

-- C. S. Lewis in “Mere Christianity”


#5568

Monday, March 27, 2023

JESUS CAME TO GIVE HIMSELF

“Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”  (Isaiah 53:4-5 NIV)

Jesus did not come merely to disclose God’s character. He came to make it possible to be remade in the likeness of that character. He came to redeem us from what we are and remake us in the likeness of what He is. He is not merely a teacher, a doer – He is a redeemer.

He came not merely to give His word, His example. He came to give Himself. He became like us that we might become like Him. He was baptized into the world’s toil for thirty years, baptized into our temptations for these years, and baptized into our sin at the end. He became sin for us at the cross. He died between two malefactors like one of them and cried the cry of dereliction that you and I cry when we sin: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” If “life is sensitivity,” then there was infinite life, for here was infinite sensitivity – every [person’s] hunger His hunger; every [person’s] bondage His bondage; and every [person’s] sin His sin. “He bore in His own body our sins upon a tree.” (1 Peter 2:24)

Don’t ask me to explain it. I can’t explain it; I bow in humility and repentance at the cross, at the wonder of it, that God should give Himself for me. I bow and I am redeemed! 

-- E. Stanley Jones in “A Song of Ascents”


#5567

Friday, March 24, 2023

AN ETERNAL MANSION

James A. Michener once said that, "If a man happens to find himself, he has a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life." Christianity teaches that one who believes in Christ can take that one step -- one giant step -- further. If one finds God in Christ, that person has a mansion which can be inhabited all of his/her eternal life.

Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe in Me also. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may also be. And where I go you know, and the way you know… I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:1-4,6 NKJV)

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry


#5566

Thursday, March 23, 2023

TOUCHING CHRIST

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”  (Matthew 25:37-40 NKJV)

I’ll never forget during the Bangladesh suffering: we had ten million people in and around Calcutta. I asked the government of India to allow a number of other congregations to come to our aid, to help us, because we were working the whole time.

They allowed them to come: about fifteen or sixteen different sisters came to help us, and each one, on leaving Calcutta, said the same thing, “I have received much more than I have given and I can never be the same person again; because I have touched Christ, I have understood what love is. What it is to love and be loved!” 

-- Mother Teresa in “My Life for the Poor” 


#5565

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

A JOURNEY TOWARD GOD

“Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’”  (Luke 19:8-9 NIV)

When the Word became human, Jesus Christ lived the same relationship in a human mode and it is in this relationship that we are called to share. Like the Word, like Jesus in the flesh, we are invited to live our life here on earth as a journey toward God.

Throughout the Gospels there are two salient aspects of the identity of Jesus. He is from the Father, sent by God to accomplish a task. Secondly, the human journey of Jesus is one that leads back toward God. It is this movement back toward God that is opened to believers of all generations. In following Jesus, we are shown the way that leads toward the Father. Our life is not aimless; it has destination. We have not been left to wander in the desert; the Shepherd has come to seek what is lost and bring us home. 

-- Michael Casey in “Toward God” 


#5564

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

PROPHET, KING AND PRIEST

“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, He has spoken to us through His Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son He created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”  (Hebrews 1:1-3 NLT)

The holiest [among us] still need Christ, as their Prophet, as “the light of the world.” For He does not give them light, except from moment to moment. The instant He withdraws, all is darkness. They still need Christ as their King; for God does not give them a stock of holiness. But unless they receive a supply every moment, nothing but unholiness would remain. They still need Christ as their Priest, to make atonement for their holy things. Even perfect holiness is acceptable to God only through Jesus Christ. 

-- John Wesley in “Christian Perfection”


#5563

 

Monday, March 20, 2023

ENDURANCE, ENCOURAGEMENT AND HOPE

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Romans 15:4-6 NIV)

Hope is willing to leave unanswered questions unanswered and unknown futures unknown. Hope makes you see God’s guiding hand not only in the gentle and pleasant moments but also in the shadows of disappointment and darkness. 

-- Henri J. M. Nouwen


#5562

Friday, March 17, 2023

LIVING A TRANSFORMED LIFE

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

Living a transformed life is not possible on our own. Most of us do not live up to the best that we know how to live. Deep within we know that there is room for improvement. We can do better. Connecting our desire to do and be better with God’s amazing grace creates a partnership that leads to transformation.

We know that living a transformed life means living at God’s direction with grace-given capacity. This is more than we can do on our own, and, in fact, living the transformed life does not mean trying harder. It means trusting more and staying close to the only One who can make us more that we are.

As we learn to put our trust and faith in God, we become open and available to receive God’s forming and transforming power in our own lives. In our better moments we know that God is at work within us that provides the transformation. This is the day to claim God’s presence and help as you live the transformed life. 

-- Reuben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”


#5561

Thursday, March 16, 2023

FRIENDS OF JESUS

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15 NIV)

In the middle of His last instructions to His disciples before He was betrayed, tried, and crucified, Jesus explained that they should see themselves as His friends, not as His servants. It was an important distinction. Good servants work hard for the master and are loyal and faithful. But they don’t ask why. They aren’t privileged to know the master’s plans, reasons, and motives. They simply obey.

Friends, however, enjoy a close relationship. They share experiences and information. They know each other well, and they move together in the same direction. Jesus had revealed to these men all that He had learned from His Father. They truly were His friends.

Twenty centuries later, we who name Christ as Savior also stand as His friends. He has given us the Bible, His written Word, to study and apply and the Holy Spirit to teach us (John 14:26). We can know the Master’s business.

When you don’t know which way to turn, ask God. He will answer because Jesus is your friend. When you feel all alone, turn your thoughts homeward, remembering that Jesus is your friend. He’s here when you need Him. 

-- Dave Veerman, as quoted in “His Passion: Christ’s Journey to the Resurrection”


#5560

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

NO GREATER LOVE

“So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” (John 1:14 NLT)  “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)  “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13 NLT)

In the greatest showing of love imaginable, Christ came into human life, into the story that love had made, as Jesus of Nazareth. Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, left the place of Creation and power and became mortal, open to temptation, to weakness and fatigue, to sorrow and joy, and laughter and tears. Who was this Jesus? God? Mortal? Both? Yes, both! How could such a thing be?

It is impossible, but Jesus reiterated that although many things are impossible for us, nothing is impossible for God. (Matthew 19:26)…

I struggle to write about God and God’s love, knowing that I am totally inadequate, and yet feeling called to proclaim a love so marvelous that it can only be wondered at and rejoiced in with delight…

Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, is not limited by the mortal body of Jesus of Nazareth. Christ is the Word who shouted all things into being and who continually calls each one of us into fuller being, every day, every minute, right now. 

-- Madeline L’Engle


#5559

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

THE BODY OF CHRIST

“Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”  (Ephesians 4:15-16 NIV)

Many Christians today feel that their walk with God is private and independent. They see no need for joining a church or making themselves accountable to other believers. Some view the church in terms of how it can help then accomplish the ministry God has given them personally, rather than seeking how their lives fit into the larger work the Lord is doing in the congregation. The Bible teaches that our walk with God is personal, but it is not private. Sin makes people independent. Salvation makes us interdependent on one another. Scripture teaches that the church is a body in which each member is vitally important to the others. 

-- Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby and Claude King in “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God”


#5558

Monday, March 13, 2023

A DISCIPLE ABIDES IN CHRIST

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5 NIV)

Jesus knows that His true followers desire to live productive, fulfilling, joy-filled lives. In John 15:1-17 (check it out) Jesus lays out four predominant characteristics of a growing disciple:

1. A Disciples Stays Close to the Master. Jesus encourages us to remain in Him (verses 4-5). Another way to translate “remain” is “to abide” in Him. The word abide signifies a permanent position. It means that you let your roots grow deep into your relationship with Jesus, allowing Him to fill every part of your life every day. If you maintain this unbroken fellowship with God, your lifestyle will change.

2. A Disciple Is Fruitful. Just as a branch can only be fruitful when attached to the vine, we can only be productive when we draw our strength from Jesus (verses 6, 16). The Bible describes this fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23).

3. A Disciple Obeys the Master. Another clear sign that you are Christ’s disciple is your obedience to the principles and guidelines found in the Bible (verse 10). Only then will you discover what it means to live in God’s love.

4. A Disciple Loves Others. Jesus gave us the ultimate example of love by laying down His life for us. He, in essence, is asking us to do nothing less. That may not mean actually dying, but it may mean placing someone else’s needs before your own.

In verse 11 we find Jesus’ reason of sharing these principles: He wants us to be filled with joy. If you try to find happiness through the pursuit of worldly things, it will elude you. The only way to find happiness is through the pursuit of God. If you prioritize your life as Jesus has laid out in these verses, then “your joy will overflow.” 

-- Adapted from “How to Find God New Testament: Living Water for Those Who Thirst” 


#5557

Friday, March 10, 2023

INCARNATE HOLINESS

“Then, with the crowds listening, Jesus turned to His disciples and said, ‘Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.’”  (Luke 20:45-47 NLT)

We might argue that the Pharisees hated Jesus because He was so critical of them. No one likes to be criticized, especially people who are accustomed to praise. But the venom of the Pharisees went deeper than that. It is safe to assume that had Jesus said nothing to them they still would have despised Him. His mere presence was enough to cause them to recoil from Him.

It has been said that nothing dispels a lie faster than the truth; nothing exposes the counterfeit faster than the genuine… The presence of Jesus represented the presence of the genuine in the midst of the bogus. Here authentic holiness appeared; the counterfeiters of holiness were not pleased…

The Incarnate Christ is no longer walking the earth. He has ascended into heaven. No one sees Him or speaks audibly with Him in the flesh today. Yet the threatening power of His holiness is still felt. Sometimes it is transferred to His people. 

-- R. C. Sproul in “The Holiness of God”


#5556

Thursday, March 9, 2023

CHOOSE YOUR SIDE

“But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things [Jesus] did and the children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.”  (Matthew 21:15 NIV)

After this episode, people could not ignore Jesus or be indifferent to Him. They had to take sides. Either Jesus was a subversive radical who must be restrained (death is an effective restraint), or He was someone to be listened to, believed, and followed.

Today, indifference is common because people are not listening to Jesus’ words. When Christians tell the real story, there is no middle ground. Either Jesus is God’s Son, the world’s Savior, or He is a befuddled, perhaps demented, imposter.

Today listen, believe, and follow -- while there’s time -- before Jesus comes to clean the area of false religion one last time. 

-- From the “Life Application Bible Commentary -- Mark”


#5555

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

SHOWING GOD’S LOVE BEGINS AT HOME

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.”  (1 John 4:10-12 NIV)

In many ways, it's easier to be involved in hit-and-run [social] activism by doing things for people across town or around the world, but showing God's love begins at home. If we can't love the people under our own roofs, then the power and compassion of God isn't real in our hearts. Quite often, we play the blame game with our spouse and kids more than with anybody else. I'm not saying they're perfect. They're not, but neither are we. But amazing things happen when I choose to lower my voice, speak words of affirmation, and see my family members as treasures instead of annoyances. Love indeed, covers a multitude of sins -- theirs and mine. 

-- Pastor Rudy Rasmus in “Touch: Pressing Against the Wounds of a Broken World”


#5554

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

MEEKNESS ISN’T WEAKNESS

“Jesus made a whip from ropes and chased them all out of the temple. He drove out the sheep and oxen, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables.”  (John 2:15 NLT)

Whenever you and I hear the word meek, our minds tend to think WEAK. But meek is not weak. Not even close….

Strength under control. Power under discipline.

Jesus is a prime example of a meek person. Was Jesus weak? Well, go back and watch Him as He cleans out the temple. With a whip made out of cords, He drove everyone out of the temple courtyard in extremely short order. No one struggled with Him. No one challenged Him. I find it hard to believe some wimp could have accomplish this. No one wanted to mess with the man from Nazareth. He was very strong and had great authority.… But He also characterized Himself as a meek person.…

Jesus was meek. He had the greatest possible strength under the greatest possible control. While He was on the cross, He could have called ten legions of angels to come to His aid. But He stayed on that cross and held His vast power in check… out of love for you and me.  

-- David Jeremiah


#5553

Monday, March 6, 2023

THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  (1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV)

We need not wonder about the cost of discipleship. We need only look upon Jesus on the cross. There we see the awful cost of the ministry that is offered in the life, nature, and spirit of Jesus.

The cost is awful indeed. But if our work introduces men and women to Jesus and to God’s love, this cost must be accepted. In our own self-emptying, those who gaze upon us may see Jesus. In our conviction, people may be convinced to look upon the cross of Jesus and say, “Truly this is the Son of God.”

We have heard it said, “We can never wear the crown until we bear the cross,” but for those who willingly enter into the sufferings of Jesus, the cross is their crown, and they wear it with dignity and submission. 

-- Norman Shawchuck in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”


#5552

 

Friday, March 3, 2023

CONSECRATION IN OVERALLS

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

FAITHFULNESS is consecration in overalls. It is the steady acceptance and performance of the common duty and immediate task without any reference to personal preferences -- because it is there to be one and so is a manifestation of the Will of God. It is Elizabeth Leseur settling down each day to do the household accounts quite perfectly (when she would much rather have been in church) and saying, “The duties of my station come before everything else.” It is Brother Lawrence taking his turn in the kitchen, and Saint Francis de Sales taking the burden of a difficult diocese and saying, “I have now little time for prayer -- but I do what is the same.”

The fruits of the Spirit get less and less showy as they go on. Faithfulness means continuing quietly with the job we have been given, in the situation where we have been placed; not yielding to the restless desire for change. It means tending the lamp quietly for God without wondering how much longer it has got to go on. 

-- Evelyn Underhill in “The Fruits of the Spirit”


#5551

Thursday, March 2, 2023

IN THE COMMUNITY OF A SMALL GROUP

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up… A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”  (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIV)

Ecclesiastes provides a visual image of what it means for us to be present in Christian community with a small group of fellow disciples. The first Methodists both believed and practiced that principle.

John and Charles Wesley were engaged in small groups that were designed to counteract the widespread spiritual apathy and casual immorality of the time by promoting holiness of heart and life. Those groups were the first examples of the kinds of small groups that Wesley would later organize into a network of “class meetings,” “bands,” and “societies.” These groups would become the organizational genius of the Methodist movement. When the movement had grown to the point that John Wesley was preaching to thousands of people at a time, he observed that those who were active participants in the small groups continued to grow in their faith, while those who were not engaged in such a group quickly fell away.

That principle is just as true today as it was in eighteenth-century England. The evidence is clear that if an individual’s only contact with the congregation is worship, there is a good chance that he or she either will fall away or will miss out on the concern and care of the church community. Growth to maturity as a disciple is connected to others in the community of a small group.  

-- Adapted from “A Disciple’s Path: Deepening Your Relationship with Christ and the Church” by James A. Harnish


#5550

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

“If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country -- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."  (Hebrews 11:15-16 NIV)

After the children of Israel had been delivered from Egypt, after they had been chased by Pharaoh's army, and after they'd escaped through the Red Sea, they grumbled. They wished they were back home again, even if home to them was altogether incompatible with the plan and purpose God had claimed on their lives. They'd rather go back than go forward, or rather go forward, than just sit. The worst place of all, they believed, was being stuck there in between.

The comfort zone of home life can often be just as damaging to our spiritual growth as the enticing attraction of future ambition. That's why sometimes, in order to get us adequately prepared for the moments to come, God may not allow us to return to the way things used to be, the place where we could easily become lulled into complacency. When God needs us bold and fervent and clear of mind -- when He wants our faith primed and pregnant for the fire to fall -- He'll often call us to an in-between place. Not quite where we're going to be, but not all the way back to where we were. Life in the middle can be unsettling, but don't be discouraged. Stay put. Trust God, and in due time He'll move you on. 

– Adapted from Priscilla Shirer in “Elijah: Faith and Fire”


#5549