1 Samuel 17:33-35  [NIV] | ³³Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” ³⁴But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

You will never move forward until you learn to face your fears and move past them. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that you are fearless. We all have fears but what’s important is that we rely on the Word of God to help us move beyond them.

As you begin to walk out the plan that God has for your life, you will no doubt be met with unpredicted battles, roadblocks, setbacks, mountains, and giants along the path. When David, the young shepherd boy, was told by his father to take some provisions to his brothers, he had no idea that his life would forever be changed that day.

He walked to a scene of battle that had no activity. King Saul and the entire army of Israelites were frozen in fear because of a giant named Goliath. They were stuck at their camp and had no intentions on going out to battle.

When David arrived he heard the taunts of the giant and had no hesitation to go out and fight with him. He accepted the challenge and quickly defeated the giant with one rock and a slingshot. One blow to the giant’s forehead sent him crashing down to the ground.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me overcome my fears. Lead me to follow you with complete trust. Amen.

Copyright Adonis Lenzy, and BroadStreet Publishing

Mark 6:39-44  [NIV] |³⁹ Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹ Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² They all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³ and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴ The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

When a multitude of Jesus’ followers have far too little food for all to eat, Jesus multiplies five loaves and two fishes so that all are satisfied. When problems threaten us and needs overwhelm our resources, what is our reaction? Do we turn first to the Lord? We should, as his Word makes clear, for he still treats his people with compassion and more than provides for every need of body and soul.

Living in a sinful world that attempts to derail us from trusting God, we may feel unsatisfied by the provisions of God. When Jesus asked the disciples to provide food for over five thousand people, they asked in astonishment if they should go and spend eight months’ wages on bread. A situation that seems impossible with human resources is simply an opportunity for God. We must trust God. The disciples did everything they could by gathering the available food and organizing the people into groups. Then, in answer to prayer, God did the impossible.

Sometimes all we can see is a blank wall in front of us, especially when all we see is a seemingly impossible task. God calls is to do what we can and ask him to do the rest. He may see fit to do the impossible, he may have us wait. We cannot lose sight of God’s goodness and his promise to provide for our needs. When our circumstances seem hopeless, God has our situation under his control with a promise he will satisfy according to his good and gracious will. Don’t let what seems impossible block our journey in life, do what we can and let God lead us from there.

Prayer:
Lord, help me when my trust in you is weak. Give me strength to follow your lead even when things seem impossible.

Action Plan:

I will trust in God to do immeasurably more than I can ask or think.

Pastor Rod Lindemann

I Can’t | Jesus Can | Jesus Can Through Me

Mark 4:26-29  [NIV] | ²⁶ He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ²⁸ All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. ²⁹ As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

Because the seed of spiritual life grows by the power of the Holy Spirit, we do not need to badger, dictate, persuade, or force people to believe – God does the work. Faith in Jesus truly is a gift from God. Anyone who genuinely believes is drawn by God himself. We may plant the seed of faith by our witness; God makes it germinate, sprout, and blossom. We need to faithfully minister to others and trust God for the growth.

So why are we so hesitant about sharing our faith or reaching out to the lost? Perhaps one reason is our fears or concern for having a lack of knowledge about the Bible.  We worry about being asked a question we may not be able to answer. Our role in the Kingdom of God is to scatter the Word of God around us and let God be the one who produces faith. We can help others come to faith as they see Jesus in us throughout our daily lives.

Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “You may be the only Bible a person ever read.” God uses us to draw others to Him. Through the hearing of God’s Word lives are transformed and renewed. We may not fully understand how and when God gives faith, but we know it’s through the power of the Holy Spirit working through God’s Word. The kingdom of God grows as we spread the Good News of Jesus. We don’t have to have a theological degree to make a difference, we simple share in plain words what Christ has done for us.

Prayer:
Lord, help me be a light in a dark world. Open my eyes to see the opportunities you lay before me to share the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Action Plan:
Today I will strive to have others see Jesus in me.

Pastor Rod Lindemann
I Can’t | Jesus Can | Jesus Can Through Me

Life is filled with the unexpected and our world changes in the blink of an eye. The challenges we face each day brings about anxiety, stress, and sometime doubt. We tend to look to our own resources for protection against the evil that prevails in our world. We are confronted with the harsh reality that on our own we fail and cannot defeat the tainted world we live among tainted by sin. There is one who is greater and his name is Jesus.

Psalm 3 describes a dark time in David’s life. His enemies, including his own son, have overwhelmed and opposed David. When all seems lost and  completely exhausted, David looks to our Lord for strength and guidance. “³ But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. ⁴ I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.” In the midst of despair Davis seeks our God.

In our sinful state we too are lost, overwhelmed, exhausted, and condemned. By the blood of Jesus, we are shielded from the eternal consequences of sin leading to eternal death. Like David, we face difficult and dark times but experience hope in the refuge of our God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we God living within us to help lead our lives from the lost state we encounter from sin. Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we can call out to our Heavenly Father in prayer knowing he not only hears us, but answers according to his good and gracious will.  We praise God for the gift of our Savior, Jesus – the one who came to save and be our refuge in times of storms.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, lead me to the cross of Christ who is my refuge and salvation. Help me to seek you first as you hold me tight and help me turn from the sin. May I always seek you as my refuge.

Action Plan:
Today I will cast my burdens upon Jesus who is my strength and refuge.

Pastor Rod Lindemann
I Can’t | Jesus Can | Jesus Can Through Me

Matthew 28:16-18  [NIV] | ¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

God works many amazing miracles in our lives that are beyond our comprehension. Imagine being one of the eleven disciples and seeing Jesus only days after witnessing his death on the cross. Would you have doubts? Many, if not most, people would have some room for suspicion. Major events were occurring in the lives of the people following the resurrection of Jesus.  The old order of things had now passed as Jesus came to live, die, and rise for us. He now sits at the right hand of the Father preparing a place for us.

So many amazing miracles witnessed by the disciples and yet some doubted. The same happens today as people are called to put their trust in Jesus. We have among us the inerrant Word of God speaking truth into our lives and yet some face doubt. Thomas, one of the disciples, said to his fellow disciples, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). Are we like Thomas doubting the presence of God in our lives?

Jesus promised to never leave or forsake us. He provided a Helper to work in and through our lives. Through the Holy Spirit, God is always with us and yet there are people who face times of doubt. Our God gives us the faith to put complete trust in him even in times His presence may seem distant or void. We cry out to God asking Him to prove His presence. Jesus responds to Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Matthew 28:29). God is always with us and provides the means for to believe and trust in Him, whether seen or unseen.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of Faith. In our times of doubt help us to cling to your promise to never leave or forsake us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Action Plan:
Today I will look to see the many ways God makes himself known to me.

Pastor Rod Lindemann
I Can’t | Jesus Can | Jesus Can Through Me