by George | Mar 25, 2021 | Community News
A Different Spirit
“But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.”
Numbers 14:24
Driving home from church Sunday, I saw a man on the side of the road picking up trash with a long stick and placing it in a large trash bag. No, he wasn’t in a prison outfit, just regular clothes.
I wondered why he was doing this, when he could have easily stayed on the couch and enjoyed his day off.
Something in his spirit motivated him to do what no one else was doing. He had a desire to make a difference.
Moses sent 12 spies into Caanan. Only Caleb and Joshua came back with a good report.
The bad report of the 10 caused the people to get upset, and they started making plans to go back to Egypt.
God became very angry. He said that everyone would die in the wilderness except Caleb and Joshua.
Of Caleb, God says:
“But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully…”
Four things made Caleb different, and successful:
- Caleb was a servant of God. He was available to do God’s will.
- Caleb had a “different spirit” in him. This motivated him to follow God, not the crowd.
- Caleb followed God fully. Not part time or half heartedly.
- Caleb was not afraid to speak of his faith in God. He believed with all his heart that God would bring them into the promised land.
Caleb had a “different spirit” which led him to be different.
Because of this, God promised he would bring him into the promised land, and his descendants would inherit the land.
One man, or woman, following God,
can make a difference!
by George | Mar 22, 2021 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
A Cure For Distraction
“Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.”
Proverbs 4:25
When my kids were young, they liked to play video games on the TV in the living room. Things are not always quiet in the living room, especially with 4 kids and a dog.
When the one playing the game got to a crucial moment, invariably someone would say something or make a noise. “Uhhhh! You made me lose!” They had become… distracted.
God had given instructions to the children of Israel as they were going into the promised land.
“It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
Joshua 6:5
They were also commanded to not to take the”accursed things.”
“And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.”
Joshua 6:18
The children of Israel did well going into Jericho. They obeyed. God gave them the victory.
Then came Ai. Small city.
Piece of cake, right?
Nope. They were defeated. Why? A Man named Achan got distracted. Lots were cast and they figured out it was him. He confessed:
“When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”
Joshua 7:21
Instead of looking straight ahead, keeping his eyes on the goal, he looked down, or to the side, and saw “a beautiful Babylonian garment.” It may have been shinier and nicer than anything he had. Then he saw gold!
The wheels were turning in his mind. “No one will ever know!” So, he takes the items and hides them.
I won’t go into details here, but it doesn’t end well for him.
So, how do we keep from getting distracted? Solomon gives advice:
“Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.”
Proverbs 4:25
Also, Jesus showed us how to keep focused and not be distracted.
“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
Let’s try to be like Jesus!
Stay focused on the goal!
by George | Mar 18, 2021 | Community News
Looking Back With Gratefulness
“I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Psalms 18:1-2
The title of this Psalm gives us a vivid picture of what was on David’s mind as he composed this Psalm:
“For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.”
David reflects on what God has done for him. It’s interesting that it says God delivered him “from the hand of all his enemies and Saul.” Saul is listed separately from “his enemies.”
Saul treated David like an enemy, but David treated Saul with respect, knowing that it was not up to him to remove Saul from the throne. God took care of that in His own time.
So it’s with a grateful heart that David says:
“I will love You, O LORD…”
Then, David outlines what God means to him. It’s quite an impressive list!
- My strength.
- My rock and my fortress.
- My deliverer
- My God
- My strength
- In whom I will trust
- My shield
- The horn of my salvation
- My stronghold
What has God done for you? What does God mean to you? It helps to put your thoughts on paper. You can use your thoughts as a prayer of thanksgiving, or a song to the LORD.
You can also use David’s words in your prayer.
Then, your heart will overflow with thankfulness and you can say with David:
“The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.”
Psalms 18:46
