Treasured Devotions

Close Connections

April 2, 2018 by Aliene

Brave hearts, the close fellowship you keep will impact your walk with Jesus.

God cares very much about the people we come into a covenant type relationship with.

Proverbs 12:26 says, “A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

Don’t get me wrong—God wants us to love everyone and minister whom he has called us to, but close fellowship is only for a few.

Be Cautious about Your Alliances

The Israelites were living in enemy territory, and so they had to be cautious about their relationships. Likewise, this is not our home, believers. We need to be cautious about our close alliances. This is not a call to paranoia—but I am urging you to be wise.

Love everyone, but do not compromise when it comes to choosing your close, binding relationships.

Sometimes discerning those relationships can be deceptive because the appearance people portray on the outside does not reflect the heart. They look for weaknesses in your soul to gain control over and capitalize on you. 2 Timothy 3:5–7 from The Message translation describes these types of people:

“They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they are animals. Stay clear of these people. These are the kind of people who smooth-talk themselves into the homes of the unstable and needy women and take advantage of them; women who, depressed by their sinfulness, take up with every new religious fad that calls itself “truth.” They get exploited every time and never really learn.

Inside of the church today we have people that are “religious” only on the outside (Acts 20:29, Matthew 7:15, Jude 12–16). They look like innocent “sheep,” but inside, they have ulterior motives. Often their motive is to have control over you in order to gain a following for themselves. The only person you surrender your free will to is the Lord.

The Gibeonites deceived the Israelites by their outward appearance to gain a covenant relationship. Apparently, they found out about God’s command to not leave any survivors (Deuteronomy 20:16–17). Even though they lived only five miles from Jerusalem, they decided to protect themselves by posing as foreigners from outside of Canaan.

The Gibeonites wore tattered and patched clothing and brought food that would suggest they had journeyed a long way.

Their wineskins were cracked and mended.
The bread was dry and moldy.

The Gibeonites cleverly offered themselves as Israel’s servant in exchange for a peace treaty covenant. If they could convince the Israelites they were not neighboring Canaanites, perhaps they could build a lasting safety net by persuading the Israelites to form a covenant relationship with them. The Isrealites examined the evidence, and everything suggested the Gibeonites were foreigners. Based on the outside evidence, the Israelites made a covenant with the Gibeonites.

However, the Bible says that the Israelites made this decision without inquiring of the Lord. While we can see the outside appearance, only the Lord can discern the heart (John 2:24). Furthermore, our hearts can deceive us—especially inside of relationships (Jeremiah 17:7)!

Look to God for Discernment

Sometimes we make decisions based only on what we see with our natural eyes. God wants us to see with our spiritual eyes by abiding in him and looking to him for discernment. Just because something looks good and the circumstances line up, it is not necessarily God’s choice for us.

Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

If Joshua had inquired of the Lord, he would have learned this was not a covenant relationship he needed to form.

At some point in our lives, most of us, like the Israelites, have experienced the devastating effects of a wrong relationship. I have been there and it was the greatest mistake of my life. How about you?

Maybe as soon as three days after your marriage you realized you had made a mistake.

Perhaps you have entered into a business relationship with someone who did not share your values.

Could it be that some of your friends encouraged you to sin instead of helping you make right choices? Or maybe a close friend you trusted betrayed you, and now you see that you never should have trusted this person in the first place?

Know That God Can Redeem Anything

If you currently feel trapped in a relationship that does not honor God, know that he can redeem anything. God turned the Israelites’ trouble into hope by turning the curse of the Gibeonites into a blessing. When Joshua fought for the Gibeonites, he wiped out five key kings at one time! Many years later, the Gibeonites were still the Israelites’ servants and eventually helped Nehemiah rebuild the temple.

Ultimately, the Israelites were not trapped by entering the wrong relationship—and neither are you.

Cry out to God and watch him deliver you. Moving forward, seek the Lords wisdom with whom you share a close walk.

Love everyone, but choose your covenant relationships wisely. Set boundaries so you can say yes to God. Pray for discernment so that your close relationships will empower you—not devour you!

Nourish Scripture: Joshua 9

Your Comeback Is Closer Than You Think

March 26, 2018 by Aliene

Success is not found in living without falling, but arising after every fall. Reach out for the hand of Jesus and watch him turn your weeping into something wonderful.

This will take faith in a Savior not a self-help solution.

How the Israelites Arose out of Defeat

The Israelites arose out of their defeat at Ai and came back on the scene in full force because they once again relied fully on God. Joshua did not decide how they were going to fight this time around—he allowed the Lord to lead him. This time they followed God’s commands and saw his redemption and victory.

Furthermore, God blessed the Israelites with the livestock and the spoils of the city.

God wants all his children to receive and enjoy their spiritual inheritance. However, the pursuit of the Promised Land does not mean following a formula.

We have witnessed three battles with Joshua, each one involving a different battle plan.

In the battle with the Amalekites, the battle plan involved Moses raising his arms in prayer.
In Jericho, the battle plan involved playing trumpets and shouting.
In the battle against Ai, God’s plan involved an ambush and Joshua’s javelin.

When Christ ministered healing on earth, he told one man to put mud on his eyes, he told another to pick up his mat and walk, and another to return home because his son was healed.

Different instructions, different plans—the same Jesus.

Redemption comes not from a regimen I keep but a redeemer I determine to follow.

Let the Holy Spirit Lead You

There was a time when my shelves were crammed with Christian self-help books; I thought after reading just one more, and then another, I could reach the freedom we sang about in church. On days when I was “good,” I was full of pride and self-righteousness. On days when I “blew it,” I was filled with condemnation and guilt.

In the past, I would sit and listen intently as leaders spoke about their “victories.” I became frustrated because I was trying so hard, but did not see that lasting fruit. Instead of receiving what Christ wanted to give me, I had been trying to get it myself by following another person’s battle plan. Now I am focused more fully on Jesus, being taught as the Holy Spirit led me … and I began to see fruit.

The Importance of Changing Your Perspective

Part of this journey was a change in my perspective on God’s Word, from approaching it solely for information to seeking Holy Spirit revelation. God’s Word changed me and continues to do so as I look to the Holy Spirit to lead me.

This is why we created the Nourish Bible Study Method. The goal of Nourish is to connect with Jesus the source of life and share this experience with others as you live led by him.

Don’t get me wrong—I love and need teaching from my pastor and other Christians. However, they are only part of my spiritual journey. I seek to depend on Christ as my leader. I understand that following Jesus is not a method but a way of life.

Jesus is the only one who can take our broken hearts and make them brave through his perfect love.

Jesus. One name above every name. One answer for us all. Christ is the Savior, the Redeemer, and the Healer. We cannot change people’s lives, but Christ can. Transformation occurs through him. Christ is the answer for a lost world and for your troubles. He is the way, the truth, and the light.

Follow HIM and find true freedom. ARISE!

Nourish Scripture: Joshua 8

Shutting Out Shame

March 19, 2018 by Aliene

Last December I heard the testimony of a young woman who suffered from an eating disorder. When she came to the end of her rope, she decided to get help.

During her counseling, God revealed that in her past someone sexually abused her. To deal with the pain, she had suppressed those memories until the Lord brought them to the surface. Once the truth came to light, the Lord could deal with her wounded heart, and today she no longer suffers from anorexia.

God Restores and Redeems Us

Our God is a God who restores and redeems. This is just one story among millions about the redemption of God. His light dispels the darkness through the healing hands of Christ.

The young lady suffered from an eating disorder on the outside because of suppressed pain on the inside. When we invite Christ to reveal hidden hurts in our past, the light of the Lord shines in our dark closets and opens doors of hope.

God cannot heal what we hide. Honesty with God and healing walk hand in hand.

Shutting out Shame Prevents Healing

Israel suffered defeat because of Achan’s spoils hidden underneath his tent. Perhaps you are like Joshua, and someone else’s hidden sin is causing destruction in your life. Maybe you missed the mark as Achan did, and instead of going to God, you are hiding because of condemnation and shame.

After Joshua cried out in prayer, God uncovered Israel’s hidden sin and reestablished their dominion in the Promised Land, as evidenced by their victory over Ai. God redeemed them from their trouble and restored hope.

Christ is the healer and redeemer from all sin. He makes all things new and restores hope. Under grace, given in the new covenant, there is no sin God cannot redeem.

Satan wants us to remain voiceless and trapped in darkness. His tactics of condemnation motivate us to keep quiet and isolated in our sin. Jesus is the only one who can heal our hurts and turn our trouble into hope. Instead of running to Jesus for help, you will run from him because the enemy will remind you of your faults and condemn you.

Christ fulfilled the law, so Satan cannot use our sin to condemn us! The shame is gone. We can speak freely to God and to one another!

To confess means “to speak out openly.” Do not hide in your shame, let the light of God’s grace shine, and set you free.

It’s Time to Confess, Not Hide

Confession disarms the enemy and speaks out the truth. We are announcing to the enemy, I am not afraid to talk to God about this problem because Jesus has paid the price for my sin yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I am completely justified. Your tactics of condemnation to keep me down in my sin do not work anymore.

Confession brings sin out into the light by bringing it to Jesus.
Confession declares our dependence on God.
Confession keeps us humble and grateful for Jesus’ sacrifice.
Confession allows us to do something to replace our habit of hiding.
Confession to one another builds our compassion.
Confession breaks the silence and the hypocritical pretending because the grace that covers my sin is the same grace that covers yours.

I can be real and so can you because our righteousness does not depend on following the law.

When you hide, you are trying to deal with your sin through your own efforts. Our pretending, suppressing, and covering up of our sin blocks the healing waters of Jesus from flowing in our lives.

The law promotes sin. Grace frees us from it. Grace through Jesus removes the dividing wall between God and us.

It is time to come out of hiding and go boldly before the throne of grace. Joshua fell on his face and cried out to God to find out why there was so much trouble.

What pain have you suppressed so deeply that it is causing destruction in your life?

It is time to release the pain to God. Follow Joshua’s example and take some time to ask God to shine light into the dark, hidden areas in your life. Light dispels the darkness. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth about your troubles. Take some time to pray, confess and invite Christ in to heal your pain.

You have a choice today. You can continue to wallow in the shame, self-pity, self-hate, and condemnation the enemy feeds you, or you can invite God in to deal with your sin through confession. Hope rests in the power of the gospel message that God will take all things—even trouble we have caused—and use them for his glory.

Nourish Scripture: Joshua 7-8

Victory Cry

March 12, 2018 by Aliene

Jericho was a mighty city, a stronghold with securely shut walls reaching toward the sky. In fact, some archeological evidence suggests there were actually two walls around the city.

I wonder if Joshua thought, How are we going to conquer this one, Lord? I am mighty with my sword, and I know you were faithful to pull back those waters of the Jordan as you did in the Red Sea. But walls? This challenge seems bigger than I am.

What walls are before you, brave heart?

What challenge seems beyond your ability?

Is there a challenge in your marriage? Your career? Your children? Your finances? Your purpose?

Sometimes when we face challenges doubt can begin to dance in our head and we might have thoughts of drawing back into our wilderness instead of pressing forward into our Promised Land.

Don’t you dare! Whatever wall you are facing, God will help you tear them down … but you must use spiritual weapons.

The Power of Spiritual Weapons

It took faith for the Israelites to pick up trumpets instead of weapons when God instructed the Israelites to march around Jericho. But they chose to do it God’s way—and he gave them the victory.

God commanded them to sound the trumpets for six days. On the seventh day, they were to give a shout.

In the Old Testament, trumpets were used to praise God (Numbers 10:2-10; Psalm 98:6, 150:3).

Praise is a spiritual weapon God has given us to face our walls with faith.

Never underestimate the power of praising God BEFORE seeing our walls fall. This biblical principal requires great courage and conviction. In order to lift up our arms in praise, we have to move beyond our feelings and circumstances into the rheum of faith.

Thanking God for past faithfulness is valuable – but it takes mountain moving faith to speak praise in advance of what God will do. Our Nourish Scripture gives us some practical steps to put this powerful spiritual discipline into practice.

Ask God for spiritual vision in order that you might see the truth in your situation. The first command God gave Joshua was to change his thinking. What Joshua saw with his earthly eyes was a heavily guarded city and a trained army of strong fighting men. But the Lord asked him to see it with spiritual eyes: “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands” (Joshua 6:2).
Shift your focus. Worship and praise makes God our focus. Complaining makes our challenge our focus. Worship and praise get your mouth and your thinking off your circumstances and in line with God. The more we meditate on who God is through praise and worship, the more he reveals his character to us repeatedly. Praise will give you a heavenly perspective on your situation. Praise and worship announce to the enemy that you are aligning yourself with the Lord. It’s your victory cry!
Speak words—life giving words. I am not talking about denying your walls. I am talking about making a decision to believe in God’s goodness and faithfulness for the future.

Lord, I thank you that while I cannot see the answer to this problem, you promise in your Word you will direct my paths and give me my next steps (Proverbs 3:4-6). God, I want to thank you in advance that while I just don’t see how my marriage will mend that you are the Mountain Mover and will move in mighty ways on my behalf. I praise you that the Holy Spirit is here to counsel me and give me strength beyond my ability. Thank you for this problem that is propelling my purpose forward by pushing me to depend on you. I love how you will use walls to build my faith and prepare me for the next battle.

Remain steadfast. The Israelites continued to follow God’s plan of attack even though the walls did not immediately fall. The prevalence of instant gratification in our culture conditions us to expect immediate results. But God’s ways often require patient obedience. For seven days or seven years, keep your praise strong:“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

To Sound a Victory Cry, Be Persistent in Your Praise

Often, I am tempted to stop fighting God’s way and take matters into my own hands when I don’t see my walls fall right away. You might find yourself feeling the same way, but I encourage you to be persistent in your praise!

On the seventh day, the harvest came: the walls came down with a shout from the Israelites! God can take down your walls too!

Yes, brave heart, there will be battles in the Promised Land. But praise God! He has given us the spiritual weapons to face them with his strength. ONWARD!

Nourish Scripture: Joshua 5:13-6

Battle Ready

March 5, 2018 by Aliene

Are you getting ready to face a battle? Today’s devotion is just for you.

Safely on the other side of the Jordan, the Israelites set up a base camp at Gilgal. Before the Israelites moved out from their camp to capture Jericho, they had to take care of some family business to prepare them for battle. Circumcision reestablished their identity with the covenant God had made with Abraham. Eating the Passover meal, the Israelites celebrated God’s mighty power to deliver them.

I believe God wanted them to remember in the days to come, inside the heat of the battle, that God was with and for them.

The Enemy Wants Us to Believe We’ve Been Abandoned

Adversity never means Jesus has abandoned you. But beware—that is exactly what the enemy wants us to believe. The enemy of our soul capitalizes on catastrophe by whispering sinister lies in our ears: “If God really loves you, he wouldn’t allow this to happen. He has abandoned you.” Or even worse: “There is something wrong with you, and that is why all this has happened.”

Are you walking through a battle? Do you want to shout at the top of your lungs, Jesus, where are you?

Or do you look around at our world and ask, Where is God if there is poverty, sex trafficking, and abuse of women that abound in this world?

Jesus, where are you? I’ve experienced that silent scream in my soul. How about you?

God Is with Us in Battle

When faced with adversity, we sometimes feel God has abandoned us. But God’s Word assures us that he will never leave us and he is with us. The world is a battlefield where brave hearts make a difference.

Which voice will we believe?

How Communion and Baptism Help Us Remember

Much like Passover and circumcision, communion and baptism are respectively two disciplines of the Christian faith designed to help us remember God’s faithfulness and our identity in Christ in the middle of our broken world filled with battles.

Communion is a wonderful way to remember our new covenant position. On the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples celebrated the Passover with each other. The events that followed would test their faith. Jesus wanted them to remember that he was the Passover lamb and that his death would bring victory.

Baptism is the public outward sign of what Christ did inwardly the moment you became a Christian. When you became a Christian, Jesus circumcised your heart by the Holy Spirit and made you dead to sin but alive to Christ (Romans 2:29). Just as circumcision did not make Abraham righteous (Romans 4:11), baptism does not make you a Christian. In baptism, we identify with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. We are saying publicly, “My identity is now in Christ. My old self was crucified and he lives in me. Through my faith and reliance on the power of God, I can now live for God.”

The Lord told Joshua, “’Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the place has been called Gilgal to this day” (Joshua 5:9).

Egypt symbolizes slavery to sin and shame. The word reproach means in Hebrew a taunt, a scorn, resting upon condition of shame, disgrace. The Bible says that Satan accuses and taunts Christians day and night and fills them with shame (Revelations 12:10). The enemy can use battles to shame us telling us that there must be something wrong with us.

Condemnation is never from God. Christ rolled away our shame through his sacrifice. If you feel like a bad Christian, Satan is trying to make you feel defeated by accusing you. Open your mouth and say, “Jesus rolled away my reproach, and your tactic to make me feel unworthy to be a Christian does not work anymore.”

Brave heart, it is during the battle that you need God the most. Shame is toxic because shame separates us from our mighty God!

Prepare for Battle by Standing in Truth

Gilgal means a wheel or rolling. Joshua and the Israelites will retreat to Gilgal again and again. We must continue to meditate on the truth of who we are in Christ to renew our minds and to be transformed. We do not learn it once and rest. We remind ourselves repeatedly so that when the attacks come, we can stand in the truth.

Remember your baptism and all that it symbolizes. Celebrate communion often and see it as an opportunity to remember who you are in Christ.

When faced with a battle, you can be a Christian and still struggle with your identity in Christ. Although God sees you as a new creation and in complete right standing with him, you may believe something completely different. Our actions will always follow our belief system.

Remember your new identity through baptism and communion. Christ, your Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. His blood of the new covenant was poured out for the forgiveness of your sins. You have been raised to new life.

After the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River, the manna went away and they ate the fruit of the land.

Take another look, a good look, at your new covenant position in Christ. The same Holy Spirit that empowered the early church is on the table. Your new identity is in Christ. In Christ, you are God’s child. The power and penalty of sin have been destroyed. God has made you an eagle . . . and you are meant to fly (Isaiah 40:31).

Nourish Scripture: Joshua 5

Her Legacy

February 26, 2018 by Aliene

God called Nancy Alcorn to step out in faith and start a home for young women who were hurting. As a result, countless women have come to stay at Mercy Multiplied.

Nancy’s Work Is a Memorial

Some who come do not know Jesus; others have been in church all their lives. All the young women are immersed in unconditional love, bathed in the Word of God, and taught who they are in Christ.

Unwed mothers with no place to turn find peace and provision at the doors of Mercy.
Girls captured in the prison of alcoholism and drugs find freedom from their addictions.
Young ladies arrive at Mercy’s doors suffering from eating disorders, depression, or self-harm; they leave healed by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit to make a difference in this world.

I first heard about Mercy Multiplied years ago when founder Nancy Alcorn was featured on television. Testimonies from two young women delivered from depression, drug addiction, and eating disorders touched my heart.

Since that day, my husband and I have supported Mercy. At the time, I had no idea how God would use Mercy to change me. I loved the ministry so much that one summer I visited a Mercy home in Nashville. A resident in the program began to share how Mercy had changed her life.

She said to me. “Aliene, you don’t understand. I have been to six different hospitals, and no one could fix me but this place.” I realized in that moment I was looking at a miracle. I knew beyond any doubt that all of God’s promises are true. The same God who made a covenant with that young lady made a covenant with me. Christ is still the Healer. The power of sin has been broken. There is no addiction, no lifestyle, and no destructive emotion he cannot help us overcome.

Nancy’s life work is a memorial to the power of the cross and the promises of the new covenant. I have never met a woman who followed God so intently. No matter how impossible things looked, Nancy took the Mountain Mover at his Word. Nancy Alcorn too is a brave heart.

The Purpose of Memorials

In biblical times, after covenants were established, memorials were made to remind future generations of the covenant.

After the Israelites crossed over the Jordan, God instructed Joshua to make a memorial out of stones. Joshua appointed twelve men, one from each tribe, to retrieve a stone from the middle of the Jordan where the priests held the Ark of the covenant. Each man took up a stone and carried it on his shoulder to Gilgal, where Joshua set up the stones. The memorial was built to remind the Israelites of God’s mighty power and so that they might always follow him (Joshua 4:24).

We Are Called to Set up Memorials

Romans 12:1–8 tells us that in view of God’s mercy, we should offer our lives as a living sacrifice by using the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us.

We are blessed so that we can bring blessings to others.

God loves you unconditionally so you can love others unconditionally.
God gives to you so you can give to others.
God fills you with the Holy Spirit so you can bring others a drink of living water.
Christ has reconciled you to God, and now you have a ministry of reconciliation.
God comforts you so you can comfort others.
God has forgiven you so you can give grace and mercy to others.
God has lifted you out of your pit so you can lift others out of their pits.

God has called us to set up memorials to serve as a sign that Christ is still the answer for future generations. There is a hurting world out there that is looking for unconditional love and help that can be found only in Jesus.

What do you want to change?

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, you have the influence to leave a legacy.

Will you lay down your life to make a memorial to the Lord Jesus Christ? What stone has the Lord asked you to pick up in service for his glory? Where has he asked you to build a memorial?

Go for it, brave heart, and leave a legacy to amazing grace! When we let our lights shine, we build memorials to point others to Christ. That is the new covenant ministry.

Nourish Scripture: Joshua 4

Surrender

February 19, 2018 by Aliene

You are never alone. You are not powerless in your current situation. You are not the Lone Ranger trying with all your might to follow Christ.

Brave heart, there is not enough determination and willpower inside of you to overcome your sin and fulfill your calling without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

God’s Direction to the Israelites

God told the Israelites that he was going to take them to places they had never seen before when they crossed into the Promised Land (Joshua 3:4).

What new roads is the God asking you to travel?

Whom is God asking you to love that you cannot love on your own?

What sin pattern do you feel is impossible to break?

More love (Romans 5:5), more power (Ephesians 1:18–20), and more freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17) is available through surrender.

The Israelites passed through God-parted waters twice. They crossed the Red Sea and left a life of slavery. They crossed the Jordan, left the wilderness, and entered into the Promised Land. Salvation is just the first step.

When we surrender moment by moment, we open the door for Jesus to fill us with the Holy Spirit and step into the living waters of God’s love and power as we live set apart for his glory.

The Importance of Consecreation

Before the Israelites crossed the Jordan, Joshua told them to consecrate themselves because God was going to do amazing things among them.

Consecration means “to be set apart for the Lord.” God gives us the Holy Spirit to make us holy, to empower us for service, and to help us point others to Christ. Our new covenant position promises the power and presence of God’s Spirit to equip us for service and to transform us to be more like Christ (Ezekiel 36:26).

God also commanded the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the Israelites. The Ark represents God’s presence (2 Samuel 6:2). Acts 7:44–51 describes the progression of the Ark of the Covenant from the old to the new covenant.

In the Garden of Eden, God began dwelling with man. After the fall, man built altars. Then, God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle complete with the Ark of the Covenant where he dwelt. Next, Solomon built a stationary temple in Jerusalem. One day, Emmanuel, God with Us—Jesus Christ—came to dwell among us. After his death and resurrection, our bodies became the temple and his Spirit dwelt within us. Finally, in the New Jerusalem, the dwelling of God will be with men, and he will live with them (Revelation 21:3).

The Holy Spirit Dwells Inside Believers

Today, our bodies are the temple, and the Holy Spirit dwells inside of every believer. Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22).

If you are a Christian, you have received the Holy Spirit. However, it is one thing to have something and quite another to use it.

We have a heating system installed in our home, but in order for heat to fill my house the thermostat has to be turned on…

The phrase “filled with the Spirit” has blessed many and yet caused division within the church. The Holy Spirit moves God’s children in different ways, and I do not believe it is right to demand that our way is “right” any more than the Jewish believers demanding circumcision for the Gentiles was right (Acts 10). Nor should the controversy keep us quiet about the Holy Spirit. In the book of Acts, the phrase “filled with the Spirit” is a biblical term used repeatedly in conjunction with believers doing amazing acts of service for God’s glory (Acts 4:8; 4:31; 6:3,5; 7:55; 9:17; 13:9; 13:52).

God asked the priests to stand in the middle of the Jordan River. God asked his only Son to stand in the gap for you and me; in turn, Jesus became the mediator of the new covenant (Hebrews 9:15).

Trust in God and Surrender

You may have rivers at flood stage raging all around you, but Jesus Christ is standing in the gap of the Jordan waiting for you to cross over into a deeper life with him.

The striving is over.

Your position has been secured through the blood of Christ. It is your responsibility and your great privilege to believe it and walk as an ambassador on earth for Christ—not by your might but by his Spirit as you surrender one step at a time.

If we are honest with ourselves we will eventually come to a place where we realize we cannot serve God in our own strength.

When I am still at the helm, white knuckled on the steering wheel of life, I am fighting against the winds of the Holy Spirit that long to push my sails to adventure beyond what this world could ever offer.

If you lose your life, you’ll find it. God’s strength is limitless. The Lord commanded the Israelites three times to keep the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the them while they crossed over the Jordan River (Joshua 3:3, 3:6, 3:11). What you focus on, you will follow. Trusting in His goodness at all times opens your heart wide to catch the winds of the Holy Spirit.

If you want to soar. . . surrender.

Nourish Scripture: Joshua 3-5:12

Letting Go of Limitations

February 12, 2018 by Aliene

What God-given dream seems smothered by walls that surround you?

What self-imposed limitations prevent you from believing all things are possible with God?

What past mistake has pushed insecurity so deep into your soul that fear prevents you from becoming all God created and redeemed you to be?

Lift your eyes off of your limitations to look beyond those walls with eyes of faith.

When your faith in Christ defines you, limitations cannot confine you.

The Story of Rahab

I love the story of Rahab, don’t you?

The walls of Jericho surrounded Rahab, the prostitute. However, no walls from her past could keep her from her destiny. Rahab saw beyond her walls. She looked to the Living God to help her, not because she thought she had earned his help, but because she had faith in him. Her faith in God rose when she heard of his power and provision for his people (Joshua 2:9–11). When she put the scarlet cord in her window, she identified herself as one of God’s people and was rescued by Joshua to live among the Israelites (Joshua 2).

The scarlet cord identified Rahab as one of God’s chosen people. The blood of Jesus Christ identifies us as God’s children.

What or whom is identifying you?

Our Walls of Limitations

Even though we are not living behind Jericho’s walls, I believe we build our own walls of limitations. Instead of seeing ourselves as God sees us and stepping out to become all God created us to be, we sometimes choose to live a life defined by self-imposed limitations.

Sometimes we hide behind those walls.
Sometimes those walls don’t allow our God-given dreams to grow.
Sometimes we see the walls as impossibilities that will never change.

Brick by brick those walls continue to grow until we accept them as a part of our lives.

The answer is not found in trying really hard to tear down those walls. The answer is found in tying a scarlet cord around the window of your heart.

Initially at salvation, you apply the blood of Jesus Christ over the window of your heart by confessing Christ as your Savior and putting your faith in the finished work on the cross. The shed blood of Christ rescues you from the penalty of sin, the power of sin and the dominion of darkness (Colossians 2:8–15).

Your identity and purpose are then found in Christ (Ephesians 2:8–10). Jesus supplies us with everything we need to accomplish His will (Hebrews 13:20–21). You will need to remember all that your rescue means when God calls you to a mission beyond your natural ability.

Faith in the Holy Spirit Helps You Let Go of Limitations

We do this by walking by faith in Christ and keeping our eyes on Him. Faith in your circumstances limits you. Faith in the Holy Spirit will liberate you and give you God confidence (2 Corinthians 3:17; 2 Corinthians 4:7–11; Psalm 57).

If I fix my eyes on my imperfections or my circumstances, I feel discouraged. However, if my eyes are fixed on Christ and the righteousness I have through him, I move beyond my feelings into the realm of faith.

When your faith in Christ defines you, limitations cannot confine you. You don’t have to live like a hostage trapped inside self-built walls. God is bigger than your walls.

Let the Holy Spirit liberate you so you can live aligned with your God-given purpose by keeping in step with the Holy Spirit one step at a time.

ONWARD!

Nourish Scripture: Joshua 2