Category Archives: Discipleship

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If You Knew You Couldn’t Fail

Attempt Great Things For God

SYNOPSIS: What would you attempt for God if you knew that he was already where your steps of faith would lead you. How energetically would you press forward if you knew he was waiting there for you to arrive? What level of confidence would you have knowing that God had gone ahead of you and secured your victory even before the battle began? The truth is, when God calls you to step out, he has not only promised to be with you, he has promised to actually go before you, and while you may not see around the bend of faith, God is already there with your victory in hand.

If You Knew You Couldn't Fail - Ray Noah

Moments With God // Focus: Judges 4:14-15

Then Deborah said to Barak, “Get ready! This is the day the Lord will give you victory over Sisera, for the Lord is marching ahead of you.” So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle. When Barak attacked, the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic.

What would you attempt for God if you knew the Lord was marching ahead of you? What grand thing would you pursue if you knew that he was already where your steps of faith would lead you, waiting for you to arrive? What level of confidence would you have knowing that God had gone ahead of you and secured your victory even before the battle began?

When God calls you to a step of faith, you are guaranteed his presence and his power, which means that you are invincible in the journey. Moreover, he has not only promised to be with you, but he has also promised to actually go before you, and while you may not see around the bend of faith, God is already there, waiting for you to take the victory lap for a victory that he won for you. How cool is that!

That is exactly what the prophetess Deborah is telling the reluctant general of the Israelite army, Barak. He is shivering in his boots knowing that his army is outmanned and outgunned by the Canaanite army of General Sisera. We are told in Judges 4:3, “Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.” 900 iron chariots to Israel’s none…no wonder, on a human level, Barak was not too excited about leading Israel into battle.

But this battle was not going to be fought only on a human level. No battle is. In the spiritual realm, God had already heard the cries of the Israelites and had determined to deliver them from their oppressors under the guidance of Deborah the Judge and Barak the General. In light of that, the fight was over before it even started. Barak couldn’t see that, but Deborah could. That is why she told him, “now get out there and fight, for God is already ahead of you and how guaranteed the victory. C’mon, go take your victory lap.” And that is exactly what Barak did, and a great deliverance for Israel was accomplished.

Perhaps you are a little uncertain about what’s next for you. Maybe you’re not too confident about your future. Maybe the circumstance you face is overwhelming, from a human perspective. You are outnumbered and outgunned. But where God is asking you to step out in faith, those odds do not matter one iota. God is on your side; he is with you, he is actually before you. He is already where he has called you to go, waiting for you to walk into a victory that he has secured for you. You cannot lose. So take heart.

Therefore, because of God’s exemplary record of faithful goodness in leading his people to victory, do not be afraid to trust an unknown tomorrow to a known God. So get ready! This is the day God will give you victory, for he is marching ahead of you. That is God’s promise to you!

In a verse similar to this, King David said to his son Solomon as he gave him the daunting task of building a temple in Jerusalem to the God of Israel,

Be strong and courageous and get to work. Don’t be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord God is with you; he will not forsake you. He will see to it that everything is finished correctly. (1 Chron 28:20, LB)

Whatever is before you, if God is calling you to step out, then do it with confidence. God is already out there where you have been called to go. And he has guaranteed victory if you will go with him!

Take A Moment: Picture your greatest challenge. Once you have that in view, picture God already there waiting for you. Now get out there; go take a victory lap in a victory that God has won for you.

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There Is Room For Only One God

(And It’s Not You!)

SYNOPSIS: The battle for what we might call “godship” is more prevalent than we care to admit. You see, when we fret and worry over matters we can’t control, when we meddle and manipulate to get our plans fulfilled, when we come to God after the fact for help, when we pray as a last rather than a first resort, when we cut corners in our financial stewardship because we can’t afford to give to the Lord’s work, and when we put our hope in government (or anything else) at the expense of our trust in God, in effect, we have removed God from his rightful throne. There is only One who is God—and that is neither you nor me. In light of that, have you told the Lord lately that you have no God but him? Maybe you should do it now!

There Is Room For Only One God

Moments With God // Psalm 131:1

My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

There is only One who is God—and that’s not you! Basically, that is what King David is saying of himself in this brief song of ascent. The Message translates verse one this way:

God, I’m not trying to rule the roost,
I don’t want to be king of the mountain.
I haven’t meddled where I have no business
or fantasized grandiose plans.

Yet this business of godship is more prevalent than we care to admit. You see, when we fret and worry over matters we can’t control, when we meddle and manipulate to get our plans fulfilled, when we come to God after the fact for help, when we pray as a last rather than a first resort, when we cut corners in our financial stewardship because we can’t afford to give to the Lord’s work, and when we put our hope in government (or anything else) at the expense of our trust in God, in effect, we have removed God from his rightful throne.

There is room for only one God in your life, so let God be God. He has a great track record in that role, you know, and you don’t.

And by the way, when you allow God to be God, good things happen for you:

  • You become the recipient of greater grace. Recognizing God’s rightful role takes true humility (the opposite of pride and haughtiness), as David describes, “My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty”—Psalm 131:1a. Of course, the Bible repeatedly tells us this is always the catalyst for greater grace. (Prov 3:34)
  • You become the recipient of greater security. You put things that are above your pay grade back into the hands of the only One wise enough to handle them—what David calls “great matters or things too wonderful for me” —Psalm 131:1b (See how Paul describes them in Rom 11:33-36)
  • You become the recipient of greater confidence. Someone else is running the universe, which means you don’t carry that great weight upon your shoulders. David says, “But I have stilled and quieted my soul” —Psalm 131:2a … which is possible only when you first walk with the Shepherd who leads you beside quiet waters and restores your soul.
  • You become the recipient of greater contentment. David describes it, “like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content” —Psalm 131:2b (MSG) Paul says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Tim 6:6)
  • You become the recipient of greater hope. “O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore”—Psalm 131:3. It is by Biblical hope, as Paul teaches, “we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” (Rom 8:24) “Hope” as Paul says in Romans 5:5, “does not disappoint us…”

Hmmm…grace, security, confidence, contentment, hope. I think I’ll let God be God!

Take A Moment: Have you told the Lord lately that you have no God but him? Maybe you should do it now!

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A Promise Made Is A Promise Kept

God’s Got All Your Concerns Covered

SYNOPSIS: Do you have either a nagging concern distracting you or an overwhelming burden pulling you down? The good news is there is a promise in the Bible that covers all your concerns and burdens: “God will perfect everything that concerns you.” (Psalm 138:8, NKJV) Did you catch that? EVERYTHING! So fulfill your end of the promise: take your concerns to God in prayer, obey what he tells you to do, trust his loving care and complete competence to meet the need, then stand on his promises. You see, with God, a promise made is a promise kept.

Moments With God // Focus: Joshua 21:45

Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.

What a great verse! Toward the end of the Book of Joshua, after Israel had conquered their enemies and had taken possession of their promised land, Israel’s brilliant commander, Joshua, made this declaration: not a single one of God’s promises remained unfulfilled. What an amazing testimony about God’s faithfulness. But more than just a significant piece to ancient Israel’s historical record, the author of the book, inspired by the true Author, God, included this line so that you and I would know that since he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, this will be our experience with God as well.

A certain Bible scholar pointed out that God has made over 6,000 promises to us in the Bible  Some of those promises are universal in nature—all believers anytime and anywhere who are walking in obedience to his commands can claim them  Other promises are quite specific to certain people at certain times, and the Holy Spirit reveals them to us through prayer and the study of God’s Word in response to situations that arise in our lives.

Whether God’s promises are universal or personal, what we are taught repeatedly in the Bible, including this verse in Joshua, is that God is a promise maker, and more importantly, God is a promise keeper  The fact is, God has never broken a promise—not even one  I can’t say that about me, and you probably can’t say that about you, but we can say that with complete certainty about God  With him, a promise made is a promise kept.

When I was a little kid in Sunday School, we would often sing a song about God’s promises that went something like this:

Every promise in the Book is mine
Every chapter, every verse, every line.
I am standing on his Word Divine,
Every promise in the Book is mine!

Over 6,000 promises—and he will bring every single one of them to pass  Here are just a few of those 6,000 promises that are for you  Upon which one will you “stand” today and every day until God fulfills it in your life?

  • That he will forgive all your sins  (Psalm 103:3)
  • That he will supply all of your needs  (Phil 4:19)
  • That he will never leave you or forsake you  (Heb 13:5)
  • That he will give you Divine wisdom for your lack of human understanding  (Jas 1:5)
  • That he will turn all of your circumstances to your good and for his glory  (Rom 8:28)

What is your area of concern  A promise covers it, so look it up in God’s Word  Fulfill your end of the promise—that’s the big caveat here—and then rest in God’s proven character  What is your end  Pray, obey, trust, and stand  Do that, and you can plant your feet firmly in the certainty of God’s Word because a promise made is kept with him.

Yes, you can expect that “God will perfect everything that concerns you.” (Psalm 138:8, NKJV)

Take A Moment: Are you “standing” on a specific promise  Are you praying, asking God to fulfill it  Are you offering him a life of obedience in your attitude and actions  If not, why not  Don’t leave any of those 6,000 promises on the table  Your Father wants to fulfill them in your life.

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Tying God’s Hands

Only You Can Surrender Your Willful Unbelief

SYNOPSIS: What is the one thing Jesus can’t do? Violate a person’s willful unbelief, that’s what. He will help a person’s humble admission of unbelief (“Lord, help my unbelief”), but he will not impose his Lordship on someone’s refusal to give him a chance. And that includes you! Only you can control your willful unbelief.

Moments With God // Mark 6:5-6

Jesus could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief.

This is one of the most amazing texts in the entire Bible. Jesus—the second person of the Trinity, the visible image of the invisible God; the one who existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation; the one through whom God created everything in heaven and on earth, the things we can see and the things we can’t see. Think of all those things Jesus created and controls, even when it doesn’t seem like things are under control: thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Yes, Jesus is the one by whom all creation is held together (Col 1:15-17). He is the one who had raised the dead, healed the sick, delivered the demonized, fed the five thousand, and walked on water. Astoundingly, this very Jesus could do no mighty works in his own town because of the unbelief of the people who knew him.

And even he—the one who had seen it all—was amazed by their unbelief. I would dare say it must take an awful lot to stump Jesus!

What is the one thing Jesus can’t do? Violate a person’s willful unbelief, that’s what. He will help a person’s humble admission of unbelief (“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” Mark 9:14-25), but he will not impose his Lordship on someone’s refusal to give him a chance.

Now before we get all huffy about Jesus’ neighbors, do you think we sometimes do that with Jesus, too? Haven’t we seen his glory, tasted his goodness; been touched by his love and grace and power, yet we still question his right of Lordship over our lives? You might say, “but I don’t do that!” Yes, you do—so do I! How? We do that when we give in to doubt, worry, fear, depression, anger, or engage in any number of other self-medicating, self-destructive acts, like overspending, overeating, oversleeping, over-talking, over-sharing, over-indulging in sexually addictive behaviors, substance abuse…and the list goes on.

Why would we surrender to any of those harmful and deceptive things when we have seen and touched the power and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ? Truthfully, I don’t know why we would. Sometimes my own propensity to resist Christ’s loving Lordship amazes me.

Here’s what I do know: If we will take an honest look at where we are resisting Jesus’ right to rule over us—both passively and willfully—and come to him with a humble request that he help our unbelief, even that crack in the door will be enough for him to do his mighty works in our lives.

Otherwise, you will be tying God’s hands. And that will amaze even him—and not in a good way. So instead offer him your humble, simple faith, and Jesus will likewise be amazed—and I mean in the best way possible, just as we see in Luke 7:9,

Jesus was amazed. Turning to the crowd he said, “Never among all the Jews in Israel have I met someone with faith like this.”

Take A Moment: Offer this prayer sincere today: Jesus, there are still areas of my life where I resist your Lordship. Help my unbelief. I open the door of my heart to you and invite you to burst through it to accomplish your mighty works in me.