Category: Strength

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Faithfulness & Hope

I hope you found yourself praising God yesterday with boldness – lifting your hands and feeling Him lifting your spirits and your joy.

If you listened while you were singing you may have heard another voice joining in.

“The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.” Zephaniah 3:17 CEV

Before I read those words this morning my heart was already singing. “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine with ten thousand beside”. Those are words from a wonderful old hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness, but more of that in a minute.

King David a psalm that is often quoted because it talks about the miracle of intra womb development. “You formed me in my mother’s womb”. That’s where I normally go when I read this Psalm but this morning I stopped after having read only the first few verses.

“You have looked deep into my heart, Lord, and you know all about me. 2 You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts.3 You notice everything I do and everywhere I go. 4 Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say,
5 and with your powerful arm you protect me from every side. 6 I can’t understand all of this! Such wonderful knowledge is far above me.” Psalm 139:1-6 CEV

Our heavenly Father knows all about us! Everything we say, everywhere we go, and He loves us! His thoughts toward us are innumerable.

“I will never give up hope or stop praising you. 15 All day long I will tell the wonderful things you do to save your people. But you have done much more than I could possibly know.” Psalm 71:14-15 CEV

God’s faithfulness toward us hard to imagine. He never leaves us alone or abandons us!

“ I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.” Romans 15:13 CEV

Now back to the song. Great is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas Chisolm

“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
as Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed Thy hand hath provided:
great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!…

3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow:
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain]”

Every morning the Lord blesses us with new mercy – we have been pardoned from our sins, His peace fills our hearts and gives us strength. Yes, His faithfulness gives us hope!

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Building A House

Counting the Cost of building a house is something all of us should consider. Not just a physical house of wood, brick and mortar but the house we call life.

“If it is not the Lord who builds a house, the builders are wasting their time. If it is not the Lord who watches over the city, the guards are wasting their time.” Psalm 127:1 ERV

The last few days Dave and I have been busier than usual. On Friday, Kim & Austin came out to help us build furniture, put things up, paint and move boxes in. Saturday, Kaci & Stephen came and there were still boxes to move in and unpacked. Much to be shuttled from the RV to the new place. It was busy; we were tired and sore but very grateful to have had this time with them.

Memories were recounted, tears were shed, and laughter seasoned the hard work.

“Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord. 4 Having a lot of children to take care of you in your old age is like a warrior with a lot of arrows.” Psalm 127:3-4 CEV

Just like building a home, building a life is hard work and we need people to help us along the way. It all starts with a good foundation.

“If you wanted to build a building, you would first sit down and decide how much it would cost. You must see if you have enough money to finish the job. 29 If you don’t do that, you might begin the work, but you would not be able to finish. And if you could not finish it, everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘This man began to build, but he was not able to finish.’…

33 “It is the same for each of you. You must leave everything you have to follow me. If not, you cannot be my follower.” Luke 14:28-30, 33 ERV

Jesus was talking to men who had physically left all to follow Him. We are called to follow Christ with our whole hearts. Making a commitment to Him, being obedient to His word and giving up our desires to take on His.

“The people who come to me, who listen to my teachings and obey them—I will show you what they are like: 48 They are like a man building a house. He digs deep and builds his house on rock. The floods come, and the water crashes against the house. But the flood cannot move the house, because it was built well.

49 “But the people who hear my words and do not obey are like a man who builds a house without preparing a foundation. When the floods come, the house falls down easily and is completely destroyed.” Luke 6:47-49 ERV

Building a house, whether physical or spiritual, is not without its rewards. One for this life and the other for life everlasting.

Yesterday it was just Dave and I. Still much to do – boxes to unpack, things to move in – we are building a home, creating memories and making a place where friends, family, and acquaintances can come to rest.

“We must not get tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time. We must not give up.” Galatians 6:9 ERV

Let me encourage you. Don’t get weary, don’t give up, don’t quit! Building a house is worth the effort.

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Encouragement

I’ve been asked a number of times over the years if I ever get discouraged. The answer is two-fold; yes, but not as often as I used too.

Age, experience and mostly God’s sustaining love have a way of changing our perspective.

Discouragement tries to sneak in on the coat tails of fatigue and is often carried in, in the bucket of criticism. It helps to identify both of these culprits quickly and remove them from the scene.

King David is such a wonderful example to follow. He and his army had been off to battle and when they returned home their wives and children had been captured and their homes burned. David’s men were exhausted; discouragement and anger were about to rule the day.

“David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” I Samuel 30:6 AMPC

How do you encourage yourself? I’m so glad you asked.

“8 And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? The Lord answered him, Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” I Samuel 30:8 AMPC

In other words, David prayed, and God answered. When we are discouraged it’s always best to pray. Not a complaining, whiny kind of prayer but a sincere God-I-need-help kind of prayer. The whining kind focuses on us and our circumstances, the “I need help” focuses us on God and His power!

“Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].” Hebrews 4:16 AMPC

When literal storms (hurricanes, tornados, blizzards) are coming or the storms of physical illness, financial disaster, or relationships attempt to bring destruction, we can and should immediately go confidently and boldly into the Father’s throne room and find help.

There’s no one in the Bible who faced as much criticism and personal persecution, besides Jesus, than Paul. He was beaten, left for dead, imprisoned, shipwrecked, dragged into court in nearly every town he visited.

This is how he battled discouragement.

“And when they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. 24 He, having received [so strict a] charge, put them into the inner prison (the dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them, 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyone’s shackles were unfastened.” Acts 16:23-26 AMPC

Now that’s encouragement!

God is willing to do this for each of us. He is the Father who is faithful and good. He is our defender and our provider and ready to help!

I sincerely hope that this is message of encouragement to all of you this day.

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Ready to Receive?

For the better part of a week, I’ve been re-reading one particular group of verses. That’s not uncommon, I often mull over Scriptures and meditate on their meaning. These verses have been a part of my return reading for over 40 years.

 “I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.” Ephesians 1:16-23 NLT

Please go back and re-read those verses one more time.

Spiritual truth doesn’t have to be “deep” and hard to comprehend. But it does have to be received by faith. I’ve been practicing receiving from the Lord for years.

We are Christ’s body and we are God, the Father’s, inheritance!

I heard one teacher contrast the difference between receiving and getting. Getting implies working hard, striving, manipulating, using your effort to obtain. Receiving, on the other hand, is opening yourself to accept what someone else has done. You receive a gift with gratitude.

Receiving from the Lord is accepting what Jesus has already done – that’s faith. We don’t “work” to “get” from the Lord we walk by faith and accept His gifts of grace.

He wants us to understand and grow in our knowledge of Him. God isn’t trying to hide from us; He is eager for us to get to know Him. He wants our hearts to be flooded with hope as we learn about His power that He has made available to us.

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:11 NLT

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].” Philippians 4:13 AMPC

Are you ready to receive? Hold out your hands and thank God for the wonderful gift of His love, power and strength.

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Amazing Grace Is Sufficient

Yesterday I received a text from a friend. She told me how the blog from the last couple of days had been just what she needed. That humbled me and made me smile – I was so glad the Lord used His word through me to touch her heart and encourage her.

I am always amazed how the Lord reaches out to us. He has done it from the very beginning. It has been His purpose to touch our lives with His goodness, power and love. That’s who He is – it’s His character.

“You surely know what happened everywhere in Judea. It all began in Galilee after John had told everyone to be baptized. 38 God gave the Holy Spirit and power to Jesus from Nazareth. He was with Jesus, as he went around doing good and healing everyone who was under the power of the devil. 39 We all saw what Jesus did both in Israel and in the city of Jerusalem.” Acts 10:37-39 CEV

Jesus went around doing good and healing all that were sick. That’s who He was and what He did. His ministry was reaching out to people, touching their lives and impacting them with His love.

Jesus was teaching in the synagogue and told the people listening to Him. This is why I was sent to you.

“Jesus went back to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as usual he went to the meeting place on the Sabbath. When he stood up to read from the Scriptures, 17 he was given the book of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it and read,

18 “The Lord’s Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, 19 and to say, ‘This is the year the Lord has chosen.’”

20 Jesus closed the book, then handed it back to the man in charge and sat down. Everyone in the meeting place looked straight at Jesus. 21 Then Jesus said to them, “What you have just heard me read has come true today.” Luke 4:16-21 CEV

God’s plan was Jesus’ purpose and He fulfilled it to a T. Sometimes we just need a gentle reminder of His grace. The Apostle Paul, truly one of the greatest Christians of all time, experienced severe persecution and affliction. He was subject to spiritual and physical attack. In his moment of weakness he writes these words:

“I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. 9 But the Lord said, ‘My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.’ So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me. 10 Yes, I am glad to have weaknesses if they are for Christ. I am glad to be insulted and have hard times. I am glad when I am persecuted and have problems, because it is when I am weak that I am really strong.” II Corinthians 12:8-10 ERV

My grace is all you need – My grace is sufficient! Amen. His grace, God’s grace is all we need for our salvation. For by grace have we been saved through faith, not of works. We have no room to boast.

His grace healed the sick, mended the broken hearted, set prisoners free from bondage and gave strength to the weak.

Grace is the overlying attribute of His character. God extending His nail pierced hand to those bound by sin is grace; calming the fears of the disciples on a storm tossed sea is grace; giving peace to Paul & Silas as they were singing in a prison cell after being beaten is grace.

God quieting our hearts when we hear the word “cancer” or the words “we have to let you go, your job has been phased out”, is grace. I have a feeling some of you are like Paul and have asked God on multiple occasions to fix some situation, God’s answer to you is the same as what He said then, my grace is all you need.

“Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

Jesus is faithful, he’s trustworthy and he’s unchanging! Everyone who came to Jesus was drawn by his love and compassion. When you come to Jesus with your needs today, realize He’s never changed. Experience His amazing grace; it’s sufficient.

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Standing on the Rock

Yesterday while we were watching the morning news there was an earthquake on the East Coast. It wasn’t a big quake by any means, but it left the news anchors startled and quite literally shaken.

Maybe you are like me and some mornings when you wake up you feel unsteady, a bit shaken, something is unsettled inside. Sometimes there’s no explanation for this uneasy feeling, it’s just there. Other times it can be caused by underpinning of fear or just the unknown.

Just like those tremors and earthquakes, this emotional and spiritual tremor is unwelcomed. The question comes how do we deal with it.

“I love you, Lord God, and you make me strong. 2 You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector, the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter. 3 I praise you, Lord! I prayed, and you rescued me from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3 CEV

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3 CEV

Jesus knew that the times He lived in were tumultuous. The Jews were being ruled by the Romans. They were subject to a foreign ruler; taxes were high, there was civil unrest and the religious leaders were separated into two different sects. Life was uncertain. This is what Jesus had to say.

“ Anyone who comes and listens to me and obeys me 48 is like someone who dug down deep and built a house on solid rock. When a flood came and the river rushed against the house, it was built so well that it didn’t even shake. 49 But anyone who hears what I say and doesn’t obey me is like someone whose house wasn’t built on solid rock. As soon as the river rushed against that house, it was smashed to pieces!” Luke 6:47-49 CEV

We don’t have to be shaken by our circumstances.

When we trust God’s word we have a sure foundation, a foundation that cannot be shaken.

“You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. 7 Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.” Colossians 2:6-7 CEV

“The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm. 4 So always trust the Lord
because he is forever our mighty rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4 CEV

I feel like the Lord wants me to pray for you right now.

“Father, in the name of Jesus, I come to you lifting all who are reading this to Your throne. Replace the shakiness in their hearts with Your peace that bypasses our understanding. Make their spiritual legs strong so they won’t be shaken. You promise that we can do all things through Christ, He is our strength. Your word Father is our rock, our firm foundation. We trust you!” Amen.

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The Silent Sabbath

I can only imagine what it must have been like to one of Jesus’ disciples on that Sabbath Day.

 “There was a man named Joseph, who was from Arimathea in Judea. Joseph was a good and honest man, and he was eager for God’s kingdom to come. He was also a member of the council, but he did not agree with what they had decided.

52 Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in fine cloth. Then he put it in a tomb that had been cut out of solid rock and had never been used. 54 It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin.[a]

55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and watched how Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb. 56  Then they went to prepare some sweet-smelling spices for his burial. But on the Sabbath they rested, as the Law of Moses commands.” Luke 23:50-56 CEV

The quiet, the grief, the anxiousness, the heart break, the disillusionment, the fear.

They had truly believed that He would set up an earthly kingdom and now He, their Messiah, was dead. Hope was gone. Fear invaded their silence – would the soldiers be coming for them next? Would they be accused, tried and crucified?

Across the city there was a commotion going on at Pilate’s court.

“On the next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees went together to Pilate. 63  They said, ‘Sir, we remember what this liar said while he was still alive. He claimed in three days he would come back from death. 64 So please order the tomb to be carefully guarded for three days. If you don’t, his disciples may come and steal his body. They will tell the people he has been raised to life, and this last lie will be worse than the first one.’

65 Pilate said to them, ‘All right, take some of your soldiers and guard the tomb as well as you know how.’ 66 So they sealed it tight and placed soldiers there to guard it.” Matthew 27:62-66 CEV

These were the same men that had Jesus arrested and hauled to Pilate’s court the day before. They were scared. If Jesus was who He said He was He would be raised from the dead and that was frightening.

There was no silence here.

“ Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross. 15 He defeated the rulers and powers of the spiritual world. With the cross he won the victory over them and led them away, as defeated and powerless prisoners for the whole world to see.” Colossians 2:14-15 ERV

The Apostle Paul gives us a glimpse behind the rock that sealed the tomb. Jesus met His enemy; the one who had tempted Him in the wilderness, the one who had stirred up the hatred against Him. There in the world of the spirit, Jesus defeated Satan and his powers; Jesus stripped him and showed the world that Satan had been defeated!

“56 Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin. 57 But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!” I Corinthians 15:57-58 CEV

When God seems silent, when our hope is gone, remember there is victory for us in Christ Jesus. Break the silence and raise your voice in praise!

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The Heart of the Matter

When you’re on a long trip with people who don’t understand the path or the purpose of your journey it’s important to have a guarded heart. If not, discouragement and frustration creep in and get you off course.

Guard your heart.

“My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words… Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. 24 Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. 25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.” Proverbs 4:20-25 NLT

This is where we find Jesus and his disciples.

The cross is imminent but Jesus’ closest friends, His twelve apostles, really have no understanding of what’s about to happen.

“The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus, because they were afraid of what the people might do. 3 Then Satan entered the heart of Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve apostles. 4 Judas went to talk with the chief priests and the officers of the temple police about how he could help them arrest Jesus. 5 They were very pleased and offered to pay Judas some money. 6 He agreed and started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus when the crowds were not around.” Luke 22:2-6 CEV

At the heart of the matter was Judas’ greed. He was looking for a way to earn a quick dollar. He left his heart unguarded.

“When the time came for Jesus and the apostles to eat, 15 he said to them, “I have very much wanted to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer...After the meal he took another cup of wine in his hands. Then he said, ‘This is my blood. It is poured out for you, and with it God makes his new agreement. 21  The one who will betray me is here at the table with me! 22 The Son of Man will die in the way that has been decided for him, but it will be terrible for the one who betrays him!’ 23 Then the apostles started arguing about who would ever do such a thing.” Luke 22:14-23 CEV

The purpose of the Passover had always been the shedding of lamb’s blood to make an atonement for the sins of the people. At the heart of this Passover was the shedding of the blood of the Lamb of God.

“The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 CEV

Jesus guarded His heart. He knew there was suffering ahead; He knew the one who betrayed Him was sitting at the table with them acting as if nothing was wrong. Jesus continued to serve those who should have been serving Him. His heart was pure.

“The apostles got into an argument about which one of them was the greatest. 25  So Jesus told them:.. The most important one of you should be like the least important, and your leader should be like a servant. 27  Who do people think is the greatest, a person who is served or one who serves? Isn’t it the one who is served? But I have been with you as a servant.” Luke 22:24-27 CEV

No greed, pride, or self-serving ambition filled His heart. Only love, compassion, purpose, forgiveness, mercy and grace were in the heart of Christ that night. He laid aside His anguish, His sorrow and His suffering to continue to minister to the needs of His disciples.

He had a guarded heart.

Because He kept His heart pure He died for us. If we guard our hearts we will live for Him.

It’s all a matter of the heart!

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Are We There Yet?

No, but we’re getting closer!

We’re almost at the end of the road, that road that led to the cross.

Jesus had made His historic entry into Jerusalem. People were cheering and shouting, excited to have the Miracle Worker in their town. The first place Jesus went was to the Temple.

Because it was the time of Passover the town was filled with people and so was the Temple. Merchandisers had set up booths in the Temple, they were selling things. Jesus chased them out and said this:

“He told them, ‘The Scriptures say, “My house should be a place of worship.” But you have made it a place where robbers hide!’” Luke 19:46 CEV

The animosity toward Jesus began to rapidly increase.

“Each day, Jesus kept on teaching in the temple. So the chief priests, the teachers of the Law of Moses, and some other important people tried to have him killed. 48 But they could not find a way to do it, because everyone else was eager to listen to him.” Luke 19:47-48 CEV

These were Jesus’ final days. He spent them preaching – encouraging and instructing the people. Warning them of things to come. His heart was for the people; He wasn’t concerned about His own safety and protection.

How do we find that kind of resolve? How do we find strength in the time of adversity? Let’s see what Jesus did.

“Don’t spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you 35 like a trap. This day will surprise everyone on earth. 36 Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.

37  Jesus taught in the temple each day, and he spent each night on the Mount of Olives. 38 Everyone got up early and came to the temple to hear him teach.” Luke 21:34-38 CEV

He didn’t spend His time worrying about the concerns of life. Remember, He was 100% human. He knew what it was like to be hungry, to have taxes to pay, to have family concerns. He had people who depended on Him. He had responsibilities and if anyone had cause to worry, He did.

His instruction to the people in the Temple and to us is simple. Don’t spend all your time worrying about things. “Watch and pray”. That’s what He did; each day he taught in the Temple and each night He went to the Mount of Olives, this was His place of prayer.

Did He ask the Father, “are we there yet”? This week, these last few days were what He had been preparing for. Thousands of years of prophesy had been speaking of this time, this week, this Passover.

“We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.” Hebrews 12:2-3 ERV

I’d like to encourage you with this. Watch and pray. Don’t worry. We’re almost there!

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Confrontation on the Road

Having lived in Idaho and Montana for many years we were used to confrontation on the road. Other places have traffic jams, so did we!

There were times we would wait for herds of deer and elk; at other times we would fall in behind a cattle drive. We’ve even experienced the occasional confrontation with a band of sheep but most intimidation came from the bison in Yellowstone and the grizzlies in Glacier.

The road to the cross didn’t have any of these but there were confrontations all the same. Yesterday we saw the people in Jesus’ hometown becoming so angry with Him that they dragged Him to the edge of a cliff.

Now that’s confrontation – but it didn’t stop Him for preaching.

“Jesus went to the town of Capernaum in Galilee and taught the people on the Sabbath. 32  His teaching amazed them because he spoke with power.” Luke 4:31-32 CEV

In Capernaum, He encountered a man possessed by a demon. The man was prompted to cause a scene; he yelled out at Jesus telling those around that this was God’s Son.

“Jesus ordered the evil spirit to be quiet and come out. The demon threw the man to the ground in front of everyone and left without harming him. 36 They all were amazed and kept saying to each other, “What kind of teaching is this? He has power to order evil spirits out of people!” 37 News about Jesus spread all over that part of the country.” Luke 4:35-37 CEV

Confrontation isn’t always a bad thing. God used this situation to show His power and His compassion.

When Jesus left this meeting He went to the house of Simon for dinner. Once again, He was confronted with a situation that needed His attention. Simon’s mother-in-law was running a high fever and lying in bed. Before doing anything else Jesus spoke to the fever and it left the woman.

“ So Jesus went over to her and ordered the fever to go away. Right then she was able to get up and serve them a meal.” Luke 4:39 CEV

After dinner there was an even greater encounter.

“ After the sun had set, people with all kinds of diseases were brought to Jesus. He put his hands on each one of them and healed them. 41 Demons went out of many people and shouted, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But Jesus ordered the demons not to speak because they knew he was the Messiah.” Luke 4:40-41 CEV

All who came to Jesus, He touched and healed. He silenced the demons. Don’t let this go unnoticed. Jesus didn’t want or need their affirmation. He didn’t want anything that would discredit the works of God.

“ But something more important than John speaks for me. I mean the things that the Father has given me to do! All of these speak for me and prove that the Father sent me.” John 5:36 CEV

Jesus said, even the testimony of John the Baptizer wasn’t as important to His calling and ministry as the works that the Father was doing through Him. His credibility and reputation were established by the Father. Nothing else.

We may not be confronted by a bison, or a demon possessed person, but we face other confrontations that are even more dangerous.

“ Our foolish pride comes from this world, and so do our selfish desires and our desire to have everything we see. None of this comes from the Father. 17 The world and the desires it causes are disappearing. But if we obey God, we will live forever.” I John 2:16-17 CEV

When confronted we should do like Jesus, speak to the issue, and then go forward by God’s power and not our own.

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