But God Is Our Deliverer
by Jon Walker

But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. Acts 2:24 (MSG)

In moments of despair, confusion, or darkness, it’s only natural to wonder if God is paying attention. In honesty, sometimes you want to ask, “Hey, God is there any kind of plan here?” Or, “God, do you realize what’s about to happen--to me?”

That’s when we need to cling to a “but God” faith, where we believe things may look bad, but God is working it for good. “But God untied the death ropes and raised him up.”

Sometimes our deliverance comes immediately after the “but God;” sometimes it is years before we see the end of the sentence that God is writing with our lives.

But that doesn’t mean God has abandoned our story.

God uses the time before “but God” to develop in us a certainty in his sovereignty and grace.

We may be hard pressed on every side, but God keeps us from being crush; perplexed, but God lifts us from the pits of despair; persecuted, but God stands by our side; struck down, but God makes us indestructible by filling us with his incorruptible Spirit. (2 Corinthians 4)

Each time we face a “God, what’s the plan here” moment, we can know that we’re also nearing the “but God” moment, where we’ll see our story unfolding for God’s glory and for his good plans for us. (Jeremiah 29; Romans 8:28)

As we wait, Jesus changes us. We no longer see the need to know how we’ll be delivered. We come to know that, no matter how the story ends, it includes the phrase, “but God is our Deliverer.” (2 Samuel 22:2)

Why Is It Essential To Hear God?
by Jon Walker

“My sheep recognize my voice and follow me.” John 10:27 (NLT)

A lot of people think it’s not so important to hear from God. But you should not be satisfied with that attitude. You need to be hearing from God on a daily basis. Why? There are three reasons why it’s absolutely vital for you to be able to hear directly from God.

1. It proves you’re in God’s family. When you are tuned in to God and hear from him, it confirms your relationship. Because God talks to his children. John 10:27 says, “My sheep recognize my voice and follow me” (NLT).
   
   Just as parents talk to all their children, God talks to all of his kids. He doesn’t just single out the pastors or the missionaries, or those who have been Christians the longest. He talks to all believers, whether they are mature or immature.
   
   And just as children recognize their parents’ voices, we should be able to recognize God’s voice. Now babies don’t instantly know their parents’ voices, but as they grow, they naturally begin to recognize mom or dad’s voice and can hear it anywhere. It’s the same with us. As we grow spiritually, it becomes easier to hear God.
2. It protects you from mistakes. If you listen to God, you’ll make fewer mistakes because you’ll hear him warning you in advance. Proverbs 3:6 says, “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, and everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track” (MSG).
   
   Notice the verse didn’t say just in church; it says, “in everything you do, and everywhere you go.” I couldn’t count the number of times God has saved me from wasting time, wasting money and wasting energy because I listened to him.
3. It produces success in life. This is not the kind of success the world talks about where you’re famous and filthy rich. This is God’s definition of success – being exactly who God made you to be so that your life can have meaning.
   
   “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you” (Psalm 32:8 NLT). Did you know that the best pathway for your life is different than the best pathway for someone else’s life? And if you try to follow somebody else’s pathway you’re life will be filled with problems.
   
   God has a customized pathway for you, and if you follow it you will succeed.

 Make a Difference by Being Different

God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. … But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah. Genesis 6:5-6, 8 (MSG)

"You cannot be all God wants you to be and fit in with everybody else. "

There are four specific pitfalls you will face over your Decade of Destiny as you work toward the goals God gives you: cultural distractions, voices of doubt, tempting shortcuts and discouraging delays. All four of these pitfalls are present in the life of Noah and we can learn from him how to handle these tests.

The first test is cultural distraction. What I'm talking are the things that happen around us that keep us from going after our God-given dreams. For instance --

• The distraction of popularity -- If you are always worried about what other people think, you will be distracted from your destiny.

• The distraction of pleasure – It’s okay to have fun and feel comfort, but if that's the primary focus of your life, you will never fulfill your destiny.

• The distraction of profits -- There is nothing wrong with making a profit. The Bible says God blesses us when we do business wisely and honestly, but it also says you cannot serve both God and money. Making a profit cannot be the primary focus of your life.

• The distraction of possessions -- Judging your success by how much stuff you own will keep you concerned about keeping things and maintaining things. You could spend your whole life committed to things and miss the purpose, the plan and the destiny of your life.

If you intend to do anything significant with your life, it's going to be in spite of culture rather than because of the culture. Everything in our culture tempts you into short-term thinking. Most of us are not thinking in terms of the next ten years; we’re not even thinking about next year or next month. We think about today.

And I know I’m stretching you to suggest you to think ten years ahead, but as we noted yesterday, “The wise man looks ahead.” (Proverbs 14:8a TLB)

The antidote to cultural distractions is this: you must dare to be different from others.  If you are going to reach your dream in the next decade, if you are going to fulfill your destiny, if you are going to accomplish your goals and see your vision become reality, you are going to have to dare to be different from others.

And until you settle this issue, you will never fulfill your destiny because you cannot make a difference without being different.  You cannot be all God wants you to be and fit in with everybody else.

Noah was different.  God liked what he saw in Noah. Everything was headed toward destruction, but two words changed history -- "but Noah."  That's the power of one person.  That's the power of just one individual.  That's the power you have in your life when you decide to be different and follow the commands of Jesus.

Pray -- God, I admit a lot of times I've worried about what other people thought more than I’ve thought about doing the right thing.  As I face this new decade, I want to dare to be different from others.  I want to be a pleasure to you. I want to be different so I can make a difference.

 by Rick Warren

If I Love God, Why These Problems?
by Jon Walker

My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. 1 John 4:4 (MSG)"

Our lives in Christ are meant to be extraordinary, incredible, meaningful and purposeful but never trouble-free. God keeps you in the pressure-cooker of life so others can see how a life connected to Jesus confronts problems in a very different way than a life that is disconnected from Jesus.

We are empowered by the Holy Spirit and that gives us the ability to respond to hardship like people from the kingdom of heaven -- not like people seemingly abandoned by God or in rebellion to God or unaware of God or unrepentant before God.

When we think God is not involved in our circumstances, we respond with problems with defensiveness, blame, shame, anger, hatred, pride, fear and self-centeredness. Anybody can do that. Anybody not connected to Jesus.

Jesus will have none of that and so he pushes us to a choice: Do you trust that I am involved in your circumstances or not?

When we respond from our human nature, instead of submitting to the divine nature working within us, we expose a deep, inner distrust of Jesus. Our actions show we believe him incapable of understanding the stress and danger of life (a bold belief considering Jesus died hanging on the cross).

On the other hand, when we respond from the truth that we are connected to Jesus, we prove that we believe he that is within us is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

Jesus’ goal is not to condemn us for our distrust; rather, it is to expose our faulty beliefs so we will abandon them and move deeper into our relationship with him.

This devotional is by Jon Walker, editor of the Daily Hope Devotionals and author of Costly Grace.  

We May Suffer Even When Obedient
by Jon Walker

“If any of you want to come with me,” he told them, “you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34 (TEV)

When we suffer, we can cling to the truth that God is not surprised. We do not suffer outside the sovereignty and power of God.

We can rest in his promise that he has our best interest at heart and so, when suffering and rejection come, we can obediently trust that our suffering is not an accident but a necessity used by God to lovingly squeeze the things out of us that we might otherwise ignore or excuse -- the sin, disobedience, and apathy that we like to think isn’t so bad.

And this is why Jesus so often addresses the weary and brokenhearted (see Matthew 11:28-30). In a sense, ‘Come to me if you are desperate because only desperate men and women are willing to suffer for my cause.’

They alone understand God will give them “treasures of darkness and riches from secret places, so that you may know that I, the Lord, the God of Israel call you by your name.” (Isaiah 45:3 HCSB)

Consider this: The cross did not just happen to Jesus; it was part of his purpose for coming to earth. Suffering does not just happen upon you; God uses it to help you fulfill the purpose for your life.

You may face suffering even as you walk obediently into this decade of destiny. Don’t let it distract you; instead, let it drive you deeper into the heart of God. Even if you can’t see the work of God’s hand, place your faith in the loving and good nature of God.

Jon Walker, editor of the Daily Hope Devotionals and author of Costly Grace.

 It Only Takes 5 Minutes to Change Everything! 

There are 1440 minutes in a day — that’s 288 “chunks” of 5 minutes. 

With just one of those 5-minute periods, you can experience incredible, transforming life-change. 

You’re probably thinking: It can’t be that simple. There’s no way my life can turn around in 5 minutes. But it really can be that simple when you speak God’s promises and truly believe His Word. 

Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (NIV). Your words have incredible power, and you’re the one who decides whether or not they are filled with life or death. 

So think before you speak! Negative, fearful, bitter words are like a rotten piece of fruit, while positive, faith-filled words are the path to new and wonderful seasons of life. 

 Proclaim the Promises of God Over Your Life. If you’ll spend 5 minutes, every day, practicing words of life, I promise you’ll see a change. It’s not complicated. You can do it, but you have to do it on purpose. 

Imagine how your heart, your circumstances, your faith and your life would be different if you started or even ended each day with simple statements like: 

“God your Word says that you’re for me, and because YOU are for me, no one can stand against me.” 

“Father, YOU promised to never leave me or forsake me. Even when I can’t feel it, even when it feels like the world’s against me, YOU are WITH ME!”

This isn’t a quick fix; it’s a lifestyle. Five minutes every day declaring God’s promises over your life can redirect your life on a totally new path.