Eat the Frog…First thing!
(This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s message: Win the Day…Eat the Frog – LISTEN HERE)
Outside our front door we have a small fish pond off the front porch. Every spring…like now…frogs come to mate in our pond. They are LOUD, but then it quiets and a bit later we have a pond full of tadpoles.
Never once have I been tempted to eat one. (Although I have tried frog legs).
Eating a live frog is not appealing in any way to me. My guess is, you are the same.
Our theme this week is not about eating a live frog, but putting key things first in our day.
Mark Twain is proposed to have said, “If you have to eat a live frog, it’s best done at the beginning of the day.”
Brian Tracy, a personal growth guru, seized on this sentence and wrote a book by the title Eat the Frog advancing 21 habits that end procrastination and increase productivity.
The phrase is catchy and memorable.
My prayer is it reminds us to put the important things first in our day…even if at times it is not our favorite.
What is that first thing?
Jesus taught it in Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
The reality is every day…today included, we are tempted to jump right into the “to-do” list of the day. Get ready for work. Get the kids off to school. Pick up a prescription. Do the laundry. Pay the bills. And the list goes on until the day ends and we flop into bed exhausted, only to start over the next day.
We regret no spending time with the Lord and his Word, but make a shallow personal commitment to get it started the next day. (Only to realize another day passes without that reality happening.)
But this morning is not to spur guilt over the past, but to encourage a new habit to begin today.
You’re reading this devotion, so good job!
What Jesus teaches in Matthew 6 points out the energy and effort we often put into chasing after things that are temporary and worrying about things that are out of our control. We exhaust our efforts to calm our worries in a way that leaves us with shallow relief.
Jesus says, “Eat the Frog.” (Ok, not really, but…) He encourages us to put him first in the day. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.”
What does that mean? Put God first.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30)
This is not an easy focus, but it is a necessary focus. It is not always our habit, but a habit worth developing.
Apply: What reflections do you have of the blessing of putting time with the Lord first versus times when you have missed that opportunity?
Prayer: Lord, help us to put you first in our day by spending a little time with you. Forgive us for the days we have forgotten or neglected this priority. In your grace and power, help us to develop a daily habit of spending time with you.
Kiss the Wave…Step Forward in Faith!
(This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s message: Win the Day…Kiss the Wave – LISTEN HERE)
Step of faith.
As his father lay dying, Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade is given a book of clues to navigate through obstacles to obtain the Holy Grail which was supposed to offer immortality to those that drink from it. He desired to get it to offer healing to his father. At one point, he comes to the edge of a cliff that appears to have no way across, yet he has to cross to get to the chamber in which the Holy Grail is supposed to be. The clue he has, “Take a leap of faith.” His father, as he is dying, whispers, “You must believe, boy.” Indy has no choice. He closes his eyes and steps off the cliff. Yet when his foot lands, he finds himself standing solidly on a camouflaged bridge crossing the gorge below.
The combination of the clue or promise and the compelling reason to move forward led him to step forward in faith. As a result, he moves safely across. (Here’s the clip: CLICK HERE)
While I would never look to Indiana Jones for theology, this moment in the movie is a vivid portrayal of what the Lord calls us to do when the waves of life come.
Sometimes we will not get to the other side unless we take a step of faith. When we take a step of faith, the Lord lays out the next part of his plan and we see him finish strong.
In Sunday’s message, I mentioned the crossing of the Red Sea. Each step by the Israelite community was a step of faith trusting that the walls of water would remain vertical until they got across. As they stepped forward in faith, the Lord finished strong by crashing the waters on the lives of the army of Pharaoh, securing safety and security for the people.
Exodus 14:21-22 The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
Exodus 15:1-2Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Or Peter who was invited by the Lord to step out of the boat onto the water. He could have stayed in the boat and never experienced the miracle of walking on water. Or at Pentecost when he stood up and addressed the crowd, confident now of the reality of the resurrection and the authenticity of Jesus as Lord. His standing up and speaking resulted in the Lord changing 3000 hearts to trust in him.
Acts 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd:
Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
What wave is God calling you to kiss and take a step forward? Relying on his promises and presence we can take the leap of faith. The result is often seeing the Lord finish the situation strong. Our small step of faith is one giant opportunity for the Lord to show his presence and power in our lives.
But it starts with a step of faith.
Apply: What is preventing you from stepping forward in the promises and faith the Lord has given to you? What blessing would you anticipate as you take that step of faith?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me your promises and every reason to step forward in faith. Lead me away from timidity to boldness and confidence to step forward in faith and watch you finish strong. AMEN.
Kiss the Wave…Stand in Peace!
(This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s message: Win the Day…Kiss the Wave – LISTEN HERE)
Where do you find peace when the waves of life come crashing in?
Years ago, a member invited us to a day on his 30 foot sail boat out in the Pamlico Sound in North Carolina. It was a memorable experience, but not one I have any desire to do again. Not that anything bad happened. In fact, it was a great day for sailing…I guess. However, I just remember as soon as the wind blew and the sail boat started tipping at a 20-30 degree angle, I was uneasy and was convinced just one more gust of wind and the boat would topple.
I had no peace until we were back on shore.
Does life ever seem like it’s hard to find peace?
New headlines scream of world tension, financial recession, moral decay, criminals idolized, deviance normalized, children terrorized, and more. It seems at times like you can’t trust anyone and perhaps need to get “off the grid” and away from people to find peace.
Or do we?
Escaping life is an answer to the waves of life (which is not the best answer), however, if we engage in any fashion in life, the waves from within and without are going to blow us and if we are not grounded in peace, the boat of life may tip over.
At the bottom of a sailboat is a very heavy keel. It is what keeps the boat from tipping over as the wind blows against it.
Perhaps the keel that keeps us upright and moving through the winds and waves of life is the keel of peace, that is sunk deeply into our hearts to prevent us from spiritually toppling when the waves come.
But where do we find that peace?
We can look in the world around us and try to find a place or perspective that assures us we are ok in spite of the crazy times in which we live. We can try to find peace in an amount of dollars that we have to buy our hearts peace at times through vacations, recreation, or addictions.
But that peace doesn’t last. The world can only give a temporary peace.
So from where does a peace come that will last and surpass the waves that come?
John 20:19-20 Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Peace comes from knowing the Lord is present. The disciple’s fear changed to joy when Jesus joined them. The reality of the resurrection was affirmed. Jesus was alive. This very Jesus has promised his presence to all as he promised before he left, “I am with you always to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18)
Peace comes from knowing the Lord’s promises.
As Jesus prayed for his disciples, he also reminded his disciples that the Spirit would remind them of all the things he had taught. His words and his promises were to be with them so that as they went through life, the words of Jesus would bring peace to their hearts.
John 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
So, where do we find peace when the waves beat against us? In the presence and promises of the Lord.
Apply: What promises of God bring you the most peace? Find 2-3 key promises of God in his Word and commit them to memory to bring peace to your soul when it is troubled. Let the wave drive you to the presence and promises of God.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your powerful promises that instill solid and lasting peace in our hearts. AMEN.
Kiss the Wave…Fail Forward!
(This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s message: Win the Day…Kiss the Wave – LISTEN HERE)
Sometimes you win…sometimes you learn.
Most of the time you hear this phrase in this manner: “Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.” With this mindset, there is no opportunity to “fail forward.”
John Maxwell, Leadership author, used both of these phrases: Sometimes you win and and sometimes you learn and “fail forward.”
Someone once said, “The cure for the fear of failure is not success. The cure for the fear of failure is failure, in small enough doses, that you build up an immunity to it. You need to identify the type of fear you’re dealing with—fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of intimacy, fear of the future, fear of certain social situations. You have to identify it, then you don’t avoid it. You actually expose yourself to it, in small enough ways, that you build up some immunity to it.”
If you look at most inventors, we think of the huge success of their invention. Take the Wright brothers for example. We credit them with the invention of “heavier than air self-powered flight.” Having stopped at the Wright Brothers National Monument in Kitty Hawk, NC this past March on spring break, you realize again the multiple times they came out to Kitty Hawk from Ohio, back to Ohio to work on new designs, until on December 17, 1903 the invention took flight multiple times.
The Wright brothers learned from every failure. They built gliders, watched the birds, did wind tunnel experiments. None of them was a loss…they learned from failure.
Just last week, Space X launched the biggest rocket ever. It flew for just about 4 minutes before it failed. Space X is still open and most interviewed said, “Anything beyond the tower was better than expectations. We learned a lot to adjust for next time.”
Many fears are linked to fear of failure. Even those in our faith life. We stop trying to share our faith. We stop trying to improve our marriages. We stop trying to parent our kids. We stop trying…because we may fail, do it wrong.
But not doing it at all may be worse.
Consider Peter. We think of him for many of his failures. He began to sink after walking one water. He tried to stop Jesus from going to the cross after confessing him as Christ. He denied Jesus after boasting he would die with Jesus.
Failure? Yes.
But here’s what Jesus did with the failed attempts. He used them to help Peter learn to walk by faith, face persecution, and confess boldly the message of Jesus. Peter failed forward.
After the resurrection, Jesus went directly to Peter to affirm him and commission him.
John 21:15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
Satan loves when fear paralyzes us. Jesus loves to forgive our failures and empower us to fail forward. He wants us to learn from our failures so that we become immune to fear. The result? Fear is overcome and the work of the Lord moves forward!
Apply: What fear of failure do you carry? How might you “unlearn” the messages that are keeping you in fear and learn from the experience to be better at that which you fear. Remember the Lord will help you overcome fear.
Prayer: Lord, with your help, your love, your courage, and your forgiveness, help me always to fail forward! AMEN.
Kiss the Wave…Face your Fear!
(This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s message: Win the Day…Kiss the Wave – LISTEN HERE)
Our hearts and lives are often paralyzed by fear.
Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of hurting yourself. Fear of the unknown. The list goes on. The list of “phobias” in the realm of psychology is long and extensive. Almost anything you encounter can cause you fear. While fear is an emotion we have and it can prompt us to move out of harm’s way or prevent ourselves from getting hurt, fear can often be a paralyzing factor in our day. Fear causes anxiety, worry, and panic. Our aversion to fear leads us to take the path of least resistance or never take a path because our fear has created a reality in our minds that prevents us from moving forward.
So if we are going to win the day, we have to face our fears that leave us immobilized and full of anxiety.
I wish I knew to whom to give credit, but fear has been labeled this way:
FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real
For example, the disciples on the evening of the resurrection were locked in the upper room for fear of the Jews. Had they received a death threat note from the Sanhedrin that they were next? Was the room they were in circled by the temple guards? Neither of these appears to be true, but they had convinced themselves that they were next. So they hid in fear.
Like most encounters with fear in the Bible, the Lord, Jesus, steps into the fear and calms it.
John 20:19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
Did the circumstances change? Did the disciples receive a note that the Sanhedrin realized its error and they would no longer be targeting the followers of Jesus? Nope. Fear based on false evidence was replaced with peace based on actual evidence.
The Apostle John was one of those in the room whose heart of fear was replaced with peace.
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
If Jesus drives away fear, one has to ask, “Where does fear come from?”
Well, if fear is often based on false evidence, it would follow that fear by enlarge is authored by Satan the father of lies. Satan loves to disrupt the peace of our hearts by getting our minds to create stories that aren’t factually true, but disrupt our emotions by making them appear real.
So, Satan’s lies must be replaced by God’s truth.
What are you afraid of?
Acknowledge the emotion of fear is real. However, evaluate the evidence to determine if the story creating that fear is factual.
Psychologists at Penn State studied people with General Anxiety Disorder to determine what percentage of things they worry about actually come true. Here’s their summation:
The result? A whopping 91 percent of worries were false alarms. And of the remaining 9 percent of worries that did come true, the outcome was better than expected about a third of the time. For about one in four participants, exactly zero of their worries materialized.
These findings underscore “worry’s deceit,” in the words of study authors Lucas S. LaFreniere and Michelle G. Newman. “Deceit” is a good word to describe the nature of worry, implicitly demanding that we pay attention to it because the threat is real. In reality, it’s nearly always a false alarm. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201907/how-often-do-your-worries-actually-come-true)
Fear is not that far off from worry and anxiety. Recognize that nearly all of fear is a deception of Satan.
But God’s perfect love, truth and peace can drive out fear…more tomorrow.
Apply: Ask God to reveal the lies and truth about what you fear. What does he open to you?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your perfect love. Allow it to drive out all fears in my heart! AMEN.