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In Spite of Our Chains

By Steve T. on November 14, 2011

In the message “Faith to Move Mountains” we saw that, though our faith may appear small, all genuine believers in Jesus Christ have the faith to move any and all mountains which stand between us and a close relationship with our Heavenly Father. HOWEVER…Not all trials represent mountains which must be moved! Many things we view as obstacles are perfectly aligned with God’s plan. This can definitely be a difficult and unpopular message!

Our Christian walk never promises freedom from trouble. In fact, Jesus promised us just the opposite; “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33a). Fortunately, Jesus immediately followed these words with a message of hope; “But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b). Though trials may come and remain much longer than we’d like, we can still be set free by abiding in The One who has overcome.

The Apostle Paul had many trials during his ministry: “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). But Paul was able to keep his trials in proper perspective by focusing on what was eternally relevant; “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Toward the end of his ministry Paul was arrested for the “offense” of preaching the gospel. While awaiting trial in Rome, Paul spent two years under the guard of a Roman soldier and wrote a wonderful letter of encouragement to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Though he was confined, Paul allowed himself to be used by God to encourage many others toward an increase in their faith.

Philippians 1:14
“Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”

Every time we experience a trial, the world watches to see the substance of our faith. Often, there is no better witness than to continue to trust and praise in the middle of our own trials. The best way to show that God is real is by making Him real in our own life.

Let’s take a new look at our trials. Some are truly mountains which must be moved; but others are simply the chains we must patiently endure for the sake of the gospel. Let’s turn what the enemy meant for harm into something which glorifies God. Let’s encourage others to draw nearer to a loving Father as we praise Him with all our heart…in spite of our chains.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Faith To Move Mountains

By Steve T. on November 14, 2011

In the message “The Mountain of Faith” we saw the faith of Abraham as God told him to climb the mountain and sacrifice Isaac. But, more importantly, we saw this as a picture of what it means to truly believe. Jesus said, “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16), but true belief clearly implies a willingness to obediently follow.

The gift of eternal life is given to those who have faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. This precious gift is never linked to a specific amount of faith; rather, the only requirement of the gospel is that our faith be genuine. In fact, Jesus stated that a small amount of faith can accomplish more than we can imagine.

Matthew 17:20
“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

This is amazing! Jesus used the example of a mustard seed because it was the smallest seed known. A few chapters later He made a similar statement; “If you have faith and do not doubt…you can say to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done” (Matthew 21:21). If we are a child of God then we have already been given sufficient faith by Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). There is therefore NO obstacle which cannot be cast aside!

Of course, genuine faith also implies an alignment with the will of God. Jesus even said, “He can do only what He sees His Father doing” (John 5:19). This is why we don’t see individuals moving physical mountains today – it’s not in the will of God. However, it’s most definitely in God’s will that we move all mountains which threaten to block our path toward Him or hinder His plan for our life.

If we really believe, we ought to be living our life according to His truth and the faith we have been given! Though we may face mountains in our job, relationships, finances, health, kids, or parents; though we may face temptations or addictions which appear impossible to conquer; though we may battle a low self esteem which says we can’t, we must believe the Word of God is true! “With God ALL things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Though we may not understand, we must believe, in faith, that God is infinitely greater than the bounds of our understanding. We are not walking alone and NO problem is beyond His ability to direct.

If we desire to live the full life God intends – the life that honors Him with every move and even every breath – then God’s Word must become our foundation. Whatever problems we face, we must fall on our knees with humble submission to His will and seek His face in prayer. Then we must rise up and step forward without doubt, and, in His strength, believe we have been given the faith to move mountains.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Listen as We Climb

By Steve T. on November 14, 2011

In the message “The Mountain of Faith” we were encouraged to believe with a faith which is secure enough to surrender ALL to our Lord and Savior. We saw an example of this faith in Abraham as he was given a son and then told to surrender him as a burnt offering; “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about” (Genesis 22:2).

Without any debate or even apparent doubt, Abraham set out with Isaac and a bundle of wood and began to obediently climb the mountain of faith. What special quality did Abraham have which allowed him to make such a climb? Only one! He believed God; “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Clearly, belief is tied directly to trust and obedience. Abraham believed God had a purpose for giving him such a command and he immediately obeyed.

Many of us are longing for clear direction from God. Although we probably pray that His direction doesn’t require the sacrifice of Abraham, we’re ready to follow and are in a mode of waiting. Waiting can be very frustrating and sometimes cause us to speed up God’s timing. But we must continue to patiently seek the Lord, trust there is a purpose in the wait, continue to grow and mature, and be obedient to the things God has already given us to do. His direction will come – and when it does, we must be prepared to follow.

And yet, there is a mature part of Abraham’s climb we often overlook. Perhaps if Isaac had been born ten years earlier, Abraham would not have been mature enough to make such a climb. You see, Abraham had learned to ALWAYS keep his eyes on the Lord – always listen for His leading – even after his direction appeared clear.

Genesis 22:9-11
“He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied.”

What would have happened if Abraham had become so focused on “the mission” that he failed to listen for the voice of the Lord? Abraham was being obedient to the call of God; but right at the point of absolute obedience, God changed direction; “Do not lay a hand on the boy” (Genesis 22:12).

The call of God is not a one time event; it’s an ongoing, moment by moment relationship of love. We are never sent on a mission which leads us away from the presence of the Lord. Rather, we are called to follow, making the journey hand in hand, and step by step. Let’s continue to grow ever closer to our Heavenly Father. Let’s trust Him more, love Him more, and always, always, always, listen as we climb.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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The Mountain of Faith

By Steve T. on November 14, 2011

When Abraham was over eighty years old, God made him a wonderful promise: “A son coming from your own body will be your heir. Look up at the heavens and count the stars – so shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:4-5).

Many years went by without any indication that God would fulfill this promise. Finally, when Abraham was one hundred years old, and his wife, Sarah, was ninety, God fulfilled His promise through the birth of Isaac. But when Isaac was a young boy, God told Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son.

Genesis 22:2
“Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

We can’t even imagine receiving this type of command from God. Abraham loved Isaac; and Isaac also represented the fulfillment of God’s promise. But Abraham did not even question the apparent conflict between God’s promise and His command…he simply believed and obeyed. Abraham took Isaac and climbed the mountain, placed him on top of a pile of wood, and “took the knife to slay his son” (Genesis 22:10).

Many people speculate about the turmoil in Abraham’s mind during this time, but Scripture gives no indication that Abraham ever seemed anxious or concerned. He believed in God, believed His promises, and his faith never seemed to waver. As Abraham was about to kill his son, God stopped him and provided a ram as a substitute sacrifice (Genesis 22:13).

God put Abraham through an unimaginable test of faith…but why? The test was not for God – surely God already knew of Abraham’s faith! It’s possible the test was given in order to strengthen Abraham’s faith. God often tests us as a way of refining and drawing us closer to Himself. But I believe the main reason for Abraham being asked to climb the mountain was so we would have a clear picture of what it means to believe and trust God.

Belief is central to the gospel message. It is so important that God gave a picture through Abraham which allows us to truly understand what Jesus meant when He said; “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God is calling us to believe. He is calling us to a life of faith where we have such a strong assurance of His presence that He is all we need…all we value and hold dear. Let’s give ourselves completely to Him, without ANY reservation – let’s truly believe! Let’s give Him ALL our heart and be willing to sacrifice ALL for His glory and honor. Let’s once and for all climb the mountain of faith.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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This Last Day

By Steve T. on November 7, 2011

On the evening before He was crucified, Jesus ate one last meal with His disciples. For three years, the disciples had been instructed by Jesus and witnessed His miracles. He had taught them many lessons about the Kingdom of God…and about His upcoming death: “He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him, insult Him, spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him” (Luke 18:32).

Now with less than one day to live, Jesus told His closest companions that one of them would soon betray Him; “The hand of him who is going to betray Me is with Mine on the table” (Luke 22:21). Naturally, the disciples were shocked! But their focus soon turned to trivial matters.

Luke 22:23-24
“They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.”

These men were eating supper with the Creator of the Universe and witnessing the most awesome events in the history of the world. And yet, in this last day, with only a few remaining hours, their concerns drifted to matters of position and status.

It’s tempting to criticize these first disciples: “How could they be so self-consumed?” But then, how often do we make this exact same mistake? With our eternal Home just around the corner, and a Savior who is willing to walk every day by our side, how often do we become absorbed in the non-eternal?

Sure, we have responsibilities and concerns in our daily walk. Our finances or health may look uncertain and require extra effort. The harsh words of others may offend and cause very real pain. But when properly viewed against the backdrop of eternity, each worldly issue must shrink to the near trivial. If we really understood the glory we will one day see and how soon all else will fade away, we would be much less concerned about how things appear in the eyes of the world.

With wonderful hindsight we can say the disciples should have known their time with Jesus was short. They should have seen the events unfolding, taken advantage of every precious moment, and worshipped Him with every breath, every heartbeat, every thought, and every word – but they didn’t.

And now, with the foresight given through God’s Word and the guidance of His Spirit, we face the same challenge! Our Father has called us into a deep and personal relationship with Himself through faith in His Son – and our time is very, very short (much shorter than we realize). What concerns or passions will consume our time and energy? With all we have been given, what will we now do with this last day?

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Spots of a Leopard

By Steve T. on November 7, 2011

In the message “Guard Against The Yeast” we saw how Jesus warned about allowing even a little hypocrisy to enter our life. When we compromise any area of our beliefs, we are in grave danger of allowing the compromise to spread “through the whole batch of dough” (Galatians 5:9).

In the days of Jeremiah, God warned the people of Jerusalem about the destruction which was coming unless they turned from their evil ways. But the people continued in their sin and refused to listen. God gave them many opportunities to repent, but they had become comfortable in their sin and were unwilling – possibly even unable – to change.

Jeremiah 13:22-23
“And if you ask yourself, ‘Why has this happened to me?’ – it is because of your many sins. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.”

One of the devastating results of sin is that it causes separation from God; and separation causes the defense against temptation to weaken. Unfortunately, a weakened defense makes it easier to continue in sin…causing further separation. The cycle of sin and separation had continued in Jerusalem until sin was viewed as normal behavior. The “yeast” had been mixed into every part of the dough and their conscience had become “seared as with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2).

We need to understand this when ministering to those who are lost. People without Jesus have a difficult (if not impossible) time recognizing their sin. What we may see as sinful, they see as normal behavior which has no need of change. Rather than attempting to correct their specific sins, we must share the love of Christ – His purpose and plan of forgiveness – and help lead them to faith in the Savior. Only Jesus can create true change; only His grace can reveal and remove sin.

However, we must also understand the perils of the sin cycle in our own life. Is there sin which we are beginning to view as “normal” behavior and allowing to hinder the joy of being in His presence? Is our sin forming “spots” which we now call ordinary and acceptable? Remember that sin causes separation which leads to more sin…and greater separation. This cycle must be recognized and stopped!

Although we may have wandered, all hunger for change is the conviction of the Holy Spirit who is calling us to repentance – calling us to respond to the love of Christ and keep our conscience from becoming seared. Let’s break the cycle of sin and return to a life which glorifies our Heavenly Father in ALL we do. Let’s never become so accustomed to sin that we develop the unchangeable spots of a leopard.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Guard Against the Yeast

By Steve T. on November 7, 2011

When God led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, He told them to prepare for a quick departure by making bread without yeast. He gave instructions to remember their departure through the celebration of Passover, also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. During this celebration there was a seven day period when yeast was not even allowed in the home: “For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel” (Exodus 12:19).

When God established the various offerings through Moses, yeast became associated with an unworthy sacrifice; “Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast” (Leviticus 2:11).

About 1500 years later, Jesus used the symbolism of yeast to give His disciples an important warning.

Luke 12:1
“Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

With this choice of words, Jesus warned that hypocrisy has the ability to contaminate our lives, and therefore the offering we present to God. The Pharisees had an outward appearance of godliness, but their hearts had compromised true worship and become contaminated; “On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 23:28). When we examine our own heart, does it match how we appear on the outside? Or have we too become full of hypocrisy?

The symbolism of yeast gives another clear warning; “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough” (Galatians 5:9). Every day we are tempted to make compromises with the world; compromises which cause us to behave contrary to our professed beliefs. This is hypocrisy and must be avoided at all cost! Each incident seems so small – like only “a little yeast” – but soon the compromises work through all areas of our life.

The only worthy endeavor during our allotted time on earth is to present ourselves, with complete abandonment, as a living sacrifice to God; “this is your spiritual (or reasonable) act of worship” (Romans 12:1). Our Heavenly Father is worthy of our very best…a pure and holy offering.

Let’s celebrate our release from the slavery of sin by cleaning our home and removing all spiritual compromise. Let’s give our whole heart to God in loving worship and guard against ANYTHING which pulls us away. Let’s fight the hypocrisy in our lives and diligently guard against the yeast.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Trusting in His Grace

By Steve T. on November 7, 2011

In the message “What We’ve Seen and Heard” we were encouraged to press in close to the presence of God and share how His truths have been made real in our life. As we continue to walk with our Heavenly Father and better understand His love, we ought to experience a sense of awe which we can’t help but share with others.

The complete story of Jesus Christ, which began before the creation of the world and continues for all eternity, is a love story whose central theme is grace; “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). The moment we believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin, God lovingly welcomes us into His Family; this is His gift of Salvation! We are adopted into His Family before doing anything deserving of being called His child. This means our Salvation is never something we earn – it is a gift of grace.

Romans 11:6
“And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”

If we come before our Heavenly Father thinking we can do ANYTHING which makes us deserving of Salvation, then we do not yet understand His gift of forgiving grace. God’s grace is extended to all who believe, but we are called to believe His grace is both absolutely necessary AND completely sufficient.

If we truly believe, our life will produce fruit and we will do good works; “Faith, if not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). But our good works will never save us – Salvation is a gift. If we truly believe, we will desire to obediently follow; “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands” (1 John 2:3). But our obedience will never save us – Salvation is a gift.

If we have never settled the issue of Salvation, then today is the day to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). We must come before God with empty hands, acknowledge our sin and need for a Savior, and receive the gift of grace offered through Jesus.

As we then continue our walk with Christ we learn to love Him with all our heart and strive to present our very best, bringing Him glory and honor in ALL we do. But while we walk, love, and strive, we must remember that our “best” is not what earns His favor. Our “successes” will not make us more worthy, and our “failures” will not cause us to lose His love. His gift is everything! Let’s give Him everything in return as we continue to live each moment of this wondrous journey by trusting in His grace.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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What We’ve Seen and Heard

By Steve T. on November 7, 2011

How will we respond to those who doubt? What should we say to those with uncertainties, or to those who ask, “Is Jesus really the answer?”

We could begin with how the Bible is the true Word of God: “A collection of 66 books written by many different authors, during a 1500 year time period, and all with the same message.” Or, we could discuss the Old Testament prophesies which were fulfilled with Jesus. We could show where Micah said the Savior would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) and where Isaiah stated He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14).

We could point to Zechariah who prophesied that our King would enter Jerusalem “gentle and riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9), how David said He would be crucified; “they have pierced My hands and My feet” (Psalm 22:16), and how Isaiah said He would die for our sin; “He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

These are all good truths to share at the appropriate time; but when someone is doubting or searching, it’s usually best to follow the example of Jesus. John the Baptist had sent messengers to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:19).

Luke 7:21-22
“At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So He replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard.'”

While it’s good to be able to defend our faith, we will never convince anyone to believe by presenting Biblical “facts.” The most convincing argument as to the truth of God’s Word is to share how we’ve seen His Word come alive in our own life; how we’ve seen Jesus calm the seas and rebuke the storms, heal broken lives and answer prayers. We ought to share how we’ve heard Him call us to test the waters of faith and seen the waters become solid as we stepped; how we’ve experienced “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). When God’s truths become real in our daily life, they cannot be argued against!

If His truths have not yet become absolute and unquestionably real, then I urge you to press VERY close into His presence and allow His light to shine in and through you each and every day. There can be no better preparation for sharing the truth than to live the truth and watch God work in a multitude of ways. Let’s prepare to share the gospel; and when the opportunity arises, let’s simply report what we’ve seen and heard.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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The Potter’s Hand

By Steve T. on October 27, 2011

About 2600 years ago, God taught the prophet Jeremiah what it meant to be a sovereign God. He taught that His plan WOULD be fulfilled – one way or the other. Either His children would submit to His gentle guidance, or He would bring discipline to teach them the need for obedience.

Although God has the ability to directly give us understanding, His usual method is to teach us through His Word and then allow us to see the application and gain wisdom through our experiences. In order to give a clear understanding of His sovereignty, God told Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house and wait for His message.

Jeremiah 18:3-6
“So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the Word of the Lord came to me: ‘Can I not do with you as this potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand.'”

Jeremiah understood that God was the Potter and had total control over the shape of the clay. How foolish it would be for the clay to complain or rebel; “Can the pot say of the potter, ‘He knows nothing’?” (Isaiah 29:16). The Potter will continue to mold the clay. If the clay begins to harden in its unfinished state, the Potter loves the clay enough to crush it down, sprinkle it with water and begin anew.

The only way for us to become all that God desires is to yield and remain moldable. We have no ability to shape ourselves! The Potter is creating something eternally beautiful – we are being “conformed to the likeness of His Son” (Romans 8:29). Oh, if we could only trust that His shaping is so much better than anything we could ever create. How prideful to think we can do better!

There may be times when we have rough edges which must be removed. There may also be times when we need to be crushed down so the shaping process can start over. But we must trust the Potter and believe the results will be worth any pain or discomfort; “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Our Heavenly Father is in complete (and loving) control. Let’s daily be filled with His Spirit and commit our lives to His shaping process – a process which undoubtedly will last a lifetime! Let’s remain moldable clay and yield to the shaping of the Potter’s Hand.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Days of Our Youth

By Steve T. on October 27, 2011

All through the Old Testament, God called the people of Israel to worship Him as the One True God. He spoke through Moses, the priests, and the prophets, but the people continued to turn away. Even after the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem God continued to call His Children to return to Him – to return with ALL their heart!

During the Babylonian captivity, God told Ezekiel to proclaim His Word to all the people of Israel. Ezekiel gave the people several illustrations of how far they had fallen, and how much sorrow their sin was causing for a loving Father. Through Ezekiel, God said the people of Israel were like a helpless newborn baby who had been thrown into an open field; “Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, ‘Live!'” (Ezekiel 16:6).

They had done nothing to deserve His favor, but were chosen to become a great nation, set apart and devoted to God. Without His grace, they would have been as lost as the newborn in the field – but God said “Live!” He picked them up, cleaned them off, loved them, and made them beautiful…but His Children forgot His love and abused His grace.

Ezekiel 16:15-16
“You trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his…such things should not happen.”

The people of Israel forgot all God had done and gave their love to other gods (spiritual prostitution). They used the grace of God for their own benefit and forgot their previous condition: “In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood” (Ezekiel 16:22).

God loves us so much…and it breaks His heart to see how we abuse His gifts. Without the saving grace of Jesus, each of us are as helpless as the newborn baby. Without Christ, we have no hope of survival: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). We were lost in our sin until God reached down, picked us up, and said “Live!” Thank You Lord!!

Let’s remind ourselves of the miracle of Salvation! Though we have done nothing to deserve God’s grace, He reaches down and gives us eternal life – cleansing us of our sins and making us beautiful in His sight. We who believe have been born into God’s Family. Let’s not abuse His gift by forgetting when we were helpless, “naked and bare.” Let’s give Him ALL our love and always remember the days of our youth.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Receive His Perfect Gift

By Steve T. on October 27, 2011

We are often encouraged to share the wonders of God’s love through the uncompromising truth of His Word. There are so many all around us who are in great need! We live in a lost and dying world full of people who desperately need to know God’s plan of forgiveness and restoration. But as we share the truth and minister to others, let’s also remember to make the time to personally receive ALL our Father has to offer.

When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a drink of water, she thought the request was quite odd since Jesus was clearly a Jew, and Jews did not associate with Samaritans; “How can you ask me for a drink?” (John 4:9). Rather than explain His radical views on social interaction, Jesus took the opportunity to introduce the woman to the gift of God.

John 4:10
“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.'”

If we only knew! I often imagine a loving Father who has given the greatest gift the world has ever known. We approach and examine the gift. We ask questions and study the gift. We even shake the gift and then proudly display it on our shelf, but we never actually open the gift and receive what’s inside. If we only knew! “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:7). His gifts are perfect; and if we only knew, we would open and receive them with abounding joy!

His gift of living water is still available today. This gift refers to our Salvation by the spiritual transformation of our heart, but it also refers to His on-going gift of a victorious life of peace and contentment; “Everyone who drinks this water [from the well] will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst” (John 4:13-14). His gift of Salvation is free through faith in Jesus Christ, and peace is assured through a humble submission to His will. But we continually rebel and pump from the wells of this world – we drink polluted lies and continually thirst for more.

Approximately 650 years earlier, God gave the same message to the people of Jerusalem: “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken Me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:13). If we only knew! We sit beside a Spring overflowing with the best tasting water imaginable, but we turn away and pump sludge into our broken pots.

God has great plans for each of us – and His plans are much bigger and brighter than anything we can accomplish through our own effort. Let’s rediscover the gift of living water and put an end to our thirst! Let’s return to the Spring and continue our journey in obedience. Let’s drink freely and daily receive His perfect gift.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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