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After entering the promised land, the Israelites were ruled by a series of Judges. This time was characterized by God’s discipline when the hearts of His children turned away, and deliverance when they repented and cried out for help. Unfortunately, this cycle was repeated many times! Deborah led the Israelites to forty years of peace, but then; “the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years He gave them into the hands of the Midianites” (Judges 6:1).

After seven years of oppression, “Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help” (Judges 6:6). The Israelites were living in such fear that when God answered their cry and called Gideon to be the next deliverer of Israel, he was “threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites” (Judges 6:11). Gideon would eventually lead a small army to victory and rule Israel for another forty years; but when God first called, he was fearfully sifting grain for his next loaf of bread.

Judges 6:14-15
“The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’ ‘But Lord,’ Gideon asked, ‘how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.'”

Gideon was scared and saw himself as one with little worth, “the least in my family,” but God saw the next brave leader of a nation. Gideon saw weakness, but God saw strength. Gideon saw his past failures, but God saw the future victories of a mighty warrior. Gideon’s vision required him to fearfully work for his next loaf, but God’s vision was calling Gideon to boldly lead many others closer to His side.

God sees each of us much differently than we see ourselves; “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Not only does God see deeper, He sees with an expanded spiritual spectrum which we can scarcely imagine. Our Father is intimately aware of all our failings…and He loves us anyway! He not only sees who we are, but also who we will become as our heart is fully devoted to Him and we learn to walk in step with His Spirit. He sees every opportunity we will ever have to glorify His name.

Let’s put aside the baggage of our past which clouds and distorts our view. Let’s refuse to look through the filter of our present understanding and perceived limitations; “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen” (2 Corinthians 4:18). God has called us into His Glorious Kingdom, uniquely equipped us for His service, and given us an assignment to share His love and truth. Our Heavenly Father sees our full potential as we walk in His strength. Let’s answer the call and move forward with confidence as we trust His vision.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

The apostles were instructed by the best Teacher the world has ever known; and they witnessed the miracles of Jesus’ life as well as His death and resurrection. It had been forty days since Jesus walked victoriously out of the tomb, and He was now returning to the loving arms of His Father. But first, Jesus visited with His friends one last time and gave them a charge which would last the rest of their lives.

Acts 1:8
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus’ death initiated the new covenant agreement between God and man; “this cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20). And on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given to all who believed and had entered into this new covenant. Jesus’ final instruction to the apostles was for them to be witnesses of this message of hope – to take this message of the new covenant in Christ and the power of His Spirit into the mission field.

Jesus defined the mission field as “to the ends of the earth,” meaning the extent of the known world (as far as anyone could possibly travel), but He also said to witness “in all Judea and Samaria” (the surrounding area or countries), and “in Jerusalem” (the city where they currently lived). Jesus was saying: Wherever you go – whether near or far – be My witness and boldly proclaim the good news; “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant” (2 Corinthians 3:6).

All who truly profess Jesus as Lord and Savior have been sealed and empowered by His Spirit and are now to be witnesses of the Gospel; “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Our mission field will not necessarily be in a foreign land, or with a different language, but it WILL be filled with those who need to hear, see, taste and feel the message of Jesus. And our life ought to be a clear demonstration of that message!

We should praise God for the missionaries in foreign lands. They are accomplishing a vital service and are in need of our prayers and support. But we should also praise God for ALL who faithfully look for the hurting and lonely, who seek out those in need of love and encouragement, who minister the love of Jesus and proclaim His message through all they do…right where they are!

“I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:35). The field is all around us – in our church, our neighborhood, our work place…even in our own family! Let’s accept the charge today to be faithful ambassadors and proclaim the good news wherever He leads. Let’s boldly step out in faith and enter the mission field!

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

Moses had led the people of Israel through the desert for 40 years and was now preparing them to cross the Jordan River into the promised land of Canaan. As part of this preparation, Moses reminded the people how God had provided for all their past needs and reviewed the laws by which God expected them to live; “and if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us, that will be our righteousness” (Deuteronomy 6:25).

The people of Israel would be brought into a right relationship with God as they worshipped Him and obeyed His commands. But as they entered the promised land, there were many enemies which had to be removed.

Deuteronomy 7:1-2
“When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations – the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you – and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.”

These enemies posed a serious physical threat, but the longer term danger was to their spiritual survival. God wanted these “Ites” completely destroyed because their worldly gods would continually pull at the heart of His chosen people; “Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods” (Deuteronomy 11:16).

This can be a difficult message with today’s soft view of sin. But there is an important lesson for each of us who long for a close relationship with God. Today, Jesus has provided the path to righteousness; “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22). But God still desires the entirety of our heart and expects us to turn from anything which pulls us away from an unhindered and unrestrained devotion.

As he leads us into His promised land of rest and peace, there will always be enemies which entice us to turn from God, many temptations which compete for our time and thoughts…and for our worship. These “Ites” will appear stronger than our ability to conquer. But as we follow hard after God, He will grant us victory; “the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you” (Deuteronomy 7:22).

What enemies take us away from the worship of God? What addictions, activities, desires or fears are consuming our heart and keeping us from being focused on Jesus – keeping us from a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father? Let’s be determined to possess the land and fully give our heart to God. Let’s identify the enemies which hinder our walk and, without mercy, let’s completely destroy the Ites.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

In the message “The Rock of Obedience” we considered our call to hear His words AND to “put them into practice” (Matthew 7:24). In fact, we saw that obedience to His Word is an indicator of our eternal position in Christ; “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands” (1 John 2:3).

Salvation is a work of the Spirit, a “circumcision of the heart” (Romans 2:29), for those who truly believe in Jesus Christ. This miraculous work of the Spirit will always cause a change and will always produce fruit. However, we must balance this truth with the understanding that spiritual change is a transformation which is sometimes painfully slow. Each new creation in Christ is given the Holy Spirit as a guide, but we will spend the rest of our life learning who we really are in Christ and how to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).

Even Paul recognized his spiritual maturity was not complete. He had the unique opportunity to receive truths and understanding directly from God; “this is what we speak, not with words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:13), but Paul still fell short of God’s glory and had to strive to reach the place Christ desired.

Philippians 3:10-12
“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Paul knew the goal of his life was to bring glory and honor to God by living in the fullness and power of the resurrection. He knew he was to live a submitted life as one who was born “into an inheritance that can never perish” (1 Peter 1:3-4). But he also knew he had not fully attained this goal.

At the moment of salvation, Jesus “took hold” of our life. Every single day we are given a new opportunity to pick up the pieces and bring Him glory and honor in ALL we do as we “press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14). We only arrive at the goal when we are called Home and see Him face to face, when we are fully “transformed into His likeness” (2 Corinthians 3:18). But until that time, we are to press forward in the obedience of worship, holiness, and eternal priorities.

No matter how difficult our current circumstances, how terrible our past mistakes or how seemingly hopeless our future, the only step under consideration is our very next. We must begin today to live as a new creation in Christ who desires to step in obedience and glorify His name. Then, we must continue to walk through a lifetime of transformation.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

As we are “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20) and live “united with Him in His resurrection” (Romans 6:5), we begin to view more and more of our life through the eyes of God. What we once saw as critically important begins to fade; and what we once neglected, we now begin to see as beloved by our Heavenly Father.

We can no longer build according to our old set of priorities. In fact, when we truly come in full submission to the cross of Jesus, we find we can no longer build anything according to our own design or in our own strength. We discover we must make God the Master Builder of every area of our life or we are wasting precious time, energy, and resources.

Psalms 127:1
“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”

Our life goes by so fast and our eternal vision is so very limited. Many of us are frantically building our castle and have failed to see we are building with sand which will crumble with the swell of the next tide. We may be struggling to build in our marriage, children, parents, job, school, friends, or even our ministry. But if we are expending great effort without results which are pleasing to God, we must honestly ask the question: “Who is doing the building?”

Even if our effort meets with apparent success, we must ask the same question and relinquish controls to God. Our greatest projects, if built in our own strength, will one day pass through the fire and be consumed; “the fire will test the quality of each man’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:13). The standard of quality is determined by God, not man! It will be a sad day if we find we have spent a lifetime building that which is consumed by fire; “he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:15).

In order for God to properly build, we must first submit to the refining He desires to accomplish. He will mold us into the likeness of His Son as we are fully devoted to loving Him, learning His Word, and applying His Truth as the absolute foundation of our life: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22-24).

God is not just the best solution, He is the ONLY solution worth pursuing. Heavenly Father, help us to not waste another moment of this precious life you have given. Help us see where we have taken too much control and give us the strength and courage to turn over ALL to You. Dear Lord, work through us to build what will last for eternity! Beginning right now, help us to stop laboring in vain!

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

In the message “Consistent Trust” we were encouraged to “trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5). We saw how a consistent trust ought to invade all areas of our life; we must be able to trust God for our eternity as well as our daily walk. A good measure of our trust (or lack of trust) is in our level of anxiety.

Being anxious, or having anxiety, is defined as being mentally troubled with worry or concern. Unfortunately, we have all been battling anxiety ever since Adam ate the forbidden fruit and tried in vain to hide from God; “I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid” (Genesis 3:10). The negative effects of anxiety were understood three thousand years ago when King Solomon wrote his proverbs of wisdom; “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (Proverbs 12:25).

Anxiety remained a necessary topic as Paul preached the Good News of Jesus. Almost in the same breath that he gave instruction to “Rejoice in the Lord always!” (Philippians 4:4), Paul taught on removing anxiety from our life; “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

When we find ourselves being overly concerned or mentally troubled about ANYTHING, we must go to God (with thanksgiving) and give our burdens to Him. This doesn’t mean we ignore our problems, but we must learn to view the things of this world against the backdrop of eternity. The concerns of this life always fade as we compare them to the eternal glory of His Kingdom.

Matthew 6:25,34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry {or be anxious} about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

When we feel weighed down, pressured, or stressed – when concerns are coming in fast motion from all directions and we don’t know where to begin – we must stop and take a long, deep breath! We must refocus on Jesus and His Word. We must be reminded of eternity in the presence of a loving God and diligently seek His Kingdom; “make every effort to enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:11).

As we draw closer to our Heavenly Father, our eyes become adjusted to His light and we see He has already given all we really need. As we love Him more, all fear is removed: “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). And as we trust Him more and more, we will receive His gift of peace and no longer live with the burdening weight of an anxious heart.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries