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In the message “Never Forget” we saw that God’s gift of Salvation through faith in Jesus is our greatest blessing – a blessing we must never forget as we tend to become discouraged. In the beginning, “God created man in His own image” (Genesis 1:27). Then, when sin entered the world and man became separated from God, “He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

This is the greatest love story in all history; “While we were still {lost} sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He died for you and me, and also for all those other lost sinners scattered around us. Jesus Christ, “who being in very nature God” (Philippians 2:6), was born in a dirty stable; “He made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). He lived His life with the single purpose of dying so that ALL who believe could be eternally restored to the Father; “the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men” (Romans 5:18).

God loves us VERY much! And He doesn’t just love those who love Him in return or faithfully serve Him – He loves ALL. We are precious! Yes, He hates sin and will one day judge with an eternal damnation all who fail to believe; but His love – His offer of Salvation – extends to all…even to our noisy neighbor and difficult co-worker, our obnoxious family members and the disrespectful kids who wear “strange” clothes.

God’s love is so much a part of who He is, and of who we ought to be, that Jesus commands us by His example: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). We are to love as Jesus loved; and as if this was too difficult a concept for our finite minds, we are commanded to love in terms we can all understand.

Galatians 5:14
“The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”

God wants us to love others primarily because He loves them and desires His love to be expressed through us! He encouraged this love by creating us with a natural capacity for love. When we are hungry we feed ourself; when we are hurt we care for ourself; and when we are down, we pray to be lifted up. These are natural expressions of self-love – the same love God desires we show to ALL.

Let’s evaluate our thoughts, words, and actions in terms of their effect on others. Are we encouraging or adding burdens? Are we building up or tearing down? Are we bringing others closer to Jesus or pushing them further away? Are we as loving to others as we are to ourself? Let’s be His hands, feet, and voice of love in the world around us. Let’s begin to see others as through His eyes; and remember, we are ALL precious in His sight.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

Joseph’s life was filled with one difficult situation after another. By the time he was a teenager, his brothers had developed an intense hatred toward him which led to an attempt to take his life. But rather than kill him, they sold young Joseph into slavery (Genesis 37). And then, as a slave, Joseph was falsely accused of rape and thrown into jail (Genesis 39).

It’s never really explained how Joseph learned to trust God – but he did! He could have become very discouraged when he became a slave, but somehow Joseph adjusted to his circumstances and thrived; “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered” (Genesis 39:2). When tempted with sexual sin by Potiphar’s wife, he kept himself pure because he did not want to “sin against God” (Genesis 39:9). But false accusations still sent him into prison.

Even after spending several years in jail, Joseph continued to place his complete trust in God. When asked to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph risked his freedom and rightly gave all the glory and praise to God rather than take credit for himself; “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires” (Genesis 41:16).

Joseph was rewarded with much more than his freedom; he was placed in charge of the entire land of Egypt during a great famine. He was also reunited with his family and able to keep them from certain starvation. Several years later, after their father died, Joseph’s brothers came and fearfully asked for his forgiveness. Joseph could have taken great revenge, but he continued to demonstrate his understanding of how God cares for His children.

Genesis 50:19-20
“Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.'”

When Joseph was sold into slavery, he had no idea of God’s awesome plan. He would spend many years in jail before receiving even a hint of God’s purpose. But God is ALWAYS at work in the lives of those who love Him. Joseph’s life must encourage us to draw near to God during times of hardship – to continue trusting and honoring Him in all we do…no matter what our circumstances!

We all go through “dungeon” seasons when life seems to take unplanned and seemingly “unfair” turns. We all, at times, feel abandoned and alone: “Has God forgotten me? Does He no longer care?” We may not understand why things happen the way they do, but if we will continue to love Him with all our heart and consistently trust Him in and through all our trials, we can be certain (and one day we will truly see) that God is in control and every situation is truly intended for good.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

The messages “Stand Firm in The Gap” and “Never Lose Hope” were quite convicting. So much so that I felt the need to send out a type of confession/recommitment message.

In the messages we saw our call to stand in the gap for those who have breaks in their spiritual walls and are in need of prayer, encouragement, and time. We do this by first strengthening our own walls and then being focused on the needs of others. The messages encouraged us to minister with our eyes firmly fixed on Christ, to persevere for as long as it takes, and to never lose hope. However, it’s a sad reality that some ministry efforts last so long, are filled with so many set-backs, and leave us discouraged and wanting to quit.

I haven’t written about my daughter Stacey in quite a while, but many have let me know they continue to pray for her. I have material about her posted on our web site (with her permission) but I haven’t updated the page for a long time because I’m not really sure what to say. There are so many times I thought she had reached bottom, so many times she has cried out to God for help, and so many times she has returned to a life of bad choices and pain.

Stacey has spent most of this past year either in jail or a rehab facility for addiction problems. Over the past thirteen years her additions have jumped around between drugs, pills, and alcohol. She is currently in jail but she gets out today. But this message is not really about Stacey, it’s about me and my shortcomings.

I need to confess that when she was sent to jail in February I pretty much quit – I gave up. I did not write and refused most of her calls. I didn’t give up on God’s ability to pull her out of the pit, but I gave up on my ability to do anything useful. I even convinced myself I might be causing harm if I continued to encourage. I believe I was wrong and missed the heart of God for how to minister and truly stand in the gap.

During this Easter season, I’m reminded of the need to persevere – to never give up – because God never gave up on me.

Romans 5:8
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We all have a long, long history of running away from God. But God never gave up. He never quit! He persevered, loved us, called us, forever longed to be with us; and at just the right time, He died for us!

I have recommitted to standing in the gap for Stacey for as long as it takes. I repent of turning my back and will continue to love on her for the rest of my days. I’m not fully sure what this means but I will seek the guidance of the Spirit of God and trust Him to accomplish the ultimate healing. Let’s not place time limits on our commitment to stand in the gap for those who need our encouragement. And let’s remember the love and patience of God whenever we are discouraged and wanting to quit.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

In the message “Stand Firm in The Gap” we were encouraged to continue in prayer and minister to the needs of others; to stand in the gap for those who need protection against enemy attacks. We saw our responsibility to stand for as long as necessary. This requires perseverance and complete trust in God. It can be difficult when we continue to “stand” but God appears slow to respond. We can also become extremely discouraged when we think we understand HOW He should respond.

Lazarus had become sick to the point of death, and his sisters were standing in the gap by ministering to his needs. They even sent word to Jesus in hopes that He would help.

John 11:4-6
“When He heard this, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days.”

Jesus did not immediately respond – and during this delay, Lazarus died. Yet this tragedy was for God’s glory. When Jesus finally arrived, He raised Lazarus from the dead and taught an important message: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25).

Lazarus and his sisters would have preferred a healing during the early stage of the sickness – but that was not God’s plan. His plan included much more than the temporary suffering of one family. His plan was to teach many people, through many generations, to this very day and beyond, that He was the sure way to eternal life. His plan was perfect, with perfect timing.

We are all given opportunities to serve by meeting the needs of others. But as we serve, we must NEVER take our eyes off our Heavenly Father. Our “job” is to stand in the gap and minister how His Spirit directs. It is never our responsibility to “fix” the people or circumstances we have been called to serve. When we will faithfully serve we will find that God actually uses our ministry effort to work on issues in our own life, issues like trust; “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8). Our lack of trust is revealed when we give up – when we despair and lose hope.

When our area of service seems out of control – when the need seems to outpace our ability to serve and God seems slow to respond – we must continue to trust Him with all our heart. These times of testing will draw us closer to God as we abandon ALL into His sovereign care. He alone knows His plan, and His plan remains perfect. Let’s continue to trust Him and serve as He directs. Let’s continue with our eyes fixed on God, and never lose hope!

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

Paul’s letter to the Philippians is one hundred and four verses filled with encouragement and joy. Paul didn’t write this letter to explain deep theology or to deal with any particular sin. Rather, his purpose was to express love for his friends and to encourage them (and us) to live a joy-filled Christian life.

In chapter one, Paul encourages us that God’s work in us WILL continue; “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (1:6). In chapter two, we are encouraged to “do everything without complaining or arguing” (2:14).

In chapter three, Paul inspires us to be forward-looking in our walk with Christ; “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal” (3:13-14). Finally, in chapter four, Paul writes some of my personal favorites; “Rejoice in the Lord always!” (4:4); “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (4:12); and, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (4:13).

But buried within these wonderful words of encouragement is probably the most valuable and applicable message for our daily journey with Christ.

Philippians 4:9
“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Paul had the gospel message living in him and shining through him every moment of every day. But he never would have learned “the secret” of rejoicing and being content in all situations if he had just learned “about” the gospel. Although it’s wise, and very useful, to study and even memorize God’s Word, His peace and contentment – His joy – will never be real until we actually apply His Word to our life on a daily basis: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).

We must NEVER be just hearers of the Word who become puffed up with Bible knowledge. We must never preach Biblical truths yet fail to apply these truths in our own life and draw ever closer to our Heavenly Father. Jesus accused many of the Jews around Him of making this same mistake: “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life” (John 5:39-40).

Let’s never stop with just loving His Word or His “activities.” Let’s love HIM with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And let’s express our love by obediently following the leading of His Spirit out into the world, as we take what we daily receive and put it into practice.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

To grow as a Christian means to become closer and develop a more intimate relationship with God. This relationship begins when we are born into His family – when we ask Him to forgive our sins through faith in Jesus and begin what is intended to be an eternal communion of love. He desires for us to trust Him in ALL things and pray to Him on all occasions; “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Jesus promised that our prayers will be heard and answered; “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24). But as we lift up our requests, we can sometimes become confused by God’s response. We often perceive His answers to be slow in arriving or we’re disappointed with His reply; we even begin to doubt if God even hears our prayers.

But we must remember that we have entered into an eternal relationship with the Sovereign Creator of the Universe! Underlying all our prayers must be the firm belief that “in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28). God always has a plan, and His plan is very, very good! We must trust that His answer to our prayers will meet our true need (and fulfill our deepest desire) much better than we could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

A short time after Jesus was crucified, Peter and John were confronted by a crippled man sitting beside the Temple gate begging for money.

Acts 3:6
“Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.'”

Until that day, the crippled man had never walked a single step. In his limited view of the world, the only hope he had for a better life was to be given a little money by those passing by. His request was limited by what he could see and understand – limited by his faith.

Our loving Father always hears our prayers – and He always answers. His answer to prayer is either yes, no, or wait…and sometimes He answers with, “Here my child, I have something much better for you.”

God’s view of our needs (and His view of the entire world) is much higher and grander than our own. We generally see our need as the solution to some short term problem, but our true need is always to grow by drawing closer and loving Him more. Let’s take our eyes off the crutches we think will “fix” our problem and look instead to the One who is calling, to the One who patiently says, “Trust Me and come into My presence as you arise and walk!”

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries