The Power to Change.
Affect generations.
Much of scripture is written in a narrative form. I love narratives. They help me remember.
I’m sure the sons of Korah heard many stories shortly after their ancestor Korah’s rebellion (https://www.bible.com/bible/114/NUM.16.NKJV). He’d led many others into rebellion against Aaron and Moses because they were all jealous. They already had position (because God is generous and gave it to them through no merit of their own), but they wanted more.
Here’s the interesting part: the Bible says that the line of “Korah, however, did not die out.”
God had grace on Korah’s line even though Korah did the wrong thing. Many books later, we see that Korah’s sons are known for something entirely different than their great-grandfather. They were known for writing praise songs to God.
In Psalm 47, they speak about God’s ability to shatter the enemy. If it had been some of us, we would have been still blaming God for shattering the lives of our ancestors.
They also, in the psalm, meditated on His unfailing love and said that His right hand is filled with righteousness.
This tells me that even though in the wilderness, many Israelites complained about the death of Korah, Korah’s line decided they weren’t going to live in that story. They weren’t going to carry on Korah’s legacy. Instead, they were going to do a new thing.
That’s called repentance.
That’s called breaking generational curses.
That’s called changing the narrative.
1 Corinthians 10:11 says: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.”
That verse is talking about how we are to recall the previous examples of disobedience, but isn’t it just like God to record the examples of hope?
Today, let’s ask the Father how we can change the narrative in our own lives with His help.
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
Romans 15:4 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/rom.15.4.NIV
Fresh Cut.
Cutting is painful. But sometimes, this is the only way God can do a new thing.
Woman prunes olive branch: Photo by Gary Barnes
Years ago, I was at a salon, and a stylist I know was doing her own hair while I was getting mine done in the opposite chair.
She was preparing her hair for a sew-in. She looked at me and my stylist and said, "Time for a change." She grabbed what appeared to me to be a random clump of hair, took a pair of scissors, and chopped.
My mouth flew wide open. I cannot watch when people get their hair cut, it is so traumatic.
But then my stylist said, "No. It needed to be cut. Cut down to the life."
I couldn't see it, but most of her hair was dead. In order for her to move into something new, she had to let go of the old. Holding on to split, dry, crackly ends further damages what healthy hair is left.
In fact, the quickest way for her to move into hair health, was to chop off the old, even if it “looked” alive.
What do you need to cut off so you can step into the new?
Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/jos.3.5.NIV
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. https://www.bible.com/bible/111/jhn.15.1-2.NIV
Branded.
Not like cattle.
As a graphic designer, part of my job is to create and strengthen branding. I used to be known for degrading brands: messing with logos and changing colors to suit my personal taste. I was a brand demolisher. A rule breaker because...I felt like it.
But then I was tasked to one team as the only designer. All of a sudden, I became protective of our particular brands, wanting to develop their looks and recognizability. I now had skin in the game. As much as it depended on me, I was going to do everything I could to help that brand to succeed.
I prayed over the Marketing team and their results. I prayed over my own design skills—that they would be far above the rest. I prayed for the new designer who would eventually join our team, that we would work harmoniously together, have exponential creativity, and take the brand to an entirely new level.
If you're a believer, you have a brand. But do you have buy-in?
Numbers 6:27 says, "So they shall put My Name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."
Let me get technical now, because some people don’t believe the character of God exists today. They believe it was only for Israel. But God says that we are Abraham’s offspring if we are believers in Jesus.
So with that being said, you have a brand of blessing.
Every time you witness, you strengthen your brand.
Every time you love.
Every time you serve.
Every time you give.
You can degrade your brand too, bringing shame to His Name. It matters how we live.
Unbelievers don’t like to be judged, but they sure don’t mind judging us. But understand where the judgment comes from: they know instinctively what our lives as Jesus-followers are supposed to look like. When we live against the Word of God, that’s tampering with the logo, look and feel. That’s the same as degrading the brand, but worse.
When you strengthen the brand, it automatically becomes more attractive to everyone who sees it. A clear message, even if they don't want to buy from you, lets others know what you're about.
God spoke to Moses: “Tell Aaron and his sons, This is how you are to bless the People of Israel. Say to them,
God bless you and keep you,
God smile on you and gift you,
God look you full in the face and make you prosper.
In so doing, they will place My Name on the People of Israel—I will confirm it by blessing them.”
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/num.6.22-27.NIV
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
Creamer Thief.
I’d rather steal and hoard.
When I used to work in a physical office, our break room offered free coffee. We had the pots, filtered water, filters, coffee packs, Keurig, sugar, cream, and even non-dairy creamers.
The dairy creamers were placed in a huge bowl by the coffee pot at the beginning of each week by the coffee fairy (Building Maintenance).
But we were experiencing an issue. Someone on our floor kept pillaging all the creamers. So by Wednesday afternoon, they were all gone, and we would all have to wait until Monday for more creamer.
We were all on the watch for the criminal. We wanted revenge. We were out for blood. Had this person never heard of sharing???
But then something happened. The coffee fairy started leaving several boxes in view of the coffee creamer, and what do you know? The pillaging stopped. Whoever was stealing the creamers now had the assurance that there was plenty more where that came from so they didn't have to hoard.
Same with God.
There's more where that came from.
Love, joy, peace, dreams, visions, friends, life, goodness, truth—we don't have to hoard the blessings.
We don't have to keep the good things of God to ourselves.
Give it away.
Because there's more where that came from.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV
Hey, Girl.
I LOVE fruit. How ‘bout you?
Remember those Ryan Gosling “Hey Girl” memes? They usually had a picture of Ryan accompanied by the words “Hey Girl” and then paired with some sweet saying to make you feel better.
When someone approaches you with a “hey girl”, it lowers the defenses for some reason.
When the serpent came to Eve in the garden, I wonder if there was a “hey girl” tone in his voice. Had they spoken before? Why would she take his advice? He sounded like a trusted friend. There was something about him that made her question her Father. Maybe because she felt the “otherness” of God and a “sameness” with the serpent, she connected more with him. He seemed to have knowledge that she didn’t. After all, he was in the garden before she was (more on that later).
And then all Hades broke loose, and she saw she’d been deceived on purpose.
Deceived on purpose.
Father, who in my life am I listening to? Who is deceiving me concerning my purpose, telling me things that do not confirm what You’ve already said? After all, Eve was not wrestling flesh and blood in the Garden, and neither am I (Eph. 6:12).
Deliver me from every voice that is not Yours.
Thank You, Father. I love You, Lord.
In Jesus’ Matchless Name, amen.
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”
Genesis 3:1-7 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.3.1-7.NIV
Hungry.
You know you want it.
Photo by Roberto Valdivia on Unsplash
On the days I fast, I think a lot about food. Not like salad or beans. I mean, real food. Like pizza.
Remember in the garden when Eve saw that the fruit was good, so she took and ate (Gen. 3:6)? I have heard whispers lately telling me to see, take, and eat. Nothing crazy, mind you. Not heroin. Just things I normally think are small. For instance: I saw my coworker disrespecting me, I took the opportunity to tell him off, and then I ate humble pie when the Lord reminded me of my desire to love and prompted me to apologize (this did not happen, it’s an example).
How about you? Are you getting any promptings to “take and eat” the wrong thing?
Fasting many times uncovers things that are just below the surface. Desires, thoughts, patterns. And while we’re growing stronger in the Lord, we’re also more susceptible to the whispers of the enemy.
As I explore what it means to live a fasted life, I don’t want to see a situation, take matters into my own hands, and eat a meal of regret. Instead of listening to the serpent who tells me to see, take, and eat, I want to sit at the Lord’s table.
He holds up the bread and says, “Take, eat. This is My body, broken for you, do this in remembrance of Me.”
We’re hungry for You, Lord. Fill us up.
In Jesus’ Matchless Name, amen.
But Is It True?
Don’t believe everything you think.
Did you know that it’s easier to focus on negative memories than positive ones? And funnily enough, research shows that we often misremember the past. Our recall of the bad things that happened to us often contains details that did not occur.
Sounds like someone is messing with our minds🤔
Today, remember that we’re stronger together. Don’t let the enemy of our souls divide us with negative thoughts and emotions. We are not unaware of his schemes. He knows that Jesus prayed that we would all be one (John 17:20-21).
Is a relationship toxic? Then of course you should ask the Lord to free you from that! I’m talking about the day-to-day bad thoughts we rehearse in our minds about situations and people. Paul said we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). He also told us what we should be concentrating on (whatever is true…).
Father, today use Your Holy Spirit to show us how to change our minds. Let us see things for what they are, not for what our faulty memories and twisted perceptions tell us. Let us walk in the mind of Christ going forward. In Jesus’ Matchless Name, amen.
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
Philippians 4:8 NKJV
Why we often remember the bad better than the good - The Washington Post
Little by Little
Conquer what seems impossible.
What are you like? Are you someone who goes with the flow? Are you a perfectionist (haha, as if!)? Maybe you’re a driven person who likes to see things move.
Me? I’m a pretty good starter, but I HATE finishing! I get all excited about a project, and then about 75% of the way in, I get bored and go on to the next exciting thing. Pray for the Lord to give me a finisher’s spirit—I’m not joking!
Why am I talking about that? Well, I’m posting a little snippet of Exodus 23 here, but I challenge you to read the entire chapter. See the character of our God when He’s taking His people to new horizons!
God doesn’t want us to give up. Keep loving. Keep listening. Keep growing. Keep sowing. Keep moving. Keep fighting. Don’t quit.
He’s taking us into new spaces in the coming days, weeks, and months. Some of us are already in our new “land”. It’s going to get tough (if it hasn’t already). God gives us His words to Israel so we’ll remember to also keep fighting for the territory He’s provided: “Little by little I will drive them out before you…” Why incrementally? Because we can’t handle every challenge at once. We have to grow into our new spaces.
You may be starting a fast, are in the middle of one, or your fasting season is about to end. No matter where you fall in that spectrum, let’s commit to building on what God has shown us each day. How? Reading the Word. Talking to Him. Doing what He says. Praising and worshiping Him. Remembering His sacrifice. Fighting even if we’re afraid. Conquering the land little by little.
He’s already gone before us.
Father, we’re excited about what You’re going to do in this new season. Help us to rely on You for strength so that by Your power, we keep moving. In Jesus’ Matchless Name, amen.
“Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.” Exodus 23:30
Disaster
It’s all obviously falling apart.
Under my breath, that’s what I call any minor inconvenience—a disaster. Dramatic, yes. First-world thinking? Definitely.
Do you know who was walking into a REAL disaster? The Israelites. And they acted just like I would have. Extra.
They had totally forgotten how God had just rescued them, and instead, they focused on the new impossibility. But how many know that with God all things are possible?
That broken relationship, that financial issue, that anxiety—all of it may be a true disaster. But you know what God told Moses? Check it out:
“And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.”
Exodus 14:13-15 NKJV
So today, don't sit there staring at your disaster. Listen out for the voice of the Lord—He’s providing a way of escape in probably the most unlikely manner.
Get ready to MOVE!!!
Father, in the middle of our circumstances today, we are at peace, knowing that You go before us whether experiencing the valleys or the mountaintop. Thank You, and we love you! In Jesus’ Matchless Name, amen.
Lit
Humans emit light—did you know?
Did you know you are a natural source of light? It’s true—when you have time, search this: humans emit light. You’ll find scientific studies that show that we as humans “glitter”, mostly from our faces. You ever notice that when you’re eating right and exercising, your appearance seems to glow? That’s because our metabolism heightens the amount of light we release.
When Jesus said that we are the light of the world, I believe He meant it figuratively. Or did He? Whenever Moses met with God, everyone knew it because his face glowed afterward.
Literally and figuratively, we are light sources for our world. The closer we are to Jesus, the more brightly we shine from the inside out.
In this last week of the fast, continue to give God space. As we commit to knowing Him better as a Body, our lights will merge, and we’ll truly become that city on a hill that can’t be hidden.
Father, let our lights shine so much that others see it, and they glorify YOU! We love You, Lord. In Jesus’ Matchless Name, amen.
Break Out.
The sun breaks through. So can you.
Genesis 38:27 says, "When her time came to give birth, it turned out that there were twins in her womb. As she was giving birth, one put his hand out; the midwife tied a red thread on his hand, saying, “This one came first.” But then he pulled it back and his brother came out. She said, “Oh! A breakout!” So she named him Perez (Breakout). Then his brother came out with the red thread on his hand. They named him Zerah (Bright)."
Perez had a motley past even before he was born.
The product of incest.
A Canaanite mother.
This kid did not have it going on. No bright future in sight. In fact, his brother was named "Bright", not him.
Today, you may feel like the last one out of the womb. The late bloomer. Last in place every time. But guess what? You can be the “break out”.
You didn't go to the right school.
Break out—here's your chance.
You don't have the right skill set.
Trust that God is for you and break out.
They thought it was Zerah coming out of the womb first—
They thought it was that person with the awesome résumé and the boss’s favor poised for promotion—
They thought it was the person with the best financial portfolio who would make something of themselves—
But it was YOU!
IT WAS YOU!
Once, Peter asked Jesus how we'd be rewarded for leaving everything, and Jesus made a litany of promises. But at the end, He said something weird: “The first will be last and the last will be first.”
What??
Before His death and resurrection, Jesus also said that we will have trouble in this world, but we should be of good cheer because He had overcome the world.
So essentially Jesus is telling those of us who are always in last place and never seen to come out on top, that we WILL overcome our struggles.
He has given us all authority to face our issues, sins, sin patterns, and dreams. In fact, Peter later said that we have everything we need for life and godliness. That means we have everything we need in the natural and spiritual realms to do what we need to do by the divine power of Christ—to overcome.
This also means that life will often suck. We need to get good at processing pain. It's coming.
Peter was martyred for his faith, and so was Paul.
In fact, all the apostles died for their faith, but do you think they were sorry?
Or do you think they died fulfilled, awaiting to see The Savior, literally dying to see His face and hear Him (of all people!) say well done good and faithful servant?
They lived their lives with full authority knowing they couldn't be stopped and ultimately couldn't be beaten.
Hey, you! Break out.
They did.
And they were unstoppable.
So today, break out.
That red cord was on your opposition's arm, but that cord was given to them by the world, by those who thought they had the power to judge who the successful one should be.
But by God's strength through Christ Jesus, today I'm telling you that IT'S YOU.
That other person can be successful, but so can you, because with God, there’s more than enough to go around!
You're the breakout.
You're the overcomer.
Walk in that.
In Jesus’ Name, amen.