Grateful Challenge

Luke 17:11-19

11 And it came to pass, as He went to Jerusalem, that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when He saw them, He said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And He said unto him,  Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

The lepers that called out to Jesus to be healed were ten in number. Ten lepers standing in the same situation. They all needed a touch from Jesus. They all needed to be healed. Leprosy is a terrible disease. It causes great pain, isolation, dismemberment, and dis-figuration. The lepers were not allowed to be among the general population. They were forbidden to live among their family and friends, and forced to live in leper colonies. These ten lepers wanted to be normal again. They knew that Jesus could heal them. They wanted to be free from what held them bound. They went to the right person!

The Bible tells us that they cried for mercy. Jesus saw them and told them to go show themselves to the priests. At that moment they did not look healed. They did not feel healed. They still had leprosy when He told them what to do. These men activated their faith and obeyed Jesus. It says that as they went, they were cleansed. So imagine in your mind, these ten lepers hear the voice of Jesus and perhaps they thought the cleansing would take place in front of the priests. They put one foot in front of another and the leprosy starts clearing up. The scars remain. It is still obvious they once had leprosy but the leprosy is gone. The missing body parts, maybe a finger, or an ear, are still missing, but the leprosy is gone. One man gets so excited that he runs back to the feet of Jesus, humbled himself, and praised God for the cleansing.

All ten lepers must have been happy they were cleansed. Have you ever prayed for something and it happened, God gave you what you asked Him for, and then you are so happy that it worked out, you forget to say thank you? Nine of these lepers hurried to the priest to show they were cleansed, but one man could not continue with them. One man had to stop and say thank you. One man had to let Jesus know how grateful he was. When the one man came back, Jesus asked where the other nine were. He knew where they were. He was making a point. The majority of people want something from Him and when He is gracious to give it to them, they do not even remember to thank Him for it. This one man, a Samaritan, which we know from the Bible that they had no dealings with the Jews, like Jesus, came to His feet and bowed down in humility, worshiping God for the cleansing. Jesus tells him that his faith has made him whole. This man laid down at the feet of Jesus cleansed from leprosy but still carrying the scars and wounds. He got up completely whole as though he never had the disease at all.

How often do we just spend time in the presence of Jesus? I was at a prayer service three weeks ago. We gathered in the house of the Lord to pray and petition God for the things we need and desired. I just could not bring myself to ask Him for anything. My heart was so full of gratitude for all the things He had been doing in my life. Sure, I still had plenty of things to pray about. I just knew He was taking care of it all. Instead of asking God for anything, which He wants us to do, I could only praise Him and thank Him for the love, mercy, grace, redemption, provision, protection, kindness, joy, peace, and more that He had lavishly poured over me. I just got swept up in His presence as I began to thank Him with tears running down my face, because I just wanted more of Him in that moment. I did not want His hands, I desired to see His face. I wanted to be lost in His presence. I just began to thank Him and praise Him for all that He did for me and I did not have a request on my lips but to simply be with Him.

Isn't it nice when someone invites you to spend some time with them? They don't want anything from you. They don't want to ask you for a favor. They sincerely want to spend time with you. They want to hear how you are doing. They want to know what you have been up to. They just want to talk with you and have fellowship. No agenda. No list of requests. No jobs lined up for you to do. Simply to be in your presence, spending time with you. It's a beautiful thing. I recently went to Indiana and had lunch with friends there. They truly wanted to know how I was and I was excited to hear about them. It was a fun lunch with nothing more than spending time together. I know God enjoys when we carve out part of our day to spend in His presence. He longs to hear us thank Him for all the things He has done.

I thank God for keeping His hand of protection on my children at school and on the bus. I thank God for giving me a wonderful family. I thank God for protecting us as we are in the vehicle, to keep us from danger and avoiding accidents. I thank God for keeping us safe and providing our needs. I thank Him for exhaling so I can inhale. I thank Him for waking me up this morning. I thank Him for being my friend. I thank God for sending His Son Jesus to die on an old rugged cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I thank God for eternal life. I thank God for mercy and grace. I thank God for meeting my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I thank God that He always causes me to triumph. I thank God that He goes before me and makes my way straight. There is so much to thank God for. I could never thank Him enough. Even now He is working all things together for my good. Each morning His mercies are new. He daily loads us with benefits.

Our pastor challenged us on Tuesday night to go one week and not ask God for one thing! She said we were to spend thirty minutes in the morning just praising God, thanking God, worshiping God, and telling Him how much we love Him. She said do the same thing just before bed. All throughout the day just thank Him for what He is doing and what He has done, and what He is going to do. For one week she would go to God on our behalf, with the things God is placing in her heart to pray about for us. She is close to God. She is seeking God daily, and throughout the day His praise is continually on her lips.

This challenge is harder than it may sound. Wednesday morning I awoke to my son getting sick in the bathroom. I immediately went to Jesus and prayed for Him to touch my son. Then I remembered the challenge! I had to ask forgiveness and say I am sorry Lord. Thank You for touching Javan. Thank You for healing his body. Thank You for taking away this sickness because I know it is not Your will for him to be sick. Jesus began to heal Javan and by that afternoon he was completely well. 

It is not wrong to ask God for things. We must go to God in prayer for our needs. But this challenge is to position us in a place of praise. We are to condition our minds to be thankful for the blessings we have each day. It is harder for me because I go to God in prayer about everything. If I am going shopping, I pray He helps me be a wise steward of my money, find bargains and deals, and that He would give me self-control to not over spend. I pray a blessing over my children before they go to school. We say grace before our meals. If something happens, someone is sick or hurt, someone feels anxious or nervous, or we are unsure what to do, we pray about it. We go to God about everything. I do not want to leave Him out of any decision I make. But this challenge is to focus on just praising Him and thanking Him for all He has done in our lives. He has shown up in a big way over and over again. He has never failed me and He never will.

I challenge you to spend 24 hours just thanking Him for all the things He has done for you. Praise Him for who He is. He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider. He is Jehovah Shalom, our peace. He is Jehovah Rapha, our healer. He is a way maker. He is a chain breaker. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the light of the world. He is the bread of life. He is our Heavenly Father. He is our Savior. He is our Redeemer. He is our soon coming King. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He will never leave us or forsake us but go with us to the end of the world. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. He is the potter and we are the clay. Then start worshiping Him. Sing to Him. Humble yourself in adoration before our God. Tell Him how much you love Him. Tell Him that you adore Him and there is none like Him. As things come up throughout the day, instead of asking God for something, just thank Him in advance for what He is doing. Thank Him because you know He has already done it before and He will do it again. He is the God that does not change. He is the God that cannot fail.

Let me know if you take this challenge. It will change your relationship with Him. You will grow closer to Him. If your personality is one that is quick to complain, you will soon see that you won't look at things the same. There is less to grumble about when you start looking at all the things God has done for you. A heart of gratitude will change your attitude. I know it has changed me and the week is not even half gone yet. 

I pray that something I shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Ruth Chapter 1 Bible Study

Today we are reading chapter 1 in the book of Ruth. Ruth is in the Old Testament sandwiched between Judges and 1 Samuel. There are only four chapters in Ruth. This is a great book to study to see the hand of God leading Ruth to a new location she had never lived in, and to see how God continues to bless Ruth as she trusts in God.

We read in verse 1 this story takes place when there were appointed judges ruling the land. The first thing we read is there is a famine in the land. Food was scarce. This was a difficult time for many people. There were people who were very hungry. There was a shortage of food in the land. Next, we read that a certain man from Bethlehemjudah moved to a different country and he took his wife with them and their two sons. The famine was so bad that it caused a certain man to uproot his family from every thing they had known and move to another country in hopes that things would be better there. The country he moved to is called Moab and they worshipped many gods, but did not know the one true God. This was a nation that did not serve the God they served, yet they moved there anyway.

Question: Have you ever been very hungry before? What do you think it would be like to be in a land where there was a famine? Would you be afraid? What do you think you would do? How would you feel if you had to move to another country with your family?

My husband and I moved to Alabama with our two children on August 1. We did not know anyone in Alabama, except for a couple of people we met briefly at a church service one month prior to moving. We were not afraid because we knew God told us to move and He made a way for everything we needed.

Verse 2 tells us the name of the people in the story. Elimelech is the dad and he is married to Naomi. Their sons are named Mahlon and Chilion. The family came to Moab and stayed there.

Things were bad in Bethlehemjudah, so the family left in hopes that things would get better. Tragedy strikes in verse 3 as we read that Naomi's husband, Elimelech died. There is no reason given for his death, but we can assume this was unexpected given the circumstances. Naomi finds herself in a strange country with her two sons. I cannot imagine the heartache and grief she felt as she tried to move forward with her life, doing the best she could. Now a widow and a single mother, she had to provide for her family.

Mahlon and Chilion found wives among the women in Moab. Their wives, Orpah and Ruth, were not familiar with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They did not know His love, His power, His goodness. They did not know that God existed. Verse 4 says that Naomi, her sons, and daughters-in-law lived in Moab for ten years.

We do not know what caused Elimelech to die. It could have been something hereditary because in verse 5 we read that Mahlon and Chilion had both died, too. I have been told the worst pain is the loss of a child. Naomi has lost her husband, and now ten years later she finds herself burying her two sons. She feels empty, lost, hopeless, and worthless.

Naomi has buried her sons and now looks at her daughters-in-law. She decided to leave Moab. She had heard that the Lord had blessed his people with bread in Bethlehemjudah. She felt alone in a strange country. She had been there for ten years with her sons and their wives after her husband had died. She longed for home. She missed her people. She missed her country. She missed her culture. She missed the bread. Now there was a glimmer of hope that she could find some comfort in the place she had left.

Question: Have you ever lost someone you loved? What helped you get through the pain of knowing they were not coming back? How do you think Naomi felt? Why do you think Naomi wanted to go back to the country she came from? 

Naomi takes her daughters-in-law with her, in verse 7, as she heads to Judah. She decided there was nothing left in Moab for her and she wanted to go back to the familiar. She had friends in Judah. People knew her there. But just as she starts to make the long trip back, she decided to release her daughters-in-law from going with her. She cared for these girls. She tells them in verse 8, to return to their mothers. She tells them they are free to go and even blesses them for their kindness to her sons and her husband and even to her. She loved these girls but she did not have anything left to give them, she thought. She loved them too much to hold them back from finding love and happiness in another husband and family.

Verse 9 Naomi continues to bless them. She asks for God to give them rest. Rest from the role of being a wife to her sons. Rest from the work of being a wife. Of all the things she could have said, rest is such a beautiful blessing to give. Rest is what Jesus wants us to do in Him. She wants them to relax, refresh, and recover their strength. She kisses each daughter-in-law and they cry. They mourn the loss of their mother-in-law. This is a sad time for all three of the women.

In verse 10, Orpah and Ruth tell Naomi that they will return to Naomi's people with her. They want to go on the long journey with her. Naomi was not just the mother of their husbands, but she was kind to them. They were kind to her. They had a beautiful relationship and the thought of all that ending left them so sad that they insisted on going with her to Judah. These women did not know the language, the culture, or if they would be accepted, but they saw something in Naomi that made them want to cling to her. I believe they saw the way she worshiped the one true God.

In verses 11-13 Naomi explains to them why they cannot go with her. She tells them to go back to their families. She said she doesn't have any hope left. She explains to them that she has no other sons to give them. She reminds them that even if she was to get pregnant again that very night, it would still be 9 months before the child was born and then he would have to grow up. Who is to say that the baby would be a male? She sadly encourages them to go on and find someone else to marry, to have a future with, because she feels as though God has been unkind to her. She is overwhelmed with grief and pain at not only losing her husband and both sons, but now her daughters-in-law would be leaving her as well. They just cried together.

Verse 14 is a crossroads verse. Ruth and Orpah are looking at the fork in the road. Orpah decides she doesn't think she should go to Judah. She listens to Ruth and she feels that she has a lot of life left in her. She has all her family and friends in this country. She knows the best places to go, the ways of the people, the language. The more she thought about what Naomi said, the more she desired to go back to the familiar. She chose to go back to the comfort zone of home, than to step out in faith and see what good things might be waiting in Judah for her.

Ruth is not like Orpah. Ruth has been listening to all the reasons Naomi gave for her to go back home and she does not want to. Something is stirring in her heart to go with Naomi, no matter where that might be. Ruth was not familiar with Judah but she knew Naomi and she saw the kind of woman she was. Ruth had just lost her husband. She could not bear to lose her mother-in-law, too. Ruth attached herself to Naomi. She formed a bond and held on. 

Verse 15 Naomi tells Ruth that her sister-in-law had returned to her people and her gods, and she encouraged her to go with her. Verses 16 and 17 Ruth clings to Naomi and abandons everything she has ever known to promise Naomi that she will not leave her.

Ruth 1:16, 17

16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part me and thee.

Imagine the desperation, as she clings to Naomi, and says to her, wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live is where I am going to live. Your family, your culture, your friends, will be my people, too. Wherever you die, is where I will die, also, and may the LORD punish me if anything other than death separates us. That is devotion! That is a friend who is going to go the distance with you.

Question: What would you have done? Would you be like Orpah and go back to the familiar, or step out in faith like Ruth to accompany Naomi back to Judah? What do you think made Ruth cling to Naomi so much?

Naomi realizes Ruth has made her mind up to follow her all the way back to Judah. She knows she cannot talk her out of going and she finally stops trying to convince her to stay in Moab. Verse 19 we read the two women traveled until they arrived in Bethlehem. Once they got to the city, the people started coming up to them and questioning if it was Naomi. She had been away so long. She had changed a lot. She went away happily married and the mother of two sons, now she came back with sadness on her face and a foreign girl with her. Where was her husband? Where was her sons? Who was this girl walking with Naomi?

In verse 20, Naomi answers them that she is no longer the same person she left as. She said she is so different, she was changing her name. She said she was a bitter woman now. She was bitter with the way things happened in her life. She said she is bitter because God had not been good to her. We conclude with a recap that Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth had returned from Moab to Bethlehem in time for the barley harvest.

Naomi does not see the hand of God upon her. She cannot even see the blessing of Ruth right in front of her face. Ruth is a companion to Naomi. Ruth is kind to Naomi. Ruth loves Naomi. Naomi has lost her husband, two sons, and one daughter-in-law but she still has one person in her life that loves her very much and would go to great lengths to stay connected to her. We will see what happens next week, when we visit the book of Ruth, chapter 2.

Join me each Wednesday for a Bible study session. Write the answers to these questions in a notebook, faith journal, or wherever you would like. Read through Ruth chapter 1 first, then read along as you read this devotional. Take your time to think about the questions and to understand where each one of these characters is coming from. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you what the scriptures are saying. I read from the King James Version, but you may have a different version. Just use the one you have and ask God to help you understand what you are reading.

Feel free to leave me a comment below and let me know if you are following along with this series. I am excited to reach out to the kids in my Children's Church class from Indiana. I hope that kids and adults can follow along with me each Wednesday and we can learn and grow as we break the bread together.

I hope something I have said has been encouraging to you. May you find strength for your journey and light for you way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

When I Am Afraid

Fear. A baby can be afraid. An elderly person can feel fear. You have felt fear before. I know I certainly have. I have been afraid of the dark, afraid of failing, afraid of rejection, afraid of the unknown. I have a fear of heights. I have been afraid that something might happen to one of my children, and while that fear does not cripple me, it certainly brings me to my knees in prayer.

PSALM 56:3

What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed that scripture, especially in the last year. I had a major surgery last year that I did not want, but desperately needed. A friend of mine prayed this over me and I clung to it with everything in me. God took the fear away and comforted me. Four months later, I found myself having a procedure done that I did not want, but again, it was necessary so He brought me through that. While in the doctor's office getting the results of that procedure, I had a severe gallbladder attack. Before I knew it I was scheduled for surgery the following Monday. I prayed this scripture again. And as we moved to Mobile, Alabama, leaving behind our family, friends, and everything we knew and was familiar with. We left quickly when the Lord said Go! We felt His hand lead and guide us every step of the journey.

If you find yourself scared, unsure, crippled with fear, open your Bible to Psalm 56:3 and read this scripture over and over. Pray it back to God and watch Him work! He will remove the fear and doubt and replace it with faith and hope. You will feel the fear leave.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Fear is a spirit, but God is greater than any spirit and He will remove that from your heart. You do not have to live in fear. He gave us power to overcome. His perfect love casts out fear. Do not let fear keep you from obeying God and doing everything He wants you to do. The blessings are on the other side of fear.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

41 Years

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Today is my birthday!!  This is the day the LORD has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it! I am 41 years old today and God has brought me through so much in these four plus decades! It is interesting to look back on all the growth and spiritual maturity in just this year! I had no idea I would be living in Alabama! I had no idea God would change our lives in such a drastic, amazing, wonderful way. When He spoke to my heart in January this year and told me we were moving to Alabama this summer, my heart sank. I did not want to go. I grieved a little. I did not know anything about Alabama. I was sad to leave a wonderful job, a great job teaching Children's Church, many friends and family in Indiana. I had never even been to Alabama, other than driving through it to get to Florida. I was scared of the unknown. No job. No home. No church. No friends. No family. No idea what He wanted us to do in Alabama that we couldn't do in Indiana. So, I prayed and fasted. I went on seven God appointed fasts and He shared great detail of what we were to do and yet I was still scared. What would God be sending us to?

I had nothing to worry about. Why should I have worried? God of all creation gave me specific direction. He told me we were moving to Mobile, Alabama. We went to Mobile in July. We had a wonderful time. We spent so much time enjoying each other and reconnecting as a family. We found a church. We loved the pastor and stayed in touch with her. That was a divine appointment. She has helped us so much on this journey of a lifetime and I will share so much more in the posts to come. I look at what God has done and I am amazed!!!

So, we came back to Indiana this Labor Day weekend. I had a follow-up eye appointment from when I had Lasik surgery. Great news, my eyes are even better! 20/15 and 20/20+1!! So excited to see without glasses. We spent time with family, caught up with a few friends. Packed with the last of our belongings in Indiana, we headed home and safely arrived in Alabama on my birthday, today!

We had fun at Boggs campgrounds while we were in Indiana. We took this beautiful picture, which truly does not do that gorgeous sunset scene justice. While it was fun to be in Indiana a few days, I am so glad to be home. Sweet Home Alabama!

Hope you have a wonderful Labor Day! Enjoy the day off, if you get the chance. Take some time to reflect on this day that the LORD has made, be glad and rejoice in it!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Training Children

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 KJV

Do we believe God's Word is true? Do we stand on the Word of God and claim all of the promises in the Bible for ourselves? If so, what do we do when we face a scripture like this one and the circumstances of our lives seem to contradict the passage? Do we get confused? The Bible is true. It is God's Word and He cannot lie. This promise is for you! If you have children in your care, this is YOUR promise. Stand on it and believe it, even if it looks like it is not your reality.

So let's look at this scripture closer. The first part of this verse is a command. We are to train our children in the way they should go. How does one go about training a child? We train children for lots of things, but one of the most common is potty training. After countless diaper changes, the time eventually comes when most children are ready to be potty trained. 

The task seemed so daunting when I was potty training my daughter. She had great verbal skills and good understanding of instructions, yet it was difficult for me to know how to get the message across that if she felt the need to potty, she should tell me. She said, "What does it feel like?" I was not sure how to describe that.  I did the best I could. We tried different strategies. We messed up. We learned from our mistakes. We extended grace to one another as we struggled through the process. I learned as much, if not more, than she did. I learned patience. I learned how important consistency and routines are. I learned that it was important to cheer her on and encourage even the smallest efforts. I learned that I take a lot of things for granted. I learned to look at the task through the eyes of a child. Suddenly the toilet looked big and intimidating, even scary. The noisy flush. The water rushing out of the bowl and the curious look on my daughter's face as she said, "Where did it go?"

In the midst of teaching hand hygiene, personal hygiene, and the mechanics of all things "potty," we were both learning and growing together. Now my daughter is almost 18 years old. She has not needed her mommy to help her potty in many, many years. The days of hurriedly carrying her to the bathroom as she loudly exclaimed, "I gotta go! I gotta go!," are now a distant memory. The stress and frustration are all gone. The hard time of that season has been replaced over and over with many other training sessions as she has grown and changed through the years.

The verse in Proverbs is a process. Marathon runners do not practice one day and then they are done. They do not train for one race and that's all they ever do. They do not purchase running shoes one day and the next sprint through their first race with no other training or preparation. Similarly, we cannot expect to train our children in one aspect of life and expect good results. No, we are to consistently teach our child, or children, the skills they need to survive and thrive in life. We are to come alongside them and teach them about love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. We are to train them in the way they should go, regardless of the season they are in.

The promise in this verse is that when they are old they will not depart. This does not guarantee your child will never grow up and rebel. It does not mean that all the things you have taught them won't seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The promise is that what you have taught them will not leave them. This is true whether the training is good or bad. The things you teach your child will stick with them. Those who go on and live a lifestyle that contradicts the way they were raised, is not proof this scripture is invalid. No, often these kids will tell you they knew they were not making good choices but they chose to do it anyway.

The promise is that those lessons are still there. The promise is that the Holy Spirit will continue to work on their hearts if we have shared Him with them as children. It's hard work to be a good parent, but we are not ever commissioned to be perfect parents. We are told to be consistent coaches, helping to train these children through every season, just like our Heavenly Father does with us.

If you are a mom or dad, new to this journey, or a seasoned veteran, take heart in knowing God sees your efforts. Ask Him to lead and guide you in every area of your life. Give this season of training your children to God and He will give you wisdom and understanding. Give the same grace, forgiveness, mercy, and unconditional love that He gives to us. Mirror His parenting skills as best you can and I promise you will see this verse become true in the lives of your children.

If you have wayward children, never give up on them. God is long-suffering with us and we are to be the same with them. Pray for them every single day. Show that child the love of the Heavenly Father. Do not allow roots of bitterness to grow in your heart. Do not blame them. Do not blame yourself. Do not become discouraged. God sees the need and He wants them to be a part of His family even more than you desire it. Trust Him to see you through this journey and invite Him to take over the training session. He will teach you and your child more than you can imagine.

If you long to have a relationship with your Heavenly Father, you can! Just go to Him with faith and confess that you are a sinner in need of a savior. Acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God and He died for your sins. Accept Him as Lord of your life and He will come into your life. He will change you and you will never be the same again! You will never find a greater friend to do life with!

If you know someone who is struggling in this season of their parenting, encourage them. Share this verse with them. Invite them to check out this blog post. Offer to help with an area they may be struggling if you can. It is a hard job to be a parent, but thankfully we have a really great example in the greatest parent in the world: God.

I hope something I have shared today has given you strength for the journey and light for your way! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

God > Your Problems

We compare things. We all do it. If we want to describe what a food tastes like to someone who has never tried it, we often compare it to something they have had before. Remember the infamous, "It tastes like chicken" comparison? We compare experiences and feelings. Often we can compare individuals with one another. "She is just like her mother." "He gets that from his dad." When we compare one thing to another, we often want someone to have a similar experience that we have had. What do we do when there is nothing to compare with? It gets a little more complex.

ISAIAH 40:18

To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?

Those are great questions! Obviously God has no equivalent, no match to compare features and mannerisms. In fact God says in Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. We were created in God's image, but even His very creation is not comparable to Him.

God asks again in Isaiah 46:5 To whom will ye liken Me, and compare Me, that we may be like? There is no one. God is omnipotent, omnipresent. He always was. He always is. He always will be. He was not born or created and that is hard to wrap our minds around because we are finite beings. He is infinite. We have a beginning and we have an end. He does not. We have time that stops and starts again. He is outside the realm of time. He is eternal. 

Yet God continues to ask in Isaiah 40:25 To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.  This question today, as I present it to you, is for you to let your mind explore the vastness of God. As I think about the God of the universe and what could compare to Him, nothing comes to mind. I imagine the world I live in and how huge it is in size and the miracle of its' orbit around the sun and how it spins on its' axis, yet we don't feel like we are spinning. He did that! I think of space and astronomy; the sun, the planets, the stars, the Milky Way, and celestial bodies. Space is so incredible and immeasurable and yet God is bigger and is in every single part of space. There is no where we can think of that God isn't. He is everywhere! That is a BIG God! We serve a great BIG God and yet He desires to be a part of every single thing we do or think.

ACTS 17:29

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

There is nothing created that we can compare with God because it is something He made to begin with. If I foolishly try to carve a piece of wood into something like God, I am using something He made (the wood) to imitate Him. There is nothing you can make that will do God justice. He is simply too complex and multi-faceted to ever duplicate. 

We are not the only ones who are curious about God. Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father. Jesus answers him with a question. John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? You see Jesus is the only begotten of the Father. To see Jesus is the only way to see God the Father. He is the only One worthy to be compared! Jesus is telling Philip that in order to experience God, he first needed to have an experience with Jesus. Philip was looking for something tangible, and Jesus said, "You're looking at it!" We may be searching to know God more, and meanwhile Jesus is knocking on our heart's door, lovingly asking for us to let Him in!

COLOSSIANS 1:12-17

12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:

14. In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16. For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:

17.  And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

It is difficult to stretch our thinking into comprehending that God made all things by Jesus and for Jesus and by Him all things consist. Jesus was there in the very beginning! 

HEBREWS 1:1-4

1. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;

3. Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

4. Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Jesus is the "express image of His person" and that is why Jesus could say to Philip, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." Psalm 89:27 Also I will make Him My firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. Preeminence means superiority. We see from these verses that Jesus was not some ordinary man. He was greater than a prophet. He was more than just a "good man." His authority is higher than any other. We will all know this when Jesus comes back! Revelations 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. Revelations 19:16 And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.  That should make us excited! That should remind us how powerful our soon-coming King is!

There is an order that society wants to disorganize. We have seen multiple problems with far-reaching consequences when the divine order God has set up is messed with. I don't discuss politics and I don't engage in spirited debates about women's lib agendas. I am not expressing Bridgett's opinion of how things ought to go. I am sharing God's Word today to help us see the clear picture God has for the order things ought to be. 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. God is at the very top and then Jesus. If we do not put Jesus in the position directly below God, we are not going to receive the blessings of God. They flow down from the Father to the Son to us.

Now that we have a clearer understanding of who God is; how great and powerful He is; think about the hardest trial you have had. Maybe you are going through a difficult situation right now. Do you know of someone else who is going through circumstances they just can't get through? I have great news for you! God is greater than your situation. He is greater than your problems! He is greater than your need! He is greater than your illness. He is greater than your diagnosis. He is greater than your marital problems. He is greater than your financial struggles. He is greater than your family issues. He is greater than addiction. He is greater than depression. He is greater than anxiety. He is greater than fear! He is GREATER!!!!

PSALM 56:3

What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

PSALM 30:10

Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be Thou my helper.

PSALM 54:4

Behold, God is mine helper: the LORD is with them that uphold my soul.

PSALM 72:12

For He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

HEBREWS 13:6

So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Please do not let the enemy deceive you! God loves you and wants to help you. He adores you and wants to help you through these struggles. Every single situation that is difficult and messy, God is standing before you, with outstretched arms, asking you to trust Him.

PSALM 139:17

How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

And after you have placed your hand in the hand of the Master, expect great things! You will receive the answer. You will get your miracle. You will be free. You will be equipped to help others and you will be instructed to share your testimony of God's faithfulness to others just like Jesus told the man in Luke.

LUKE 8:39

Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

I have no doubt your story is going to impact many others. Keep talking about the goodness of God. Send me an email at bridgettowens78@gmail.com or send me a note in the mail letting me know what God is doing in your life. I would love to hear from you!

Bridgett Owens

PO Box 471

Mitchell, Indiana 47446

USA

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Aaron Did What???

Imagine that you have a friend or close relative who has been called into a very important ministry. This friend or relative determines they do not have what it takes to fulfill their mission. You are then selected by God to be this person's voice, their spokesperson, to share their message with the masses. How do you feel? Happy, scared, intimidated, insecure, confident, hopeful? You may feel a myriad of emotions. This actually happened in the Bible. God called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and Moses tells God He picked the wrong guy. He goes on to say that he is not eloquent with speech and he does everything except completely shove the offer back in God's face. So, God is exasperated with Moses but appoints his brother Aaron to help.

Moses and Aaron finally lead the children of Israel to Egypt. They are free! The enemy was drowned in the Red Sea! Moses had gone up to talk to God, and receive the Ten Commandments. Wouldn't you think that the children of Israel would have been waiting in eager anticipation for Moses? Unfortunately, that is not the case! Let's open our Bibles to the Old Testament. We are going to Exodus 32.

Exodus 32:1

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron and said unto him, "Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

Aaron is the mouthpiece of God. He has heard the voice of the living God speak and direct him in what to say. Now he is alone. Moses is up on the mountain with Joshua and this man of God is surrounded by a mob of ungrateful people who have dismissed Moses as their leader. He is just some random man that brought them out of Egypt. Can you hear the disdain in their voices as they demand Aaron get up and make them idols to worship instead of the very God that anointed Aaron to be their leader. What would you do? How would you feel?

Aaron does not try to change their mind. He does not remind them of the blessings! He does not put up a fight. He is called to be a leader and yet his response is one of compromise. He actually instructs them to bring him gold. He forms it into an image. When the people see it they proclaim it as their new god that brought them out of Egypt. He could have regretted what he had done but instead he builds an altar so they can offer a sacrifice to this false god.

Moses is not dead like they may think. He did not get lost in the mountains with Joshua. They are talking with God and He is giving them these laws for the children of Israel to obey. God sees what they are up to and tells Moses to quickly get back down there because of the evil they are doing. He told Moses He would consume them all and kill them for their stiff-necked ways. He would not destroy Moses, though, and promised to make him a great nation. Moses convinced God to reconsider and God obliges him. He extends mercy instead and Moses is on his way back down the mountain in an angry fury.

Exodus 32:15, 16

And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

Joshua hears the noise of the children of Israel dancing and playing around. He mistakes it for a battle cry, but Moses knew it was no war breaking out... yet! He gets near the camp and sees the dancing and looks over to see what the celebration was about: there is a calf... the golden idol. Moses is so angry that he throws the Holy tablets down to the ground. The tablets broke into pieces. Moses had taken the Holy gift of God and destroyed them because he was angry about the sin of others. It was a good excuse but it was still wrong.

Moses demands to know how the people have deceived Aaron into sinning so greatly. Aaron immediately throws the children of Israel under the bus. He explains it away. He even tells Moses, "You know how they are!" He minimizes his part in all of this.

Exodus 32:24

And I said unto them, "Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf."

Aaron doesn't know how it turned into the shape of a calf. Really, Aaron? This is a really big deal! What would you say? Would you have given in to the people? Was the experiences Aaron had with God not enough to stand up against these stiff-necked people? It's easy to judge him when we are on this side of the book. But what about those times we compromise in our own lives? Don't we want forgiveness? Don't we want mercy and grace? None of us are perfect.

Our favorite preachers, singers, authors, and heroes of great faith are merely human. We are all in the Lord's Army and we all make mistakes. We are all flawed and broken. Our great example is Jesus and while none of us will ever be perfect like Him, we are to strive to live like Him. 

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

I don't know about you, but I breathe a small sigh of relief when I read that. I am not the only one who messes up. I am not the only one who gives in and follows the crowd sometimes. I am not the only one who does the easier wrong instead of the harder right. I am not the only one who answers in anger or sharp tones when I know a soft answer turns away wrath. (Proverbs 15:1)

Today I want you to know that I am not throwing any stones. I am not picking on Aaron. I hope you can see how human he is and that even though he had such a powerful calling on his life, when push came to shove, he fell in a way that you and I may have also. The good news is that we can get up and try again. God's mercies are new every single morning. Great is His faithfulness to us. (Lamentations 3:21-23)

If you have fallen, you can get back up my friend. God is right there, ready to dust you off, and refresh your soul. You are not alone. You are loved. You have not made so great a mistake that God stopped loving you. Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God and that is a great promise! (Romans 8:35-39)

I hope you are blessed by today's message. I hope you find encouragement and hope in this lesson. It's a beautiful reminder that God does not call perfect people to perform His perfect will, no, he calls the imperfect and then uses our mistakes, disappointments, and failures to shape us into a more perfect version of who He is calling us to be. If today's devotion has helped you, feel free to share the message with others, and together we will obey the Scriptures.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens