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Read these first installments of the ongoing 30-part devotional series Feed on His Faithfulness, based on Psalms 37, right here on Strike the Jordan!
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Feed on His Faithfulness
SHOW ME THE DOME! - "Feed on His Faithfulness" Devotional #6
"Do not fret...trust in the Lord...He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday [sun]."
– Psalms 37:1-6 (NKJV, excerpts)
– Psalms 37:1-6 (NKJV, excerpts)
[Freshman Senator Jefferson Smith, the evening of his first day in office:]
"We're going right ahead with my bill for a National Boys' Camp. Where's my briefcase?"
[Smith's newly assigned aide, Clarissa Saunders:]
"You're going to present a bill?"
"Yes, Senator Paine and I decided... [He] said you'd help me."
"It's simple. And I'm helping," she replies sarcastically. "So we knock it off in three or four days."
"A day."
"A day!? Sure! Why not?... Do you mind if I take the time to go get a pencil?"
"Go right ahead.... And lots of paper too!"
[Smith continues, to himself:] "Have you ever had so much to say, you just couldn't say it?"
"Try sitting down," she suggests, returning with the pencil and paper. "Let's get down to particulars. How big is this thing? Where should it be? You have to have all that in it."
"Yes! And something else ... the spirit of it. The idea... how do you say it?"
[Smith looks out his window and notices the U.S. Capitol Dome shining brightly in the night.]
"That's what's got to be in my bill!"
"The Capitol Dome!? On paper?"
"Yes, it should come to life for every boy. All lighted up too. Boys forget what their country means. By just reading 'Land of the Free' in history books. Men forget even more. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. Men should hold it up in front of them every single day and say, 'I'm free... to think and to speak. My ancestors couldn't. I can! And my children will!' Boys ought to grow up remembering that. That [senate] steering committee'll have to see it like that."
― From Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Columbia Pictures Corp., 1939), excerpts.
* * *
In this Psalm 37 series, about de-stressing our lives and feeding on His faithfulness, we've been exploring the many aspects of our Christian walk that are continual sources of stress and burnout. Where Jesus desires instead that we learn to let go and let Him get the job done through us. Where He wants us to yield our neck to His yoke and find rest for our soul (Matthew 11:28-30).
Certainly one stressor for many of us is an ardent desire to be "on mission"—to spread the Gospel, words of encouragement, a message of Kingdom righteousness, through all means possible. Maybe you'd like to write Christian songs, books, a blog (such as this one), or maybe do a podcast. But instead it's become a huge source of stress because—let's face it!—there are literally tens of thousands of net-new Christian books published in the U.S. each year. Everybody and his uncle has a podcast and a couple of blogs, many of which have north of a million subscribers or followers. "Just how," you're thinking, "am I supposed to cut through all that noise and get noticed!?" Or, the latest buzzword ... "Platform! I need more platform!"
Today's verse from Psalm 37 has something to say about platform. About getting noticed. "He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday [sun]."
As with anything else that our Lord Christ commissions us to do, we must be His faithful servants. We must be up and doing. And yet, we mustn't forget that the outcome is ultimately His responsibility! In fact, that is precisely what Jesus made clear to his disciples in His last words before ascending to Heaven:
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8, NKJV)
As one preacher framed this Scripture passage, "The unstoppable mission of God extends through the faithful witness of His people. Notice that 'witness' is a noun. To fulfill His mission, we must be witnesses of Him—of His person."
—Joel Shorey, "Acts of the Apostles Series" (Redeemer Fellowship, Delaware)
So, rather than stressing about how to be effectively "on mission"—how to get noticed with clicks, likes, subscribers, and followers—we ought first to think about being a faithful witness. Because being a witness shines the spotlight, not on ourselves, our words, our message, but rather on the One of Whom we are witnesses.
But, what about the outcome? What if no one ever reads my book, sings my songs, or subscribes to my YouTube channel!? Surely it's not Father God's will for me to be the proverbial tree that falls in the forest, and no one hears it fall! What can I do to get noticed!?
The key is found right in that same verse, Acts 1:8: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me." So, to be a witness at all requires power. And not just any power. Holy Spirit power! (And, remember, the Holy Spirit is none other than Christ with us—in us, doing the work through us—which is yet again the same Law of the Yoke from Matthew 11.)
Think about it...
People don't visit your church to check out your clever programs, the color of your curtains, or your magnificent worship band. Well, yeah, a few people are looking for those superficial things. But what's driving most seekers who walk through the doors? They're hoping to find Jesus and experience His living, loving touch! "Is Jesus here, or isn't He!? Because I've visited a lot of churches where He simply wasn't in the building. So, tell me—no, show me!!—I want to find Jesus. Is He, or is He not here?"
As Eliza Doolittle's character lamented in the musical rendition of My Fair Lady (Warner Bros., 1964): "Words! Words! Words! I'm so sick of words!... Is that all you blighters can do?... Sing me no song! Read me no rhyme! Don't waste my time, show me!"
And it's no different with the written or recorded word. If we're looking to get out the Gospel, the glorious message of God's love and righteousness—whether in a book, a blog, a podcast, whatever—nobody gives two figs about our clever words. They want to find fresh bread from Heaven. Most seekers aren't even sure what it looks or feels like, but they know that they'll know when they've found it!
In conclusion, what wet-behind-the ears Senator Jeff Smith understood, which emanated from the deep wells of his patriotic being, was that nothing done in Washington—not even a simple senate bill to establish a boys' camp—was of any consequence unless it embodied and radiated the brilliant light of the American spirit: love of country, freedom, and justice for all. The Capitol Dome shining in the night!
So, how do I bag that elusive "platform"? How do I "cast my bread (words) upon the waters" in full assurance of faith—rather than gnawing stress—knowing that I will "find it after many days" (Ecclesiastes 11:1)? How can I be sure that people will listen, that "His Word will not return ... void" (Isaiah 55:11)?
The answer is, when it's His Word, not mine. People are looking, listening, for that fresh bread, warm and bursting with the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit. Words that bring light into darkness, hope in the midst of despair. Words that show them, not just tell them, that God is alive and abounding in love for them. They're looking, but it's like finding a needle in the haystack of "Words! Words! Words!"
"We're going right ahead with my bill for a National Boys' Camp. Where's my briefcase?"
[Smith's newly assigned aide, Clarissa Saunders:]
"You're going to present a bill?"
"Yes, Senator Paine and I decided... [He] said you'd help me."
"It's simple. And I'm helping," she replies sarcastically. "So we knock it off in three or four days."
"A day."
"A day!? Sure! Why not?... Do you mind if I take the time to go get a pencil?"
"Go right ahead.... And lots of paper too!"
[Smith continues, to himself:] "Have you ever had so much to say, you just couldn't say it?"
"Try sitting down," she suggests, returning with the pencil and paper. "Let's get down to particulars. How big is this thing? Where should it be? You have to have all that in it."
"Yes! And something else ... the spirit of it. The idea... how do you say it?"
[Smith looks out his window and notices the U.S. Capitol Dome shining brightly in the night.]
"That's what's got to be in my bill!"
"The Capitol Dome!? On paper?"
"Yes, it should come to life for every boy. All lighted up too. Boys forget what their country means. By just reading 'Land of the Free' in history books. Men forget even more. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. Men should hold it up in front of them every single day and say, 'I'm free... to think and to speak. My ancestors couldn't. I can! And my children will!' Boys ought to grow up remembering that. That [senate] steering committee'll have to see it like that."
― From Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Columbia Pictures Corp., 1939), excerpts.
* * *
In this Psalm 37 series, about de-stressing our lives and feeding on His faithfulness, we've been exploring the many aspects of our Christian walk that are continual sources of stress and burnout. Where Jesus desires instead that we learn to let go and let Him get the job done through us. Where He wants us to yield our neck to His yoke and find rest for our soul (Matthew 11:28-30).
Certainly one stressor for many of us is an ardent desire to be "on mission"—to spread the Gospel, words of encouragement, a message of Kingdom righteousness, through all means possible. Maybe you'd like to write Christian songs, books, a blog (such as this one), or maybe do a podcast. But instead it's become a huge source of stress because—let's face it!—there are literally tens of thousands of net-new Christian books published in the U.S. each year. Everybody and his uncle has a podcast and a couple of blogs, many of which have north of a million subscribers or followers. "Just how," you're thinking, "am I supposed to cut through all that noise and get noticed!?" Or, the latest buzzword ... "Platform! I need more platform!"
Today's verse from Psalm 37 has something to say about platform. About getting noticed. "He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday [sun]."
As with anything else that our Lord Christ commissions us to do, we must be His faithful servants. We must be up and doing. And yet, we mustn't forget that the outcome is ultimately His responsibility! In fact, that is precisely what Jesus made clear to his disciples in His last words before ascending to Heaven:
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8, NKJV)
As one preacher framed this Scripture passage, "The unstoppable mission of God extends through the faithful witness of His people. Notice that 'witness' is a noun. To fulfill His mission, we must be witnesses of Him—of His person."
—Joel Shorey, "Acts of the Apostles Series" (Redeemer Fellowship, Delaware)
So, rather than stressing about how to be effectively "on mission"—how to get noticed with clicks, likes, subscribers, and followers—we ought first to think about being a faithful witness. Because being a witness shines the spotlight, not on ourselves, our words, our message, but rather on the One of Whom we are witnesses.
But, what about the outcome? What if no one ever reads my book, sings my songs, or subscribes to my YouTube channel!? Surely it's not Father God's will for me to be the proverbial tree that falls in the forest, and no one hears it fall! What can I do to get noticed!?
The key is found right in that same verse, Acts 1:8: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me." So, to be a witness at all requires power. And not just any power. Holy Spirit power! (And, remember, the Holy Spirit is none other than Christ with us—in us, doing the work through us—which is yet again the same Law of the Yoke from Matthew 11.)
Think about it...
People don't visit your church to check out your clever programs, the color of your curtains, or your magnificent worship band. Well, yeah, a few people are looking for those superficial things. But what's driving most seekers who walk through the doors? They're hoping to find Jesus and experience His living, loving touch! "Is Jesus here, or isn't He!? Because I've visited a lot of churches where He simply wasn't in the building. So, tell me—no, show me!!—I want to find Jesus. Is He, or is He not here?"
As Eliza Doolittle's character lamented in the musical rendition of My Fair Lady (Warner Bros., 1964): "Words! Words! Words! I'm so sick of words!... Is that all you blighters can do?... Sing me no song! Read me no rhyme! Don't waste my time, show me!"
And it's no different with the written or recorded word. If we're looking to get out the Gospel, the glorious message of God's love and righteousness—whether in a book, a blog, a podcast, whatever—nobody gives two figs about our clever words. They want to find fresh bread from Heaven. Most seekers aren't even sure what it looks or feels like, but they know that they'll know when they've found it!
In conclusion, what wet-behind-the ears Senator Jeff Smith understood, which emanated from the deep wells of his patriotic being, was that nothing done in Washington—not even a simple senate bill to establish a boys' camp—was of any consequence unless it embodied and radiated the brilliant light of the American spirit: love of country, freedom, and justice for all. The Capitol Dome shining in the night!
So, how do I bag that elusive "platform"? How do I "cast my bread (words) upon the waters" in full assurance of faith—rather than gnawing stress—knowing that I will "find it after many days" (Ecclesiastes 11:1)? How can I be sure that people will listen, that "His Word will not return ... void" (Isaiah 55:11)?
The answer is, when it's His Word, not mine. People are looking, listening, for that fresh bread, warm and bursting with the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit. Words that bring light into darkness, hope in the midst of despair. Words that show them, not just tell them, that God is alive and abounding in love for them. They're looking, but it's like finding a needle in the haystack of "Words! Words! Words!"
Why not pray ...
"Dear Father,
Let me be part of that City on a Hill, of that Capitol Dome shining as a beacon of righteousness in the night, hallelujah! I desperately need Your power—I need You, Your Holy Spirit anointing and presence—so whatever I speak or write, it will be as an oracle of God. With Your words of righteousness whispering in the earpiece of my heart and flowing forth from my mouth and my keyboard to 'bring Good News to the poor, healing to the brokenhearted, liberty to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and liberty those who are oppressed.' [Luke 4:18] Then I'll know that Your words of righteousness, spoken through me, will bring forth a harvest of righteousness. As I trust You for the outcome.
In Jesus' name. Amen."
---
Originally published as a “Bradstix” devotional on the National Minute of Prayer Facebook page 6/15/2025.
Copyright © Brad Fenichel 2025 All Rights Reserved
Sunday, June 8, 2025
THUS SAITH THE LORD, "CHEAT ON THAT TEST!" - "Feed on His Faithfulness" Devotional #27
"Do not fret...trust in the Lord...the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble."
– Psalms 37:1-39 (NKJV, excerpts)
– Psalms 37:1-39 (NKJV, excerpts)
"No! Marty! We've already agreed that having information about the future can be extremely dangerous. Even if your intentions are good, it can backfire drastically! Whatever you've got to tell me, I'll find out through the natural course of time."
― "Doc" Emmett Brown, from Back to the Future (Universal Studios, 1985)
[Later in the movie ...]
Marty McFly: "Bulletproof vest? How did you know? I never got a chance to tell you."
[Doc smiles and retrieves an old piece of paper from his pocket. Marty opens it and discovers it's the warning letter that, in 1955, he had handed to Doc, who had immediately torn it up and discarded it. But here it was, all taped together.]
Marty: What about all that talk about [backfiring and unraveling] future events? The space-time continuum?
Doc: Well, I figured, what the ...?
* * *
If you're reading this devotional segment directly on the blog, your first question will be why it's "Devotional #27," when this week's should have been #6.
Glad you asked! We're jumping the gun, uncorking a spoiler from near the end of the Psalm 37 message. And it's all in keeping with our lead-in verse, verse 39, which says, "The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble."
The conclusion of today's devotional—the spoiler of the spoiler—is this: Our loving "Abba [Daddy], Father," King of the Universe and Lover of our soul, He Who wrote the end of our story before ever it began ... He already wrote it to be a happy ending ("the salvation of the righteous"), and He will bear us, in the "strength" of His loving arms, through every "time of trouble" along the way until that final ending.
Or, as Psalms 34:19 states it, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all."
"But," you may say, "surely that's poetic hyperbole! I've faced countless afflictions and trials in my journey with Jesus and, let's be honest, not all had a happy ending by any reckoning!"
Hey, I'm right there with you!
But that's why they're called "trials," right? James exhorts us to "...Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4)
As a wise old preacher once said, "God is the God of miracles, yes. But He's also the God Who will put you in a situation where the only way out is through a miracle!"
In other words, our loving Father quite intentionally lets us face very real, and often painful, difficulties in order to strengthen our faith. That's right—to perfect our ability to be patient and utterly dependent on Him, knowing that "He's got this one too!" no matter how dark and desperate our circumstances might appear.
Ponder this excerpt from an article by author and speaker Sue Maakestad:
― "Doc" Emmett Brown, from Back to the Future (Universal Studios, 1985)
[Later in the movie ...]
Marty McFly: "Bulletproof vest? How did you know? I never got a chance to tell you."
[Doc smiles and retrieves an old piece of paper from his pocket. Marty opens it and discovers it's the warning letter that, in 1955, he had handed to Doc, who had immediately torn it up and discarded it. But here it was, all taped together.]
Marty: What about all that talk about [backfiring and unraveling] future events? The space-time continuum?
Doc: Well, I figured, what the ...?
* * *
If you're reading this devotional segment directly on the blog, your first question will be why it's "Devotional #27," when this week's should have been #6.
Glad you asked! We're jumping the gun, uncorking a spoiler from near the end of the Psalm 37 message. And it's all in keeping with our lead-in verse, verse 39, which says, "The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble."
The conclusion of today's devotional—the spoiler of the spoiler—is this: Our loving "Abba [Daddy], Father," King of the Universe and Lover of our soul, He Who wrote the end of our story before ever it began ... He already wrote it to be a happy ending ("the salvation of the righteous"), and He will bear us, in the "strength" of His loving arms, through every "time of trouble" along the way until that final ending.
Or, as Psalms 34:19 states it, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all."
"But," you may say, "surely that's poetic hyperbole! I've faced countless afflictions and trials in my journey with Jesus and, let's be honest, not all had a happy ending by any reckoning!"
Hey, I'm right there with you!
But that's why they're called "trials," right? James exhorts us to "...Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4)
As a wise old preacher once said, "God is the God of miracles, yes. But He's also the God Who will put you in a situation where the only way out is through a miracle!"
In other words, our loving Father quite intentionally lets us face very real, and often painful, difficulties in order to strengthen our faith. That's right—to perfect our ability to be patient and utterly dependent on Him, knowing that "He's got this one too!" no matter how dark and desperate our circumstances might appear.
Ponder this excerpt from an article by author and speaker Sue Maakestad:
Jesus told Peter to come out and walk on the water with Him. How come He waited to calm the storm till after they were back in the boat (Matthew 14:24-32)? How come God allowed the three Hebrew children in Daniel 3:13-30 to be thrown into the fiery furnace before they could see the fourth man 'like the Son of God' in the fire with them (v. 25)? How come Jesus waited another two days when Lazarus was on his death bed 'because He loved him' (John 11:5-6)?
This is a test. This is only a test. Please notice, God was right there for each of them and carried them through to the other side—and He's right there for you too.
— From "Banquet on the Battlefield" (by Sue Maakestad, The Door World Outreach / Bullseye Publication / June 2023)
[Read the full article here.]
The sad truth, though, is that while He's right there rooting for us to pass the test ... more often than not we fail! And when we fail a test? You got it!... Just like the SATs, we have to take it again, generally with a different set of "questions" or challenges, over and over if necessary, until we finally pass and He can proudly say, "Well done!"
How, then do I skip right to the part where I pass? How do I avoid taking these tests over and over?
Simple answer. That verse from James holds the master key: it's "the testing of your faith." Meaning ... God's not testing my ability to solve complex problems, my mastery of obscure spiritual truths, my bravado in the face of torture, how stiff an upper lip I keep while my cranium's being smashed against the pavement. No, no, NO! All He wants to see is that, the moment I encounter adversity from any quarter, I burst into His throne room, make a beeline for His loving arms, and say, "Abba! Daddy! The bullies are after me again. Please, You show them what-for!"
That simple? Yes, that simple. Every trial is a test of faith. And the only correct answer to a test of faith is ... faith.
"But that's cheating!" you say. "Are you suggesting that the whole point of this test—of every test throughout my Christian life—is that God wants me to do nothing? Let Him do everything!?"
Now you're getting it!
Remember Matthew 11:29-30: "Take My yoke upon you ... find rest for your souls ... My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
The quicker I thrust my neck into that yoke in "time of trouble" (Psalms 37:39), the sooner I find myself letting go and allowing the omnipotent arm of the Lord to bring me salvation from the crisis at hand. I've discovered the divine Law of Cheating at last—skipping directly to the part where I pass the test of faith, where I yield my neck to His yoke and let Him score a perfect A+, with bonus points, on my behalf. And I'm loving it!
Does that mean my faith will never again face a trial? Of course it doesn't mean that. But I've passed this one, which means I'm stronger to face the next, and the next, and the next. And Father God is proud to see me grow and mature as His beloved child.
Sure, not every step we take on life's journey is a trial or test. (Thank God for that!) And sure, we skipped over episodes 6-26 of our study to reveal this "spoiler" about the tests we all face, not only at major intervals in our spiritual journey, but at frequent moments all along the way. But the underlying principle is the same for each step of our life, whether or not we're in the throes of a trial. It's the truth of Psalm 37, which is, "Do not fret. Trust in the Lord. Feed on His faithfulness."
***
Let me step out of character for the moment and disclose why I've jumped ahead to Episode #27 of our series. It's the inexpressible joy that fills my heart today, even as I find myself smack dab in the midst of the greatest trial I've ever faced. In fact, rewind to the beginning of this year, when I felt led to diverge from my usual themes of prayer and revival and instead do a devotional series about how the yoke of Jesus is easy and light. To be honest, I came back to God in prayer a few times with "Are You sure!?" before I was convinced I'd heard right. And so I started this blog series, cranking out the first five installments over a few months' time.
Fast-forward to 1 month ago—May 8, 2025—as I sat in my family doctor's office for a routine physical. We went over the usual small complaints and annoyances with my sixty-plus-year-old body, same as during other visits. I reminded him that, since being sick with COVID-19 four years ago, I've had this annoying chest congestion and cough. So, he ordered yet another "CAT scan" of my chest. (I'd had two before, as well as an X-ray, but they'd showed nothing relevant.)
Exactly 13 days later (May 21), I was sitting in that same chair in his office, with my loving wife by my side this time, listening to him explain all the frightening evidences of cancer that had turned up in the reading of this latest CAT scan that had just come back from the imaging center. Yikes!!
We were both stunned and numb, listening incredulously as he articulated the next steps—in-depth testing and appointments with various cancer specialists. Immediately, if not sooner!
How did this happen? Where was God and why didn't He keep it from happening!? Sure, my wife and I have been through many "dangers, toils, and snares" in our roughly half-a-century journey with Jesus. But something like this still knocks the legs out from under you!
Right away, we began to remind each other of how God has been faithful all these years, how He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, and (last we checked) He's still on the throne! Even in our state of shock—thank God—we had the presence of mind to stop, pray, and lay it all at His feet, even though our spirit was trembling inside. As David did in I Samuel 30:6, when he was "greatly distressed," he "strengthened himself in the Lord his God."
My wife received a word of revelation from Matthew 11 (same as this blog series); she said that God was telling her that His yoke is easy. That He's got this one too ... if we'll only release it to Him. Place our feeble necks in His glorious yoke. And so we did.
Of course, we also reached out to the Body of Christ for prayer. That same afternoon, my wife asked one of her friends from church to pray for peace, which she did. Wow, did that make a difference! There was a tangible mantle of the Holy Spirit's peace that descended and blanketed us. (When someone's going through a trial and asks you to pray for peace, don't think for a moment that it'll make no difference. It most certainly does!)
In fact, we were suddenly so at peace and wrapped in the Savior's love that, when my wife's sister came to the house that evening and asked, "So, how did that doctor visit turn out?" all I could respond with was, "Hallelujah, I've got cancer!" (And, I sincerely meant the "hallelujah" part!)
Long story short, there may be a long road ahead. I have four more tests coming up. More visits with cancer specialists. Perhaps a treatment plan that's uncomfortable (to say the least). God may choose just to heal me outright, or He may drag it out a bit.
But it's gonna be okay.
Why?
First, because I've chosen to cheat on this test (with Abba-Daddy's permission, of course). For once, and undoubtedly because He graciously got me started ahead of time on this blog about Psalm 37 and Matthew 11—as well as equally graciously dropping that same message into my wife's spirit—we were able to immediately realize our need to fly to His arms and place our neck in His yoke. It's a test of faith (same as all trials). We place our faith in Him and lay the test paper at His feet so He will ace this test for us. Which means the grade will be A+.
Awesome. So ... is that all?
Glad you asked! No, there's more. In fact, I've saved the best for last.
Back to our lead-in excerpts from the text: "Do not fret...trust in the Lord...the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble."
See, there's another hack—another divine cheat—hidden in that passage, and it's an easy one to miss. But, praise God, He's helped me not miss it, because it's been, not only a lifeline, but a well of joy springing up in both my own heart and my wife's!
Here's the divine progression (which, though well documented throughout Scripture, is so easy to miss)....
Cheat #1 is, when facing a test of our faith, we must resist the urge to conquer the test in our own strength. Again, all tests are faith tests, so run to Him, place the neck in that yoke, and trust Him to do the rest. By letting Him ace the test, we ace the test.
Cheat #2 is to further trust Him to give us true joy and strength for as long as the trial endures. That part takes an extra "oomph" of faith, but it's like bonus points on the test. The Apostle Paul stated that he was able to rejoice in his trials (Romans 5:3). Not just lay them at Jesus' feet and endure the trial by Jesus' mighty power, but ... actually be joyful throughout the process!
Why is that a cheat?
Because, in order to be joyful, one must believe not only that God will walk with us through the trial and lighten the load, but further, that the outcome will be victory!
Consider "Doc" Emmett Brown in his Back to the Future moment. While visiting the year 1955, Marty had handed Doc a warning letter. But Doc tore up the letter ... refused to read it ... due to his personal convictions on the topic of knowing one's own future. In fact, Doc didn't know (though he possibly suspected) that the letter would inform him how he would meet his death thirty years later.
When the two met again in 1985, it was just in time for Marty to witness (once again) the very moment Doc was gunned down by the Libyan terrorists. But this time turned out quite different, because Doc was wearing a bulletproof vest!
A cheat? Yes, absolutely! Though the scene had unfolded same as "before," and the Libyans had opened fire as foreseen (presumably because one cannot change the events that are to come his way), this time Doc had cheated the bullets. How? Simply by reading the message, knowing what the future held, and availing himself of the one thing he himself could do to prevent those bullets from piercing his heart. So he knew his tryst with death would not end in tragedy after all.
Stick with me here, because this is a key truth that opens a great storehouse of blessing, as it relates to the trials we all face on our Christian journey....
See, even if we've mastered Cheat #1—even if we're experts at running straight to the Father's arms when we face a trial of faith, asking Him to escort us through the very Valley of the Shadow of Death—that doesn't mean we can honestly "rejoice in our trials," as Paul stated we should. Especially if literal death is at stake, right!? Why? Because we don't know what the outcome will be.
But oh, the majesty of Cheat #2! Oh, the tender love of our Lord Christ, which is too marvelous to comprehend! (Ephesians 3:19) There are certain times—not all times, mind you, but certain ones—where in His infinite grace He will "slip us a note": a Scripture that suddenly jumps off the page, something in the evening news or a conversation with a friend that "lights up" with a hidden message we know is from God, or maybe during a prayer time where we just feel the Holy Spirit's presence in an almost tangible/audible way assuring us, "It's gonna be all right!"
That is when we can jump up and down shouting, "Glory, hallelujah!" with sincere and unquenchable joy. Not because the trial has ended. Oh, no! we're still right smack in the Valley of Shadow (as I am at this moment), trusting Him to carry us through. Rather, it's joy unspeakable and full of glory because He's let us cheat! He's given us a glimpse of how this whole thing will end, and it's a bright outcome after all! If we'll just cling to that glimpse in faith, never doubting, the bullets of the enemy cannot penetrate our joy-filled heart. Indeed, the joy of the Lord is our strength. It's our bullet-proof vest. (Nehemiah 8:10)
So, how did this second cheat come into play for my wife and me in our own Valley of the Shadow of Death?
Well, as you already know, we recognized this to be a trial of faith (same as all trials are) and ran straight to His arms, casting our cares upon Him and asking Him to take full control. That was Cheat #1. But, to be honest, though we felt at peace—as I mentioned, I had the power to say, "Hallelujah, I've got cancer!" ... and mean it—we did not immediately experience much joy. In fact, none at all. More like ... fear and foreboding!
Yet Father God, in His infinite mercy, knew that we couldn't make it through this one without Cheat #2. So, throughout the next few days He began "slipping us notes"—in Scripture, prayer times, words from brothers and sisters praying with us over the phone, etc.—hinting that this dark journey should end not in death, but in victory. Our fear began to crack, and rays of sunshine penetrated the darkness, but no joy as of yet.
And then it happened! It suddenly came to mind that I'd spent time in prayer back in January (a full four months before these current events), asking God whether it was His will for us to plan a certain two-week travel vacation that we were considering for this fall (October/November). At the time, I believed to have heard the answer—in a most unusual and emphatic way—as, "Yes, go!" So, I had immediately proceeded with booking the vacation.
Well, in retrospect now I wondered, "What's up with that!?" Had God prompted me to book a trip that (as today's circumstances suggested) I would never live to see? Of course not. Thank God, I know Him better than to think that, for there is no deceit in Him.
But the likely possibility was, even though I'd thought I heard Him give a resounding "yes" ... I heard wrong! Even the Apostle Paul said, "We see through a glass darkly" (I Corinthians 13:12), and we get a glimpse of him and his traveling companions struggling to discern the will of God during one of their own missionary journeys—the Macedonian incident of Acts 16:6-10.
I wasted no time pulling up my prayer notes from that Sunday afternoon in January. (I keep a notebook with all the details of my times with God: dates and times, what my questions were, what I felt He was telling me, as well as Scriptures I felt led to read—which generally gave me guidance or encouragement concerning that day's questions.)
On that occasion, I had taken extra-detailed notes, not just because it was a major life decision, but in response to my own amazement at all the crystal-clear answers I felt He was giving during my Scripture reading time. And that's when I found it! The "note" He had slipped me, which I had "torn up." The Scripture I had jotted down but immediately dismissed as "encouraging but totally irrelevant" to that day's prayer time. But oh, how gloriously relevant it turned out to be, now that I "taped it back together" so to speak (as Doc had done) and looked at it a second time! And this is how it goes:
Then surely you could lift up your face without spot;
Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;
Because you would forget your misery,
And remember it as waters that have passed away,
And your life would be brighter than noonday.
Though you were dark, you would be like the morning.
And you would be secure, because there is hope;
Yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety.
You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid...
(Job 11:15-19a, NKJV)
Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;
Because you would forget your misery,
And remember it as waters that have passed away,
And your life would be brighter than noonday.
Though you were dark, you would be like the morning.
And you would be secure, because there is hope;
Yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety.
You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid...
(Job 11:15-19a, NKJV)
Hallelujah! Cheat #2 on full display!! While giving me direction for an event near the end of the year, He had also secretly disclosed that, by the time October rolls around, all our "misery" will be like water under the bridge! I immediately dissolved in tears of unspeakable joy, even in the face of the current ongoing trial. And I still can't go back and read that passage without tears.
As the old hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" tells us:
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Indeed, He knows our every weakness; He knows we are but flesh (Psalms 78:39). He will not allow us to endure a trial we cannot bear. And sometimes it's a trial so severe that Cheat #1 alone—laying our troubles at His feet and letting Him pass the "test" for us—just won't cut it. He knows we will be overwhelmed with grief at the likely destination to which this dark Shadow-of-Death path is leading us, unless He graciously "slips us a note" (Cheat #2) that floods us with joy unspeakable and strength for the journey.
Does this always happen? I believe not. However, there is ample precedent in Scripture where we do see our loving Lord graciously provide the assurances of "Cheat #2" to allay fear and enable His people to endure and carry on—especially when facing life-and-death sorts of trials. For example:
- When the Israelites were caught between Pharaoh's army (who were about to slaughter them) and the mighty Red Sea, the Lord spoke through Moses saying, "The Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever." (Exodus 14:14)
- Numerous times when His people faced certain death at the hands of invading forces far greater than themselves, such when Isaiah prophesied (to Hezekiah) the miraculous lifting of Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem, which was to occur within a few days. (II Kings 19)
- When messengers came from Jairus's house to inform him that his daughter was dead, Jesus told him, "Fear not, only believe." Indicating, of course, that she would not stay dead. (Mark 5:36)
- When Martha encountered Jesus outside the town after her brother Lazarus had been dead for four days, Jesus told her, "Your brother shall rise again." (John 11:23)
To recap from the top of this segment: Our loving "Abba [Daddy], Father," King of the Universe and Lover of our soul, He Who wrote the end of our story before ever it began ... He already wrote it to be a happy ending ("the salvation of the righteous"), and He will bear us, in the "strength" of His loving arms, through every "time of trouble" along the way until that final ending.
And as we have further learned, His compassion is boundless, to the point that He will sometimes reveal to us by His Spirit (if we're listening) what the final outcome of the trial will be, so we are filled with the joy of the Lord that gives us strength to endure till the end.
Why not pray ...
"Dear Father,
Thank You for Your indescribable gift of joy in tribulation—a cheat within a cheat that helps us ace the greatest trials of our faith! As the author of the poem "Footprints in the Sand" so fittingly describes it, through the most difficult and painful moments of my life, that's when You carry me! Please help me remember, when faced with a trial, that it's nothing other than a test of my faith—to relinquish control to You to resolve the adverse situation. And when that situation is so dire that my strength would surely fail, O gracious Father, please afford me the joyous assurance that the outcome will be bright at last. For, as the Psalmist said, You alone are my salvation and my strength in time of trouble.
In Jesus' name. Amen."
---
Originally published as a “Bradstix” devotional on the National Minute of Prayer Facebook page 6/8/2025.
Copyright © Brad Fenichel 2025 All Rights Reserved
Sunday, May 18, 2025
POUNDING ON A LOCKED DOOR - "Feed on His Faithfulness" Devotional #5
"Do not fret...trust in the Lord...and He shall bring it to pass."
– Psalms 37:1-5b (NKJV, excerpts)
– Psalms 37:1-5b (NKJV, excerpts)
"Well, here we are at last," said Gandalf.... "But this door was not made to be a secret known only to Dwarves."
At the top, as high as Gandalf could reach, was an arch of interlacing letters in an Elvish character. "What does the writing say?" asked Frodo, who was trying to decipher the inscription on the arch.
"The words are in the elven-tongue of the West of Middle Earth in the Elder days," answered Gandalf. "But they do not say anything of importance to us. They say only: The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter."
"What does it mean by 'speak, friend, and enter'?" asked Merry.
"These doors are probably governed by words. Some dwarf-gates will open only at special times, or for particular persons. And some have locks and keys that are still needed when all necessary times and words are known."
"But do you not know the word, Gandalf?" asked Boromir.
"NO!" said the wizard.
― From The Two Towers (1954) Chapter IV (excerpts), by J.R.R. Tolkien
* * *
"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible moment," according to Murphy's Law.
Though I agree with Mr. Murphy on this universal truth, he clearly failed to notice myriad other such cosmic laws that govern our existence. For example, the Law of Parking Lots: "No matter how many hundreds of vehicles are parked in the lot, it will be the car right next to yours where the occupants are loading or unloading, with doors wide open and a shopping cart blocking your path, making it impossible to enter your vehicle."
Or, there's the Law of Vacations: "Each day closer you get to your scheduled out-of-office date, it becomes exponentially more difficult to depart. In fact, on your final day in the office, everything will break loose rendering it impossible to leave."
But, the most predictable and incontrovertible law I've discovered is the Law of Double Doors: "When you approach a small business with a double entry door, one side will invariably be locked. And it will be whichever side you try first."
By this time you're wondering what all of this has to do with the Scriptures we've been exploring: about destressing our lives and yielding our necks to Jesus' yoke, thereby finding true rest for our soul. Specifically, our Psalm 37 journey has brought us to the end of verse 5: "Trust also in [the Lord], and He shall bring it to pass."
Surely one of the diciest dimensions of the Christian life, and a source of our greatest anxiety and stress, is that of faith. Remembering all the times I've prayed and not received the answer I expected, or not received it within the time frame that it was so desperately needed ... How can I trust that God will come through ... or, for that matter, that He's even listening?? (Come on! Don't say you haven't been there!)
Consider the Law of Double Doors. Sure, that's easy. After I try the first side and find it locked, do I stand there and pound on it? Certainly not! After rolling my eyes and tsk-ing, I quickly move to the opposite door which, of course, will be the unlocked one. End of dilemma!
* * *
Back to Gandalf and his companions, standing before a locked door at night, with deadly perils closing in behind and a wizard who did not know the secret password. After trying every known door-opening phrase he could recall or imagine, in every language of Middle Earth dating back to the Elder Days, all to no avail, Gandalf had an epiphany.
In fact, the inscription that he had said just an hour ago was "of no importance" actually held the key to opening the door! Rather than, "Speak, friend, and enter," the correct interpretation of the runes was, "Say 'friend,' and enter." So simple! Millennia ago, these doors had been for public access with minimal security. If you were a friend of Moria, you had only to say so, and you would be allowed access. Gandalf had only to speak the ancient word for "friend" and, sure enough, the doors swung open and his entourage was able to hurry inside where they were out of danger. (Or, so they thought! But you'll have to read Tolkien's masterpiece Trilogy to find out what befell them in their journey under the mountain.)
* * *
What's my own M.O. when it comes to the locked doors I encounter along my journey of faith? (Which, by the way, are put there quite intentionally by my loving Father to train me in how to conquer them.) Too often I keep pounding on the door till I eventually either (a) give up—turning my back on God's plans and purposes to go about my own hobbies instead—or else (b) make believe the door is open and I'm on the other side of it enjoying sweet communion with Christ when, in fact (as in the fairy tale of The Emperor's New Clothes), I know very well it's not so.
So, what's a Christian to do?
First, stop fretting! Cease trying to force the door open with our human thoughts and methods. Instead, like the faithful protagonist in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, let us come to the realization that we have "a key ... called Promise, that will open any door in Doubting Castle."
Ponder the promise of our text in Psalm 37: "Do not fret...trust in the Lord...and He shall bring it to pass." Or, as Paul tells us in greater detail, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
In other words, if the door of human endeavor is locked, try the other door--seeking God in prayer until He brings it to pass. Until He gives us the secret password that opens us into His glorious plan and purpose for us in the situation at hand ... which, by the way, won't always lead us "out of danger," but where He will be by our side bringing us through the Valley of Danger and Shadow of Death to the Mountain of Praise beyond.
In conclusion, it all ties back to the principle of the yoke. Are we not weary, anxious, and heavy-laden with the failures and locked doors we continually face in our well-meaning efforts to serve Jesus? Let us learn of Him and find rest for our souls, through prayer and trust, as He so graciously and patiently gets our attention and redirects our eyes to find the door that is unlocked.
At the top, as high as Gandalf could reach, was an arch of interlacing letters in an Elvish character. "What does the writing say?" asked Frodo, who was trying to decipher the inscription on the arch.
"The words are in the elven-tongue of the West of Middle Earth in the Elder days," answered Gandalf. "But they do not say anything of importance to us. They say only: The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter."
"What does it mean by 'speak, friend, and enter'?" asked Merry.
"These doors are probably governed by words. Some dwarf-gates will open only at special times, or for particular persons. And some have locks and keys that are still needed when all necessary times and words are known."
"But do you not know the word, Gandalf?" asked Boromir.
"NO!" said the wizard.
― From The Two Towers (1954) Chapter IV (excerpts), by J.R.R. Tolkien
* * *
"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible moment," according to Murphy's Law.
Though I agree with Mr. Murphy on this universal truth, he clearly failed to notice myriad other such cosmic laws that govern our existence. For example, the Law of Parking Lots: "No matter how many hundreds of vehicles are parked in the lot, it will be the car right next to yours where the occupants are loading or unloading, with doors wide open and a shopping cart blocking your path, making it impossible to enter your vehicle."
Or, there's the Law of Vacations: "Each day closer you get to your scheduled out-of-office date, it becomes exponentially more difficult to depart. In fact, on your final day in the office, everything will break loose rendering it impossible to leave."
But, the most predictable and incontrovertible law I've discovered is the Law of Double Doors: "When you approach a small business with a double entry door, one side will invariably be locked. And it will be whichever side you try first."
By this time you're wondering what all of this has to do with the Scriptures we've been exploring: about destressing our lives and yielding our necks to Jesus' yoke, thereby finding true rest for our soul. Specifically, our Psalm 37 journey has brought us to the end of verse 5: "Trust also in [the Lord], and He shall bring it to pass."
Surely one of the diciest dimensions of the Christian life, and a source of our greatest anxiety and stress, is that of faith. Remembering all the times I've prayed and not received the answer I expected, or not received it within the time frame that it was so desperately needed ... How can I trust that God will come through ... or, for that matter, that He's even listening?? (Come on! Don't say you haven't been there!)
Consider the Law of Double Doors. Sure, that's easy. After I try the first side and find it locked, do I stand there and pound on it? Certainly not! After rolling my eyes and tsk-ing, I quickly move to the opposite door which, of course, will be the unlocked one. End of dilemma!
* * *
Back to Gandalf and his companions, standing before a locked door at night, with deadly perils closing in behind and a wizard who did not know the secret password. After trying every known door-opening phrase he could recall or imagine, in every language of Middle Earth dating back to the Elder Days, all to no avail, Gandalf had an epiphany.
In fact, the inscription that he had said just an hour ago was "of no importance" actually held the key to opening the door! Rather than, "Speak, friend, and enter," the correct interpretation of the runes was, "Say 'friend,' and enter." So simple! Millennia ago, these doors had been for public access with minimal security. If you were a friend of Moria, you had only to say so, and you would be allowed access. Gandalf had only to speak the ancient word for "friend" and, sure enough, the doors swung open and his entourage was able to hurry inside where they were out of danger. (Or, so they thought! But you'll have to read Tolkien's masterpiece Trilogy to find out what befell them in their journey under the mountain.)
* * *
What's my own M.O. when it comes to the locked doors I encounter along my journey of faith? (Which, by the way, are put there quite intentionally by my loving Father to train me in how to conquer them.) Too often I keep pounding on the door till I eventually either (a) give up—turning my back on God's plans and purposes to go about my own hobbies instead—or else (b) make believe the door is open and I'm on the other side of it enjoying sweet communion with Christ when, in fact (as in the fairy tale of The Emperor's New Clothes), I know very well it's not so.
So, what's a Christian to do?
First, stop fretting! Cease trying to force the door open with our human thoughts and methods. Instead, like the faithful protagonist in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, let us come to the realization that we have "a key ... called Promise, that will open any door in Doubting Castle."
Ponder the promise of our text in Psalm 37: "Do not fret...trust in the Lord...and He shall bring it to pass." Or, as Paul tells us in greater detail, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
In other words, if the door of human endeavor is locked, try the other door--seeking God in prayer until He brings it to pass. Until He gives us the secret password that opens us into His glorious plan and purpose for us in the situation at hand ... which, by the way, won't always lead us "out of danger," but where He will be by our side bringing us through the Valley of Danger and Shadow of Death to the Mountain of Praise beyond.
In conclusion, it all ties back to the principle of the yoke. Are we not weary, anxious, and heavy-laden with the failures and locked doors we continually face in our well-meaning efforts to serve Jesus? Let us learn of Him and find rest for our souls, through prayer and trust, as He so graciously and patiently gets our attention and redirects our eyes to find the door that is unlocked.
Why not pray ...
"Dear Father,
I pray according to the words of the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 1:17-18), "Father of glory, [please give me] the spirit of wisdom and revelation ... the eyes of [my] understanding being enlightened" to stop fretting—to stop pounding for days, months, and years on the same locked doors—but, rather, to yield to Your yoke, trust and rest, as You "bring it to pass" Every. Single. Time. Hallelujah!
In Jesus' name. Amen."
---
Originally published as a “Bradstix” devotional on the National Minute of Prayer Facebook page 5/18/2025.
Copyright © Brad Fenichel 2025 All Rights Reserved
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Beware the Selective Sower
"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the
wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.
Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away
because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns
sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang
up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."
– Luke 8:5-8a (NKJV)
– Luke 8:5-8a (NKJV)
This well known parable of Jesus is repeated in three of the four Gospels, and it's one of the few parables of our Lord where we have a very detailed explanation of its message and meaning. He explains that the seed is His Word, and He describes the meaning of all the different sorts of ground on which it falls. Yet He does not come right out and tell us who the sower represents.
However, by taking the parable in its own context, as well as the full context of Scripture, it is clear that our Lord Himself—the Word made flesh (John 1)—was also the Great Sower of that Word. And He commissioned us to continue the ministry of sowing until His return. ("As the Father has sent Me, so send I you.")
Let us then take heed to the important details we may have missed in this parable, as our Lord makes it clear that, in our ministry of sowing His Word, there is something on which we MUST focus, and another on which we must NEVER focus:
- - We MUST focus on scattering the Word generously WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION as to where it will fall. Notice that the sower apparently did not take pains to avoid "wasting" seed on the trodden path, the rocky spots, and the thorny patches. Let us never hold back sharing the words and love of our Lord Jesus Christ because we perceive or suspect that the hearers might not be receptive.
- - And, secondly, we must NEVER focus on the outcome. Once we've been faithful to scatter the precious seed, the outcome belongs to God ALONE. We take no credit for those who yield a hundredfold crop, nor should we take the blame for those who reject the Word or who quickly fall away. Because, at the end of the age, EVERY knee shall bow—even those who rejected our Lord or cursed His name. (See Philippians 2:9-11). All people shall answer to HIM ALONE.
So, in the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Let us, then, be up and doing, with a heart for any fate”—as faithful sowers sharing His love, spreading the seed of His Word INDISCRIMINATELY to all men through our words and our actions. And leave all outcomes to HIM.
Copyright © Brad Fenichel 2025 All Rights Reserved
Sunday, April 20, 2025
COOLLY CATCHING COBRAS - "Feed on His Faithfulness" Devotional #4
"Do not fret...trust in the Lord...commit your way to the Lord."
– Psalms 37:1-5 (NKJV, excerpts)
– Psalms 37:1-5 (NKJV, excerpts)
I had ... a call from a friend, Russ Weaver: "Dave, I want you to come to list my house."
This is a realtor’s dream call. But what came out of my mouth was: “Russ, you don’t want to sell your house right now.... Hang on to it. We’re in a buyer’s market right now. Besides, it’s October, and the next four months will be slow."
Two weeks later, Russ called again, “Dave, can you come over and list this house TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7:00?” Seeing his resolve, we booked the meeting.
“I’ll be prepared to discuss a detailed valuation with you,” I said.
“Don’t bother. I already know the price.”
“Oh yeah? How much?”
“$134,000.” (This was 1998, and it sounded high, but I hadn’t done the homework yet.) “Oh, and by the way, that’s not what I’m ASKING; that's how much we'll GET!”
After looking at recent sales in the area, tax records, and anything else I could think of, the highest value I could come up with was $114,000. My broker advised you don’t want to list anything above five percent over market value. This rationale got me to a list price of $119,900.
[Later,] sitting at the kitchen table, I discovered the price was non-negotiable. “But Russ, haven’t I demonstrated that the asking price should be $119,900?”
“Well, that’s what those papers say, but the Lord told me you would sell it for $134,000.”
― From When a House Buys a Person: Adventures in Real Estate, by David Herr (2021 - excerpts)
* * *
Bwa-ha-ha! So, how did that one work out!? Well ... let's leave it marinating a bit while we check in on another true-life scene, this one involving a disgraced and expatriated prince, barefoot, gazing into a brush fire in a remote desert....
So, the Lord said to [Moses], “What is that in your hand?”
He said, “A rod.”
And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” And he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand. (Exodus 4:2-4, NKJV)
I've often wondered how many times Moses' heart thumped against his rib cage before his trembling hand complied with the command to "Take it by the tail." (In case you're wondering, DON'T try this at home! The tail is ... let's just say ... not your best choice of a handle whereby to catch an ill-tempered cobra.)
This is a realtor’s dream call. But what came out of my mouth was: “Russ, you don’t want to sell your house right now.... Hang on to it. We’re in a buyer’s market right now. Besides, it’s October, and the next four months will be slow."
Two weeks later, Russ called again, “Dave, can you come over and list this house TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7:00?” Seeing his resolve, we booked the meeting.
“I’ll be prepared to discuss a detailed valuation with you,” I said.
“Don’t bother. I already know the price.”
“Oh yeah? How much?”
“$134,000.” (This was 1998, and it sounded high, but I hadn’t done the homework yet.) “Oh, and by the way, that’s not what I’m ASKING; that's how much we'll GET!”
After looking at recent sales in the area, tax records, and anything else I could think of, the highest value I could come up with was $114,000. My broker advised you don’t want to list anything above five percent over market value. This rationale got me to a list price of $119,900.
[Later,] sitting at the kitchen table, I discovered the price was non-negotiable. “But Russ, haven’t I demonstrated that the asking price should be $119,900?”
“Well, that’s what those papers say, but the Lord told me you would sell it for $134,000.”
― From When a House Buys a Person: Adventures in Real Estate, by David Herr (2021 - excerpts)
* * *
Bwa-ha-ha! So, how did that one work out!? Well ... let's leave it marinating a bit while we check in on another true-life scene, this one involving a disgraced and expatriated prince, barefoot, gazing into a brush fire in a remote desert....
So, the Lord said to [Moses], “What is that in your hand?”
He said, “A rod.”
And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” And he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand. (Exodus 4:2-4, NKJV)
I've often wondered how many times Moses' heart thumped against his rib cage before his trembling hand complied with the command to "Take it by the tail." (In case you're wondering, DON'T try this at home! The tail is ... let's just say ... not your best choice of a handle whereby to catch an ill-tempered cobra.)
But Moses obeyed, and the rest is history: he went on to repeat the miracle in front of Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler of his time. Moses' cobra coolly swallowed up all the other cobras—the ones brought forth by Pharaoh's conjurers—thereby demonstrating the omnipotence of the Great "I AM."
As we explore the wonders of Psalm 37, which is all about de-stressing our lives and "feeding on His faithfulness" (or, as Jesus later put it, "Take my yoke upon you ... and you shall find rest for your souls"), we come to the instruction in verse 5: "Commit your way to the Lord."
"My WAY? WHAT way?"
Think of the old proverb "Man proposes; God disposes." (Sure, that's not a direct quote from the Bible, but the principle is absolutely scriptural; for example, Proverbs 16:9 and 19:21.) The idea is that we are free to PENCIL IN our goals, schedules, and itineraries for life's journey, but IMMEDIATELY commit them to our loving Father, earnestly and actively seeking His divine eraser and red-ink correction pen!
Back to Moses—the mighty prince who had escaped those same Egyptian courts by the skin of his teeth forty years earlier. And his "way," his life plan, was to just keep doing what he was doing: hang out on the back side of the desert disguised as a sheepherder, raise children and grandchildren, and ABSOLUTELY NOT do anything to attract Pharaoh's attention.
But then, GOD!
As we explore the wonders of Psalm 37, which is all about de-stressing our lives and "feeding on His faithfulness" (or, as Jesus later put it, "Take my yoke upon you ... and you shall find rest for your souls"), we come to the instruction in verse 5: "Commit your way to the Lord."
"My WAY? WHAT way?"
Think of the old proverb "Man proposes; God disposes." (Sure, that's not a direct quote from the Bible, but the principle is absolutely scriptural; for example, Proverbs 16:9 and 19:21.) The idea is that we are free to PENCIL IN our goals, schedules, and itineraries for life's journey, but IMMEDIATELY commit them to our loving Father, earnestly and actively seeking His divine eraser and red-ink correction pen!
Back to Moses—the mighty prince who had escaped those same Egyptian courts by the skin of his teeth forty years earlier. And his "way," his life plan, was to just keep doing what he was doing: hang out on the back side of the desert disguised as a sheepherder, raise children and grandchildren, and ABSOLUTELY NOT do anything to attract Pharaoh's attention.
But then, GOD!
Yes, "I AM That I AM" came with His glorious eraser and red marker. And, before you know it, Moses was catching cobras by the tail. Which was practice for his showdown with Pharaoh—who fancied himself the great cobra-god-king (as evidenced by his headpiece featuring a rearing cobra).
So, then ... let's bring this in for a landing on OUR OWN runway. And here's where it gets dicey. Sure, this all sounds good on paper ... in a "Bible story." But MOSES CHEATED, right!? Think about it!... He's standing there in front of a miraculous Burning Bush, with the miraculous voice of the Great "I AM" thundering in his ears, recruiting him for a miraculous assignment, and then topping it off by ... POOF! turning Moses' walking stick into a live snake. Sure, under those circumstances, I could see myself in his shoes—ahem! that's right ... skip the shoes—plucking up the nerve to catch that critter by the tail. Wouldn't YOU, given all those props to boost YOUR faith?
But my own day-to-day experiences? Not always so overtly miraculous. I can identify more with Dave, the guy in our lead story. I'm the real estate agent that's got it all figured out. I know my profession. I know the housing market. I know the rotten state of the economy. I just ... KNOW!
But then, GOD. Hallelujah!
You can read the full details and the amazing ending in David Herr's book. Which is packed with many such stories chronicling his journey of faith—learning step-by-step to expect God to show up and do amazing things ... even in a field as mundane as real estate! It's just what happens, in any walk of life, when you "commit your way to the Lord." In a nutshell—spoiler alert—Dave (or GOD, actually!) DID sell Russ's house for EXACTLY $134,000, and it sold to a down-and-out couple who desperately needed a touch of God in their lives. Which came to them through the purchase of the house. And that's not all! Russ again heard from God to gift BACK to that couple $25,000+ of the purchase price in the form of a check. And that check was EXACTLY the amount the couple needed at EXACTLY the right moment to resolve a crisis and turn their lives around.
See, Russ was probably a step or two ahead of Dave on his learning journey. Learning to stop stressing. To, instead, pencil in your plans and "commit [them] to the Lord" for his glorious editing, following His instructions even when they sound "crazy."
Someone once asked Smith Wigglesworth, who is remembered as the "apostle of faith"—a man of great signs and wonders—"How can I achieve such faith as yours?"
Wigglesworth's response is often quoted, for its stunning simplicity: “How can one come to possess great faith? Now listen, here is the answer to that: First, the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. Faith must grow by soil, moisture, and exercise.”
Remember the shepherd boy David? He didn't start his career on the battlefield with Goliath. As he explained to King Saul, it started small. It started with learning to bravely trust God against wild animals that attacked his sheep. Then larger wild animals. Then, ultimately, the giant who defied God's own sheep—the Israelites.
So, how do I put this into practice? How do I bridge the gap from stressing over my plans, my future, what I believe God is asking me to do, versus what my senses tell me is doable? How do I get used to obeying what I THINK God is asking me to do, when it just SOUNDS CRAZY? In other words, how do I advance from where I am now in my spiritual journey to ... coolly catching cobras on command??
So, then ... let's bring this in for a landing on OUR OWN runway. And here's where it gets dicey. Sure, this all sounds good on paper ... in a "Bible story." But MOSES CHEATED, right!? Think about it!... He's standing there in front of a miraculous Burning Bush, with the miraculous voice of the Great "I AM" thundering in his ears, recruiting him for a miraculous assignment, and then topping it off by ... POOF! turning Moses' walking stick into a live snake. Sure, under those circumstances, I could see myself in his shoes—ahem! that's right ... skip the shoes—plucking up the nerve to catch that critter by the tail. Wouldn't YOU, given all those props to boost YOUR faith?
But my own day-to-day experiences? Not always so overtly miraculous. I can identify more with Dave, the guy in our lead story. I'm the real estate agent that's got it all figured out. I know my profession. I know the housing market. I know the rotten state of the economy. I just ... KNOW!
But then, GOD. Hallelujah!
You can read the full details and the amazing ending in David Herr's book. Which is packed with many such stories chronicling his journey of faith—learning step-by-step to expect God to show up and do amazing things ... even in a field as mundane as real estate! It's just what happens, in any walk of life, when you "commit your way to the Lord." In a nutshell—spoiler alert—Dave (or GOD, actually!) DID sell Russ's house for EXACTLY $134,000, and it sold to a down-and-out couple who desperately needed a touch of God in their lives. Which came to them through the purchase of the house. And that's not all! Russ again heard from God to gift BACK to that couple $25,000+ of the purchase price in the form of a check. And that check was EXACTLY the amount the couple needed at EXACTLY the right moment to resolve a crisis and turn their lives around.
See, Russ was probably a step or two ahead of Dave on his learning journey. Learning to stop stressing. To, instead, pencil in your plans and "commit [them] to the Lord" for his glorious editing, following His instructions even when they sound "crazy."
Someone once asked Smith Wigglesworth, who is remembered as the "apostle of faith"—a man of great signs and wonders—"How can I achieve such faith as yours?"
Wigglesworth's response is often quoted, for its stunning simplicity: “How can one come to possess great faith? Now listen, here is the answer to that: First, the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. Faith must grow by soil, moisture, and exercise.”
Remember the shepherd boy David? He didn't start his career on the battlefield with Goliath. As he explained to King Saul, it started small. It started with learning to bravely trust God against wild animals that attacked his sheep. Then larger wild animals. Then, ultimately, the giant who defied God's own sheep—the Israelites.
So, how do I put this into practice? How do I bridge the gap from stressing over my plans, my future, what I believe God is asking me to do, versus what my senses tell me is doable? How do I get used to obeying what I THINK God is asking me to do, when it just SOUNDS CRAZY? In other words, how do I advance from where I am now in my spiritual journey to ... coolly catching cobras on command??
Why not pray ...
"Dear Father,
You command my trust. That I de-stress and "commit my ways" to You. That I ultimately catch cobras by the tail and do other things that don't seem to make any sense, but that You have prompted me to do. Which means they would lead to the perfect and beautiful outcome You have planned ... if only I would obey. Please give me the grace to start small, but START. Maybe practice doing one "crazy" thing each day at Your Spirit's prompting. First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. I choose to start TODAY. I choose to commit my ways to You. Show me today's cobra—a LITTLE one, please!—and, by Your grace, I'll be catching the "big boys" soon enough.
In Jesus' name. Amen."
---
Originally published as a “Bradstix” devotional on the National Minute of Prayer Facebook page 4/20/2025.
Copyright © Brad Fenichel 2025 All Rights Reserved
Monday, April 7, 2025
SLUGGARDS COME IN VANILLA, CHOCOLATE, AND STRAWBERRY - "Feed on His Faithfulness" Devotional #3
"Do not fret ... Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."
– Psalms 37:1,4 (NKJV, excerpts)
"A few treats!? The Captain wasn't kidding!" says young Kris Atwood, as he crests a strenuous mountain climb and encounters a rest area piled high with sweets and goodies. "Ohhhhh! Mmmmmmmm!! Wow! Let's see... [munch ... slurp] Ohhhhhh, wow!"
Here he's startled, his feasting interrupted by three heavy-eyed Sluggards in Neapolitan colors, who spend their lives at this very spot doing nothing but napping and devouring treats.
"Sit dowwwwwnnnnn. Enjoy the feasssssssttttt [sllllurrrrrrp!]," says Vanilla Sluggard.
"Rest uuuuuuuuuup a biiiiiiiiit," says Chocolate Sluggard.
"Caaaaaan't," says Kris, becoming more drowsy by the moment under the Sluggards' spell. "Gotta get to the Gaaaaaaates of Wizzzzzdommmmmmmmmmm."
"Noooooo hurry, dahhhhhhhhhhhling!" says Strawberry Sluggard, "reeeeeeeeeeeelaxxxxxxxxxx!"
"Resssssssssst. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat!" says Vanilla Sluggard, dragging Kris by the foot with a candy cane toward another pile of sweets.
"Sluggards!! Captain said to watch out for sluggards!" says Kris, as he springs to life and takes off running down the Path of Righteousness, continuing his trek to Mount Wizzdom.
"Got away!" the Sluggards whimper, as they give up and return to their idleness.
–Scene from the stop-action claymation movie Hoomania (Adelphi Productions / Gospel Films, 1985)
* * *
Our protagonist in this vintage kids' flick [Hint: YouTube!] is Kristopher "Kris" Atwood, who is magically transformed into a pawn in a board game based on the Book of Proverbs, where he is schooled in the Ways of Wisdom. As he enters the game, the "Captain" explains the object of the game (which is to reach the Gates of Mount Wizzdom) and reads him the rules—including: beware of Sluggards, don't draw a Dodo Card, and you're allowed to sample some treats that you'll encounter along the way.
Continuing our journey through Psalm 37—the chapter on de-stressing our lives and feeding on His faithfulness—let's ponder what may be the number-one stressor we all hate to admit to: "If I take His yoke upon me ... I'LL NEVER AGAIN BE ALLOWED TO ENJOY THE GOOD THINGS OF LIFE!"
See, we imagine God to be like the von Trapp father character in The Sound of Music—all about work, and study, and ... oh, horrors! ... certainly NO relaxation or enjoyment! And yet, our Lord front-loads this point at the top of the Psalm. Right after the preamble about "do not fret" and "feed on His faithfulness," He drops into the laundry list of stressors and how to combat them. And in His divine wisdom, He starts right out of the gate with Number One: "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."
Are we saying that God's antidote to stress is that He wants us fat and happy? Certainly not! If that were the case, then the Apostle Paul seems to have missed the memo. See I Corinthians chapter 4: "hungry and thirsty ... beaten and homeless ... reviled and defamed" ... oh, my! In this world we will have tribulation, and being ambassadors of Christ naturally comes with adversity.
And yet, here's where we circle back to Matthew 11:28-30, because HIS YOKE IS EASY. Just as our Lord endured the cross because of "the joy that was set before Him," He empowers us to find great JOY in the journey. He DE-STRESSES the tribulation and adversity, balancing it with His provision of every good thing in Christ Jesus.
How, then, do we achieve that delicate balance? It's simple, as with all facets of Psalm 37. We start in verse 3 by trusting (in the Lord), doing (good), and dwelling (in the land--where we feed on His faithfulness). In other words, STOP the fretting! Yield up your neck to His yoke; He does the rest ... and GIVES us rest.
- In the Old Testament, God balanced the duty of bringing sacrifices to the temple—heave offerings and wave offerings—with the joy of feasting on those sacrifices ... "whatever your heart desires" (Deuteronomy 14:26).
- As the people experienced great revival, with tears of repentance, Nehemiah encouraged them to "go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV)
- When the prodigal's brother complained that his father had never given him "a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends," did the father admonish him about the evils of feasting? On the contrary, dad responded, "You don't get it! All I have is yours!"
Ah ... and here's where we begin to find our Heavenly Father's heart revealed in the words of Jesus! See, when we grasp the fact that we're true sons and daughters of the Almighty, that all He has is ours, that we can offer our neck to His yoke without fear—to work HIS field, to be about HIS business, to seek first HIS kingdom and righteousness in the earth, to be servant-ambassadors of Heaven rather than living for ourselves, and to DELIGHT ourselves in the Lord and in His yoke—well, NOW we experience the fulfillment of the desires of our heart ... which just might be the desires of HIS heart birthed in us more and more each day, hallelujah!
"But," you might ask, "exactly WHEN should I expect to see the desires of my heart fulfilled?"
Remember the rules of the game. As the Hoomania "Captain" said, you will encounter "treats along the way." Sometimes it will be after a grueling uphill battle, or simply when you least expect it. But with your neck in the yoke, you will surely find goodness, mercy, and rest for your soul—His "peace that passes all understanding."
Why not pray ...
"Dear Father,
Forgive me for secretly being a Sluggard—prioritizing the "few treats along the way," such as comfort, entertainment, and relaxation—to the exclusion of serving in Your yoke. Help me de-stress at the thought of missing out on the "good things of life" and instead "trust, do, and dwell" in Your faithfulness, seeking Your kingdom first, and thereby finding Your promised provision and REST.
In Jesus' name. Amen."
---
Originally published as a “Bradstix” devotional on the National Minute of Prayer Facebook page 4/6/2025.
Copyright © Brad Fenichel 2025 All Rights Reserved
Sunday, February 9, 2025
A ROACH OR TWO - "Feed on His Faithfulness" Devotional #2
"Do not fret...trust in the Lord...and feed on His faithfulness. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."
– Psalms 37:1-6 (NKJV, excerpts)
– Psalms 37:1-6 (NKJV, excerpts)
In the middle of the dais was a great gilded chair. Upon it sat a man so bent with age that he seemed almost a dwarf; but his white hair was long and thick and fell in great braids from beneath a thin golden circlet set on his brow.... His beard was laid like snow upon his knees; but his eyes still burned with a bright light glinting as he gazed at the strangers.
At length Gandalf spoke. "Hail, Théoden son of Thengel! I have returned."
The old man rose to his feet, leaning heavily on a short black staff ... "I greet you ..." he said, "but truth to tell your welcome is doubtful here, Master Gandalf. You have ever been a herald of woe.... Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow? Tell me that." Slowly he sat down again in his chair.
"You speak justly, lord," said a pale man sitting upon the steps of the dais. "Even now we learn from Gondor that the Dark Lord is stirring in the East. Such is the hour in which this wanderer chooses to return. Why indeed should we welcome you, Master Stormcrow? Láthspell I name you—Ill-News..." He laughed grimly, as he lifted his heavy lids for a moment and gazed on the strangers with dark eyes.
Then suddenly [Gandalf] changed. Casting his tattered cloak aside ... he spoke in a clear cold voice.... "Grima son of Gálmod, a witless worm you have become. Therefore be silent, and keep your forked tongue between your teeth.
He raised his staff. There was a roll of thunder ... the fire faded to sullen embers. There was a flash as if lightning had cloven the roof. Then all was silent. [Grima] Wormtongue sprawled on his face.
"Now Théoden son of Thengel, will you hearken to me?" said Gandalf. "Do you ask for help?" He lifted his staff and pointed to a high window. There the darkness seemed to clear, and through the opening could be seen, high and far, a patch of shining sky. "Not all is dark. Take courage, Lord of the Mark.... I bid you come out before your doors and look abroad. Too long have you sat in shadows and trusted to twisted tales and crooked promptings."
Slowly Théoden left his chair. A faint light grew in the hall again.... With faltering steps the old man came down from the dais and paced softly through the hall. Wormtongue remained lying on the floor.... The doors rolled back and a keen air came whistling in.
"Now, lord," said Gandalf, "look out upon your land! Breathe the free air again!"
"It is not so dark here," said Théoden."
"No," said Gandalf, "Nor does age lie so heavily on your shoulders as some would have you think. Cast aside your prop!"
"Dark have been my dreams of late," [Théoden] said, "but I feel as one new-awakened."
― From The Two Towers (1954) Chapter VI (excerpts), by J.R.R. Tolkien
* * *
A wise old preacher once said, "We never grasp just how far Man has fallen till we start the journey back."
At length Gandalf spoke. "Hail, Théoden son of Thengel! I have returned."
The old man rose to his feet, leaning heavily on a short black staff ... "I greet you ..." he said, "but truth to tell your welcome is doubtful here, Master Gandalf. You have ever been a herald of woe.... Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow? Tell me that." Slowly he sat down again in his chair.
"You speak justly, lord," said a pale man sitting upon the steps of the dais. "Even now we learn from Gondor that the Dark Lord is stirring in the East. Such is the hour in which this wanderer chooses to return. Why indeed should we welcome you, Master Stormcrow? Láthspell I name you—Ill-News..." He laughed grimly, as he lifted his heavy lids for a moment and gazed on the strangers with dark eyes.
Then suddenly [Gandalf] changed. Casting his tattered cloak aside ... he spoke in a clear cold voice.... "Grima son of Gálmod, a witless worm you have become. Therefore be silent, and keep your forked tongue between your teeth.
He raised his staff. There was a roll of thunder ... the fire faded to sullen embers. There was a flash as if lightning had cloven the roof. Then all was silent. [Grima] Wormtongue sprawled on his face.
"Now Théoden son of Thengel, will you hearken to me?" said Gandalf. "Do you ask for help?" He lifted his staff and pointed to a high window. There the darkness seemed to clear, and through the opening could be seen, high and far, a patch of shining sky. "Not all is dark. Take courage, Lord of the Mark.... I bid you come out before your doors and look abroad. Too long have you sat in shadows and trusted to twisted tales and crooked promptings."
Slowly Théoden left his chair. A faint light grew in the hall again.... With faltering steps the old man came down from the dais and paced softly through the hall. Wormtongue remained lying on the floor.... The doors rolled back and a keen air came whistling in.
"Now, lord," said Gandalf, "look out upon your land! Breathe the free air again!"
"It is not so dark here," said Théoden."
"No," said Gandalf, "Nor does age lie so heavily on your shoulders as some would have you think. Cast aside your prop!"
"Dark have been my dreams of late," [Théoden] said, "but I feel as one new-awakened."
― From The Two Towers (1954) Chapter VI (excerpts), by J.R.R. Tolkien
* * *
A wise old preacher once said, "We never grasp just how far Man has fallen till we start the journey back."
So, as we begin this devotional ascent from the pits of endless stress into the glorious freedom of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, it is essential that we understand what brought on the stress in the first place and how to avoid sliding right back into that gloomy place so we have to repeat the journey over and over again.
When Adam and Eve had their Great Fall, they—and all of us with them—tumbled into a chasm of Sin so unfathomably deep and hopeless that only our Lord Jesus could lift us out. His nail-scarred hands "brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light," hallelujah! (I Peter 2:9) If we've put our trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and made a commitment to follow Him, then we are SAVED. No question about it.
And yet, bringing us out of Sin and darkness does not altogether get the darkness OUT OF US. It's a process—a "journey back." In Paul's words, "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6) Praise God, He WILL complete it because He is FAITHFUL. He will keep peeling off layers of our dark, sinful nature on a daily basis until the day we stand before Him. Let us then be educated from the pages of Scripture about the journey, feed on His faithfulness—that is, trust Him to get us there—and keep walking "in the light as He is in the light" to experience His cleansing grace every step of the way. (I John 1:7)
Back to King Théoden. When he rose from his throne in the presence of Gandalf and his companions, Tolkien tells us, "The strangers saw that, bent though he was, he was still tall and must in youth have been high and proud indeed." Yet, here he stood, a miserable shell of a man, tormented with dark dreams and crushed by despair. As we learn from the narrative, this was all due to Théoden's choice of a counselor, Grima Wormtongue, who drained the king of all hope and replaced it with melancholy, dysphoria, despair, and (very nearly) death.
When I was six, my father was a pastor and missionary, and our family spent a year or two traversing the U.S. "Bible Belt" states visiting dozens of churches. Those dear people, who were hospitable to a fault, would often lodge us in a "parsonage"—typically a small building detached from the church, which stood unoccupied except for rare occasions when someone like us needed a place to stay. You would expect such lodgings to be musty and need a bit of airing out. But the real fun was always after sundown. That's when you'd walk into the kitchen and flip on the light. Sure enough, fifty or more cockroaches, of all sizes and breeds, would simultaneously emit a startled little shriek and vanish into the nearest crevice in the floor or baseboard. (OK, I may have just imagined the shriek.)
Obviously, there don't nobody invite roaches into their home! But in southern latitudes, if your home is devoid of light and life for any length of time, one or two of these critters is sure to find a way in. They consume any bits of food you may have around, raise a family, and generally pollute the place with their unholy conduct.
Our spiritual house is no different. "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (I Corinthians 3:16) But, when we neglect to "walk in the light as He is in the light," we evict the Holy Spirit from certain rooms of our temple—telling Him, "Sorry, this one's off limits. I can manage this part of my life quite nicely, thank You!" And what follows should come as no surprise. Grima Wormtongue and his tribe of roaches show up in that dark place. They eat away at our faith and replace it with fearful thoughts, dark dreams, stress, fear, anxiety, and DESPAIR.
John 3:19-21 tells us, "...Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
See, when it comes to mapping and navigating life's journey, if it's not "done in God," then it's self-reliance. Self-reliance begets poor choices. Which beget wickedness. Which begets self-absorption and bondage to vice. Which begets fretting, faithlessness, stress, worry, and ultimately DESPAIR.
But when we ask the Holy Spirit, "Please, throw open every sealed room in this temple and flood it with Your holy presence and light!" the result is that we walk in His light and our deeds are "done in God." And God-reliance ("feeding on His faithfulness") begets wise choices. Which begets righteousness. Which leads to Christ-centeredness and a desire to serve the God we love. Which begets peace, faith, trust, and ultimately RADIANT JOY!
"But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise You forever, because You have done it; and in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good." (Psalms 52:8-9)
"Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy..." (Isaiah 60:1-3,5a)
When Gandalf arrived in Théoden's palace (though unwelcome at first due to the "roaches"), he brought light that dissipated all stress and despair, replacing it with hope and RADIANT JOY.
Let us intentionally carve out time on a weekly—if possible, a DAILY—basis to spend in His presence soaking in the light of His Word, in prayer, and listening for His still, small voice to guide and inform our journey. Because only in His presence do we find the "path of life," which leads to "fulness of joy." (Psalms 16:11)
Why not pray ...
"Dear Father,
Forgive me for entertaining roaches unawares in the temple of my spirit—resulting in perpetual stress and unholy fear. Please throw open every room, fill it with Your presence. May Your 'glory be seen upon' me. May Your Holy Spirit 'bring forth [my] righteousness as the light, and justice as the noonday. (Psalms 37:6)' Help me journey back—from fear, to faith, to radiant joy in Jesus Christ my Lord and King.
In Jesus' name. Amen."
---
Originally published as a “Bradstix” devotional on the National Minute of Prayer Facebook page 2/9/2025.
Copyright © Brad Fenichel 2025 All Rights Reserved
Sunday, January 26, 2025
ARE WE GOING UP ... OR SEIZING UP? - "Feed on His Faithfulness" Devotional #1
"DO NOT FRET..."
– Psalms 37:1a (NKJV)
– Psalms 37:1a (NKJV)
---
Towns had put the cartridges back into the Coffman starter, trying ... to work up some faith in the machine before morning. These cartridges at least were real; they would turn the engine, and the engine would run. Maybe at full revs the big Thorne and Crossley prop would somehow manage to drag the whole heap of junk across the sand on its skids until they ran into a water point.
He’d asked Stringer, “Why do we have to risk getting airborne? We could just taxi out, all the way.”
“I don’t think you mean it seriously, Mr. Towns. I should remind you that the coolant system is designed to operate chiefly at cruising airspeed, therefore the engine would overheat and seize up within ten miles or so, leaving us a hundred and fifty miles short of the nearest oasis. Also the skids wouldn’t stand up to the continuous shock; I have designed them to withstand one take-off and one landing, and their calculated life is approximately one minute.... This airplane has been designed to fly, Mr. Towns. It isn’t a toy to be wound up and sent along the floor.”
Who are these people? Why are they (apparently) stranded in a great desert with a junked airplane? Will they ever reach a “water point” alive?
Sorry, no spoilers! Read The Flight of the Phoenix, by Elleston Trevor, 1964. (No—not the movie! The book!)
But, the point is that Frank Towns—former pilot of what's now the “heap of junk”—seems to have momentarily forgotten the key difference between a dune buggy and an airplane: that the latter is designed for three-dimensional travel. (Translation: flight!) It simply cannot “taxi out” for any significant distance without self-destructing. It must go up! It was created to go up.
You may have guessed by now that this post isn’t all about aeronautics. So, then… As a disciple of Jesus, there is nothing more vital for me than to hear from the Master. I need His guidance with day-to-day decisions, and I need a revelation of the unique plans and roles, the unique mission, that He has for me. And, most importantly, I need the wherewithal to get it all DONE.
But all too often, I bounce along the desert floor with only a vague sense of His will, striving to get it all done in my own power, and blundering into every dune and sandstorm along the way. I must go up! I was created for three-dimensional travel. And yet ... days turn into weeks, weeks into years, and altitude is still zero. Just when I think I’m on the verge of accomplishing something meaningful for God ... oo-pphhhhh! Another mouthful of sand! Failure. Stress. Anger. I’m seizing up!
At the time of this devotional post, we're about four weeks into January. Most of our New Year's resolutions have seized up, and we're sitting 150 miles short of the nearest water point, right? Well, David, the “man after God’s own heart,” knew something about connecting with the purposes of God and GETTING THINGS DONE. His Psalm 37 is a precious and timeless message on the principles of "WAIT ON THE LORD," "do not fret" (in our modern vernacular: "DON'T STRESS OUT"), and "TRUST GOD TO CARRY YOU THROUGH."
In fact, these aren't just "oh, by-the-way" suggestions. On the contrary, they are bedrock eternal truths that ring out again and again across the pages of Scripture.
- Isaiah 40:31 tells us that if we WAIT ON THE LORD, He enables us to soar like an eagle, run without fatigue, and walk without tiring. All of which speaks of a supernatural suspension of forces in the spiritual realm analogous to the physical law of GRAVITY.
- Matthew 11:28-30 is our Lord Christ's command to all who are weary and HEAVY-laden (STRESSED OUT) to come to Him for rest. He invites us to yield our neck to be hitched into His yoke--His purposes, His WORKLOAD--which at first seems counterintuitive. But it comes with a solemn promise that we'll find it surprisingly EASY and LIGHT! Yet another suspension of the GRAVITY principle through the power of Him who works in and through us to will and to DO His good purposes.
Dear Christian, we ignore these powerful principles--which span both Old and New Testaments--to our own detriment. New Year's resolutions ... any-time-of-year resolutions, for that matter ... even if they are sincerely based on what we understand as God's will for our lives, lead only to fretting, stress, burn-out, and SEIZING UP.
He’d asked Stringer, “Why do we have to risk getting airborne? We could just taxi out, all the way.”
“I don’t think you mean it seriously, Mr. Towns. I should remind you that the coolant system is designed to operate chiefly at cruising airspeed, therefore the engine would overheat and seize up within ten miles or so, leaving us a hundred and fifty miles short of the nearest oasis. Also the skids wouldn’t stand up to the continuous shock; I have designed them to withstand one take-off and one landing, and their calculated life is approximately one minute.... This airplane has been designed to fly, Mr. Towns. It isn’t a toy to be wound up and sent along the floor.”
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Who are these people? Why are they (apparently) stranded in a great desert with a junked airplane? Will they ever reach a “water point” alive?
Sorry, no spoilers! Read The Flight of the Phoenix, by Elleston Trevor, 1964. (No—not the movie! The book!)
But, the point is that Frank Towns—former pilot of what's now the “heap of junk”—seems to have momentarily forgotten the key difference between a dune buggy and an airplane: that the latter is designed for three-dimensional travel. (Translation: flight!) It simply cannot “taxi out” for any significant distance without self-destructing. It must go up! It was created to go up.
You may have guessed by now that this post isn’t all about aeronautics. So, then… As a disciple of Jesus, there is nothing more vital for me than to hear from the Master. I need His guidance with day-to-day decisions, and I need a revelation of the unique plans and roles, the unique mission, that He has for me. And, most importantly, I need the wherewithal to get it all DONE.
But all too often, I bounce along the desert floor with only a vague sense of His will, striving to get it all done in my own power, and blundering into every dune and sandstorm along the way. I must go up! I was created for three-dimensional travel. And yet ... days turn into weeks, weeks into years, and altitude is still zero. Just when I think I’m on the verge of accomplishing something meaningful for God ... oo-pphhhhh! Another mouthful of sand! Failure. Stress. Anger. I’m seizing up!
At the time of this devotional post, we're about four weeks into January. Most of our New Year's resolutions have seized up, and we're sitting 150 miles short of the nearest water point, right? Well, David, the “man after God’s own heart,” knew something about connecting with the purposes of God and GETTING THINGS DONE. His Psalm 37 is a precious and timeless message on the principles of "WAIT ON THE LORD," "do not fret" (in our modern vernacular: "DON'T STRESS OUT"), and "TRUST GOD TO CARRY YOU THROUGH."
In fact, these aren't just "oh, by-the-way" suggestions. On the contrary, they are bedrock eternal truths that ring out again and again across the pages of Scripture.
- Isaiah 40:31 tells us that if we WAIT ON THE LORD, He enables us to soar like an eagle, run without fatigue, and walk without tiring. All of which speaks of a supernatural suspension of forces in the spiritual realm analogous to the physical law of GRAVITY.
- Matthew 11:28-30 is our Lord Christ's command to all who are weary and HEAVY-laden (STRESSED OUT) to come to Him for rest. He invites us to yield our neck to be hitched into His yoke--His purposes, His WORKLOAD--which at first seems counterintuitive. But it comes with a solemn promise that we'll find it surprisingly EASY and LIGHT! Yet another suspension of the GRAVITY principle through the power of Him who works in and through us to will and to DO His good purposes.
Dear Christian, we ignore these powerful principles--which span both Old and New Testaments--to our own detriment. New Year's resolutions ... any-time-of-year resolutions, for that matter ... even if they are sincerely based on what we understand as God's will for our lives, lead only to fretting, stress, burn-out, and SEIZING UP.
But when we release ourselves from the expectation of accomplishing one iota of His will in our own power, when we instead let Him hitch us up alongside Him in His yoke, that is when all the forces of spiritual GRAVITY are nullified because He is the one doing the work--alongside us and THROUGH us.
This is the first in a series of 30 posts, entitled "Feed on His Faithfulness," where we will explore the exciting promises of Psalm 37 and related Scriptures. We'll find PRACTICAL steps to DE-STRESS our Christian lives and rediscover the JOY of the journey, as we wait on the Lord and grow our trust (faith) in Him to carry us through--in HIS time, in HIS way, and for HIS glory, hallelujah!
This is the first in a series of 30 posts, entitled "Feed on His Faithfulness," where we will explore the exciting promises of Psalm 37 and related Scriptures. We'll find PRACTICAL steps to DE-STRESS our Christian lives and rediscover the JOY of the journey, as we wait on the Lord and grow our trust (faith) in Him to carry us through--in HIS time, in HIS way, and for HIS glory, hallelujah!
Why not pray ...
"Dear Father,
Forgive me for the besetting sins of fretting, stressing, and burning out. Remind me each time I'm tempted to "taxi out all the way" that You designed me instead to GO UP. That I MUST go up or seize up! Help me break the cycle. Hitch me to Your yoke, that I may find rest for my soul in You, and You alone.
In Jesus' name. Amen."
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Originally published as a “Bradstix” devotional on the National Minute of Prayer Facebook page 1/26/2025.
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