Oct 02 2018
Off

Daily Devotional – Imitate God

By Sodwana Bay

TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Ephesians 5:1 “Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.” Ephesians 5:1-2, The Message In our world, there are many imitators, but few true leaders. Kids, even adults, want to “be somebody” so they follow the most prominent example they see: Hollywood stars, pro athletes, singers, etc. But unless these people are following a greater example themselves, they are doomed to fail and disappoint us someday. Those of us watching and imitating may go right along with them. For example, just a few months shy of my 30th birthday, my world came crashing down around me when my husband, one of the people I had looked up to and followed as an example, betrayed me. His betrayal shook my whole world. Until it happened, I hadn’t realized I had put him on a pedestal and was following his lead in regards to how I lived my life. It has been said that true character is revealed by what someone does even when no one is watching. I discovered he was leading a double life. Suddenly, I had no desire to be anywhere near him, let alone follow him. Thankfully, during that devastating time in my life, God stepped in and showed me His character through His Word. Over time, as I learned more about Him, I realized that He is the one I should be following, imitating, because His character is perfect. His love is perfect; so is His peace, His joy, and His compassion. The Bible is full of examples of Jesus’ character and how He lived: He always sought to do God’s will and not His own. (Luke 22:42) He did the work His Father gave Him to do. (John 17:4) He found time to be alone with God and pray. (Matthew 14:23) He used God’s Word as His authority and offensive weapon. (Matthew 4:1-11) He loved unconditionally. (Mark 10:21) He gave everything He had. (John 19:30) He didn’t retaliate, threaten, or seek His own justice. (1 Peter 2:23) He was humble, obedient and made Himself a servant. (Philippians 2:5-8) By imitating Jesus and not people, God changed my character. He did the same for my husband. Over time, we have learned to love each other sacrificially, just as Jesus does with us. I want to follow Jesus and let Him change me from the inside out to be more like Him. I’m tired of imitating people who are just fellow sinners like me. I want to set my sights high and strive to be more like the One who created me! Father, help me to look to Jesus as my example. Show me my sin and areas of my life and character that need improvement. Help me imitate You. Copyright © 2013, Amy Meyer Allen, used by permission.

Sep 17 2018
Off

Daily Devotional – It’s Just Too Much Fun!

By Sodwana Bay

TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 How would I know it could be so much fun!?! It seemed more like an obligation — a necessary action — a must-do kind of thing. After all, the Bible says I have to give. Of course, I don’t have to give, but if I want God’s favor and blessing, I have to give — or so I thought. When we were little kids trotting off to Sunday School with our parents, they gave my younger sister and me dimes to put in the offering. As we got older we gave quarters; then it was a dollar each. Back then, that was a lot of money. We had to do it because “God said so.” I was always told, “It is better to give than to receive.” I didn’t understand that we were receiving. After all, Dad was the church janitor. It was his full-time job (he had three or four side jobs.) We benefited directly from the offerings given each week. We had everything we needed. Our car was old but it got us from point A to point B, most of the time. When it didn’t, it wasn’t such a big deal. We rode our bikes or walked; after all, it was a tiny town. We had a house. Sure it was old. Cold air came in from the cracks in the floor and through the poor fitting windows and doors. But there was always plastic to put on the screens in the winter and fans for the summer. Sure there were mice and bugs. We got rid of them the best we could. Besides, there were some great climbing trees and lots of wild animals (squirrels, ‘possums, and an occasional garden snake or two). It wasn’t so bad. We had nice clothes. Mom was a terrific seamstress and could whip up more clothes in a week than most people could in a month. Every year, my younger sister and I earned our way to church camp. Mom made new summer wardrobes for us. Mom made everything from scratch. Her pies and cookies were the best! The fridge and the pantry weren’t bulging but we were never hungry (unless we elected to be, and that was our problem). So, how much does a person have to receive before they recognize it as a blessing? It took me a long time. There were times after I married that we couldn’t afford to purchase light bulbs. On more than one occasion, we had no heat, no water, or no electricity. We owned a house for a while but it went into foreclosure. When friends brought bags of groceries, I was ashamed instead of thankful. That generosity was a God thing. But I felt guilty that we weren’t supporting ourselves. Then the unthinkable happened. My marriage fell apart and I had two young children to support. Friends took us in until I could get work. My family saw to it that I had money for gasoline, insurance and to help our friends offset the cost of housing us. Still, I was miserable because I wasn’t taking care of my children and myself. I was far too dependent on others and felt ashamed. If I’d looked at it without the guilt and shame, I would have seen God’s blessings. God furnished our apartment. Sure it was with others’ old stuff, but I didn’t have to sleep on the floor any longer. When we were given clothing or the church gave us Thanksgiving food or Christmas gifts, He was blessing us. Our rent was paid on time every month. We had food, electricity, water, and a car that worked (well, most of the time). Is that God or what? I finally made a decision to give my tithe and some offerings, even if it meant I couldn’t pay my rent (always my biggest concern)! Something big was stirring in my heart. I held myself accountable to a good (and very confrontational) friend. If I wavered at all about fulfilling my promise, I called her. I’m glad I did. That’s when the cheerful heart began to surface. Now it is almost like a game between God and me. I am keeping score – tithes and offerings vs His blessing. So far, He’s ahead. I cannot begin to describe how good it is to give with a cheerful heart. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) Those years of dread and the sense of obligation have long since gone. Even when I think I am “low on dough” I give. The blessings come back to us in many forms, and we are continually being enriched. My heart’s desire has been to have a home of my own for my children and me. I can honestly say that if I have to stay in the apartment forever, I will do so gladly, as long as I can keep giving. It’s just too much fun! The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it. Proverbs 10:22 (NIV) Update: About 4 years after I wrote this article, I bought a home. Giving is still a joy. The score? God is WAY ahead!. Copyright 2003 Gail Casteen. Used by permission.

Sep 13 2018
Off

Daily Devotional – I Need to Be by Myself

By Sodwana Bay

TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense. Proverbs 18:1 “A man who isolates Himself seeks his own desire.” Proverbs 18:1 My loving wife told me: “Honey, you are cutting yourself off from the Holy Spirit’s comfort and healing hands. Our friends at church miss you and want to hug you and share their love with you.” I thought, “Look at me, I should be by myself.” Tears came to my eyes because I was different. But, my gentle, tender wife still looked at me through the eyes of love. I had been home from the hospital for a few weeks after a two-month sequence that included: blood spitting pneumonia, a massive stroke and then extensive pulmonary embolisms in both lungs. Two of my attending physicians told me that I had been given: “a Divine reprieve to a death sentence, enjoy it”; “a miracle”. I wasn’t doing much enjoying. I felt more like a damaged vegetable and looked like something you wouldn’t take home from the market. My wife felt I was isolating myself too much as I felt better being alone and just passively watching T.V. Without knowing it, I was falling into one of the devil’s schemes, but my angel wouldn’t give up. She came to me and laid my head on her lap. Then, I felt Jesus’ warm presence as I had in the Valley of Death. I felt Him say: “It is alright my son, I cried too.” As my wife kissed my face, His love filled my broken heart with peace and gratitude. The story behind this tender moment between my wife, myself and my Lord happened after she had watched me for several weeks after coming home from the hospital. It is a surprisingly new experience when your heart, lungs, and hearing stop and you discover how quiet things really are without your heart and lung sounds anymore. I discovered a beauty, silence, and peace that I didn’t want to leave. I’m glad my Shepherd brought me back from the Valley of Death where I went blank. He brought me back so that my dear wife and my children didn’t have to grieve yet. I feel another reason He brought me back is so I can tell His children what it is like to die. In death we are blank and can’t think, pray, quote verses, or move a muscle. We only feel the presence of our Shepherd and that’s enough. I began to lose my blankness after a few days in the hospital. Miraculously, I’m back to my writing ministry, which is a miracle in itself, as after my stroke I couldn’t put two sentences together. I learned that death is nothing to fear as He has conquered death. “Oh, death where is your sting? O grave where is your victory? (1 Corinthians 15:55) God’s injured children need different degrees of isolation as a part of recovering from trauma. Whether it be divorce, death, or disease — time to heal is necessary. However, I learned that isolation that cuts a person off from our Lord’s healing hands is a scheme of the devil. Jesus told His sheep to “Come unto Me you who are burdened and heavy laden and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28. We need the Holy Spirit’s healing love that flows through the touch and prayers of God’s children and the words found in the bread of life. Bring your broken and lonely heart to Jesus and His children and allow them to touch you, as I did. You will find the love and confidence you have lost. Thankfully, pro-active Love imparts the cure to desiring “isolation” and “seeking our own desire.” Copyright © 2018 Bob Segress, Ph.D., used with permission.

Sep 13 2018
Off

Daily Devotional – Are You Knocking on Dead Wood?

By Sodwana Bay

TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12 I love mornings. One of my favorite pastimes is sitting in the backyard with a steaming cup of coffee, listening to the delightful chorus of singing birds. Recently, a persistent knocking caught my attention. A wooden utility pole is situated near the corner of my yard. On top, a woodpecker was pounding on the dead wood for all it was worth. Woodpeckers primarily eat bugs in living trees. I was curious why it was wasting time banging its head on dead wood, so I did some research. I discovered that, while there are various reasons, the best explanation is that they simply don’t know any better. To them, a tree is a tree is a tree. Have you ever watched someone (or been someone) looking for fulfillment in the same old, dead places? Some poor choices are obvious. Such as drugs, alcohol, promiscuous sex, gambling, being a workaholic, etc. I am ashamed to admit I’ve traveled many of these roads. They all lure us with the same bait: the possibility of reward. It might be hitting the jackpot, chasing a drug high, or another career achievement. However, in the end, the satisfaction, if any, is short-lived. And the price we pay is often too high. “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” Proverbs 14:12 NLT But before we judge, even the “do-gooders” can be susceptible. Many turn to “religion” – which is just another dead tree. Religion in and of itself, with its “good deeds and religious works,” also leads to empty promises. Personal self-fulfillment simply cannot be satisfied with external activities, no matter how noble. Without transformation on the inside, these efforts quickly become exhausting. What about you? What dead wood have you been beating your head against? Have you taken a close look at what’s really on the other side? I can assure you there is nothing but lies, empty promises, death, and dust. Deep down, most of us desire the same things. We all long for purpose, unconditional love, and acceptance. These desires are healthy and good. We know this because God placed them within each of us. But He did this so that we would reach out to Him. He is the only One who can satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. So let’s stop chasing the world with its lies and empty promises. Let us run to our heavenly Father and surrender our hopes and dreams to Him. In turn, He will begin to transform us on the inside, satisfying our hearts to overflowing with His peace, presence, and love. Then, we can finally stop pounding our head against the wall. “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 NASB Copyright © August 2017 Shadia Hrichi, used with permission.

Mar 23 2016
Off

Jehovah Nissi: The Lord Is My Banner

By Sodwana Bay

Date published: 23-03-2016 How well do you remember names? This is something that many people struggle with and I am one of them. I am seeking ways to be intentional about remembering people’s names when I meet them, because remembering someone’s name is a sign that you value them as a person. I would suggest to you that name remembrance is a learned habit and I’m trying hard to learn this habit!! As I was dressing one morning, I glanced at a flip calendar that sits on my dresser and it happened to be recounting some of the names of God. These names struck a chord within my heart and I sensed the Holy Spirit urging me to delve deeper into some of the names of God. Why? In antiquity, a person’s name revealed much about their character. This is no less true when you study the names of God, for His names tell us a great deal about the person and character of God. The first name that we will focus on is Jehovah Nissi – The Lord is my Banner. This name for God is found in Exodus 17:15 (HCSB). Take a peek at the context with me from verses 9-16. Moses said to Joshua, “Select some men for us, and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God’s staff in my hand.” Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. While Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed. When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put [it] under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword. The Lord then said to Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and named it, “The Lord Is My Banner.” He said, “Indeed, [my] hand is [lifted up] toward the Lord’s throne. The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.” In this passage Moses held God’s staff in his hand and as long as his hands and God’s staff were raised, Joshua and the Israelites won the war with the Amalekites. What I want us to pay particular attention to is that this battle was all about God. Joshua, Moses, Aaron, Hur, and the Israelite armies were simply vessels God used, but the battle itself was orchestrated by God. Moses knew this and wanted to make certain the Israelites knew it and remembered it. Nothing that he or they did in the physical realm brought about victory. God’s presence and power took them into the battle and assured the victory when the battle was done. What battles are you fighting today? Is the battle you are in one that the Lord has chosen for you? Strange question, isn’t it? Scripture is very clear in this particular passage that the Lord, in fact, chooses certain battles for us to fight. Does He lead the way as Jehovah Nissi in your current battles? Perhaps the battle you are in is a battle that you have chosen, one that is outside the will of God? Are you fighting in your own strength? Are you struggling to be victorious in the battle? If Jehovah Nissi is leading the way in your struggle, then you are assured success, but if you are fighting your battle in your own strength, your defeat is imminent. Where in your life do need God to show Himself strong as Jehovah Nissi – the Lord my Banner – and go before you so that you may know victory?

Mar 22 2016
Off

In the Shadow of the Cross

By Sodwana Bay

Date published: 17-03-2016 How can a good and loving God allow all of this pain and suffering? I stood silently, alone in the hospital room, watching my baby breathe with my hand carefully placed on his back, hoping to feel his heart still beating. His breathing was frighteningly shallow and his skin was an eerie bluish grey. He had been unconscious for what seemed like an eternity. My clothes were soaked with his blood and waste, and the smell was almost as overwhelming as the pain in my heart. As the doctors prepared for emergency surgery, they placed him in my arms, and I cradled him close to my chest. He was filthy, but I didn’t care. He was my son. Nothing was going to keep me from holding him tight, as I sang over him in the suffering and waiting. When the doctors took him from my arms, the reality struck me that I was spattered in his innocent blood. The full weight of Calvary hit me in that moment. It was both crushing and freeing at the same time. I had understood the facts of Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, accepted His free gift of salvation, and surrendered my life to His Lordship years before. But, today I was speechless as I endured the “privilege” that most people will never experience of literally being covered in the innocent blood of my beloved son. There is a depth of the gospel that is incomprehensible until you have experienced such a thing. It seared into my soul how great the Father’s love must be for us, that He would allow His beloved only Son to endure such undeserved suffering, spill His innocent blood to cover our filth and shame, and draw us near to Himself. There was no person in this world for whom I would have even considered trading my son’s life. He is my Beloved. How great the Father’s love must be for us. My son survived his brush with death. But, the experience awakened me to the reality that whenever tragedy strikes, we often forget the suffering Jesus endured for our sakes. We get angry when life is painful and forget that nothing we will ever endure could even begin to compare to His suffering on the cross of Calvary. We forget that God lovingly and willingly offered His Son to suffer the punishment for our sins, spill His precious innocent blood, and die in our place… and Jesus lovingly and willingly accepted the task. We often forget that much of our pain comes from the consequences of our own sinful and rebellious choices, and all of our pain is the result of mankind’s rejection of God. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, when God offered mankind a life free of pain and suffering, but mankind wanted a life free of God, instead. Mankind chose to rebel against God, and pain and suffering was the consequence. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NKJV). But God, in His infinite mercy, had compassion on us and rescued us from our self condemnation: “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:6-9 NKJV). In the shadow of the cross, it is hard to condemn God for allowing us to suffer. We come to Him covered in our own filth, and He cradles us to His chest, holds us tight, and sings over us in our suffering and waiting. In the light of our salvation, it is even harder for us to comprehend how great the Father’s love for us must truly be.