God: The One Percent Solution (photo courtesy of the La Vista Church of Christ )

God: The One Percent Solution – He Said

The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14 (NIV)

Listen to God: The One Percent Solution – He Said

When God closes a door He opens a window. You can jump or be pushed but out you will go. As one nation under God we appear to be a people teetering on the ledge. Will we fly or fall?

A survey of the cultural landscape leads me to believe Christians are not flying but fleeing to the hills, caves and fortresses. Christian book publishers continue to slash payrolls, cancel contracts and shun new voices. Churches flounder and fold due to soaring debt, dwindling tithes and an anemic spirit within the Body of Christ. Christian couples split and sue for joint custody as the “peace that passes understanding” is trampled on the steps of courthouses. Jobless and joyless we sit in the pews and mouth the words “How Great Thou Art” while secretly wondering as Gideon did, “Why has all this happened to us? Where are all His wonders our parents told us about?”

Born into the weakest branch of his family tree, Gideon considered himself to be the runt of the litter and yet God called him a mighty warrior. Could it be God views you as a mighty warrior, too?

For seven years the raiders of the East pillaged the land, stole crops, killed cattle and forced Gideon’s countrymen to hide in mountain clefts, caves and forts. Cowering in fear, they retreated from the battlefield. Christian businessman Peter J. Daniels notes, “The poverty mentality that has afflicted Christians in wealthy nations is a masterstroke of satanic genius. It has impoverished us for decades. It has denied that every Christian is of royal blood.” Could it be God is calling you from your hiding place?

When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, the boy didn’t break out into a praise-and-worship song. He didn’t fall face down in wonder. He dared to ask, “If I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.” Are you waiting for a sign from God that He is calling you?

Any encounter with a living God will leave you changed. Gideon received a new title: “Mighty Warrior.” He received a new mission: “Strike down the enemy.” He received God’s power: “I will be with you.” He received God’s blessing: “God in the strength you have.” Will you accept the challenge to be changed?

The climax of Gideon’s quest to strike a blow against God’s enemies reads like a military blunder. God commanded this “mighty warrior” to pare down his troops until only 300 remained: One percent of a thirty thousand man army. But one percent of anything with God by your side is a recipe for success. “Our protection and prosperity does not come from the sword, or microchip or factories,” says Peter J. Daniels, “but from the hand of God.” Is God sending you? Jump from the window and go in the strength you have.

Do What?

The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14 TNIV

Listen to Do What? – She Said

I get scared. Call it history, lack of self-confidence, what have you…but the truth is, I get scared. Some say scared and fear are the same thing. I disagree. Scared is temporary but fear can be eternal. So when God said to me, “Don’t be afraid of what you need, but what you will get in the abundance of Me,” I had to ask, “Do what?”

I wondered if God wanted me to be afraid of His provision. He’d answered bunches of prayers. Why would I need to be afraid of what I would get in the abundance of His blessings?

The ministry has a need. God knows this, and I carry this need to the cross every day. So does my ministry partner. But sometimes it’s so great financially and growth wise that I long for a peace about the decision. I’m from the weakest clan (the human race) and I’m the least of the bunch (wimpy). I get scared when I hear God call me to a job I think I can’t do? I forget…He’s sending me.

Gideon had his moments when he was equally afraid. God wanted him to go against the Midianites who were so massive across the land, they seemed like swarms of flies. Gideon cried out to God, “Hey, I’m from the weakest clan and to beat all, I’m the least of the bunch. How in heaven’s name do you figure I can whip the Midianites?” God reminded Gideon, “Am I not sending you?” Despite his fear, God called on Gideon to take responsibility in the abundance of Him.

What a wake-up call for Gideon and for me! I’ve been called, given the strength, and have no need to worry about the provision I will need. If I need to fear for anything, it’s that I’ll be responsible for gifts God has already given me.

Our work is blessed a thousand fold. We’ve been given the strength to do the work the Father placed before us. Last month we had the most visitors to our site we’ve ever had. But He expects us to grasp hold of the responsibility that lays within the abundance. Do the work. Trust Him. When I seek for peace from being scared, God reminds me He will help me.

The ministry has a need… so what? My calling is to do the work, take the reins and move ahead. Accept the responsibility in the abundance He has already given. What about you? Do you need to grasp hold of the gifts of the mission and forge ahead? Don’t be scared. God has your back.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions Speak UP! along with Scott McCausey.

And now you can catch them each Friday evening at 7 p.m. on He Said, She Said Radio . (Call in number, 646-929-0706 ). They travel with Christian Devotions Ministries teaching the art of writing devotions at writers conferences across the country. Eddie and Cindy are featured in Faith & FINANCES: In God We Trust – A Journey to Financial Dependence.

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:22-23

Pressure on my chest. Shortness of breath. All I could manage to do was cry. The pain in my chest sent a surge of panic through me. If this was a heart attack, I wondered if I could be saved.

The thermometer on the end of the house read 104.6. I made my way to the mailbox. Stopping along the fence, I leaned over and rested my palms against my knees. That was the last I remember. When I came around, I was sitting against the fence, sweat dripping into the corners of my eyes. It was hot. Dangerously hot. Hellishly hot.

It didn’t help that I’d been sick all week, or that we’d suffered great hurt from those we thought loved us, but I’d had a friend beyond angry with me. Stress, anxiety, and the heat, took me down and it scared me. I crawled toward the door and I wondered if anyone would even care if I died.

It’s funny…the things we think when we’re in a dire situation. Some things warrant attention while others are just plain silly. Still there comes a point in all our lives when we face the reality of our sin. We ultimately ask, “Will I be saved?”

When I think of the true sacrifice of Jesus, I realize my life is completely undeserving of the type of love that would cause a man to give up His life for me. Are any of us worthy of such a sacrifice? Especially when we continue to wallow in the pit of our sin. It seems the efforts we make are futile compared to the strength of heart, mind, and the willing body of Christ.

I deserved to die, when He didn’t.

By the time I reached the shade of the porch, I couldn’t stop the tears. I felt sick, hurt, and hated—after the past two months of trials, the one last hit from my friend sent my heart into brokenness. I laid back on the porch, my chest heaving from hurt and exhaustion, and I cried out, “Lord will you forgive me where I’ve failed? My body is weak.”

At that moment, that still small voice whispered to my heart, “You have been set free.” And free I was. Thanks to the love of Christ, I was set free and the wages of my sin were no longer death, but…forgiveness.

When life presses against your very being, when your body is weak and frail, remember you were worth it all to Christ who died for you and when you ask, “Can I be saved?”…the answer is yes!

Cindy is the founder of Mountain Breeze Ministries and cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries. She has contributed to Novel Journey and Novel Reviews, and Christian Devotions. She writes for PML Programs and contributes to the Times-News.net. Her devotions are published weekly in several newspapers across the country. She co-writes the He Said, She Said devotions with Eddie Jones that publish in Common Ground Christian Newspaper.

Cindy is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She attended Johnson Bible College and graduated with a BA in Business from the University of Phoenix in 2008. She has led Sunday school, teaches a women’s study class, and is a contributing writer to CBN.com . Cindy speaks frequently for ladies’ conferences, special events and teaches at writers’ conferences across the country. Contact Cindy if you would like for her to speak to your church, club or group. You can visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com

Read Cindy’s devotions.

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7 (NRSV)

Listen to Copycat – She Said

Copycat! Copycat! I thought. Tess copied every move I made. If I jumped rope, she jumped rope. If I played hopscotch, she played hopscotch. And the day she walked in with the very same pair of patent leather Mary Jane shoes, I thought I’d snap.

I stood at the back corner of the class room while Tony Starnes made fun of me and my glasses. I was small and skinny. The blue cat-eye glasses only made things worse. Then Tess came into the room. A pretty little blonde, perfectly dressed, and the same eyeglass frames (except that they looked good on her).

I loved Tess except it bugged me that she mimicked everything I did. She couldn’t be herself so she copied everyone else.

I was a third-grader and couldn’t see the problem, but Mom could. “Why don’t you invite Tess to sleep over Saturday. She can go to church with us Sunday.” Although Tess’s family was financially sound, it was dysfunctional. With an alcoholic mother, her father rarely home, and her two older brothers in trouble, Tess had little good to copy. Mom wanted to give this copycat something worth imitating.

As I grew into an adult, I learned the importance of imitating the faith of my parents. I needed to be a copycat… be like Him. It wasn’t always easy, but over the years, learning to imitate His faith has saved me over and over.

Mom set a habit for Tess, picking her up every Sunday, faithfully taking her to church for years. She placed Tess in a position to copy Christ. As time passed, Tess found church an embarrassment to her social life so she dropped me and church. Her life spiraled out of control and I wished she still copied me.

A few months ago I got a friend notice on Facebook from Tess. Divorced four times, six children… all addicts—her life a disaster and now she faced cancer. I wish I’d just kept being your copycat, she said. “You always had something everyone else wanted. Now I know what it was.”

When we’re parched from the world, the love of Christ quenches our thirst and learning to imitate the faith of Jesus renews us. Copy the deep abiding faith of those who introduced you to Christ. When they pray, you pray. When they leap in faith, leap with them. Jesus wants us to imitate Him.

If you’re copying the world’s ways, stop. Be an imitator of the one who can make your life better. Imitate Christ.
Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions Speak UP! along with Scott McCausey.

And now you can catch them each Friday evening at 7 p.m. on He Said, She Said Radio! (Call in number, 646-929-0706 ). They travel with Christian Devotions Ministries teaching the art of writing devotions at writers conferences across the country. Eddie and Cindy are featured in Faith & FINANCES: In God We Trust – A Journey to Financial Dependence.

But David found strength in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel30:6 NIV

I enjoy solving the newspaper’s puzzles. One day’s cryptoquote answer was an anonymous saying: “Take a lesson from tea: its real strength comes out when it gets into hot water.” When was the last time the strength of your faith was tested? If your strength is compared to tea, how flavorful would your cup be?

Like tea’s flavor, our strength emerges when we’re in hot water. The hotter the water and the longer the tea remains in it, the stronger the flavor becomes. Stressful situations require strength. How quickly does our teabag split open and we fall apart? Do we pretend we’re strong or do we have that inner strength which comes from the Lord? The more trials we go through, the more our strength is tested and proved. Some families seem to have so many adversities in their lives, you wonder how they persevere. When asked, they all have the same answer – God, who gives them the strength to get through each and every difficulty, day by day.

David and his men returned to find their temporary home burned and their families taken captive. They wept till they had no strength left. To add to David’s misery, his men talked about stoning him. But David found strength in his God. After turning to the Lord, David received not only strength, but direction, followed by a victory in battle. David recovered every person and possession, and acquired more. Whenever life devastates us, do we turn to the One who can strengthen us and change our circumstances?

Through trials, one’s inner strength and faith is observed by others like a tea’s color that permeates the water. Are you perceived as a witness or a whiner? Do you persevere with prayer or pity yourself? Do you gain confidence in God with every situation He helps you through?

Let’s continually pray for the Lord to strengthen us when we experience difficulties and as we serve Him. May our cup of tea always be rich in flavor.

Cindy Rooy is the author of a six-week Bible study, Trusting God Through Trouble & Tears, and a contributing author in several devotional books, including Faith & FINANCES and The Upper Room. A wife and mother of three grown children, Cindy is a religion columnist for three newspapers and an inspirational speaker. For more information visit Cindy’s website at www.cindyrooy.com. Read Cindy’s devotions

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24

Mommy wasn’t up yet but he was hungry. He was a big boy. He’d fix his own breakfast. That would make Mommy happy. He opened the refrigerator and tugged at the milk. Oops! Milk spilled on the floor. Mommy wouldn’t be happy. He’d better fix it. He spied that big cloth on the table. He could use that to clean up the milk. He pulled on it. Oops! Mommy’s flowers fell off the table. Crash! The vase shattered. Mommy wouldn’t be happy. He’d better fix it. He spied the broom. As he picked it up, it knocked the picture off the wall. Oops…

Ever feel like this boy? I sure do. We start off wanting to make God happy. Unfortunately, we’re not perfect. The more we try to fix it, the worse it gets. And before long, we’re just trying to clean up our messes so no one knows about them. We’ve completely forgotten about making God happy. And that’s the trouble with religion.

Religion is about rules. Relationship is about loving God. Jesus told us the most important commandment is to love God, then love others. It’s not about rules. It’s about relationship.

And by the way, Mommy wouldn’t have been upset if her son had awakened her. The mess could have been avoided by admitting he needed his mommy–just the way we need God–our heavenly Father. Don’t wait…call on Him.

Lil Duncan–writing stories where faith, hope, and love mingle with murder and mayhem. She believes that fiction can be entertaining without being tasteless. Besides writing, Lil is a speech-language pathologist. She and her husband live in a (very) small town in the Amish country of Ohio.
Read Lil’s devotions.

She decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot, declares the Lord. Therefore, I am now going to allure her. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. Hosea 2:13

I wake up, wishing I could sleep just a little longer, and drag myself out of bed. The main thing on my mind is myself. What to wear? Brush my teeth. Look in the mirror. Think of my schedule. List of to-do’s.

I am consumed–even if so innocently–consumed with myself. I am the love of my life at these shallow moments of waking. Stripped of all my inhibitions, when no one is looking, I find that there is only myself. I am the lover of my own soul.

Like the woman in Hosea, I continue on through the day, only aware of myself, living to please myself, to impress those around me with beauty, humor, spirituality, and good deeds.

All the while, despite my selfishness, God is beckoning for me to come. “Come to my side; come and meet me. Come, put yourself aside and walk toward my voice.” Beckoning faithfully, he whispers to me throughout the day alluring me with His words of love.

When I am finally able to follow His voice, He takes me and strips me of my “decent” appearance and pulls me into the dry desert so that my wandering eyes have nowhere else to look but to Him. And there He speaks to me; there He gently reminds me that this world has so very little to offer. There, He tenderly tells me that I am His beloved and He is mine. He tells me that this is where the greatest joys can be found. And He is right, because only there, have I ever felt such love. It is beautiful and perfect with Him and I find that He is all I ever wanted and needed.

I leave the desert and enter into my life again. This time the world becomes gray unless it is identified with Him–for now I realize there is nothing worth glancing at, nothing worth aiming for, nothing worth investing in–unless it can bring me back to Him.

Lord, pull me into solitude with you…speak tenderly to your child. Be the lover that consumes my mind this day.

Let Him be your all.

Debra K. Fileta and her husband John currently reside in Hershey, PA. There, she practices as a Professional Counselor at Safe Harbor Christian Counseling. She acquired a Masters of Arts in Professional Counseling from Liberty University. Debra has a passion for the broken, and is actively involved in both inner city and international missions. Through her writing, she hopes to challenge and inspire others to find their place in doing God’s work. Her love for writing has found its niche in writing devotions and reflections on scripture, and she hopes to publish a book of reflections from the lessons she’s learned. She recently developed a blog of personal reflections that can be found at www.debslessonslearned.blogspot.com. Read Debra’s devotions

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD. Psalm 130:1, NIV

As I dragged myself back into the hotel bathroom, it was only the sweating and nausea that kept me from passing out from the pounding pain in my stomach. I was in Florida and was supposed to be enjoying spring training baseball games. Instead, I hovered in agony and awaited the next assault on my digestive system.

I had no idea what had declared war on my body, I only knew I was losing. What felt like a minor flu the day before had metastasized into a raging monster, crippling me and driving me into a pain-induced daze. I felt as if my insides were being twisted and wrung out like a dishrag. My clearest thought in my fog of disease was that I could not handle this alone. I cried out to God and asked for deliverance.

God is present and ready to hear us when we cry out to Him. Whatever depths we are experiencing, including physical, emotional, and spiritual, He is ready to extend His mercy to us. As much as God is just, He is also gracious and hears our pleas for help.

But, since God is always ready to help me, why do I wait until I am in the depths before crying out to Him in desperation? Shouldn’t I be walking with Him moment-by-moment? I often wear an attitude of nonchalance instead of embracing a spirit of fervency when dealing with God.

My illness reminded me that God desires for us to reach out at the first sign of trouble, not as a last resort. I need to lean on His strength at all times and not only when I am too weak to carry on. Stop waiting for a crisis to call out to God. Turn to Him every day as if your very life depends upon it.

Terry Magee lives and serves God in Pennsylvania with his wife. They have two grown children and are expecting their first grandchild later this year. Terry is the author of In the Grip of Prayer, which uses a hand object lesson to build prayer consistency. It is  available through Intermedia Books. Read Terry’s devotions

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

“God,” I cried, “I hate this place. Show me what to do.”

The stresses and spiritual darkness of my workplace threatened to overwhelm me. I needed direction — to know God hadn’t forgotten me — that I hadn’t made the mistake of my life in accepting this job.

He answered quickly and definitively. He knew where I was and the struggles I faced. I hadn’t made a mistake. I was right where He wanted me — spiritual darkness, frustration, and all. He wanted me to be His witness in a difficult place, but at the end of my contract, I was to walk away without a backward glance.

As the time to quit approached, my declarations about trusting God to meet my needs no matter what, rang hollow in my ears. Fear of leaving behind a stable income weighed heavily. So I asked my husband what I should do.

“Didn’t you say God told you to quit this job at the end of the contract?” he asked.

“Yes,” I squeaked.

“Then, why are we having this conversation?”

I placed my resignation letter on my boss’s desk the next day.

Philippians tells us, “And my God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” When I chose obedience, God blessed in ways I never could’ve imagined. Financially¸we were better off than we were when I worked. Funny thing. When we had less money, my husband and I committed to living on a budget and cut out a lot of unnecessary spending. God even made a way for us to pay off bills we had been struggling with when I worked.

But Philippians doesn’t just deal with finances. Over the eight months after I quit my job, God worked tremendously in my life. I experienced physical healing and emotional restoration. My relationship with God grew to a depth I had never known, as I had time to sit in His presence without hurry. I was available to help several friends who went through difficult places, all because God is faithful to meet our needs.

I’m certainly not suggesting that you quit your job to prove God’s faithfulness. What I am saying is this: God’s desire is to provide for you financially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

Every need met. What a promise! One you can trust and “take to the bank.”

Cheryl Collier is a college professor, writer, and speaker. An award- winning author, her essays have appeared in a variety of venues including the anthology Living by Faith. Cheryl lives in upstate South Carolina with her husband and son. She has a passion for mentoring college-age and twenty-something young women and maintains contact with many of the students she’s taught over the years. Read Cheryl’s devotions.

Be humble and gentle.  Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.  Ephesians 4:2

Father Kirby adjusted his cap on his head and called out to me as he headed out the back door. “Breakfast was excellent,“ he said. “Thank You!  I left your money on the table,” he continued.  ”See you in the morning!” Out the back door he went.

I called to my grandson Caleb to put on his shoes and go make sure his “Paw-Paw” didn’t get lost. Out of curiosity I went to see what Father Kirby had left by his breakfast dishes. Sure enough, he had left money. A quarter, a dime, and a penny. 36 cents. A tip I suppose, for his breakfast, or perhaps he thought he was paying the bill.

Father Kirby is 91 years old and physically as healthy as can be. A career in the Army saw to that. His issues are mental–a touch of Alzheimer’s. More than a touch, really. He is living with us this summer and it’s been a challenge.

The constant questions are enough to drive you insane. If they were different questions, maybe it would be better, but he locks in on a particular issue and asks the same question over and over and over. He forgets within seconds of you finishing the answer. And so it starts over.

Finally I hit upon the idea of writing a brief history of where he is, who we are, and why he is living here. Now it helps when the questions start to simply let him read the history and find the answers for himself. Of course, sometimes when he starts in I feel like shouting, “JUST READ THE PAPER, FATHER!” I don’t, of course.

In a sense, we have a paper full of answers for our questions, too. A book actually. It is our Bible, the living word of God. I wonder how many times, listening to my prayers, that my Father in heaven has wanted to shout, “JUST READ THE BOOK, CHILD!!” He doesn’t, of course.

I read my Bible every day. It isn’t enough. I know I should be IMMERSING my self in the word; that there are times when I let the TV or the computer or the latest bestseller distract me from where I should be. I’m constantly falling short. But my Father, my God, is patient. Thank goodness He doesn’t shout.

Later that night I slipped the 36 cents back in Father Kirby’s pants. I’ll probably find it on the table again. somewhere down the road. But that’s okay. It’ll remind me, again, of how patient my Lord is with me. Thank You, Father.

Kevin Spencer lives in Tennessee with his beautiful wife Charlotte and grandson Caleb. A former prodigal son, Kevin is now trying to use the gifts God gave him, and by the grace of God, has a life far better than he ever deserved. Read Kevin’s devotions