Strength For The Journey – a devotional blog dedicated to Christian living
By admin on Jul 4, 2009 in Blog - just click on the heading below to get in.
Strength For The Journey is a devotional blog that is specifically dedicated to the purpose of Christian living.
As one who has counseled individuals in varying settings for the past fifteen years, I’ve come to realize that life has a way of squeezing and discouraging the best of us at times, regardless of how strong our spiritual lives might be. Sure, like many of you I too look forward to the encouraging lift that our spirits get from the heartfelt prayer, genuine praise and worship, and a strong / relevant sermons that we’re privileged to take part in on Sunday mornings. Many of us are even further privileged to also receive a healthy portion of solid biblical teaching during the middle of the week. But I have found through the countless counseling sessions and other forms of interaction with Christians that span almost every spiritual, social, economic and educational spectrum of life, that more than anything else, Christians are constantly seeking out that which will encourage their soul and strengthen their spirit along this journey called life.
For this very reason I felt the need to create an on-line space where Christians can come on a daily basis and do just that; digest scripture and scriptural-based information that will strengthen them for the journey!
So, what can you expect to find on this blog? You can expect to find regular morning devotional passages, helpful articles and other information directly related to the overall topic, brief video devotional messages addressing a particular portion of scripture, testimonials, and brief sermon video clips. You will also have the wonderful privilege of participating in discussions and commenting on the information that is shared on the blog, and you are especially encouraged to comment on the things that bless and strengthen your life in a particular way.
Be Blessed, and enjoy the journey! – Michael Bethune
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” – Philippians 4:13
Can God Use You to be Exalted?
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
When life squeezes you from all directions and you literally don’t know what to do next; when you’ve exhausted all other options and human help has once again proven its frailty and limitations; when you come to the end of yourself and you simply don’t know what the next move is; its time to be still and let God be God in your life!
Many times we pray that God would be exalted in our lives, but I am convinced that we do not know the full depth, scope and consequence of such a request. What am I saying? Because we live in a world where humanism [sole dependence on one’s humanity – as opposed to God] is the order of the day, God oftentimes waits for situations to become their absolute worst in the lives of His believers – before He steps in and works it out. He waits until we reach the level of human extremity and then turns our extremity into a “God opportunity.” We see this clearly in the gospel story of Lazarus; Jesus stayed where He was for three days until Lazarus died [when He could’ve easily come while Lazarus was still sick and healed him]. At Lazarus’s funeral – right before Jesus calls Lazarus from the grave – He tells the mourners that what has occurred in Lazarus’ life was allowed to happen – so that God could be glorified.
Friends what we must know about this Christian life that we are doing our best to live is that God sometimes waits until things are at their worst possible point before stepping in – this way He and He alone gets the credit, and is exalted in our lives and among the nations as a result. Many people will never believe God’s word, but they cannot deny God’s action in our lives, that they can see with their own eyes.
Today, no matter how hard things might be for you right now – the question is: Will you be still long enough for God to use your life so that He can be exalted among the nations and in the earth?
admin | Sep 26, 2009 | Reply
Just Be Thankful!
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 (NIV)
Certainly there’s absolutely nothing wrong with striving to become wealthy; indeed all of us should endeavor to always do just a little bit better. But I am convinced that a large majority of our struggle comes from the fact that many of us don’t take time to appreciate what we already have, because we’re to busy trying to get some more!
Interestingly, many of the people in this world that have achieved “great gain” according to the world’s standard of success – are often quite empty on the inside because they lack Godliness. We (on the other hand) have the wonderful privilege in God to also lay hold of “great gain” in our lives; however this gain is far more than just the acquisition of more money and more stuff, no this great gain will bring you those things in life that money cannot buy; and they can only be achieved through contentment.
So what exactly is contentment? Contentment (in its etymology) means “to be sufficient within oneself.” In other words, someone who is content knows themselves so thoroughly that they do not need an excess of external things to make them feel worth something; their worth and identity both come from God – and nothing or no one can do anything to change that. Another aspect of the word contentment means “to possess sufficient strength.” This sufficient strength helps to fight off desires and temptations that attempt to pull us towards things that we really don’t even need in our lives; things that attempt to make us discontent to the point where we begin to doubt the love and goodness of God in our lives. You want “great gain” in life, learn how to be content.
Today, stop measuring your life by what others have and you don’t have; and start being thankful to God for what you do have! Remember, what God has for you is for you, and no devil in hell or on earth can change that! – MB
admin | Sep 27, 2009 | Reply
The Key to Your Blessings
“All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock – the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you” (Deut 28:2-8).
As you can clearly see, the text above is chock full of the promises of God as they relate to how it is that God desires to bless His people. However what cannot be overlooked in this text is the assaulting conjunction word “if” right there in the second verse.
This word if helps us to understand the fact that whether or not we end up being recipients of this enormous plethora of blessings which God has promised is solely based on our obedience. You see it’s not a question of whether or not God can and will do what He’s promised; the real question is “can we be obedient enough to line up our lives with His will so that we can be in a position to receive God’s blessings?” What we all must remember when it comes to the blessings of God in our lives is this: God always desires to richly bless His people, but disobedience cuts off that flow and cause the blessings to dry up, at least until we confess-repent-and realign our lives with the word of God.
Once we do this, we can expect that our offspring will be blessed, we’ll have divine protection, divine favor, God will bless our every endeavor, God will expand and bless our territory, and every single area of our lives will be blessed-according to the text above!
Today, remember that although salvation is free – the blessings are God are conditional, and only those who discipline themselves enough to line their lives up with God’s word [as much as realistically possible] will experience what God has promised. Obedience is the key. – MB
admin | Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
It’s Only A Test!
35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:35-41 / NIV
These disciples walked with Jesus; they saw the miracles with their own eyes. They sat at the feet of Jesus [the Master teacher] as he expounded for hours upon hours on the topic of faith. Yet when the critical hour of testing came, they failed. Now lest we be to hard on those “hand picked” disciples of Jesus, many of us have also failed the test of faith at the critical hour – over and over again. So then the relevant question becomes, “Why do some of us repeatedly fail these “God ordained” tests of faith? I believe that the above text offers us some important insight on how to better prepare for these faith tests – which often come in the form of a storm.
The first lesson that it teaches us is that “we can’t take everyone with us to where it is that God is trying to take us” [leaving the crowd behind.] Some folk add extra baggage to our lives that cannot go where you are headed.
The second thing that it teaches us is that “we have to remember what God has already done in our lives and in the lives of others” [Jesus had just finished teaching them for 8-10 hours on the very topic of faith and performing miracles before He said, let us go over to the other side.] Remind yourself of what He’s already done in your life…He’s already made a way…
The third thing that we have to remember to do is to “rouse the sleeping Jesus that’s on board your vessel” [Jesus was sleeping in the stern of the vessel / the Holy Spirit lives inside of your vessel]; WAKE HIM UP! – access the power that’s available to you…If you wake Him, He’ll get up and say calm the storms in your life!
The last thing that we have to do in order for our faith to withstand the test at the critical hour is to “rely on the promises of God” [before they ever got out on the water Jesus said to them: LET US GO OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE!] Woven into these words is the promise of God that you will make it to the other side – no matter what!
What the promise does not say [however] is how you will make it there, or when you will make it there, or how many storms you’ll encounter on the way there, or how many friends you’ll loose on the way there, or even how battered and broken your vessel will be once you get there; nevertheless, it does promise that you will get there!
Today, when someone asks how you are doing – or what you’ve been up to lately; or even why the tears are streaming down your face; just look at them and say, “I’m just trying to pass my test, so that I can get to the other side!” – MB
admin | Sep 29, 2009 | Reply
Not Coincidence!
In his heart a man / woman plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9
Where you are right now in life is not by mistake or accident; you are there by God’s permission. How or why you ended up at your current life’s location is a really only a secondary issue; the primary issue is that (for whatever reason), “God has permitted you to be in this position – at this season of your life; good, bad, or indifferent. Some have arrived at this place in life due to their own miscalculated and spontaneous decisions; others have arrived there because they were taken advantage of and deceived in some way or another; still others have arrived at their current location as a direct result of someone else’s faulty decisions. Nevertheless, the fact remains that regardless of how you ended up where you are in life at this time – God has permitted you to be there and has attached to that location / situation a specific growth lesson that you must learn, absorb and metabolize before you can be released to your next level of potential!
So from now on stop asking, “Why me Lord?” – and start asking, “What are you trying to teach me Lord?” Until you make this spiritual / psychological paradigm shift in your belief system and language – you run the risk of further delaying that which you could already be laying hold of. – MB
You are where you are because (despite the plans that you’ve made) God is trying to determine your steps – you are not there by accident! The word determine comes from a root word which means: “to fight against termination!”
Today, remember that the will of God won’t lead us – to where the grace of God can’t keep us.
admin | Sep 30, 2009 | Reply
The Vision Can Speak for Itself!
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk 2:3
Sometime ago the Spirit of God spoke vision into your being. You have absolutely no doubt that it came directly from the heart of God, yet despite several prayerful attempts to “lay hold of the vision”, it appears that your labor has been in vain. As a result, doubt and discouragement are now attempting to invade your spirit; their job is to convince you that God has lied to you, and that your vision was just some illusionary bi-product of an over-active imagination.
Now is the time that your faith must begin to fight! One of the ways that it can begin to fight off doubt and discouragement is by reminding yourself that the vision is for an “appointed time.” You see sometimes we literally manufacture the doubt and discouragement by becoming impatient with God and moving before the appointed time. Many of us also manufacture doubt and discouragement in our own lives by “speaking before the vision speaks.” What this means is that some of us end up short-circuiting [or cutting off] the vision in our lives by broadcasting it before it even happens. Then we end up getting discouraged because we’ve already told people about what God was doing in our lives, yet there’s no evidence of it because it was not God’s appointed time for it to come to pass.
I have learned that sometimes it best to not tell anyone [except maybe a sincere prayer partner] about the vision that God has spoken in your life. That way, even if the vision takes a long time coming to pass, there’s no need to be discouraged because God has promised that eventually it will speak, and it will not lie.
Today, write the vision and make it plain – but remember to let the vision speak for itself in your life. When you do, you’ll find that you won’t have to say a word because when people see the vision come to pass, then they’ll know exactly what God has been up to in your life. Be very sure not to speak before the vision speaks – but you can go ahead and praise Him in advance because “it will surely come!”
admin | Oct 1, 2009 | Reply
He Knows All About It!
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 / NIV
Do you ever feel like God is being unfair to you when it comes to how you continually give of yourself helping others, and seem to not get much in return? Certainly you don’t do what you do simply to get something in return when it comes to your service to God and humanity, however it’s only natural to wonder [from time to time] when the God who continually blesses our neighbor is going to begin knocking on our door.
I have learned over the years that one of the most “spiritually dangerous” things that we can do during this season in our lives is to begin comparing how God has blessed us – with how He is blessing those around us. This kind of faulty thinking is really all the foothold that satan needs to gain access into our lives and begin causing us to doubt the goodness and faithfulness of our God; indeed its these kinds of things that make us become “weary” in doing good. You see weariness has to do with what we do with what we hear; it has to do with how we perceive and believe the words that enter into our “ears” and ultimately our spirits. To put it plainly, it has to do with determining whose report we’re going to believe about our lives; God’s or satan’s?
The above verse gives us a promise to hold on to during our seasons of weariness; it reminds us of the fact that God will reward us “in His perfect time”, if we do not give up. Frustration can’t negate the reward, anger can’t negate the reward, getting tired can’t negate the reward; the only thing that can negate God’s reward for well-doing is “giving up.”
Today, go about doing good to all whom you come in contact with without expecting anything in return. Hinge your motives on the fact that “God Knows” what I’m doing, and He will reward me in His time – as long as I don’t give up! – MB
admin | Oct 2, 2009 | Reply
Closet Communion
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6 / NIV
God wants our undivided attention. He doesn’t want to have to compete with our blackberry’s, ipods, to do lists, deadlines, ambitions, children, spouses, friends, etc; God wants a specific portion of our lives [everyday] that is solely dedicated to Him.
Many times we wonder why it is that our “on the run” prayers never get answered. Let me ask you a question: How well do you respond to someone who’s attention you seek desperately – and who’s opinion you count on dearly, only to have them either disregard your presence or give you some “half answer” every time you see them because they’re too busy, or “on the run?” Well, now you have an idea of how God might be feeling about those of us that give meticulous attention to every area of our lives; except our prayer life with God.
Interesting, we spend more time in our lives attempting to safeguard and take care of the blessings in our lives, while simultaneously disregarding the very God that gave the blessings in the first place, who by the way has the power to take them away from us in the very blink of an eye – and will if that’s what it takes to get our undivided attention.
God has blessed you publicly, now its time to get back into your secret closet on a daily basis and bless Him privately. Close the door and block out the concerns of the world, and spend some time with your heavenly Father.
Today,remember to take time to bless Him privately;because God promised that when you do, He would take time to bless you publicly, so that the world will know that,”you serve a great and mighty God!” – MB
admin | Oct 5, 2009 | Reply
Storms that Transform
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 / NIV
Trouble comes in many forms, and has a myriad of different avenues to enter our lives through. When we give thought to the many routes through which trouble can attach itself to us, we must conclude that; some of it we bring upon ourselves, some of it others cause for us, still some of it satan undoubtedly initiates, but all of it God permits. And so the relevant question this morning becomes; “Why is it that the God (who loves us so much) allows so much seemingly “unmerited trouble” to come our way?”
Have you ever been at that place in life where you’ve finally made up your mind to stop straddling the fence and to follow Jesus with your whole heart (to the best of your human ability), only to find out that now the trouble has been multiplied, and it seems like life was easier when you weren’t fully committed to the Christ and to the cause of Christianity?
I believe that some of the answers to these questions lie within the content of a quote that I once heard uttered from the mouth of the late Rev.Dr. E.K. Bailey of Dallas Texas. Dr. Bailey said that: God and satan have one thing in common, and that one thing is that they both desire our worship. satan desires our worship in order that he might “deform” us and cause us to move further from the image of God, and God desires our worship in order that He might continue to “transform” us further into His own image. And as unfair as it may seem to us sometime, God’s primary means of developing the kind of character and virtue within us that makes us more like Jesus, is by allowing some storms to come our way.
Now I don’t know how you feel about it, but I take great consolation in knowing that the trouble that God allows in our lives is specifically designed to build us up, and not to tear us down, its designed to help us, and not to harm us, its designed to take us to higher heights, and to deeper depths, and though the storm clouds may rise and the strong winds may blow, we can rejoice over the immutable fact that we have an anchor in Jesus that grips the solid rock of salvation, so that our souls are not lost in the vast seas of time and eternity.
If God has permitted the storm, rest assured that it has come to transform! – MB
(This devotional message is an excerpt of the Michael Bethune sermon entitled, “It Never Run’s Out!”)
admin | Oct 6, 2009 | Reply
The Power of Humility
”Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6”
Many Christians continue to struggle along in their journey unnecessarily, all because they simply refuse to humble themselves before God and ask for His help. Oftentimes this kind of behavior has more to do with the external influences in their lives than it does with a blatant disregard for God and God’s word. What I mean is this: a large majority of Christians are still not yet complete in their Christian identity and as a result, they live their lives out through a fruitless attempt to please others because they believe that it’s the gateway way to success and happiness in this world – regardless of how many lives they ruin on the way up. However the kingdom of God is an, “upside down kingdom” in that whatever one has to do to elevate themselves in the world’s kingdom, the exact opposite is true for promotion in God’s Kingdom.
The world’s kingdom says that we should step on whoever we must to elevate ourselves and climb the economic ladder; but God would beg to differ. You see according to the scripture above, the key to promotion (exaltation / elevation) from God is through humility.
When we are going through the desert portion of life’s journey, the temptation is always greater to take shortcuts, usually at our own expense or someone else’s. Today, weather the storm and let God exalt you – because when He does, no devil in hell or on earth can bring you down! – MB
In order to understand GOD, we must stand under GOD – author unknown
admin | Oct 7, 2009 | Reply
What if Tomorrow Never Comes?
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man / woman can work. John 9:4
Have you ever noticed how many people you come across in the course of a twenty-four hour time span who talk about nothing else except what they are “about to do?” As a matter of fact, most of us know quite a few individuals who could easily fit into this category. Like clockwork, every single time you see them they have some brilliant idea that they are “about to” implement; yet you never see them accomplish (or complete) anything. They simply drift from one brain storm to the next without ever being able to make the transition from the realm of ideology and theory – to practicality (or productivity.)
If you are someone who fits the description above, do know that all hope is not lost – however, its imperative that you begin to take action on those things (vision / direction / purpose) that God has already made clear to you before time runs out. We are on this earth but for a brief moment when, when compared with eternity. Therefore it is incumbent upon us to begin maximizing the windows of opportunity that accompany certain seasons in our lives; realizing that a time will surely come when we won’t be as sharp, or as gifted, or as able-bodied as we are now to take advantage of certain opportunities.
Life is quickly going by, when are you going to do what you’ve been talking about doing for years? You clearly know your areas of giftedness now – so what are you afraid of, being successful? God needs more successful witnesses out there so stop procrastinating! If its a book, write it; if its a song, sing it; if its a church, start it; if its a business, launch it, if it’s a school, build it! Stop waiting on a season that is already upon you! We must do whatever it is that we’re here to do while it is day: for the night cometh, when no person can work.
Life is meant to be spent – so what are you saving yours for? Jesus saves! Our job is to live life in such a way that whenever we transition from this phase of life – we die empty! – MB
admin | Oct 8, 2009 | Reply
Very nice website Mike!
nicole | Nov 11, 2009 | Reply
Its All Good
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Oftentimes as we travel along this journey called life, trouble seems to come out of nowhere and knock us completely off track. It causes us to loose focus and temporarily forget to continue doing the things that are most important, you know, the stuff that’s attached to the bigger picture that we believe that God has for us; vision and purpose related stuff. The trouble squeezes us so hard sometimes that we get stuck focusing on the immediacy of the situation, completely forgetting to recall and stand upon the promises that God has already made to us.
In the above promise, never once does God say that sometimes in life things wouldn’t look good; never once did He say that life wouldn’t sometimes feel good; but what He did say was, “No matter how extreme the trouble gets that He allows to enter our lives, fear not, because it will surely work out for your good!” It doesn’t matter what it is, all means all, so remember that whatever is going on in your life right now albeit good, bad or indifferent, God is behind the scene working it out for your good! Now give Him some praise!
Be Encouraged, Stay on the Journey! – MB
admin | Oct 12, 2010 | Reply