Does God Speak Through Circumstances?

How does God speak to you? For some the question may seem absurd. They may even say, "God never speaks to me" or "God only spoke to those in the Bible."

However, I urge you to consider that God does speak to us in present times. We may have to simply stop and listen.

This from Today's Devotion with Greg Laurie:

THE VOICE OF CIRCUMSTANCE

So Gideon said to God, 'If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said—look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.' — Judges 6:36–37

Not only does God speak to us through His Word, and not only will He never contradict His Word, but God also speaks through circumstances. Although I'm not one to base major life decisions on circumstances alone, there have clearly been times when I have sensed that something was the will of God and then things would fall into place circumstantially. At other times, circumstances have made it obvious that God was saying "no."

A classic example of God speaking through circumstances was when God spoke to Gideon, who laid his fleece out on the ground, asking God to confirm His Word. Certainly, Jonah got the right message when God brought his journey to an abrupt halt, and he found himself in the belly of a very large fish.

Of course, as a part of this process, God speaks to us through people. For example, there have been times when I have been listening to a someone preach or have been talking with a friend, and suddenly what he is saying addresses the situation I'm going through, even though he is completely unaware of my circumstances. It makes me realize that it is God himself speaking to me through those individuals.

Maybe God has spoken to you through a pastor or a Christian friend. Or perhaps He has been speaking to you through circumstances. Listen carefully, and remember that He will never contradict His Word.
_______________

Books by Greg Laurie can be found at Amazon.com.

Love the Overlooked

Put on the apron of humility, to serve one another. - I Peter 5:5 TEV

This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Volume 2:

Servanthood requires no unique skill or seminary degree. Regardless of your strengths, training, or church tenure, you can...love the overlooked.

Jesus sits in your classroom, wearing the thick glasses, outdated clothing, and a sad face. You’ve seen him. He’s Jesus.

Jesus works in your office. Pregnant again, she shows up to work late and tired. No one knows the father. According to water-cooler rumors, even she doesn’t know the father. You’ve seen her. She’s Jesus.

When you talk to the lonely student, befriend the weary mom, you love Jesus. He dressed in the garb of the overlooked and ignored. “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me” (Matt. 25:40 MSG)

____________________

Max Lucado has touched millions with his signature storytelling writing style. Awards and accolades follow Max with each book he writes. Max is the first author to win the Gold Medallion Christian Book of the Year three times—1999 for "Just Like Jesus," 1997 for "In the Grip of Grace" and 1995 for "When God Whispers Your Name."

Max Lucado is a fixture on the national bestseller lists – a Max Lucado title has appeared on the CBA hardcover bestseller list every month for the past dozen years. He has appeared on the Publishers Weekly, USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists. He has won eight ECPA Gold Medallion awards. - MaxLucado.com

Go to Max Lucado's Book Selection at Amazon to order now!

Asking For Wings

No one guarantees that life transforms into a rose garden when one becomes a Christian. I know that for me, accepting Jesus eight years ago was thrilling, somewhat scary, and a high like I have never felt. However, the years since He first entered my heart, have not been lived in a continual state of euphoria...nor should it be...(aw, shucks). For a feel-good junkie like myself, this concept is a difficult one to accept.

Today was a rough day...oh, nothing extraordinary happened, but I feel tired and weary. Fortunately, at 7 pm, I went to the Word...and as I go over a devotion by Billy Graham, I am refreshed in a quiet way...knowing that it doesn't matter what mood I'm in...God still loves me! I just need to ask Him for my wings.

This from Billy Graham's Hope for Each Day:

SOARING IN VICTORY

Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. - John 3:3

In the third chapter of John, Jesus teaches that the new birth is something God does for us, as we yield ourselves to Him and put our faith and trust in Christ. We do not have within ourselves the seed of the new life; this must come from God.

One day an ugly caterpillar climbs into a tree and spins a silky robe about itself. It goes to sleep, and in a few weeks emerges a beautiful butterfly.

So we...discouraged, unhappy, hounded by guilt, confused, depressed, vainly looking for and escape...can come by faith to Christ and emerge a new person. We can be born again! It sounds incredible, even impossible...and yet it is precisely what happens. We become members of God's family, looking forward to our eternal home in Heaven.

Do you feel you are in a cocoon? Turn to Christ and ask Him to give you your beautiful wings so that you might soar above your problems and be victorious over them.

__________

In 'Hope for Each Day,' Billy Graham offers spiritual comfort to guide us through our daily lives. Graham is considered a national treasure and has counseled numerous political leaders and provided comfort in times of public crisis.

Just One Thing

I want a lot. But maybe I should not want so much and do just one thing - love God. This is my prayer: to love God with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind. Do I need encouragement? Yes, I do daily...and I found a good dose right here...

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers. - 1 Peter 3:12

This from Charles F. Stanley's God's Way Day by Day:

God's plan for your life is that you might be in close fellowship with Him. The means of having that close fellowship is accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. In accepting Jesus Christ, you are receving God's forgiveness and opening yourself up to His love.

That's your number one reason for living on this earth--to love God in return. That is the foremost aspect of the destiny God has for you!

Once you have received God's forgiveness...then you are ready to fulfill the rest of God's plan for your life, which is this: to follow the Lord wherever He leads you. Your destiny will unfold before you as you obey the daily prompting and leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit.


Internationally-acclaimed author and preacher Charles Stanley adds to his impressive legacy with a year's worth of devotionals drawn from his previous writings including best-sellers Success God's Way, Seeking His Face, and Enter His Gates. This best-selling devotional is loaded with life-changing thoughts and beautiful four-color illustrations. Divided into twelve months but not dated for a specific year, this book promises to become a perennial favorite. - Amazon.com

Get a copy of God's Way Day by Day now!

Getting to the End of Yourself

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. - 2 Peter 3:18

This from Charles F. Stanley's God's Way Day by Day:

Spiritual growth is a process. There is an order. Lessons must be learned before other lessons can be assimilated....

I don't know where you are in the process, but God does. He is engineering your circumstances with a definite result in mind. Part of His plan is to bring you to the end of yourself, to a point of desperation where you get so sick of yourself and your inability to change that you throw up your hands in surrender. When that happens, you are closer than you have ever been to knowing the joy of the Spirit-filled life.


Internationally-acclaimed author and preacher Charles Stanley adds to his impressive legacy with a year's worth of devotionals drawn from his previous writings including best-sellers Success God's Way, Seeking His Face, and Enter His Gates. This best-selling devotional is loaded with life-changing thoughts and beautiful four-color illustrations. Divided into twelve months but not dated for a specific year, this book promises to become a perennial favorite. - Amazon.com

Get a copy of God's Way Day by Day now!

The Power of Family

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. - Genesis 1:27

This from Dennis and Barbara Rainey's Moments With You:

I believe there is nothing more powerful on Earth than family. It is the single most influential force for good (or for evil) in all human existence.

From birth, it marks you. Your family crafts your conscience and shapes your soul. At home you learn life’s lessons and begin the art of practicing them. At home you learn to love and to do what’s right. More than merely giving you a street address, your home and family imprint you with a spiritual and sexual identity shaped by the two people who gave you life. Truly, nothing
compares to the strength of being tightly wrapped in the protective fiber of family. It’s who you are. It’s where you belong.

And if all goes well—as it should—it is your family that surrounds you when you start life’s journey, when you face life’s hardest trials, when you go through the valleys and when you die. More than anyone else, the members of your family are the ones who are there for you, caring for you and mourning the loss of you when you’re gone.

This should come as no surprise, because God created the family. At the very dawn of time, “God created man in His own image, . . . male and female He created them.” Of all the ways He could have chosen to inaugurate His creation, He chose to start with family. In fact, the Bible begins with a marriage in Genesis and ends with a marriage in Revelation. Marriage and family have always been central to what God is doing on planet Earth.

I believe family is still of utmost importance to our heavenly Father. It holds the key to our health, our success as a society, and our future. And I believe it is worth whatever effort is required to nurture, encourage and support it.

Why not celebrate the family God has given you today?

Book Description (Amazon.com)
What is the true secret to spiritual growth for couples? Dennis and Barbara Rainey know from experience that the secret is more moments together. When you are lifting up your relationship and the rest of your life together to God, you won t be able to keep the spiritual growth from happening. In the pages of Moments With You: 365-Day Devotional, the Raineys offer just what couples need to get started or to continue growing in their quiet times together. These short but poignant biblical devotions are enjoyable and easy to use, providing a daily discussion point, prayer and Scripture reference. Married couples desiring a deeper spiritual connection with God and their spouse will come to treasure their time spent over Moments With You. For married couples of all ages and at all stages of life.

About the Author
Dennis Rainey is the executive director and cofounder of FamilyLife, a division of Campus Crusade for Christ. Dennis and his wife, Barbara, have spoken at FamilyLife conferences across the United States and around the world. Dennis serves as the daily host of the radio program FamilyLife Today, where Barbara is a frequent guest. Dennis and Barbara have written several books. Both agree that their proudest achievement is their six children (with three more woven in through marriage) and two grandchildren.

Sin Entangles Our Lives

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

This from Henry Blackby's Day by Day:

Sin is our most persistent, determined, and pernicious enemy. Sin seeks to rob us of every good thing God has designed for us. Paul tells us that sin brings death (Rom. 7:11). Yet it is very subtle. Sin creeps into our lives when and where we least expect it. It packages itself so attractively that we are lulled into thinking that it cannot really harm us (2 Cor. 11:14–15).

Sin stealthily and relentlessly entangles our lives. We will never be able to run the race marked out for us as long as we are entrapped in sin. We free ourselves from sin only if we recognize it for what it is. If we call sin a “mistake,” a “bad habit,” or a “weakness,” we will never escape its grasp. We must not blame our sins on others. We must not allow pride to convince us it is too humiliating to admit the sin in our lives. Sin can blind us to its presence. It does not always command our attention but rather, it subtly and pervasively robs us of the spiritual power and victory that could be ours. The good news is that there is no extent to which sin can entangle us that God’s grace does not abound still more to free us (Rom. 5:20).

Has sin robbed your joy? Has it prevented you from being the best husband, wife, son, daughter, or friend you could be? Is it keeping you from spiritual maturity? If you have become entangled with sin, God can release you immediately, no matter how desperately entangled you may have become!

Much of the ministry of Dr. Henry T. Blackaby flourished with the publication of his book Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Seeking God in the matter which Blackaby spells out in his book has helped propel life-changing events for a countless number of people.

As Grace Sinks In

Christ...raised us up together...that...He might show the exceeding riches of His grace. - Ephesians 2:5-6 NKJV

This from Max Lucado's Grace for the Moment, Volume 2:

Grace defines you. As grace sinks in, earthly labels fade. Society labels you like a can on an assembly line. Stupid. Unproductive. Slow learner. Fast talker. Quitter. Cheapskate. But as grace infiltrates, criticism disintegrates. You know you aren’t who they say you are. Spiritually alive. Heavenly positioned. Connected to the Father. A billboard of mercy. An honored child.

Of course, not all labels are negative. Some people regard you as handsome, clever, successful, or efficient. But even a White House office doesn’t compare with being “seated with him in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 2:6 NLT). Grace creates the Christian’s resume.

What Love Looks Like

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. - 1 John 3:18

This from Greg Laurie's Daily Devotions:

Have you ever felt like a spiritual failure? If so, then you're in good company. Even the apostle Peter felt that way after he denied the Lord.

When Jesus told the disciples they would abandon Him in His hour of need, Peter insisted that he never would. But Jesus said that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed that day. And he did.

Now, Peter finds himself in an awkward moment. Jesus was crucified and had risen on the third day. He suddenly appears to them at the Sea of Galilee. Before they knew it, Jesus was cooking breakfast for everyone with the fish He had just helped them catch. Maybe as they ate, Peter was remembering when, not all that long ago, he denied the Lord by the glow of another fire.

Eventually, the Lord breaks the silence. He asks Peter a series of questions, each with the same phrase: "Do you love Me?"

Peter had learned his lesson. Instead of boasting of his love for the Lord, he simply answers, "Yes Lord; You know that I love you" (John 21:15–17). In the original language, the word Peter used for "love" was phileo. It could be translated, "have an affection for."

At least Peter was being honest. We can talk all day about how much we love God, but never act on it. Peter eventually proved his love for the Lord. A leader in the early church and the writer of two New Testament epistles, he reportedly was crucified upside-down as a martyr for his faith.

How about you? Is your love for the Lord expressed more by your words than your actions?

The Gospel of John can be challenging reading, but in the hands of pastor Greg Laurie, it's the perfect material for daily devotional reflections. In the same accessible style that has made him a popular pastor, speaker, and television and radio host, Laurie shares stories and images of Jesus from the Gospel of John woven with additional Scriptures and anecdotes. The result is a ninety-day devotional that offers biblical substance and theological depth presented in clear, engaging language. Readers looking for devotional reading centered on Jesus will enjoy Laurie's blend of important spiritual substance and accessible narrative style. - Amazon.com

He Is Here to Help

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? - Romans 9:35

This from Billy Graham's 'Hope for Each Day:'

After His resurrection Jesus came to His disciples, meeting them between the garden with its empty tomb and the city with its mob still passionate with hate. He said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren" (Matt. 28:10).

In the midst of a world filled with danger, hatred, and war, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ are just as relevant as when He spoke them. He still says to all who love Him, "Do not be afraid."

He comes to you in the hospital room or in the midst of a family tragedy. He comes to you in the midst of an unexpected business reversal or physical crisis. And He says, "Don't be afraid. I'm alive, and I'm here to help you. The Cross shows the depth of My power. Nothing can ever separate you from Me!"


In 'Hope for Each Day,' Billy Graham offers spiritual comfort to guide us through our daily lives. Graham is considered a national treasure and has counseled numerous political leaders and provided comfort in times of public crisis.

He Loves You With an Everlasting Love

As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is his love for those who respect him. - Psalm 103:11

This from Max Lucado's 'Grace for the Moment, Volume 2:'

The big news of the Bible is not that you love God but that God loves you; not that you can know God but that God already knows you! He tattooed your name on the palm of his hand. His thoughts of you outnumber the sand on the shore. You never leave his mind, escape his sight, flee his thoughts. He sees the worst of you and loves you still. Your sins of tomorrow and failings of the future will not surprise him; he sees them now. Every day and deed of your life has passed before his eyes and been calculated in his decision. He knows you better than you know you and has reached his verdict; he loves you still. No discovery will disillusion him; no rebellion will dissuade him. He loves you with an everlasting love.