In Israel

Lord, I worship You…
Where you once walked, I now walk.
Where you once loved, I now love.
Where you once overcame, I now overcome.
Where you once rose, I now rise.

Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? ”
1 Corinthians 15:55

His Word

His Word is truth. His Word is life. His Word never fails. His Word is hope. His Word is promise. His Word is peace. His Word is faithful. His Word never returns void. His Word has purpose. His Word brings joy. His Word brings strength. His Word brings healing. His Word gives power. His Word is all I need for all that I face. I will study it. It reveals exactly what I need for life's journey.

Tomorrow I walk in Him.

Wings of Eagles

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)

Goodbye. Going to the Holy Land. 

Israel

I am leaving in the morning for Israel for ten days. I will start posting devotions as soon as I am awake enough to do so when I get back!  Your prayers are appreciated.   I pray for all of you who read these devotions!  You make my passion for writing come alive.  

Strength

Jesus never fails me. His promises are not dependent upon my ability, but only upon my accepting His will and walking in it. He gives me His assurance that though I may fail in what I attempt, ultimately His promise and purpose will prevail. When He chose Peter, He saw Peter's potential. He recognized not only someone who after denial and failure, would rise up to walk in His power and strength, but He chose Peter so that others who are frail and weak might realize that God's purpose is not limited by their weakness. My weakness given to God becomes His power in my life to achieve the potential He sees in me.

Often I feel weak, but I can’t go on feelings. When surrendered to Him, I am strong. Monday I leave for Israel, and it will be awhile before I return to posting and emailing devotions. I pray for the weakness of my human heart to receive every strength and purpose He has for me. I appreciate your prayers for my friend, Donna, and I, as we travel to the place where our lives began.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Out of the Ashes

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.

—Psalm 112:4 (NIV)

If you are struggling in darkness or circumstances beyond your control—if you live a virtuous life filled with compassion, you will not remain in that darkness forever. Light will dawn. His promise will come. You will climb out of that hole. His light will guide you safely through your battle—your turmoil—your pain—to His healing peace.

“Such people will not be overcome by evil,” the psalmist continues. “Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly” (Psalm 112:6-8, NLT).

Stand in His promise. When you belong to Christ, the evil of this world will not overcome your faith. And that faith may be as small as a mustard seed, but its strength will blossom in the midst of hardship. It would be wonderful if you only heard good news every day. Bad news is a part of life. You don’t need to fear bad news. God will take care of you. You can face whatever that news is. You can stand confident and fearless in spite of it.

“To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes,” Isaiah imparts, “a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory” (Isaiah 61:3, NLT).  Evil does not win. His blessing will rise from that which tries to destroy. Not only will you rise from the ashes in His power and promise, you will remain strong, planted deeply in His purpose. Nothing that comes against you will defeat you. Out of the ashes, you will rise.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Generous Wisdom

          When you face a trial, do you feel desperate and yearn for wisdom from God to handle it?  “If any of you lacks wisdom,” James writes, “he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him” (James 1:5, NIV).  Do you feel overwhelmed by a hard circumstance and don't know where to turn? Turn to the Lord and ask for His wisdom. You will receive abundant insight to know what to do or not do in your situation.

Often we ask God why something has happened, and we don't hear an answer. We are not meant to know “why” in all instances. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9, NIV). God sometimes lets you know that you are not meant to know the reason something has happened. But when you ask in faith for His help, you can trust Him to give you divine wisdom to safely bring you through your circumstance.

          James not only instructs you to pray for wisdom, but he tells you to pray believing you will receive it. If you pray for wisdom and do not receive it, it is probably not because you do not have enough faith. The Word says that faith the size of a little mustard seed can move mountains. James identifies the problem as being “double minded”. Someone who is double-minded does not live for God, but expects God to answer his prayers. James says such a person is unstable in everything he does (James 1:8). God does not grant wisdom to a person who is double-minded. Such a person should not believe God is obliged to give him anything—let alone His infinite wisdom. On the other hand, when a single-minded person surrenders to God, and trusts in what the Lord imparts. His mind is stable. He surrenders his whole life to God, and lives only for Him. He is well aware that if he lacks God's support, he will fail. So when this single-minded person cries out to God for wisdom, He gives it generously.

          Do you feel you have faith the size of a mustard seed, but can't move your mountain? It is not your place to move your mountain. It is His. Focus on God's Word instead of your problem. Focus on His power and promise. If you give all your energy to your problem instead of seeking the Lord, you will be double-minded.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast,” the Word instructs, “because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3, NIV). You become single-minded when you focus your mind and all your energy on Him. Your problem is never the real issue. Trusting Him is the real issue. When you completely surrender your life to Him, He generously grants you His wisdom to handle whatever comes your way. You learn that in quietness and trust is your strength (Isaiah 30:15).

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

         

           

A New Command

Today’s Bible Gateway Verse

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

—John 13:34-35 (NIV)

Love one another. It is not a suggestion. It is a command, and it is new because the One who has just spoken it is about to reveal its depth by giving His life. Not ever in the history of time has someone loved to this degree. Not ever before has a person, who has no sin, taken on the sin of the world out of the purest of love and given His life unconditionally. So this kind of love has never before been demonstrated. It is a new command because Jesus has prepared himself to offer it. Just before speaking this new command he has washed the disciples’ feet and revealed the one who will betray him and the one who will deny Him. He has made himself less, and then has revealed the human greed and deception living in human hearts. He knows they don’t get it. Gethsemane waits where the disciples will sleep, and Calvary waits for Him alone. And there mercy and grace with flow from the Savior who has just said, “Love as I have loved you.”

As He has loved us, we are also to love so everyone will know that we are His disciples—that we belong to Him. But what has happened to the mercy and grace that flowed at Calvary? Has it really changed us?  We say we love. We say the words. Yet so often we do as the world and bicker and argue among ourselves and find fault and hold grudges and judge. The new command that He confirmed—by giving up any “rights” and offering His life—has not transformed and renewed. We have not been renewed by the Holy Spirit in the spirit of our mind. We have not allowed the love of Calvary to transform us to its greatest depth and in its greatest purpose. We have not allowed it to set us free from self. And if we think “that’s not me”, remember that wasn’t Peter either.

This is a daily offering—laying down of self, and allowing Jesus to transform and renew. Self was crucified on Calvary. A new command was given—that we are to love as he has loved us. Allow the love that put you first on Calvary, to renew and fill your heart with His love and not your own. Human love is fickle, but His loves beyond measure—beyond fault—beyond “rights”.  It is the purest mercy and the unstoppable grace that conquers self. Cry out in surrender, just as Peter, “Not just my feet, Lord, but wash all of me.” The love of Calvary can’t be measured, but it can change our hearts and be lived.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

He Waits

Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. —Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

Your gracious God waits for you to come to Him with a love that looks beyond your failures and sin and recognizes your need. He waits with a grace so forgiving and so complete that nothing can impede its power to change your life. When you come to His altar in distress and torment, your heart cries out for His mercy and for His help. Your spirit thirsts for His grace when your heart is strained to the breaking point. His mercy forgives, and His grace lifts you up when you have fallen down. You come to His altar—to the all-powerful, infinite, and sovereign God who can move mountains and change circumstances and lives.

He constantly waits for you at His altar. God yearns for you to love Him intimately just as He loves you. There, on your knees in complete surrender, you receive His forgiveness. There, you find freedom from sin that has imprisoned you. He lifts your head to meet His gaze, and you are lost in the love of His sacrifice. You receive His grace to meet any need. You are free in His forgiveness and love. He has redeemed your soul and all that has burdened your heart and tormented your mind. You rise in His grace and freedom. You rise in victory and joy. You rise in peace and purpose. You rise free from sin and free from self. You rise in His new life. You are set free by the Savior who—by His loving sacrifice at Calvary—opened His throne of grace to you. You rise in new life because you have knelt before Him and allowed Him to own your heart.

© Lynn Lacher 2018

www.lynnlacher.com

Missing

We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found! —Luke 15:32 (NLT)

A few years ago I found a list of things that went missing from Mama’s room while she was in assisted care. It wasn’t unusual with so many residents, and the staff always found most of them. Shirts, slacks, towels—the things that were necessary from day to day to make her life complete would be missing. Now, not only Mama is missing. Daddy is too. There is no staff to return them to their place. They are both gone.

On that Resurrection morning, the women went to Jesus’ tomb, and discovered He was gone. He had died, and His body should have been there. They were told that He was no longer dead. He was alive!  But He was not there. Where could He be? I may miss Mama and Daddy, but they are still alive. Jesus has found them. One day I will find them again with Him. Missing them now anticipates their presence later. Missing them brings the promise of what is to come–healing of heart and mind and spirit. It is in the missing that I discover He has also found me.

Resurrection morning is for all who believe. Who you are certain is missing is only waiting to be found.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com