“Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which satisfies not? Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.”      Isaiah 55:2

  
The movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, is another one of those films in the Indiana Jones series where men search for an artifact which they believe contain the key to life.  In this case, it is The Holy Grail; the goblet used by Jesus as He gave communion to the twelve Disciples prior to Judas’ betrayal and His arrest.  In the movie, The Holy Grail has the power to heal and to offer eternal life to anyone who possesses it. Prior to this movie in the Indiana Jones series was, Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Hollywood blockbuster film that amassed millions worldwide.  In Raiders of the Lost Ark, as in the Bible, The Ark has the power to vanquish any enemy of the nation who has The Ark in its possession. Both movies offer powerful dramatics based on the search for real-life biblical artifacts. However, the hero and his evil nemesis spend most of their time searching for items of ancient power, while the power they are searching for exists at the fingertips of anyone who studies the greatest book of all time--The Holy Bible. 

Although these movies offer tons of animated theatrics and are both thoroughly entertaining, they do not take the viewer any closer to the power available in actually picking up your Bible and reading it.  The truth is, if you read some of the stories in your Bible, they are as theatrical as, or even more dramatic than anything Hollywood could mastermind.  If you really have no idea where to begin, select any of these stories, starting with the story of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Ruth, Esther, or Daniel; and, that’s just a small part of the Old Testament. If you prefer something more dramatic and modern, jump straight to the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, to read the life story of Jesus. 

You may still say, “What’s the difference?” The difference is, when you are through reading these stories, they will change your life, giving you the kind of power you only see in the movies. And, its power evolves as you grow spiritually.  It’s up to you; watch Hollywood search for power or participate in receiving real power. Act like a power ranger on the screen, or become a power conduit in real life!  

It’s wonderful to be entertained, but remember, Isaiah 55:2 says, in paraphrase, don’t waste your money on things that do not feed or satisfy your spirit. Delight yourself in fatness—read your Bible.  L. 

Study Reference: Isaiah 55:2-7
From: "Raiders of the Lost." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.  And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power…”     Ephesians 1:18-19

 
I listened as a group of young Christians discussed the first time they really began to understand God’s presence in their lives.  Each spoke about their respective “Ah-ah” moment; some, more profound than others. One girl, a fresh-faced young woman, dressed simply in a pink sweater, t-shirt, and jeans, spoke the most candidly about her revelation. 

“My moment is not as profound as some of the others.” She said earnestly, “It goes back to when I was a little younger.  I’m the eldest of six children, and my parents always dragged all of us to church. With six children, you can imagine how much chaos it was just getting everyone in the car.  One day after communion, as we all piled into the car; there was more chaos than usual.  All the kids were yelling, arguing, and just driving my Mom crazy. She finally turned around and yelled, “For crying out loud, didn't you just receive Jesus!” It really made me think; and it led me to understand that we work every day to be more like Jesus. That was my, Ah-ah moment!”  She continued by saying, “I realized then that living in Christ is a constant journey. You literally try more and more each day to be like Jesus. It doesn't happen overnight.”

That young woman discovered something that most Christian adults have difficulty understanding.  As Christians, the character of Jesus is our life’s goal; we work on it continuously—day by day; for some of us, minute by minute.  It is not simply attending church services, and taking communion.  It is a level of thinking, believing, and an evolutionary building of our moral resolve.  It is a standard of living with the understanding that we are tested daily in our interactions with others, and in the way we live in this world.  Not because we are judged by our works; but, because we consider ourselves children of God and have discovered that living in keen awareness of God’s desire for our lives, is much more advantageous to us than not. 

We strive daily to be more like Jesus in all we do, because simply put, we believe we are sons and daughters of the Most High God.  L.

Study Reference: Ephesians 1:18-20 
From: "Becoming More Like Jesus." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
 

                                                             

“And God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth;” And it was so. ...And God saw that it was good.”         Genesis 1:11-12
 

All life is a seed, even you. 
It is astonishing how one single seed can reap so much fruit. What's even more fascinating is that, the fruit from one seed, planted by a farmer in another part of the world, winds up traveling thousands of miles across oceans, just to feed us.  Mangoes from Mexico, kiwis from Australia, bananas from Guatemala, star apples from Costa Rica, pitted dates from Morocco, or figs from Turkey.  If you stop for a moment to acknowledge that a farmer in some distant town or country tilled the land just so that you could have a piece of fruit or some other sustenance, it can be truly overwhelming.

The Bible uses the term “seed” as a metaphor for all kinds of biblical concepts. It can be an actual seed for planting; or, it can be a thought, a beginning, a lesson, an idea, a child, even currency.  Yet, the most fascinating is that, before God completed the creation of the world, He placed seeds in every living thing to recreate itself.  Even the Word of God is a seed.  It places a thought within us, and with it we gain the ability to blossom beyond our current circumstances.  Oftentimes, the thought is internalized so deeply, it transforms us beyond recognition.  God also gave each of us the seed to recreate human life. Whether it’s biological or with the manifestation of our words, we are laden with seeds. And, while we may consciously withhold ourselves from the active transmission of our biological seeds, our words can be strewn with the flick of our tongue; words carried far and wide by the winds of life, without regard to their effect. These tiny unseen seeds have the power to grant life or death, war or peace, growth or decay, lethal criticism or joyous praise.  

Whether you acknowledge it or not, you continuously plant seeds every minute of every day.  It can be a simple “thank you,” a kind gesture, or a word of encouragement sown so deeply it manifests for years to come.  Or, it could be a curse, an obscene gesture, or a snide remark, sown so rudely it manifests immediately, creating destruction and chaos as it travels far into someone's unforeseen future.  

All of life is a seed, even your words. The question is, when your seeds finally take root in the many people they were planted in, what will we reap? Will it continue as sustenance, feeding others far across oceans, or will it spawn continuous and utter destruction?   L. 

Study Reference: Genesis 1:11-12, Proverbs 18-20-21
From: "Seeds." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“Fear thou not; for I Am with thee: be not dismayed; for I Am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”                           Isaiah 41:10

 
Although we are the first to encourage others, occasionally, even Christians wonder if God listens to our petitions.  This is something we do not like to admit to non-Christians, and sometimes not even to other Christians, yet it is true.  We don’t really want anyone to know that God may or may not be speaking with us; or even worse, we may or may not be listening to God.   It is not because our love is in question; it has more to do with our human frailty—our inquisitive nature.  The inquisitive nature that got us into trouble in the first place; those imposing, nagging questions that were created by sin to disrupt our armor of faith. 

We question our certainty that God will come through for us; we wonder whether He will come through in time, and we consume time querying what the outcome will be.  Because of our human frailty, we forget that in God’s economy, the outcome is simply a by-product of the process, even though the process is the part most of us would prefer to skip. 

In this era of our “faster is better” culture, it is difficult to wait for anything.  Yet the slowness of the process is precisely the part that builds our fortitude—it molds and strengthens our character closer to the character of Jesus.  The same goes for your individual circumstance.  Your circumstance is part of the journey, and the journey is part of the process. 

Wherever you are in your journey with God, embrace the process.  Do not bother to try to rush through it; you will only get out of it after you have learned the necessary lesson or lessons to move on.  Learn to strengthen your armor of faith so like the many characters in the Bible, you get through the process armed with the lessons you have learned for the next leg of the journey. Remember, Jesus has not left you; He is simply leading the way and waiting for you.   L.  

Study Reference: Isaiah 41:10 
From: "Embracing The Process." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted.”                                  Hebrews 2:16-18

 
At some level we are both teachers and students simultaneously.  All pain, trials, tribulations, and triumphs are so that you can learn from the experience and teach others through your experience.  

There are some of us who must learn through the experience of fire, and those of us who learn through the experience of understanding. For example, we offer the same caveat to two children, "Don't put your hand over the flame, it will burn you!"  The first child assesses the fire, understanding that the flame usually heats, chars, or completely burns food. He considers the warning, and understands that his hand will also burn.  On the other hand, the second child also assesses the flame, but thinks he can outwit the flame by moving his hand quickly. So, he tests the flame to see how long it will take for his hand to burn.  One child understands through the experience of the teacher, the other has to learn by his own unique experience. Which one are you?  

It took me a long time to realize that we need both types of people. One to reiterate the pain of the experience, and one to understand through empathy so the action will not be repeated.  Showing the scars of charred skin is a much more powerful deterrent than simply saying, "Don't touch the fire, it will burn you!"  Jesus Christ took on both the experience and the empathy so that He could understand the plight and temptation of mankind when He spent 40 days and nights under the temptation of Satan. 

So, if your life prior to becoming a Christian is somewhat violent, extreme, painful, checkered, etc., and you are afraid to tell others of your life experience prior to becoming a Christian, think about this.  Will your unique experience help someone who may be in, have been in, or is on the verge of repeating a similar experience to your own, make the necessary detour to come to Christ?  If so, start by telling them your story… L.

Study Reference: Hebrews 2:9-18  
From: "Experience vs. Empathy." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell

“...And He said, Go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord.  And, behold the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind rent the mountain, and brake into pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire, a still small Voice.  And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entering of the cave, and behold there came a Voice unto him…”                                                                                                                                                                                           1 Kings 19:11-13

 

There are times when hearing God's voice is more difficult than others; yet, I believe every human being is capable of hearing very specific directions from God, whether we choose to listen is another story.  Some people consider God the voice of reason or conscience; I do not, reason and conscience is our own. Depending on how you were raised and the type of ideals instilled during your formative years, there will be decisions you make in life that you consider lofty, and some, by your own standards, you will consider low.  

The Voice I am referring to, is the one that says, for example, "Move the car to the right lane now!"  Somehow you reiterate the same command out loud, although, no one else is in the car with you. And, lo and behold, right after you obey the Voice, a metal object large enough to have taken your life, falls off the truck that was in front of you, in the lane you just came from. —That's the Voice I am referring to.  If you grew up with your parents, or those you consider parents, their voice will stand out in your head.  In many instances you can hear their voice in your sleep, and can easily imitate them for fun. You can be in a crowd of thousands, yet somehow you can easily make the distinction between their voice and every other voice in the crowd.  Animals also have this trait.  They can easily differentiate between their master’s voice and that of a twin.  

The problem with hearing The Voice is that, we keep so many other voices in our heads simultaneously, it becomes difficult to distinguish which one is God, which one is culture, and which one is ours.  When I refer to culture, I am referring to the radio, friends, family, media, music, advertisements, and yes, even daily devotions like this one. We adhere to so many voices, that often, we do not give ourselves time to notice and note the distinction between God’s voice and everything else.  

Truth be told, God’s voice has a way of working through the clutter. We know this is true because He gets through to us in spite of ourselves. But, wouldn't it be great if we actually took the time to quiet the clutter? —To simply release our minds into His care, so that He wouldn't have to scream just to get our attention?   L.  

Study Reference:  Kings 19:11-14   
From: "Hearing His Voice." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.  
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell