Focus

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. —Matthew 6:33

Our minds are incredible.

Every day your mind makes thousands of decisions, and helps you sort out solutions to everyday issues.

But there are some issues that aren’t so easily solved—many of the things we deal with are out of our control. What happens then?

We worry.

We all know the feeling of fixating on something that is out of our control. The “What ifs” of life. “What if we run out of money?” “What if the supply chain collapses?” “What if we move into a recession?” “What if my cancer screening comes back positive?”

“What if?”

The possibilities for worry are endless. In fact, worry will wear you down and wear you out. You weren’t created to be in control of it all.

Researchers tells us that about 80% of the things we worry about never happen.

Researchers tells us that about 80% of the things we worry about never happen. That is a lot of worry. And when we do worry, it’s usually over things like our finances, our food, our future and our stuff.

Jesus didn’t deny these were necessary, but he assured his followers that these are not worth obsessing over. He re-directed his disciples’ focus on worry to the source of life; to focus on our Heavenly Father’s priorities.

Rather than focusing on today’s personal or political drama, seek His Kingdom. Rather than trying to figure out all of the “What ifs” of life, follow Christ.

You weren’t created to worry; but you were created to worship. Focus on worship.

You weren’t created to worry; but you were created to worship.

So today, take this opportunity to worship. You were made for it.

Seek God’s priorities. Let go of every unsolvable distraction and focus on Christ. He is your solution. Place all of your “What ifs” in his hands.

It is in his presence that our deepest desires are satisfied and our needs are fulfilled.

Today, let go of your worry and seek him first.

---

Image by Hong Manh from Pixabay

Beautiful

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
—Ecclesiastes 3:11

One of the things I love about living in the Pacific Northwest is the beauty. Mountains, ocean, Puget Sound, rainforest, desert. All these stand in silent witness of God’s creative genius.

While these places whisper to us of God’s greatness, they only take us part way to understanding the bigger picture: that the God who created the Cascades has set eternity in our heart…the sense that there is more to life than what I see and touch.

You were made for eternity. And the beauty you see around you is only a taste of what is to come.

No wonder we worship.

---

Image by Roger Mosley from Pixabay

#yourdailyencouragement

Be Strong—Be Bold!

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. —Joshua 1:9

Israel was at a crossroad. They had left Egypt years previous, and were on their way to possess the Promised Land that God had given to Abraham.

Their leader, Moses, has died and a new leader has been chosen: Joshua. This name means Yahweh Saves. He would lead God’s people into the Land of Promise.

However, God knows that this would not be a time for timidity. This would require courage on the part of leadership.

So, God gives Joshua the following instructions:

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.“

Leadership in a time of transition will require extra courage. “Be strong and courageous.” Then, for emphasis, the LORD repeats himself:

“Be strong and very courageous.”

God knows that it will take an extra measure of courage to complete this mission. Then he gives Joshua a map to victory:

“Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

Study this Book of Instruction continually. God tells Joshua that, to lead well, he must know what God has revealed to them. That Joshua should consider, then thoughtfully follow through. In fact, he says to meditate on it day and night.

Day and night.

Day and night. Why? So that you may follow through to do all that is written in it. Notice what He says next: Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Their success hinges on it.

Then God finishes by repeating the need for courage—again:

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:6–9

I love this: He tells Joshua that, although it will be a time for extraordinary courage, the reason he can have confidence is this: Because the LORD your God will be with you—wherever you go.

Wherever you go.

And it’s not by mistake, that the leader’s name is Joshua. The name Jesus in Hebrew is Joshua (the LORD’s Salvation). Jesus is the Chosen One who will ultimately lead His people into his Kingdom—the Kingdom of God—the Ultimate Land of Promise.

Now you may be thinking to yourself, “God hasn’t called me to lead a nation.” Yeah. Me neither.

But never forget, whatever He has called you to, you can be confident in this: The LORD your God will be with you—wherever you go. So don’t be afraid. Move forward with confidence.

That is his promise. Be strong. Be courageous. Wherever you go He is with you.

---

Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay

It’s A New Day

Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. —Isaiah 43:18–19

Ever lain in bed, rolling an unresolved issue over and over in your mind, only to have it dominate your thoughts when you wake up?

I know I have.

When you allow past mistakes, unfulfilled expectations, embarrassing situations, people who have slighted you—even regrets of what could have been—to dominate your thoughts, you miss what God is doing in the present.

Dwelling on the past is like dragging yesterday’s baggage into today. And if you continue to gather those worries, over time they compound. No wonder they are overwhelming!

But remember: Today is a new day.

Today, let go of the past.

Relax your shoulders.

Take a deep breath.

Actively release every misgiving, every grievance, every embarrassing slight that has wrapped itself around your heart, holding you captive.

Let it all go. Instead of allowing these thoughts or obsessions to ruin your day and inform your future, now—today—make your Heavenly Father your one glorious obsession. Make him your focus.

When life spins out of control, know that he is in control. Trust that he has your future in his hands. Then watch him make a way where there is no way. Watch him supply refreshment even in the wilderness and wastelands. That is his promise to you.

Remember: you can’t receive new encouragement when your hands are full of old baggage.

Let it go.

It’s a new day.

---

Image by jplenio from Pixabay

Have You Met Shorty?

I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. —Philippians 4:13

If you haven’t checked it out yet, a must read is the New Testament Book of Acts. It tells us, in a first-hand account, what motivated Jesus’ disciples to take Jesus’ message to the world.

As you read through it you will meet a fascinating guy named Paul. His was born “Saul,” but he took the nickname “Paul,” which basically means “Shorty.”

Saul hated Christians. He did everything he could to destroy what Jesus’ followers did—even overseeing their execution.

But one day, something unexpected happened to Saul. While he was on another of his persecution missions of Jesus’ followers, he met Jesus. Literally.

I’ll let you read Paul’s story, but it changed his life.

What happened next is unexplainable, apart from the life-changing power of Christ. He went from destroying Christians to encouraging them and planting these small communities of faith all over the Roman empire.

But the persecutor became the persecuted by the very people he used to work for. Not only did he experience violent opposition from his own people but, because Christianity had became illegal in the Roman empire, he encountered opposition from the government as well.

I’ll let you read his story in the book of Acts but, just to give you a flavor of what he experienced: he was imprisoned numerous times, whipped by the religious leaders 5 different times, beaten with rods 3 times, stoned (with rocks!) and left for dead, shipwrecked 3 times—and one of those times he spent a night and a day treading water in the open Mediterranean sea. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

All of this because he followed Christ.

But here is what I love about Shorty: He kept moving forward. He kept moving ahead. He had an inexhaustible source of encouragement.

What kept him moving forward? Here is what he wrote to one of these young, fledgling communities in the city of Philippi. He said:

I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. —Philippians 4:11–13

This source of his strength is Jesus himself.

And this was his encouragement to followers of Christ. Don’t stop. Keep moving forward for the gospel. This is unstoppable.

You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

---

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Ever Golfed?

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! —2 Corinthians 5:17

Ever golfed? Golf is the most enjoyable/frustrating game I’ve ever played. It’s like a long walk with friends, mixed with 18 little puzzles (how to get that ball in the hole) along the way.

My friend Dave Stewart introduced me to golf and, after I had been playing about a year, one day every shot from the tee was straight and long.

“Whoo-hoo!” I thought. “I’ve done it! I’ve cracked the code! I’ve learned how to drive from the tee box!”

Until the next time out. I couldn’t straighten out a single drive.

But there is a word I’ve come to love in golf. “Mulligan.”

A mulligan is a permission to take another stroke after a bad one (especially when you’re trying to drive from the tee) without counting the previous stroke against your score. It’s a free stroke.

Your friend looks at your shot and says, “No worries. Tee it up and take another shot.” That is grace.

Life is a lot like golf. And, if you’re like me, you’re looking for mulligans along the way.

This is what I love about Christ. When you begin following him, he gives us a new start. A clean slate. A fresh beginning.

Not only does he not count your bad strokes against you, but he also gives you a new identity and a fresh new purpose. That is grace.

In fact, he declares that the strokes that sent your life into the rough, or into the weeds—or worse, into the water trap—no longer count against you. Everything is new.

So, today, start fresh. Let go of past memories and tee it up again.

It’s a new day. You are a new person. Surround yourself with friends who look at you with the eyes of grace and say, “No worries. Tee it up and take another shot.” This is a whole new game.

The new life has begun.

---

Image by Stefan Waldvogel Stefan Waldvogel from Pixabay

Christmas in July?

For the LORD your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. —Zephaniah 3:17

It is mid-July and summer has arrived in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. But today, my mind is on Christmas.

Maybe it is because one of my favorite reminders at Christmas is “Immanuel: God with us.” Jesus’ arrival into our world.

Wherever we go, or whatever we do, God is with us. He lives among us.

Immanuel.

Not only is he with us, but it means that he is with us to deal with every difficulty we encounter—He is a mighty savior. And what is this mighty savior like?

He delights in his children.
In his embrace, he calms every fear.
Like a good father, he rejoices over his children with joyful songs.

Wow. Amazing grace. Overwhelming love.

You are not alone. Today you have access to the One who knows every possible scenario you will ever encounter, and walks with you through them. He has graciously given you this life and he holds the keys to open every door into the next.

Now is a good time to celebrate the reality of his presence. Why not start today by thanking him for his grace. God is with us. Receive the gift of Immanuel.

Even in July.

---

Love this song For God Is With Us, by For King and Country

Image by Jan Vašek from Pixabay

Vampires and Werewolves

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
   so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
   so why should I tremble? Psalm 27:1

When I was about 9 years old, Dad asked me to get something from our family car, which was parked outside our home. It was only about 40 feet from the front door. But there was just one problem…

It was dark outside.

I looked out the window and thought, “What could possibly go wrong?” A couple of things came to mind: Vampires and werewolves. “You never know when one might appear,” I thought.

Thanks, Lon Chaney.

Now that I’m older, I go outside at night without a thought. But still there are moments in my life when fear rears its ugly head. Usually it is around family or the future.

But here is what God’s Word declares:

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble? —Psalm 27:1

When we experience fear, he promises to be

Our Light.

Our Help.

Our Fortress.

Our Protection.

And the good news is that he is already here—even in dark seasons. So why should I be afraid? Why should I tremble?

When we acknowledge God’s presence, the need to fear or tremble is gone. He takes our fear and replaces it with his palpable peace.

Let go of the fear and walk into the light.

---

Image by Robert Karkowski from Pixabay

40 Year Anniversary!

It is hard to believe, but we are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary today, July 9! Just a quick shout out to my beautiful wife who has blessed me with 3 children, 4 grandchildren and 40 years together. You are my joy.

Here is to 40 more!

Love you Erin Herried!

Seattle skyline: View from our anniversary dinner table, celebrating 40 years

I Can Talk To God About Anything?

O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
   Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
   You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
   I would never come to the end of them. —Psalm 40:5

Where do you go for encouragement? My favorite go to is the book of Psalms.

Where else will you find a resource that has brought hope, inspiration and encouragement to generation after generation for thousands of years?

And what is at the heart of this book? One word: Worship.

Worship.

But don’t come to the Psalms merely looking for a nice thought for the day. There is way too much honesty here.

But don’t come to the Psalms merely looking for a nice thought for the day. There is way too much honesty here. The writers of this book pour out emotions from the raw experiences of life. This book cries out with questions like, “God, why do the evil prosper?”, to songs of gratitude for all of God’s goodness to us.

And what is so refreshing to discover is this: God loves to hear it all. Nothing is off limits when we pour out our hearts to him. Complaints, thanks, confusion, applause, frustration, joy, it’s all there.

And the reason this is so good is we see that He listens to it all—nothing is off-limits. He’s not too sensitive to hear what’s in our heart—in fact, he already knows.

And if no one else is willing to listen, He is.

And He does.

So, pour out your heart. Pour out your confusion. Pour out your thanks. Pour out your confession. Tell Him what’s on your heart—yes, he already knows, but he loves to talk with you. He loves hearing from his children and he loves imparting His wisdom, His grace and His comfort to you—especially in a world that focuses mainly on brokenness.

Come to Him. Give Him all that is in your heart. Allow Him to take the burden you carry and replace it with his peace. That is what He does.

---

Image by Jackson David from Pixabay