I’m Dr. Matthew Lee Smith and I want to share some Hope For Today to encourage you to please God and Step Out By Faith!
Hope For Today is a part of the ministry of Eagles In Leadership. If you would like to know more about the hope God gives and His abundant life through Jesus Christ, I would invite you to check out our website: EaglesInLeadership.org.
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“Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”
(Genesis 12:6–7, ESV)
So he built there an altar to the Lord. So often in life, we struggle between the promise and the possession. Someone tells us they will do something but we doubt. We know they are good to their word but they have made a bigger promise. Will they follow through? Will they do what they said they would? Doubt drills deep into our faith with people and with God.
Abram had made the long journey with all that he had. He had toured the land and enjoyed what he saw. Then, that night at camp, God promised him that the land he was standing on was his. His descendants would enjoy a heritage that God had promised Abram way back in Haran. Here he was. Where God promised. What was unseen then was real estate now. Promise became possession.
The writer of Hebrews in the New Testament tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, ESV) What is interesting is that the word translated “conviction” here can also be used to describe “real estate.”
God wants us to stand on His promises as if they are a done deal. In other words, His promises are our possession. Faith is so sure that God will deliver what He promises that believing God is like standing on our possession before we’ve ever left to pursue it.
To celebrate God’s gift, Abram worshiped. He chose to stop looking and start honoring the God who had called him and blessed his entire journey with safety and direction. Abram dropped all that he had in worship once again before the feet of the One who alone owns it all and gifts it to whomever He chooses. There, in Canaan, Abram rolled all his praise upon the Lord God Almighty who knows the beginning from the end and who alone is worthy of our praise.
Today, stop, drop, and roll whether you are at the promise or headed toward the possession!
Faith Filled Fridays hopes to boost your trust in God and accelerate your daring and courage in everyday life. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, writes each encouragement out of a heart that has known both great joy and great loss – his wife of 38 years, 5 months and 2 days was promoted to Heaven on November 11, 2017. Through every experience, God has proven Himself more than faithful and trustworthy. He welcomes your comments below.
“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.”
(John 1:16, NASB95)
Grace upon grace. We all make mistakes. We all have bad days. We all get grumpy. So why is it that we are so intolerant of others when they do these very same things? Why are we judgmental, critical, and short with them? Have you noticed how many people are “cutting people out of their lives” these days?
Why do we think it is acceptable to do so? From where do such thoughts flow? Of course, they flow from within us, from our hearts. As Jesus told us, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (Luke 6:45, NASB95, emphasis added)
But Jesus calls us to a different place, and He fills us a different fuel: Grace. Grace gives others what they don’t deserve. Included in that list of “gifts” are the attitudes and actions of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23, NASB95)
These all flow from a close relationship with Jesus. As John, the Gospel writer tells us, “For of His fullness we have all received.” Grace abounds in the heart of the true disciple of Jesus. They drink it up like a thirsty runner on a hot day! And, like that athlete, what goes in comes out! As we take in the abundance of Jesus’ grace, we find ourselves naturally sharing that grace with others.
Grace grows hearts. Grace heals wounds. Grace restores friendships. Grace overcomes obstacles. Grace is amazing! It has done so much for you. It can do so much for those you disciple. It changes the directions of lives. Grace turns hearts from destruction. When it invades, it brings hope and help in times of urgent need. Grace abounds and multiplies. Grace brings change. Grace brings life.
Think about the many things Jesus has done for you that you don’t deserve. Those “gifts” are meant to be shared. Pour grace all over those you disciple and watch what God grows in the hearts and lives of the ones He died for!
Train Them Thursdays seeks to wed the Great Commission directive of Jesus with the practice He employed while on Earth. Each nugget is meant to encourage the reader with a “can-do” spirit to realize that discipleship is something each person is both capable of and empowered to accomplish. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, writes each thought and they flow out of decades of his tried and true field-testing in multiple settings from rural to inner city. He welcomes your comments below.
“But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John … And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.” (Luke 1:13, 17, HCSB)
Your prayer has been heard. Have you ever called someone only to hear that the number is no longer in service? Frustrating isn’t it? Like most of us, you may even call the number back sure that it was a mistake. Then, the same recording plays in your ear. Ugh!
So often in life we call to God in prayer to the point that we think God’s side must no longer be in service. Since we can hear our words, how can God be missing them? When is God going to answer? Is God going to answer us?
God answers our prayers in His time. God is working on a bigger scale, with more information, for a lot of different causes and reasons. Trust is built in those dark hours of silence. Zechariah’s account shows us that God is listening and, at the prescribed time when it best suits the plan of God, He will explode on the scene.
And, notice the plan of God for Zechariah and his wife was the answer to their prayers … many of their prayers in fact combined in one. When their new son came, they would also have the forerunner to the Great Liberator, Jesus the King of the Jews! That was one HUGE answer to prayer!
If God has delayed your answer, it probably means He has a huge reason for doing so. If your prayers are abundant and your burden is great, then God is working behind the scenes to make things happen. Part of being a willing worker for Jesus is trusting His timing and serving Him until He’s ready for our part in the plan.
Maybe today is a good time to stop, drop and roll. Stop complaining. Drop to our knees in renewed trust. And roll our entire burden onto His shoulders one more time.
God is working. We need to trust His timing. His answer is coming!
Willing Worker Wednesdays are dedicated to explaining the core realties of servant leadership – the Biblical principles and methods used by God’s faithful people throughout time. They further reflect the lifestyle of Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords as He walked on this earth announcing the Kingdom of God had arrived. These brief lessons are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his extensive ministry within the local church, in higher education, in church consulting and as a Biblical author and leader. He welcomes your comments below.
“Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”” (Genesis 4:8–9, CSB)
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” When our children respond with the, “I don’t know” line, we as parents always get frustrated. You know who’s responsible. They know who’s responsible. It’s just a matter of pride. And, by any measure, pride is ugly turning us into obstinate and mean people.
Cain’s main problem was pride. He simply wasn’t teachable. His arrogance got into the driver’s seat and plunged him off the cliff of life. Many of us would agree that we know how that feels. All too often, we have allowed pride to take us places we never wanted to go.
Once backed into a corner, we struggle to figure out how to extricate ourselves without swallowing our pride. But the fact is until we choose to admit our failure, we will always be trapped. When we are trapped, we often lie and then try to distract others, and even God, from the reality of our sin.
Cain’s choice of telling God that he wasn’t his brother’s guardian shows how ridiculous we can become when we won’t own up to our faults and failures. Choosing to remain blind to our condition, to our actions, to our consequences reveals the lengths we will go to divert all responsibility from ourselves and seek to exonerate ourselves of all wrong-doing. But, it never works.
Embracing our mistakes and owning them, both to ourselves and to God, is essential if we are going to turn our trials and troubles around. After all, the only place where we can find forgiveness and experience the removal of guilt is from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today, if you have painted yourself into a corner, I urge you to stop painting! Fall to your knees and ask God for His gracious forgiveness. Then, accept the consequences of your choices. It is at this point that asking for God’s mercy to diminish the horrible effects of our failures is appropriate. God loves His children and responds to those who are honest, humble, and willing to be transparent.
Turn-Around Tuesdays are designed to bring hope and help, insight and encouragement to those of us who are simply overwhelmed by the flood of problems life throws at us. No one is immune to trials and troubles, but God has a way of lifting us from life’s torrents. Each short thought is written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and comes from his life-journey with the God who never leaves us or forsakes us. He welcomes your comments below.
“This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24, CSB)
They become one flesh. Unity is essential to magnificent marriages. Division leads to disaster. Only when a couple enjoys each other, grows together, chooses to close the door to outside influence – especially to one’s parents, and discovers their own rhythm to making choices and solving problems will they prosper.
Unfortunately, many choose to ignore the wisdom of God in this verse. God knew that the first step to a magnificent marriage is for the husband to cut the emotional, financial, psychological, and relational umbilical cord to mom and dad. (It assumes the wife also does.)
This doesn’t mean that you, as the husband – or wife for that matter, can no longer talk to or be in contact with your parents. What it does mean is that they are a resource to be consulted after you and your wife have exhausted all the ideas and options you can think of. Looking to our wives is essential to making life work and to experience the joy that God’s wisdom affords us.
Incredible marriages are built on a second reality. God calls the couple to come together often and regularly for “bonding.” Of course, this is the sexual union. In God’s design, sex is the physical culmination and expression of the heart of love the husband has been showing to his wife all throughout the day. Love is always sacrificial, putting the other ahead of ones’ self.
Lots of conversation, lots of cooperation, lots of understanding, lots of listening, lots of selflessnesses make a magnificent marriage that is filled with enjoyment of one another selflessly.
When a man chooses to defer to his wife’s needs, when he sacrifices his own desires for hers, when the husband imitates the model of Jesus in giving himself away for her, the natural response is to be drawn to one another physically.
Today is a good day, as the husband, to stop and take inventory. Have you made your wife your primary advisor and counselor? And, do you sacrifice yourself for her like Jesus did for all of us?
Magnificent Marriage Mondays are helpful hints, clues, ideas, and solutions for the child of God who is looking for a spouse, in a relationship with someone, or are already married. Each post seeks to bring help, hope, and honesty to your life and make the rest of your life, the best of your life. They are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his 38 years, 5 months and 2 days experience with his wife, Melodee, who was promoted to Heaven on November 11, 2017. He is currently seeking God’s will for his new life partner. He welcomes your comments below.
I’m Dr. Matthew Lee Smith and I want to share some Hope For Today to report that God is able! No matter our situation, no matter our circumstances, God is able!
Hope For Today is a part of the ministry of Eagles In Leadership. If you would like to know more about the hope God gives and His abundant life through Jesus Christ, I would invite you to check out our website: EaglesInLeadership.org.
Just push the media button below to hear this encouraging message!
“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.” (Genesis 12:1–4, ESV)
So Abram went … Abram was seventy-five years. Excuses are simply lies we tell ourselves. We hear them every day. We tell them more often than we like to admit. We use them to excuse ourselves from something that would make us uncomfortable or take too much out of us. While we may want the benefits, we have to admit that we don’t want to pay the price. But, to be honest, excuses cripple us. They shorten the zest in life and short-circuit the blessings life has to offer.
Abram had lots of reasons to make excuses when God called him to leave all he had and leave all he knew to accomplish only God knew what in a place only God knew where. He was established in Haran. He was older and traveling would have been a burden to him. He had a wife and was caring for his nephew. If anyone had reasons not to go it was Abram.
However, we learn again and again in the Bible that faith chooses what God commands. Abram simply accepted what God told Him to do. As we have said, God promised to bless Abram mightily for his obedience. And this is the great motivator. When we obey God He blesses us. Abram knew that with the mission came the resources of Almighty God to accomplish it.
What excuses are you holding on to today? What has God called you to do that you have yet to step out on? Abram wouldn’t receive the blessings promised him until he left all that he knew to do all that God called him to. The blessing is found once we go in obedience.
In the quietness of your heart right now, isn’t it time to exercise faith? Shouldn’t you start making plans to go, to do, what God has called you to, even if it was a while ago? Blessings follow obedience.
Faith Filled Fridays hopes to boost your trust in God and accelerate your daring and courage in everyday life. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, writes each encouragement out of a heart that has known both great joy and great loss – his wife of 38 years, 5 months and 2 days was promoted to Heaven on November 11, 2017. Through every experience, God has proven Himself more than faithful and trustworthy. He welcomes your comments below.
“John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ ”” (John 1:15, NASB95)
He … has a higher rank than I. Self-importance. It is such a malevolent character trait, don’t you think? Well, many can think about it this way, because they are so self-important the very idea of not thinking of themselves is foreign to their minds.
How and what we think about ourselves says a lot about our view of God and our effectiveness in working for Him. Choosing which “Son” our lives revolve around makes all the difference in our world. If we choose to orbit ourselves, we choose the child of our parents as the Center of Our Universe. That means that we find ourselves more important than everyone and everything around us.
However, for the true disciple of Jesus, as John the Baptizer shows us here, rank is of little importance. We follow Jesus. He is more important than anything or anyone, especially and including ourselves. Putting His will and whim ahead of ours is what makes us effective because we are never in our own way, never seeking our way when someone for whom He died is in need.
Since we know that Jesus is God, we know that we are not. Having a proper perspective of ourselves makes discipling others so much less complicated. We understand our mission is to pour our lives into them. We choose daily – sometimes hourly – to do what is best for the other person and not for us.
This is the testimony of those who truly live for Jesus. They choose to set themselves down and raise others up. They follow Jesus’ example (Philippians 2:5-8) and make themselves of no reputation, taking on the form of a slave. This is Biblical humility. This is discipleship. This is the pathway to effectiveness. This is Jesus.
As you evaluate your current situation, ask these questions: What or who holds the center of my life? What does my life truly orbit? How do I know that answer is true? For whom am I living? How do I demonstrate that? What am I doing that reveals I follow Jesus? What should I consider that would more reflect my discipleship to Jesus?
Train Them Thursdays seeks to wed the Great Commission directive of Jesus with the practice He employed while on Earth. Each nugget is meant to encourage the reader with a “can-do” spirit to realize that discipleship is something each person is both capable of and empowered to accomplish. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, writes each thought and they flow out of decades of his tried and true field-testing in multiple settings from rural to inner city. He welcomes your comments below.
“When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome with fear.” (Luke 1:8–12, HCSB)
He was serving as priest before God. Since you are reading this I am going to assume your desire is to be used by God. Have you ever wondered what would happen to you if God showed up and showed off to call you to duty? What would that look like? How would we respond? What would we say or do?
Zechariah had that very thing happen to him! He was praying, pleading to God for a son. Asking God for the return of Israel to its former glory. Asking God to kick the Roman occupying force out of his beloved country. And, like every other day, he waited on God and went on with his life … just like we do.
And then, as he was going about his responsibilities, serving God in his own way, God barged in. He literally arranged Zechariah’s life so He could have a private interview and then dropped the new assignment on him.
Perhaps you are struggling right now with a big burden. You pray. You fast. You wait. And wait. And wait. You are still waiting and the burden hasn’t gone away yet. How long will it take? When will God arrive? How will I know?
Trust me when I say, God hasn’t forgotten you. God hears your every cry. HE knows what you are going through. And, in His time, when all is ready, He will explode on your scene with such clarity that you will not have a doubt of what God wants you to do and where God wants you to go.
But until then, allow God to be God. Allow Him to arrange the pieces of your life in such a manner than when – and I mean WHEN – He is ready to launch you, you are ready to be launched. Serve God. Pray. Trust. Do what’s right. And wait, expectantly. He’s at work!
Willing Worker Wednesdays are dedicated to explaining the core realties of servant leadership – the Biblical principles and methods used by God’s faithful people throughout time. They further reflect the lifestyle of Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords as He walked on this earth announcing the Kingdom of God had arrived. These brief lessons are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his extensive ministry within the local church, in higher education, in church consulting and as a Biblical author and leader. He welcomes your comments below.
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Hope Enabler is the real-life story of one Christian parent’s struggle with a runaway child and the hope that God enabled her to have during the darkest moments of that struggle.
