“Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” Psalm 43:3-4 (ESV) Have you ever used a GPS? The Global Positioning System specifically identifies your location and assists you to your desired destination. It is like having your own car concierge. If you make an improper turn, the GPS recalibrates to get you back onto the proper path. The light of God’s Word will lead you onto the path God has for you. To know God’s will, you must know God’s Word. God has revealed His plan in His Word. As you read and feed on God’s Word, you will be led into God’s presence and you will know His exceeding joy as you praise Him. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” Psalm 43:5 (ESV) As you travel down the lanes of living in a fallen world, you can easily get distracted and lose your focus. Your soul will go through seasons of being downcast and you will experience seasons of inner turmoil. Let God speak to you. Open your heart to His directive and obey His promptings. God will always point you back to His will and to His way. Hope in God. Place your total confidence in the completed work of Jesus on the cross. Anchor your faith to the Rock of your salvation and praise God for His faithfulness. Express the exceeding joy of the Lord which is your strength! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Author: Stephen Trammell
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Orchestrated by God
“Adam, Seth, Enosh; Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” 1 Chronicles 1:1-4 (ESV) People matter to God. As you read chapter one and chapter two of 1 Chronicles, you read a list of names. Some of them may be familiar to you while some of the names may seem foreign. The chronicler detailed the Davidic dynasty in Judah and traced the genealogies to demonstrate how David and Judah were chosen by God. Only one of Noah’s three sons, Shem, would be the one through whom the redemptive blessing would come. God’s story of redemption is filled with people. God uses all kinds of people to accomplish His purposes and His plans. Nothing can thwart God’s will. Remember, that life is not about your story that you invite God into. Life is about God’s story that He invites you into. Will you allow God to have His way in your life? What names do you have on your list? If you were to write down the name of every person God has used in your life to point you to Christ, to encourage you in the faith, or to model Christ before you, how many names would be on your list? God strategically places people in your life to help you become the fully devoted follower of Christ you were created to become. Throughout your journey, God sprinkles relationships along the path to draw you closer to Christ and to sensitize you to His abiding presence. Don’t rush past the people God places in your life. Slow down and enjoy the abundance of God’s blessings. Just as people matter to God, you matter to God! Allow God to use you to be an irresistible influence for His glory. You are on His list! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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My Rock and My Redeemer
“I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.” Psalm 6:6-7 (ESV) David was well acquainted with victory, despair, and grief. He had known the favor of God and the wrath of Saul. David combated his enemies while seeking to remain true to the Lord his God. Through seasons of adversity, he became weary with his moaning and flooded his bed with tears. Grief overwhelmed him as he drenched his couch with his weeping. He grew weak because of his foes. In the midst of his abiding pain, David revealed the solidarity of his faith in the Lord. “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 (ESV) “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Latch onto the Lord who will be a stronghold in times of trouble. Place your total confidence and trust in the Lord for He will not forsake those who seek Him. In God’s presence, you will receive fullness of joy. God will make known unto you the path of life. Outside of Him, you will not find life. God places pleasures at your right hand. Maintain integrity by practicing moment-by-moment surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Submit your tongue to the Lord and yield your heart to His prompting. May the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart be acceptable in His sight. The Lord is your rock and your redeemer. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.” 2 Samuel 2:4 (ESV) God’s will cannot be thwarted. God will accomplish His purposes and God will fulfill His plan. God’s timing is not always easy for us to understand with our human limitations. God is infinite and we are finite. There is a tremendous gap that our intellect cannot fill. God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. In His grace and mercy, God chooses to use us in His master plan. From a human perspective, David seemed to be the least likely candidate to be anointed as king. In fact, his father Jesse did not even include him in the lineup when Samuel showed up. After Samuel examined the sons of Jesse, he inquired if Jesse had anymore. Jesse revealed to Samuel that he had his youngest son out in the field tending sheep. “And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, ‘Arise, anoint him, for this is he.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.” 1 Samuel 16:12-13 (ESV) God affirmed His selection by telling Samuel to anoint David. Many years passed from that moment of affirmation to the moment when the men of Judah came to anoint David king over the house of Judah. David had experienced major battles, heartbreak, and mourning the death of King Saul and Jonathan. Now it was time for David to reign as king. Wait for God’s timing. His timing is impeccable. God is working all things together for your good and His glory. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV) Where do you look for help? Where do you turn when life takes a turn for the worse? Lift up your eyes to the hills. Your help comes from the Lord. He made you. He made heaven. He made earth. The Creator of the universe created you and He knows you better than anyone else on the planet. God knows where you have been, where you are, and where you are going. He knows your fears, your frustrations, and your frailty. Lift up your eyes and call out to the One who loves you, who gave His only Son for you, and who has included you in His story of redemption. “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:8 (ESV) “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!” Psalm 130:1-2 (ESV) Cry out to the Lord for mercy in your time of need. Don’t suppress your pain. Express your heart to the Lord through prayer and receive nourishment for your soul. Your help comes from the Healer. Your help comes from the Maker of heaven and earth. Your help comes from the Creator who designed you and develops you for His glory. God allows you to experience adversity in this life to build your spiritual muscles and to demonstrate His faithfulness to you. When you are in need of help, your desperation becomes a canvas upon which God can apply His paint of mercy and grace. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, ‘Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.’ But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.” 1 Samuel 31:4-6 (ESV) David successfully eluded Saul’s constant threats and consistent attempts to eliminate him. Saul had hurled his javelin at David while David played the lyre to sooth the king. Saul marshaled his army to pursue David on several occasions. In the midst of it all, David faithfully submitted to the Lord’s sovereignty, feared God, and honored the office of the king. David entrusted vengeance to the Lord. “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, who delivered me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you rescued me from the man of violence.” Psalm 18:46-48 (ESV) Let God be God in your life and in the midst of your circumstances. Trust God to handle the people He has created and to help you overcome trying circumstances. God will see you through. You can anchor your faith to the Rock of Ages. You can rest in the abundant provision of the God of your salvation. God will lavish you with His love and dispense His grace to match your need. Keep walking with God and trust Him to illuminate the path He wants you to take. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Earnestly Seeking God
“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (ESV) How passionate is your pursuit of God? Is He your preoccupation? Our passion can easily divert to other things or other people. We can slip into being passionate about activities that have no eternal value. We can channel our passion in areas that diffuse our focus and keep us from keeping the main thing the main thing. David demonstrated a vibrant walk with God. He would earnestly seek God and thirst for Him as in a dry and weary land. In his love relationship with God, David embodied a hunger and thirst for God that compelled him to pursue God daily and passionately. “I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.” Psalm 17:6 (ESV) “Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, ‘Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!’ Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.” Psalm 35:27-38 (ESV) If someone were to shadow you for seven days, what would they say about your passion? Would that person be able to detect your passion for the things of God? Would that person detect your devotion to the Lord and be inspired by your daily walk with the Lord? Take some time to conduct a spiritual inventory of your life. Trace your walk with God and determine your level of intensity and try to measure your passion. Earnestly seek God. Thirst for Him. He is your God! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“And David answered and said, ‘Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.‘” 1 Samuel 26:22-24 (ESV) David showed immense restraint a second time. He had the perfect opportunity to bring Saul’s evil pursuit to an end by killing Saul while he slept among his soldiers within the encampment. Saul’s spear was stuck in the ground at his head and could have easily been used by David to bring forth death. “And David said, ‘As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.’” 1 Samuel 26:10-11 (ESV) Instead of taking matters into his own hands, David entrusted Saul to God’s care. Instead of inflicting the just vengeance on his enemy, David allowed God to have His rightful place in executing justice in His own time. David showed tremendous restraint. If he were to interpret the circumstances before him, David would have quickly concluded that God had given Saul into his hands. David wisely looked beyond his immediate circumstances and viewed his opportunity through the grid of God’s sovereignty. What do you need to entrust to God’s sovereign care? Show restraint in your circumstances. Trust God! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Delivered Out of Affliction
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:18-19 (ESV) Being adopted into God’s family is the result of God’s gracious redemptive activity. He included you in His plan of redemption. Now that you are a child of God, you are considered an enemy to the devil and you stand in opposition to the devil’s mission. Just as Jesus had to combat the devil by quoting Scripture, you will have to be armed for battle. Claim God’s promise that He is near the brokenhearted. Doing life on a broken planet is filled with obstacles to overcome and adversity to advance through. The Lord is near you. You will never walk alone. Even when you are crushed in spirit, the Lord will save you. Suffering is a part of the landscape for those who love the Lord and choose to live for His glory. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21 (ESV) “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.” Psalm 52:8 (ESV) The Lord will deliver you out of your afflictions. Even if you let go of Him, Jesus will not let go of you. Follow in His steps and trust in the steadfast love of God. You are a child of the living God. You are like a green olive tree in the house of God. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. Trust the Lord with your present and your future. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” Psalm 56:8 (ESV) God created you for a divine purpose to fulfill. You are not here by accident; you are here by divine appointment. God designed you so that you can know Him personally and fulfill His plan intentionally. Fulfilling God’s agenda requires God’s enabling. You cannot continue His ministry in your own strength. In this life you will face difficulties and go through seasons of uncertainty. Fatigue, exhaustion, and feeling depleted are normal features of living in a fallen world. God intimately knows your inmost feelings and He keeps count of all your wanderings. He puts your tears in His bottle. He records every step you take and every decision you make. Nothing escapes God’s attention. “I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.” Psalm 140:12 (ESV) “With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.” Psalm 142:1-2 (ESV) Prayer enables you to express your heart to God. You have the sacred privilege of communicating with God through the grace-paved avenue of prayer. Acknowledge your dependency upon Him. The Lord executes justice for the needy and maintains the cause of the afflicted. You can cry out to the Lord in prayer. You can lift up your voice to plead for mercy. In prayer, you have the invitation to pour out your complaints before the Lord and to share your trouble before Him. God can handle your frustrations and He can bring calm to your troubled waters. Don’t run from the Lord! Run to the Lord and watch how His mercy comes running to you! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“And the men of David said to him, ‘Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.‘” 1 Samuel 24:4-6 (ESV) The timing could not have been any better. David and his men where hiding in the inner portion of a cave and Saul came into the entrance of that exact cave to relieve himself. King Saul was in a most vulnerable situation and David could have easily killed him. Instead, David chose to simply cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. David told his men that he would not dare put out his hand against the Lord’s anointed. After Saul left the cave unaware of David’s presence, David arose and went out of the cave to reveal himself to Saul and to feature the corner of the robe that he had cut off. Saul was deeply moved by David’s gracious act of mercy and reverence. “He said to David, ‘You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands.’” 1 Samuel 24:17-18 (ESV) What life lesson do you draw from this powerful encounter? Perhaps we should learn to entrust ourselves and our future to the Lord’s care. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, ‘If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.’ So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped.” 1 Samuel 19:11-12 (ESV) God gave David tremendous favor as he stood before Goliath with his sling and smooth stone and defeated the giant in front of the army of Israel. God’s favor was upon David as he went into battle and as he sought to soothe Saul by playing the lyre. Saul hurled a spear at David seeking to pin him to the wall, but David evaded him twice. David was now on the run in response to Saul’s evil pursuit and inflamed jealousy. David had married Saul’s daughter, Micah, and she found out that her dad was scheming to take David’s life. Wisely, she warned David and let him down through the window so that he could flee and escape Saul’s wrath. “But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.” Psalm 59:16-17 (ESV) In one of David’s darkest moments, he wrote this song to affirm his trust in God’s steadfast love. He acknowledged that God was his fortress and refuge. David sang praise to God and affirmed his dependency upon the Lord. How do you respond to unfair treatment? How do you respond to adversity? Rest in God’s steadfast love. Find refuge in the Lord and affirm Him as your fortress. In your weakness, He is strong! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Decipher the Voice
“Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the Lord.’” 1 Samuel 15:24-25 (ESV) In our culture we are bombarded with messages that appeal to our senses and seek our attention. Multifaceted voices come our way through technology, verbal interaction, written word, and our thoughts. Deciphering the messages can be a challenge at times. Learning to hear and respond to the voice of God is vital for us to live in victory and to live a life that brings honor to God. Saul was torn between the tug of trying to please God and trying to appease people. Someone was going to feel cheated. Someone was going to be let down. Instead of fearing God and revering God, Saul chose to slide into the trap of trying to please people. He feared the people and obeyed their voice at the expense of disobeying the voice of God. God clearly instructed Saul through Samuel, “go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey” (1 Samuel 15:3 ESV). In overt disobedience to God, Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, fattened calves, and lambs. Can you decipher the voice of God among all the voices that seek your attention? When you detect the voice of God you will be detecting the voice of Truth. It is not enough to hear God’s voice; you must be willing to obey God’s voice. Are you obeying what God has already said to you? Start there! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“And Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 14:35 (ESV) Saul had been preoccupied with his mission of mobilizing his army against the Philistines. His warriors were weary and faint since they had not been allowed to eat. In desperation, they killed animals and ate them with the blood. When Saul heard about their conduct, he summoned everyone to bring his ox or sheep to where he was and to slaughter the animals there. Saul reminded the people to not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood. At this time, Saul built an altar to the Lord. “And Saul inquired of God, ‘Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?’ But he did not answer him that day.” 1 Samuel 14:37 (ESV) Saul chose to go vertical through worship and through prayer. He was seeking guidance from the Lord and wanted to know if he should pursue the Philistines and if God would give them into his hands. God did not answer him that day. Have you experienced anything recently that caused you to go vertical through worship and prayer? Have you known desperation at the level of being compelled to seek God and wait upon His directive? Pursue God daily and persistently. Go vertical with your focus and with your energy. Keep your passion for God alive by consistently feeding on His Word and consistently communing with Him in prayer. Your love relationship with the Lord is the most important relationship in your life. Maintain intimacy with God. What adjustments do you need to make in your life in order to align your life with God’s priorities? What is keeping you from going vertical? Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Saul and God’s Sovereignty
“Now Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah. And he said to the people of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.’” 1 Samuel 10:17-19 (ESV) Samuel gathered the people of Israel to confront their reality and to position them for their future. He had a word from the Lord to deliver directly to them. Samuel reminded the people of Israel of God’s faithfulness and reminded them of God’s provision of deliverance from the hand of the Egyptians. It was time for Samuel to go public on God’s plan to raise up Saul to be their king and to deliver them from the Philistines. God used Samuel in the process to prepare Saul for the new assignment God had for him. Saul was simply searching the countryside to recover some of his father’s lost donkeys. God had an awesome adventure awaiting Saul that he would have never imagined for his own life. The sovereignty of God is demonstrated through Israel’s history and throughout your own personal life. Think of where you are right now and consider all that God has done to see you through the ages and stages of your life. God rules and reigns and nothing can thwart His will. God will accomplish His plan and He will develop you in the process. Submit to His prompting and trust His timing. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” 1 Samuel 4:10-11 (ESV) Israel experienced a devastating blow as they were defeated in battle. When Eli heard about the ark of God being captured and his two sons being killed in war, he fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate and died. Eli served as judge of Israel for forty years. The daughter-in-law of Eli and the wife of Phinehas gave birth to a son and then died. “And she named the child Ichabod, saying, ‘The glory has departed from Israel!’ because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, ‘The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.’” 1 Samuel 4:21-22 (ESV) The ark of God represented God’s abiding Presence among the people of Israel. His favor rested upon them until they turned from Him in rebellion. God removed His glory from Israel. When you became a follower of Jesus Christ, you became the walking tabernacle of God’s Presence. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. God’s glory is revealed in your life through salvation and through your life as you continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth. Other people get a glimpse of God’s glory as they examine your life fully yielded to the Lordship of Christ. Is there anything in your life that inhibits the glory of God being revealed through your life? Live a life that brings honor to God and that benefits others. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, ‘How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.’” 1 Samuel 1:12-14 (ESV) When you are hurting, your emotions will be expressed through anger, suppression, depression, or grief. At some point, your hurt will manifest. For Hannah, her pain was being expressed through heartfelt prayer. She was unveiling her broken heart before the Lord. Hannah was barren. Eli misinterpreted her pain as that of being drunk. That was far from the truth of Hannah’s condition. She wasn’t drunk. She was devastated with the reality of her circumstances. Can you relate? “But Hannah answered, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.’” 1 Samuel 1:15-16 (ESV) God knows what you are feeling right now. God knows where you are and where you are headed. Nothing catches God by surprise. Maybe you are experiencing a delay that just doesn’t make sense to you. Know that God has a purpose for every delay we endure. God understands our feelings and our frustrations even when others may not understand. God is all-knowing. God has the final say! For those who have misunderstood you, will you entrust them to God? For the delays you are experiencing, will you entrust them to God as well? Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.’” Ruth 4:14-15 (ESV) The story of Ruth is filled with God’s grace. Ruth became a widow after her mother-in-law had already become a widow. Instead of leaving Naomi to start a new life, Ruth chose to stay with her. Her loyalty and devotion to Naomi were demonstrated consistently. “But Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.’” Ruth 1:16 (ESV) “So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.” Ruth 4:13 (ESV) God provided a kinsmen redeemer. The portrait of God’s grace continues in the first chapter of Matthew in the genealogy of Jesus where Ruth is named. When you examine your story, you should be able to detect God’s grace. Consider how Jesus redeemed you and delivered you from the kingdom of darkness and placed you in the kingdom of light. Measure the grace God lavished on you to adopt you into His family and to fill you with His Spirit. You are a child of the living God! You are the apple of His eye and the masterpiece of His marvelous ministry of grace. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Lordship and Leadership
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25 (ESV) Chaos saturated the people of Israel as each chose to do what was right in his own eyes. The sense of covenant community was fragmented and the evidence of unity was shattered. Without a king in Israel, the cultural current of immorality intensified. What is your moral compass? Where do you look to gain clarity on what brings honor to God? How do you know what you are supposed to be giving your life to? “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 (ESV) “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13 (ESV) You are blessed with access to God’s revelation through His Word. How may Bibles do you have? The Bible is the owner’s manual for your life. As you read and feed on the Bible, God will illuminate the path He wants you to take. The Holy Spirit lives in you to guide you into all truth. He lives in you to intercede for you and to empower you to decipher truth from falsehood. As you walk in the truth revealed to you by the Holy Spirit, you will learn to surrender to the Lordship of Christ and you will learn to submit to His leadership. Focus your life on being a fully yielded follower of Christ. Draw near to God through His Word and be responsive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit living in you. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Energy Allocation
“Then Samson called to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.’ And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines.’ Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life.” Judges 16:28-30 (ESV) What are you doing with the life God has given you? Have you established your priorities and do they reflect God’s priorities? You were created to make a difference in the world for God’s glory. It is not about what you can do for God, but what God wants to do in you and through you to accomplish His purposes and His plan. Priorities and stewardship go hand-in-hand. Your priorities will determine how you stewardship your energy and influence. You must determine how you will allocate the energy and influence God has given you. How will you invest your life to make an eternal difference? Samson was blessed by God to be a blessing and to rescue his people from the Philistines. Samson drifted from God and was corrupted by lust and trapped by the seduction of Delilah. However, God granted Samson’s final request to be strengthened so he could be avenged on the Philistines for his two eyes. What would have been different about Samson’s life had he wisely allocated his energy and influence for God’s glory? What about your life? How are you allocating your energy and influence? Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, ‘Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.’” Judges 13:3-5 (ESV) God performed a miracle by enabling Manoah and his barren wife to have a son, Samson. To their amazement and delight, Samson grew and the Lord blessed him. He was set apart as a Nazirite to God and positioned by God to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines. Eventually Samson married a daughter of the Philistines at Timnah. This was part of God’s plan since the Philistines ruled over Israel. Samson was deceived by his father-in-law and sought revenge by setting fire to the stacked grain and standing grain as well as the olive orchards. In his rage, Samson struck down 1,000 men with the jawbone of a donkey. “And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the Lord and said, ‘You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?’ And God split open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore; it is at Lehi to this day.And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.” Judges 15:18-20 (ESV) God supernaturally provided for Samson throughout his life and He will provide for you. Entrust your life to His care. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Continual Realities
“And the Lord said to the people of Israel, ‘Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.‘” Judges 10:11-14 (ESV) God delivered some strong words to the people of Israel after their willful disobedience in spite of God’s perpetual gracious treatment. God rescued them and delivered them from their oppressors. They still chose to forsake God and served other gods. As a result of their incessant rebellion, God told the people of Israel to go and cry out to the gods whom they had chosen. God encouraged them to let their gods save them in their time of distress. Of course, their gods would not respond. The propensity to sin is a common thread throughout human history. Living in a fallen world and combating the sinful nature are continual realities. To live in victory requires forsaking sin and following Christ. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Romans 13:14 (ESV) “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV) Your flesh craves sin. Crucify the flesh by starving the flesh. Be robed in the righteousness of Christ and walk in the power of His resurrection. Make no provision for the flesh. Flee sinful allurements and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side,and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.” Judges 8:33-35 (ESV) When you trace the journey of the people of Israel, you will notice a pattern of obedience, rebellion, discipline, and repentance. God blesses obedience and God disciplines disobedience. The people of Israel would obey God for a season and then allow the tug of rebellion to captivate their attention. Instead of worshiping the Lord their God, they would digress into idolatry. As a follower of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul identified the tug of rebellion that originated in his sinful nature. Even though he was born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul had to perpetually combat the cravings of the sin nature. “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” Romans 7:18-20 (ESV) How do you triumph over the tug of rebellion? Walk in full surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Acknowledge your total dependency upon the Lord to empower you to live in victory. Run from sin and run to Jesus as you practice instant obedience. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“The Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, My own hand has saved me.’” Judges 7:2 (ESV) Gideon considered his clan to be the weakest in Manasseh and himself the least of his father’s house. He did not feel qualified to lead the charge to defeat the Midianites. God confirmed His will through a fire, a fleece, and a formula. Gideon prepared a sacrifice and God sent an angel of the Lord. “Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes” (Judges 6:21 ESV). Gideon asked for additional clarification by asking God to fill a wool fleece with dew while keeping all the ground dry. God performed the miracle and Gideon wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. The fleece was used again to test the validity of God’s will. This time, Gideon asked God to let the fleece remain dry while allowing there to be dew on all the ground. God performed that miracle. The formula God chose for Gideon demonstrated God’s power in the midst of Gideon’s weaknesses. The formula involved reducing Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300. Gideon and his army of 300 won the victory! God’s way to victory does not always line up with our logical thought process. In our humanity, we tend to judge our circumstances from our limited point of view. God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). The victory over our sin, our death, and our dilemma was won God’s way through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Drifting from God
“And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.” Judges 3:7 (ESV) How quick they were to forget the Lord their God after all He had done to deliver them from Egyptian bondage! Sound familiar? The generation following Joshua’s death was marked by disobedience. They drifted from the Lord. “And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10 (ESV) “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Hebrews 2:1 (ESV) We are made to worship. We will worship something or someone. Idolatry seeps in when devotion to the Lord shifts. An idol is anything that dilutes our passion for God or diverts our affection from God. Drifting from God is a perpetual reality for the child of God who neglects practicing instant obedience. We are to pay close attention to what we have received from the Lord and adhere to the principles of God’s Word so that we can walk in alignment with God’s purpose and plan. Jesus left the glory of heaven to come earth in order to provide the atoning sacrifice for our sin. Jesus was obedient to death on a cross. His passion was to fulfill God’s will and to finish His work. The story of redemption is marked by the instant obedience that Jesus practiced throughout His life and ministry on earth. Instead of drifting from God, decide to yield to the Lordship of Christ and be a fully devoted follower of Christ. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash.” Judges 2:8-9 (ESV) Some of the most meaning funerals I have ever preached have been those in which the children of the deceased person stand to speak about their parent’s life. One day you will take your final breath on the earth and your funeral will be conducted. What should your children be able to say at your funeral? Our parents taught us how to walk with God. If you want your children to walk with God, then model the value of intimacy with God. Let them see you having your daily quiet time. Share the overflow of what God is teaching you in your daily walk with Him. Place your children in environments that will help them develop their walk with God. Our parents taught us how to love others. Validate the value God places on others. Show your children how to love others. Your children are watching you closely. They know if you genuinely love people. Another important step is to seize opportunities that will enable your children to serve others. Our parents were still living by faith when they died. In order to leave a legacy you must live a legacy. Guard your priorities in order to finish strong. Keep your love relationship with Jesus your number one priority. Can you imagine what Joshua’s children would have said at his funeral after he lived 110 years? Our father taught us how to walk with God, how to love others, how to make wise decisions, and he was still living by faith when he died. It’s never too late to start. What will your children say at your funeral? Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“‘Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’” Joshua 24:14-15 (ESV) Joshua’s passion for God was contagious. He was willing to take responsibility for the spiritual condition of his home. Joshua made a bold proclamation that as for he and his household, they would serve the Lord. He did not apologize for his passion to obey God. His loyalty to God was expressed through his passion for God. Joshua’s passion to lead his family spiritually impacted the nation. “He said, ‘Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.’And the people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.’” Joshua 24:23-24 (ESV) It is interesting that Joshua did not ask the people to do anything he had not already done. Joshua put his passion in action by leading his family to revere and serve the Lord. Now the people could respond to his example and to his exhortation. Are you putting your passion in action in such as way as to impact your family and those in your sphere of influence? Is your passion for God contagious or difficult to detect? Resolve to serve the Lord. Focus your passion on serving the Lord and continuing His ministry on the earth. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Promises of God
“Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.” Joshua 21:45 (ESV) A promise is only as good as the character of the one making the promise. A person who keeps his or her promise is a person who is deemed trustworthy. Keeping your promise is equivalent to keeping your word. When a promise is not kept a person’s character comes into question. God’s Word is rooted in God’s nature and character. God is holy, righteous, and perfect. God cannot lie and God cannot do anything contrary to His nature and character. God keeps His Word because God is trustworthy. He keeps His promises! The Lord demonstrated His faithfulness to the house of Israel. Everything God promised to them came to pass. God kept His Word! God delivered on His promises! God has a plan for your life. He created you to include you in His story of redemption. God thought of you long before you could think of Him. God pursued you long before you had the capacity to respond to His pursuit. You are not an accident. You are God’s idea and you are God’s masterpiece. Your life matters to God and He established your worth by allowing His precious Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for you. He has paid your sin debt in full and purchased your salvation. In Christ, you have become a child of the King! As a new creation, you have the wonderful privilege of being fathered by our Heaven Father who is the ultimate Promise Keeper. Your security is based on your new identity in Christ and rooted in the fertile soil of God’s character. You can stand on the promises of God! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Made to Worship
“Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.” Joshua 18:1 (ESV) You were created to worship. God has given you the freedom to choose your object of worship. You can choose to worship creation or you can choose to worship the Creator. God’s will is for you to worship Him as your Creator. The enemy will tempt you to worship yourself, other people, or other things to divert your devotion from God. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Matthew 4:8-10 (ESV) The people of Israel methodically received their allotment of land. As you can imagine, the process was lengthy and thorough. The entire congregation of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to set up the tent of meeting. The priority of worship was guarded and the activity of worship was perpetual. The land lay subdued before them as they worshiped the One True Living God! How will you respond to the temptation to bypass God in worship? Will you do what Jesus did? Stand firm in your resolve to worship the Lord your God and serve Him with passion and diligence. Establish the priority of worship in your daily routine and surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Make Jesus your number one priority as you unleash your worship to revere the One who died to set you free. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Wholly Followed the Lord
“Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel.” Joshua 14:14 (ESV) If someone were to shadow you for forty days, what would that person experience firsthand? Would that person be drawn to Christ or repelled? What that person be encouraged in their faith or discouraged? Joshua and Caleb had shadowed each other for forty-five years? They both had the privilege of shadowing Moses. They both were selected to spy out the land that flowed with milk and honey. They both returned with a positive report in spite of the negative report given by the other ten spies. In this immediate text, Caleb is eighty-five years old and reflecting on his journey. It is now time for him to receive his allotted portion of the Promised Land. He was given Hebron as an inheritance because he wholly followed the Lord. Would someone shadowing you say that you wholly follow the Lord? Would your walk with God give evidence to full devotion and complete commitment? Take a few moments to examine your life both internally and externally. Take inventory of your journey with God and try to assess your level of commitment over the years. Be honest about your current reality. Are you wholly following the Lord? Let Caleb’s life inspire you to a greater level of commitment to the Lord. Make it obvious to others that you are growing in your love relationship with Jesus. Share about your intimacy with the Lord. Commit to take your prayer life to a new level of intimacy and intentionality. Share your faith with those who do not have a personal relationship with the Lord. Wholly follow the Lord! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell