A Scribe on the Wall

Several years ago now, I believe that God gave me a message, He would be telling me things and it was up to me to tell others. To me, it's much like the Watchman on the Wall as described in the Old Testament. The Watchman was told that it was on him to warn others about any approaching dangers. God's apparently gifted me with being able to type and write. So I put the old definition of a writer along with the concept of a watchman together. Jesus is coming soon...are you ready?

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Listening and Circumstances

by David Brenneman

How well we listen when being spoken to directly impacts our circumstances.

If we are claiming the Name above all names, the Name of Jesus Christ, as our personal Lord and Savior, listening first before speaking, or doing, ought to become our highest priority.

We must start with listening in order to begin trusting. The statement "actions speak louder than words" is in error to the Word of God.

"This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." James 1:19-22.

We might also be remembering that very valuable statement "you were given two ears and one mouth to listen twice as much as you speak".

To go further, those who listened to Jesus were those who's eyes were opened, even if for a little while.

Those whom trusted in Jesus began by hearing Jesus speak.

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." Romans 10:17.

Much is right there in the Scriptures on the high value of listening and its impact on circumstances.

The children of Israel in the wilderness...look at the cause and effect of their listening and their circumstances. Laying claim to listening then a short while later are flagrantly disobeying the Lord.

Look at Chapter 11 of Hebrews. Those who listened and believed also trusted with all their hearts and were richly rewarded in Christ both then and what was to come.

Listening certainly implies shutting up. Our simple brains cannot accurately input and output at the same time.

If we truly live out "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight" as Proverbs 3:5-6 say...then it begins with listening...then the circumstances are adjusted accordingly by God.

When we start letting our words get in the way of God talking to us then we WILL miss the things He is saying to us.

Our words have an eternal weight, did you know that?

Part of that account we will give before Jesus is not just our actions done for Him but the words we spoke. Of how we listened and obeyed. All that we did that wasn't in obedience to Jesus and our reason for being in this world--which is to point people to Jesus--will be burned up. Laid waste...and accompanied by profound embarrassment in all likelihood.

Would you speak as you do, even listen as you do, if Jesus were physically right there with you?

Life Principle 18 says: as Children of a sovereign God, we are not victims of our circumstances.

We aren't victims of the situations we find ourselves in but we can be in error and contribute to ill circumstances by not listening and doing accordingly.

You don't pay attention and a Police Officer is monitoring, you'll likely get a ticket. You stay aware of your surroundings and you obey the speed limit and you avoid such things.

A very large part of the passage from Proverbs where it says to bring up a child in the way they should go and they will not depart from it BEGINS with their listening to instruction.

You learn from the Spirit by listening to instruction.

You learn to have a fruitful relationship by listening.

You, in these examples and still others, directly impact your circumstances by listening.

So listen first and if you must then speak.

"The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin." Proverbs 13:3.

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23.

Seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness begins with listening.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

What Do We Worry For?

by David Brenneman

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:31-39.

We can and do at some point worry about the past, the present or the future. We just immediately go into the denial portion of justification on whatever level makes us feel better.

Throughout the Bible we have a plethora of examples from Genesis onward to pretty much the other end of the Bible.

Leaders, Prophets, Priests, Kings, average people, example after example is there.

We're lousy with dealing with things we know not the full extent of.

We who are in Christ are not just on a journey of learning to be like Christ, we're learning to trust wholeheartedly in what it is that God, through His Spirit, puts before us.

We hate that missing puzzle piece that we can't find.

We hate that little bit that often makes no sense that we get wrapped around the axle trying to figure out.

We hate when a doubt arises that clouds our judgment.

We hate when we're at a loss as to how to proceed.

Are you seeing "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 perhaps differently in light of this discussion this morning?

Our own understanding us finite, limited, restricted, hemmed in, filled with unknowns.

To some it causes outright panic, to others, they metaphorically put their heads in the sand to avoid the potential coming complications.

We need to remember the word of God in these moments.

We are His workmanship. Stop right here for a minute. What does that mean? It means He who began a good work in you will see it to completion, whether or not we understand or not. He's responsible for His work. We're to do our best and leave the consequences to Him.

Created in Christ Jesus for good works. He has works for you and I to do. We may not understand the why's behind them but the onus is on us to obey to the best of our ability.

Read the rest of the verse. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.

God already knew everything that you were going to experience in your life long before you discovered any part of it to be real.

We need to remember that more often. That in each and every single event in our lives, God was NEVER surprised by what's transpired or is transpiring right now.

We also must realize that the promises of God in Christ are not going to eliminate the trials and tribulations of our lives...they will get us THROUGH those things or AROUND those things.

Worry is a prayer that goes nowhere but from ourselves to ourselves.

A prayer, which is what ought to be our first reaction to trials and tribulations, is our conveying to God our dependence upon Him to do as He promised in our lives.

Jesus exemplified His dependence upon His Father throughout all His years on this Earth.

He knew that when His Father initiated something that His Father’s plans would bear themselves out and Jesus just needed to trust and obey.

Worry was perhaps the greatest temptation of the last 9 months for me. As of yesterday I was given a verbal confirmation that I am now gainfully employed. Worry tried to creep into my thinking. I thank God that the Spirit wouldn't let it persist.

You too my Dear Reader have a choice to either allow worry or allow prayer to be what moves you forward in persistence or anchor you to the ground in despair.

We're not promised any semblance of understanding of the who, what, when, where or why's of our life experiences.

We ARE promised to never go through any of those things alone when we are following Jesus.

Satan's schemes involve isolation. They involve trying to get you and I to believe we're unlikely to receive anything from God because of our past or present.

God keeps His promises not on our merits but on the truth of His character in Christ. He imparted His righteousness to us when we came to Christ for salvation.

Pray on, pray over, pray through life.

Everyone who waits upon the Lord will not be disappointed.

Psalm 23 is rich with what everyone goes through after coming to Christ for salvation.

You must choose to trust and obey. You are going to face that challenge every moment of your day.

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. This too is the answer to worry.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Monday, March 23, 2026

His Story is to be Our Story

by David Brenneman

Tell me the story of Jesus,

write on my heart ev'ry word;

tell me the story most precious,

sweetest that ever was heard.

Tell how the angels in chorus

sang as they welcomed His birth,

“Glory to God in the highest!

Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Tell me the story of Jesus,

write on my heart ev'ry word;

tell me the story most precious,

sweetest that ever was heard.

Fasting alone in the desert,

tell of the days that are past,

how for our sins He was tempted,

yet was triumphant at last.

Tell of the years of His labor,

tell of the sorrow He bore,

He was despised and afflicted,

homeless, rejected, and poor.

Tell me the story of Jesus,

write on my heart ev'ry word;

tell me the story most precious,

sweetest that ever was heard.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,

writhing in anguish and pain;

tell of the grave where they laid Him,

tell how He liveth again.

Love in that story so tender,

clearer than ever I see.

Stay, let me weep while you whisper,

love paid the ransom for me.

Tell me the story of Jesus,

write on my heart ev'ry word;

tell me the story most precious,

sweetest that ever was heard.

-Fanny Crosby 1880. "Tell Me the Story of Jesus".

Something that we were told in yesterday's sermon certainly was illuminating to me. It's not really as difficult and as complicated to tell others about Jesus. Just relate what He's done and is doing in your life and why you believe that it's Jesus doing these things in you and for you. It doesn't matter, such as is my case, that you don't remember what a life was like before you came to Christ for salvation. Be sure OF that day and just share how the truths of Jesus has shaped your life ever since.

We all can tell a story of Jesus that's been getting written on our hearts as we go through this life we were given to live.

We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10. We CAN and SHOULD see the hallmarks of His work in our lives if we're believing that we were saved by Him.

Jesus met us at the point of our need when He came at that particular moment in time. He's never left us for a single nanosecond or less. He's started a good work in us and will continue it until either He calls us home or we see the Rapture of the Church. "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6.

Telling of what has and is happening in your life that you attribute to the work of the Spirit is telling the story of Jesus.

Your story will be different from mine but that by no means will make it any less significant. Your story or mine won't be the same as Dr. David Jeremiah or Billy Graham or even Dr. Charles Stanley. That's ok too.

There's no formula or format that's the ideal when it comes to a personal testimony of the work of God in Christ Jesus in our lives.

Paul covers this in a letter to the Corinthian church. We are all different parts of the body of Christ. Each one is to do and be as they were called in Christ to be.

Every single story of every single life in Christ is wonderfully precious in the sight of God.

There are no insignificant stories of Jesus or of any child of God.

Oh Satan and his minions would LOVE to have you believe that there's no value to you sharing your life with Jesus to others. That's what he's tried to do for several thousand years. Getting Believers to shut up about their life in Christ.

Your life in Christ may or may not 'sound' like what we think is good and acceptable. In Jesus's eyes your conversion story is absolutely worthwhile and a joy to His heart.

So write about your life in Christ. My book is my at length story of Jesus in my life. It's the truth of what Jesus has been doing in me ever since that bright sunny Sunday after the church service when I was in the Pastors office meeting with the Elders and the Deacons.

Jesus began a good work in me and He will keep at it until either I am called home or the Rapture of the Church happens.

Our past, our now, our future is wrapped up in this truth: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." Romans 8:28-30.

Don't put your story down or deride it in any way. Your story is most precious in the eyes of your personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we want the story of Jesus we want to hear everything. We are part of that everything in Christ.

Write it out, talk it out, the story of Jesus written in our hearts as we become more like Christ.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Each of Us is Special in His Eyes, Loved as We Are

by David Brenneman

"The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" Exodus 4:11.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5.

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You." Psalms 139:13-18.

"As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him." John 9:1-3.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.

My life might be personified in these passages by way of defining what my life has been and quite literally what it was defined to be. A life in Christ because of Christ and for Christ. Unique in its inception throughout its days and culminating in that day that I stand before Jesus to give an account of my life before Him.

I was born with both visible and invisible birth defects. No one, not my parentage, not my genes, not anything of this world is at fault for the conditions under which I find myself living.

The Scriptures that we shared this morning I likely will use at some of the opening portions of my book..

because they're about me.

They might just be about you too.

How you are, why you are is wrapped up in the life you were given to live in this here this now in human history for Jesus's plan and purpose to reach the lost among you in a way that you, my Dear Reader, were uniquely made for.

You weren't made in any way, shape, or form, a mistake.

You are beloved of God in Christ Jesus. He loved you so much, loves you so much, that He came and lived a sinless life then after being cruelly mistreated died on a cross to rise again 3 days later to grant you eternal life in His Name.

Not a day has gone by that you have ever been forgotten by Jesus.

The same wonderful Scriptures say that our names are written on the palms of His hands. The very thoughts of us are ever before Him.

Perhaps, and I know that I was lead to bring this up before now and must say it again, the worst thing taught in schools is our comparison of ourselves to others.

It should never cross our minds to compare ourselves to others in Christ. We and they are at different places in our growth in Christ. We have differing gifts as the Spirit saw fit to bestow upon us. We are at different places in our walk with Jesus. We are to support and uplift each other in Christ...but we are not all the same in Christ.

You are not defective.

You are not defined by the world.

You are not the sum of your past mistakes.

Just because you aren't like others that in no way diminishes your life in the eyes of your Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

The truth is Satan's schemes include berating, belittling, harassing, and in every other way, your value in your eyes.

Read that last sentence again.

Your value in your eyes. As long as we allow him to get us to devalue ourselves we won't try to accomplish that which is ours to do in Christ Jesus. There's your reason as to why others and perhaps your views of you are what they are.

Speak truth to all that is against what the Bible says you are in Christ. I went through DECADES of being immersed in Satan's negative attacks upon my heart and mind to the point that in 1999 he tried to push me to the brink of committing suicide. But in that moment, my Savior Jesus Christ, said enough was enough and reached down and pulled me out of that abyss. He showed me that my ways weren't working and that my life had to be unconditionally His...not just part of me.

When He set me back on solid ground He healed me of the wounds that were inflicted upon me. He did it. I regret nothing of turning my whole life over to Jesus. He's been my assurance that I am loved by Him. My Dear Reader He wants to do the same in you.

We lose nothing that wasn't worth losing by coming wholeheartedly to Jesus to be His. I don't miss anything that His Spirit had lead me to give up. His grace and mercy every day are a wonderful sight to see and experience.

Throughout these unemployed months He's kept me from the fears that grip most during such a storm. He is in full control of this storm. He takes away my fears and has replaced them with a peace that passes all understanding. Just as He said He would.

You have nothing to condemn yourself in the way you were born. Many a vibrant Christian person have physical affirmaties that live fully vibrant lives in Christ unlike any others.

I am half blind in one eye. Need glasses to compensate as well as to correct the vision I do have. I am not without joint pains now and again. I have unique food allergies. I have a metabolism that isn't normal. Yet I am exactly who Jesus made me to be to accomplish His work for me in this point in human history for His plan and purpose.

My hope and prayer is that you too might see that you are loved in Christ in a way that surpasses your understanding. We will spend eternity and never fully grasp how much Jesus loves us.

Don't look down on your condition.

Ask Jesus to still use you as He desires and give Him the glory great things He has done and will do in your life.

Ask Him to use you and show the fruit of His love to you in the lives that you are here to touch.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Finding Your Secret Place

by David Brenneman

“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:5-6.

"O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You." Psalms 139:1-18.

Where do you go to be alone with your Savior and Lord Jesus Christ?

Do you have such a place? You should. A place where you're comfortable and free to open up your heart and mind and soul to whom you gave your life to.

Mine is an ever improving room where I can do most of my thinking. It's in pretty much the center of our home from all directions. We live on a pretty quiet street. So there's times when napping in here is easy to do.

I write to you this morning from this very room. I have my coffee and have read my Bible and morning devotionals. Then I wait on God to know what it is that God's wanting for me to write to all of you.

We all do need a special place to read and pray. To be able to pour out our hearts to whom can and will make our paths straight when we trust in Him with all our hearts and minds and aren't leaning on our own understanding.

To some who used to be in my life, what choices that I have made they don't understand. They have allowed other emotions and their ideas dismiss what was obviously a choice to listen to God. You can't just rush into things if you don't know who you're supposed to be listening to. In regards to our quiet place we begin to know the voice of truth. The voice whom speaks throughout our day. Our days and nights aren't our own after we come to Christ. There are those in the professing Church who aren't fully grasping that truth. We're to be listening for the teachings and the directions to follow that the Spirit is saying to us. Whether or not it makes sense in the moment.

We need our time-out place. We need to be refreshed. We need to be undisturbed in our one-on-one time with Jesus.

Many of the Psalms speak to David's times where it was just him and the Lord. Psalms 23 shows us much in what kind of personal interests the Lord has in each of us.

You are in a personal relationship with Jesus. Not an isolated work relationship. Not a standoffish relationship. Not a casual relationship. A personal relationship. An intimate relationship.

You are to treat your relationship with Jesus as your highest priority.

More than your wants and desires, more than your dreams. More than the worldly successes you aim to achieve.

It begins with your being intentional about your relationship with Jesus.

Personally I wish I had done more at the very beginning of my walk with Jesus to cultivate a personal relationship than what happened. Perhaps much of the disasters of my life wouldn't have happened. Perhaps my reactions to temptations would have been different.

I, like you, can't don a time machine and go back to set things right. We can, however, choose how to do better going forward.

Just realize my Dear Reader that there is going to be people who won't get your relationship with Jesus. But that's not a thing to consider as a problem. We are to share our experience with Jesus with others. Let them see that we've been with Jesus. Show them that still better way.

My choice to listen to the Spirit in the middle of last year cost me. It impacted my family. But I wouldn't change a thing about going through with it.

We've seen our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ provide in fully unexpected ways. We've seen people be the hands and feet of Jesus.

We've grown in our faith because of our perceived adversities. We got to this place because of our personal relationship with Jesus.

We arrived here in this time and place in our lives because we do take time to be alone with Jesus.

Others outside of our circumstances are praising God for what they see Him doing in our lives. It begins with a right relationship with Jesus. God will never bless a disobedient child of God. We do reap what we sow, more than we sow and much later than we sow. We should always be sowing a deeper relationship with Jesus. Making the most of our time for the days indeed are evil.

"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:15-17.

So my Dear Reader take time to be alone with Jesus. It isn't always that we're to speak when we do.

"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:26-27.

"The Helper sees the depths of your difficulties. He translates your feelings more accurately than you could articulate them yourself. And He comforts you with the knowledge that He understands what you need." - from the In Touch Ministries desktop daily calendar.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Friday, March 20, 2026

Your Story is Important

by David Brenneman

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14.

We are mostly either prone to over think our own importance or under think our own importance. Some of the rest are likely there in the middle.

Yet in Christ, we have become His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them. You are a work in progress in the Lord if you've indeed come to Him for salvation.

You are among the cherished in the eyes of God. Our prayers are so quickly listened to by our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ that He often answers before we are through.

Our story isn't to be kept to ourselves. We were born exactly where, exactly when, and exactly at the moment where our story will do the most good for the kingdom of God.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5.

"And now says the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the Lord, And My God is My strength)," Isaiah 49:5.

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." Romans 8:29-30.

"The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" Exodus 4:11.

"but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

As we have read, we too must come to understand, that we are just as unique a son or daughter of God as Jesus is described as in that most famous passage John 3:16. Some translations say Only Son of God, some say unique Son of God.

Jesus was and is unique. Different. Born at just the right time. Dying at just the right time.

"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6.

When Christ was born it was at exactly the right time and place in human history. Exactly when His story would do the most good for the Father’s plan to come to fruition. Both at the moment that it happened and all throughout the rest of history.

You too aren't meant to be silent about God's work in your life. You both have a wonderful story to tell of the faithfulness of God in your life but also an audience that is ripe to hear it.

I do struggle at times with the magnitude of that revelation. With the goal set before me to write a book of the memorial stones part of me thinks on all the countless other books from others that exist. If I let it, it's discouraging. But I shouldn't let it. Our life experiences are ours, and the gracious answers to prayer are ours to tell. To give others a future and a hope...but if we keep silent...they will gain neither.

Others in your world in your time in your place...need to hear the voice of God in you that's the result of a life lived trusting in Jesus.

Don't give up on your living all-in for Jesus. Don't remain silent when the opportunity presents itself by the Spirit’s direction. You indeed may lose friends and family at times but it's still for us to represent Jesus to those in our world.

You may endure things that you don't understand. That's perfectly fine. Job, Daniel, Ezekiel, John, Joseph, Joshua, Peter, Paul...we're in great company with those who endured things that they didn't understand why they were going through them.

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Run the race set before you. Lean not on your own understanding. Perseverance with all the saints in Christ Jesus.

Pray before speaking, pray while speaking, pray after speaking. The thing is to let the Lord Jesus Christ be seen in and through you to the glory of God the Father.

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17.

As long as you know that you know that you know what you are saying and what you are doing is exactly what Jesus has for you to be saying and doing, press on. Keep going. Don't let up.

Your unique story is for you to tell for such a time as this.

There are NO unimportant parts of the body of Christ. There are NO members of the body of Christ that don't have a purpose in Christ. The Spirit places you in the body of Christ as He saw fit. Glorify God in your body.

Pray on, Pray over, Pray through.

Let your world know of the great things that God has done for you and through you.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Thursday, March 19, 2026

What Great Things He Has Done

by David Brenneman

"Call on Me in a day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me." Psalm 50:16

Did you know that you bring glory to God by calling upon Him when you are in distress? God promised He would deliver you if you turned to Him. You deny the Lord honor that is rightfully His every time you find yourself in difficulty and you fail to call upon Him for help! There may be times when God allows you to reach a point of need so that you can call upon Him, and thus let Him demonstrate to a watching world the difference He makes in the lives of His children. If God never allowed you to experience need, people around you might never have the opportunity to witness God's provision in the life of a Christian. If you never faced a shortfall, you might be tempted to feel self-sufficient and without any need of God in your daily life.

Pride will tempt you to think that you do not need to seek God's assistance. Self-regard will seek to convince you that you can handle your dilemma through your own wisdom, resources and hard work, Pride will also rob glory from God and seek to give it to you. Don't allow your pride to take what rightfully belongs to the Lord. Call upon your Lord and wait exclusively upon Him to rescue you. Then give Him the glory that He deserves.

Self-sufficiency can greatly hinder your ability to experience God and bring Him honor. The next time you are in distress, turn to Him!

-Experiencing God Day-by-Day, Blackaby and Blackaby.

"I got this" is an oftentimes used thought or phrase used by all of us at some point in our lives about something that we're going through.

We likewise push the notion of "pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps" as the saying used to be.

We think it's on us to do everything we can THEN go to God after those things are exhausted.

Much of what we're going through, if not all of it, is to showcase the power of God in Christ Jesus in our lives towards ourselves and the people in our lives albeit the saved and the as yet unsaved.

The entire world at large at the time was impacted by Moses and Aaron going to Pharaoh to get him to let the people of God go out from among the Egyptians. It wasn't just to rescue the children of Israel, it wasn't just to punish Pharaoh and his followers, it was showing the world that there is a God in Israel that they too should take serious notice of.

What we do or don't do in accordance with the life we are to live in Christ impacts not just ourselves but those in and around our life. We are to do whatever we're called to do as unto the Lord. We're to live our lives in Christ in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.

When we do as they wrote in the devotional, we are the ones who might get the glory, not God, certainly not Jesus.

We were taught how to pray, and what is important to pray for and about. We were told in advance that only through various trials and tribulations that we would enter into Heaven. It is the life we're given to live that is to showcase Christ both to ourselves as well as the world.

We are also very good liars unto ourselves. We like to convince ourselves that we're not concerned or anxious or worried by the plans we make in the moment.

Yet we are.

I have never met anyone who, when it comes down to it, has ever been truly ok with facing the unknowns of the future without Christ leading the way.

We want someone more knowledgeable than us leading the way let alone making the hard decisions for us. There's levels of accountability that we want no part of...if we're truly being honest.

Yet right there before us is Jesus, just waiting for us to call on Him in our day of trouble, ready to save.

Much of the last 9 months has been wondering when this employment gap is going to end. Yet in it all my goal has been to persevere in staying committed to my times with Jesus. Both in the morning and evening. I am eternally grateful for His abundant provision of food for my Wife and I as well as our cats. He keeps providing, through various ways, the funds needed to pay our bills and mortgage. We, as well as others, continue to pray for the new job that He has for me.

Through my continued time both in His Word, various devotional readings, prayer and counsel with others I know that I will only be able to go through the door of the place He wants me working at.

Until He hands me the keys to a particular door of opportunity I won't be going in.

How I react to this as well as everything else is supposed to be a testament of His work in our lives. Of what He has done and is doing because He is our living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I know full well that I certainly am not to just do nothing until He provides my new job. Each day He has things for me to do, has places for me to check for new jobs. Regardless of how big or small, engaging or mundane, I am to do everything as unto the Lord. Truth be known I have never had an earthly employer. While there's been several companies that I have worked for, my work has always been done as if I were working for my Savior Jesus Christ. Colossians 3:22-24.

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Colossians 3:23-24.

How I handle life is supposed to be as though Jesus were right there with me...because He is!

How I show others how I react to life is showing them how real I take being a fully devoted follower of Jesus.

I don't always get it right but that is my aim in life.

I am not reacting the same way today that I would have 10 years ago. A testimony to the work of God in me.

Jesus said through Paul "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7.

We are on display for all the world to see in how we live our lives in Christ.

We do have Godly responsibilities in meeting certain needs but we also have to be sure we aren't overstepping by trying to do what we need God to be doing. We are indeed to be praying, but before we act we should be sure we're supposed to.

As the great hymn says "To God be the glory great things He has done, so love He the world that He gave us His Son. Who yielded His life an atonement for sin. And opened the lifegate that all may come in! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the Earth hear His voice. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! Oh come to the Father through Jesus the Son and Give Him the glory great things He has done!"

Let your light shine in such a way that people see your good works, that is your life, that they glorify your Father in Heaven.

He has never failed us yet and never will. Do what's yours to be doing but be mindful of what's your Savior's to be doing in your life.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org