"Thank You, father. This calamity is not the first one You've seen, nor will it be the last. You've seen so much more than we can comprehend. You've been fighting this battle since before we were born. You are relentlessly fighting against the enemy, relentlessly protecting and preserving Your people, relentlessly reaching out to the lost and pulling them into the safe place where even though the body may be destroyed, the soul lives on forever. Lord, we don't understand Your timing. If we're honest, our hearts cry out. We say, God, can't You just snap Your fingers and make this go away? Can't You just fix the problem in a blink of an eye? Why must we suffer? How long, Oh Lord? And yet we remind ourselves time after time again: this is the story that You're telling. You've allowed us to be a part of it, and every chapter of the story indicates and points to us the truth: that You are good and You never fail, that You do everything You do for a reason." --- The Wilderness Devotional is a short-form podcast by Aaron Salvato and The GoodLion Podcast Network that is here to provide you with small moments to re-center yourself on Christ as you wander through the wilderness of life. Each episode includes a devotional message, as well as atmospheric prompts at the end to help you pray and meditate on the way of Jesus.
Laying down Religion and Stepping Into Relationship
Letting go of dreams and taking hold of Christ.
Q. What is the chief end of man? A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
So often we want to rely on our own abilities, looks, confidence, and resources... but so often these things prove empty. We need to take hold of Jesus!
Judas didn't have to die on a tree, because Jesus already did!
A look at Peter's denial of Christ, where we see how Jesus is greater than our failures!
A look at Judas, and how we can be just like him.
Both men failed... both men were loved.
If you've ever gone through a breakup, had your heart broken, or experienced rejection (which is a lot of us!) I think this episode will really speak to you. I say some things in here that are a little hard to hear, but they are important and I would not say them if it didn't come from a place of love. Which they do!
We all grow up with expectations put on us by schools, parents, culture, and ourselves. Yet sometimes, Jesus calls us to look past all of these expectations and follow Him into the unexpected! In this devotional, we look at Peter, who was called to leave his dad's business and follow Jesus into the unknown.
We must stop relying on ourselves and turn to Jesus! To do this, we must become poor in Spirit.
When we think we aren't make a difference... we have no idea how much God can use the little we give Him!
A challenge for us to respond to Jesus' question: do you want to e made well?