by Catherine McDaugale | Sep 23, 2024 | Christian Living, Life, Thoughts
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NKJV))
There aren’t many things we can control. You can’t control
- other people,
- the decisions your kids make,
- how someone will react to something you say, or
- if traffic will be busy during your morning commute.
If we could, our children would always choose to do the right thing, people would always respond with kind words, and our commutes would always be easy.
But one thing you can control is your thoughts.
Now, I can almost hear some of your thinking, No, you can’t. Random thoughts come into my head all the time.
I agree. We are bombarded every minute of every day with seemingly random thoughts. Thoughts like:
- You’re so stupid. Why did you say that?
- You’re ugly.
- You can’t do it. You’ll never amount to anything.
- No one really likes you.
The thoughts will come. Yet, you can decide what you’ll do with them when they do. You can let them roll around in your head. You can agree with them (e.g., Yeah, I am stupid.). Or you can handle them Biblically.
As we saw in our verse, the Bible instructs us to take every thought captive. Arrest that thought. Stop it. Don’t give it free rein.
Pay attention to your thoughts. When you think something like, You’re done for. No one cares about you. Pause. Pay attention to the thought. Then ask yourself, Is it true?
And remember the standard of truth. The truth is what the Bible says about something. It’s not necessarily what the world says about it or how you feel.
Jesus is truth (John 14:6). That’s why the Bible says you need to make your thoughts obedient to Him. If your thought doesn’t line up with what Jesus says is true, then it’s false; it’s a lie. And if it’s a lie, you need to discard it and replace it with what Jesus says is true.
So, is it true that no one cares about you? You may feel like it’s true. But is it? What does the Bible say?
The Bible says that Jesus loves you.
- He loves you so much that He died on the cross for your sins (Romans 5:8).
- He loves you so much that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).
- He loves you so much that you will then get to spend eternity with Him (John 3:16).
- He loves you so much that He’s preparing a place for you so you can be with Him (John 14:2–3).
- He loves you so much that He wants you to cast all your care on Him (1 Peter 5:7).
These are just a few of the verses that show how much Jesus loves you. So, the thought that no one cares about you is false. It’s not true no matter how you feel.
Because that thought is false, discard it. Replace the lie with the truth that God’s revealed to you (that Jesus loves you). Pray and ask God to help you believe His truth. Then meditate on the truth as you walk by faith with Him.
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by Catherine McDaugale | Aug 26, 2024 | Christian Living, Life, Spiritual Growth
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV))
Do you know what’s in your heart? Probably not. As we see from the verse in Jeremiah, our hearts are deceitful. That means you can think your heart is fine even when it isn’t. Yet, the contents of your heart can be revealed by your words.
As Jesus said,
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45 (NKJV))
That may seem harsh. But it’s true. Whatever’s in your heart – good or evil – will come out.
The contents of your heart can be revealed at the most inopportune moments – like when you stub your toe on the corner of the coffee table or when someone cuts you off in traffic. The curse words that come out of your mouth may surprise you. But the circumstances didn’t cause them. They were the result of what was already in your heart.
The Bible has many examples of people who were unaware of the contents of their hearts. In one, Jesus revealed what was in the scribes and Pharisees’ hearts.
Remember how Jesus healed the man with the withered hand? When Jesus healed him, “his hand was restored as whole as the other” (Luke 6:10 (NKJV)).
Wouldn’t that have been amazing to see – to watch with your own eyes as a man’s withered hand was regenerated into wholeness? It was a miracle.
But when the scribes and the Pharisees saw it, the Bible says that “they were filled with rage” (Luke 6:11 (NKJV)). A man’s hand had been fully restored, and they were moved to a madness that was expressed in anger. Why? Their hearts were wrong. They were laser-focused on a rule – a man-made interpretation of God’s law.
God had commanded, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work . . . .” (Exodus 20:8–10a (NKJV)). Over time, they twisted God’s law to mean that supernaturally healing someone constituted work.
Their hearts were so focused on their interpretation that they missed the miraculous. In fact, they had watched Jesus closely to see if He would heal the man. They wanted to find something they could use to bring charges against Him (Luke 6:7).
So, how do you know what’s in your heart? Ask God to show you. Pray: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24 (NKJV)).
When God reveals something in your heart that shouldn’t be there, repent. Admit that you’re wrong and that God is right. Ask God for forgiveness. And then walk by faith with God in the freedom that only He can give.
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by Catherine McDaugale | Aug 12, 2024 | Christian Living, Life, Spiritual Growth
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8–9 (NKJV))
God’s ways are better. The Hebrew word translated as higher in Isaiah 55:9 means exalted, above. God’s ways are exalted because they are better.
And God’s ways have always been better. Right after Adam and Eve first sinned, they realized they were naked and tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. The Bible says that “they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” (Genesis 3:7 (NKJV)).
Have you ever seen a fig leaf? It’s scratchy. The top of the leaf is rough and sandpaper-like, and the bottom has small stiff hairs. Ouch! Not to mention that it’s a leaf. How secure could their “clothing” have been?
But God. He “made tunics of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21 (NKJV)). God’s way was better. For one, the “tunics of skin” were softer than the fig leaves. And they were more durable and flexible.
Moreover, those tunics of skin showed Adam and Eve how to cover (atone for) their sin so they could still be in a relationship with God. For sin to be covered, innocent blood must be shed. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). And the sacrifice of that animal pointed to the ultimate sacrifice God would make for us by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins – once and for all (Hebrews 7:26–27, 10:10).
So, spend some time meditating on how God’s ways are better than yours this week. Thank Him for revealing His ways in the Bible so you can know Him. Then be willing to yield your ways to His as you walk by faith with Him.
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by Catherine McDaugale | Jul 29, 2024 | Bible Study, Spiritual Growth
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. (Hebrews 13:2 (NKJV))
There are many misconceptions about angels in our culture. So, let’s go to the source of all truth to learn about them. Here are 11 things the Bible teaches us about angels.
1. The word angel means messenger.
The Hebrew and Greek words translated as angel in English mean “a messenger of or from God.” And the Bible shows us angels performing that function. For example, an angel told Zacharias that his wife, Elizabeth, would bear him a son who they should name John (Luke 1:13); an angel told the shepherds about Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8–12); and an angel told the women who went to Jesus’ tomb that He had risen from the dead (Matthew 28:5–7).
2. They’re not human.
Angels are spiritual beings created by God to serve Him (Psalm 104:4; Hebrews 1:7). Humans don’t become angels when they die. Instead, the Bible says that one day we will judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). I don’t know how that will work. But it’s an interesting thought.
3. There are different types.
The Bible reveals that angels include seraphim (Isaiah 6:2–3), cherubim (Genesis 3:24; Ezekiel 10:20–22), and an archangel (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 1:9).
4. A cherub isn’t a baby.
A cherub (the singular form of cherubim) doesn’t look like a baby with a bow, waiting to launch an arrow at you so you’ll fall in love. Rather, a cherub has four faces, four wings, “and the likeness of the hands of a man” under its wings (Ezekiel 10:21 (NKJV)). The four faces include the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of an ox, and the face of an eagle (Ezekiel 1:10). Its legs are straight, the soles of its feet are like the soles of calves’ feet, and it sparkles “like the color of burnished bronze” (Ezekiel 1:7 (NKJV)).
5. At least some of them have names.
Two angel names are revealed in the Bible. There’s Michael, the archangel (Jude 1:9). And there’s Gabriel (Daniel 8:16; Luke 1:19).
6. We’re not supposed to worship them.
When John was overcome by a vision, he “fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed” it to him (Revelation 22:8 (NKJV)). The angel rebuked John, saying, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God” (Revelation 22:9 (NKJV)). As we saw, angels were also created by God. Our worship should be for God and God alone.
7. They live in the spiritual realm.
Most of the time we can’t see angels, but they can appear to us. Angels can become visible in the semblance of human form (Genesis 19:1). For example, an angel appeared to Mary (Luke 1:26), to Joseph in a dream (Matthew 1:20), and to Zacharias in the temple (Luke 1:11).
8. There are a lot of them.
As John reported in Revelation 5:11 (NKJV), “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” As the IVP Bible Background Commentary states, “‘Ten thousand’ was the largest single number used in the Greek, so ‘ten thousands of ten thousands’ (myriads of myriads) is the author’s way of calling them innumerable.”
9. They are powerful.
God has given angels great power. For example, when God sent an angel to save His people from the Assyrians, the angel killed 185,000 men in one night (2 Kings 19:35).
10. They ministered to Jesus at least twice.
After Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness and was tempted by the devil, the Bible tells us, “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (Matthew 4:11 (NKJV)). And the night before Jesus was crucified on the cross when He was in “agony,” praying earnestly and sweating “great drops of blood,” “an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him” (Luke 22:43–44 (NKJV)).
11. God uses angels in our lives.
The Bible reveals that there are angels that protect us (Psalm 91:10–11); guide us (Matthew 2:19–20); help us (Acts 12:7–11); fight in the spiritual realm on our behalf (Daniel 10:12–13); and escort those who believe in Jesus into heaven (Luke 16:22). The Bible even suggests that believers have guardian angels (Matthew 18:10).
All of God’s creation – including angels – is amazing. But that’s only because our Creator is awesome. So, let’s keep a proper perspective of angels. Look up these passages this week and learn what the Bible says about them. Then, worship God for all He has done as you walk by faith with Him.
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by Catherine McDaugale | May 6, 2024 | Bible Study, Thoughts
Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. (Psalm 66:5 (NKJV))
Our God is amazing! Of course, there are an infinite number of ways that our God inspires us to be in awe. But here are seven reasons God is awesome. Meditate on one of them each day as you go through your week.
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God made the heavens, the earth (and everything on it), and the seas (and all that is in them just by speaking (Genesis 1:1–27).
You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. (Nehemiah 9:6 (NKJV))
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God knows how many stars are in the sky and has named them.
He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. (Psalm 147:4 (NKJV))
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God can measure the universe with His outstretched hand.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? (Isaiah 40:12 (NKJV))
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God knows how many hairs are on your head.
Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29–31 (NKJV))
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God knows all your thoughts and understands them.
You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. (Psalm 139:2–3 (NKJV))
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God made the intricate human body out of the dirt.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7 (NKJV))
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God stretches out the heavens like a curtain.
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. (Isaiah 40:22 (NKJV))
So, those are seven reasons God is awesome. All of them are worthy of meditation because they are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). So, think about them this week as you walk by faith with God.
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by Catherine McDaugale | Mar 25, 2024 | Bible Study
Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! (Luke 24:5–6 (NKJV))
Do you believe in the resurrection? As we quickly approach Resurrection Weekend – the time when we celebrate the fact that Jesus rose from the grave and overcame death – it’s a good time to do a little self-reflection.
As you do business with the Lord, here’s an excerpt from Day 10 of my book, How to Teach Your Kids about God, on that subject:
* * *
Jesus’ resurrection is a fundamental part of the gospel. Jesus – the Son of God – came down from heaven; was born as a baby; lived a perfect life; died on the cross to pay the penalty for all our sins; was buried in a tomb; and three days later, He rose from the grave.
If God hadn’t raised Jesus from the dead, life would be pointless. There would be no promise of eternal life with Him. We would have no hope.
But God did raise Jesus from the dead. Jesus overcame death! Praise God for that!
Not only did God raise Jesus from the dead, but He also gave us evidence of what He did. Many people saw Jesus after the resurrection. There were eyewitnesses. People who had followed Jesus during His ministry – who had watched Him die and be buried – later saw Him alive. They saw Jesus, ate with Him, and touched Him.
- Mary Magdalene saw Jesus and clung to Him (John 20:15–17).
- Thomas touched Jesus’ wounds from the crucifixion – His hands and His side (John 20:27–28).
- The disciples ate with Jesus (John 21:12–13), and saw Jesus eat (Luke 24:41–43).
And Jesus appeared to many people, more than once. He appeared to:
- His disciples when they were gathered together in a room without Thomas (John 20:19–24).
- His disciples – again – when they were gathered together in a room with Thomas (John 20:26–29).
- Two men walking on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–31).
- His disciples – a third time – by the sea of Galilee (John 21:1–14).
- Over 500 people at the same time (1 Corinthians 15:6).
- His disciples – a fourth time – right before and as He ascended into heaven (Luke 24:50–51; Acts 1:4–9).
One of those disciples, John, had been so close to Jesus at the crucifixion that Jesus talked to John before He died and committed His mother, Mary, into John’s care (John 19:25–27).
And Mary Magdalene (to whom Jesus appeared first) was at the crucifixion, watched them take Jesus’ body down from the cross, followed them, and saw them bury Jesus in a tomb (John 19:25, stood by the cross; Matthew 27:57–61, sat opposite the tomb).
And now? Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for us (Romans 8:34). Jesus is our advocate with God the Father (1 John 2:1). We can only come to God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6 (NKJV)). Indeed, “[t]here is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 (NLT)).
Because Jesus overcame death, we have the promise of eternal life with Him. And if that wasn’t enough, Jesus has promised He will come again (John 14:3). We can hold on to that promise, knowing He will be faithful to fulfill it.
* * *
So, let’s rejoice in the fact that Jesus rose from the grave. Because He did, our faith isn’t “useless” and our sins have been forgiven (1 Corinthians 15:17 (NLT)). Let’s praise Jesus for what He did for us as we walk by faith with Him.
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by Catherine McDaugale | Feb 19, 2024 | Life
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1(NKJV))
You Get to Choose
Who is your shepherd – the one who will guide and care for you? It’s your choice. God gave us free will. So, you get to choose who will shepherd your soul. You can be your own shepherd, making choices that seem right. Or you can submit your will to God.
Shepherding Yourself
When you shepherd yourself, you make decisions based on whatever doctrine sounds good to you. You may borrow a little from the Bible here and there when it suits you. But you don’t rely on God or follow His commands.
We see an example of this in the Book of Judges. The people did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6). And it never ended well for them. They always ended up crying out to God, for His mercy and help.
When you shepherd yourself, you’ll eventually look like a sheep that has wandered away from the flock. The wool grows and picks up the gunk from your sin along the way, choking your spiritual life.
Without God, life is empty and pointless. You may try to feel content by filling your life with other people and possessions. Or you might try to escape the emptiness with alcohol or drugs. Ultimately, nothing fully satisfies. The bottom line: we don’t make good shepherds.
Jesus as Your Shepherd
But with Jesus as your Shepherd, you can have an abundant spiritual life. As Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 (NKJV)). Jesus is the good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11). He willingly died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins (John 10:17–18), so you could choose to let Him shepherd your soul.
When you follow Jesus, you don’t need anyone or anything else to be your shepherd. Jesus gives you all that your soul needs. With Jesus, you’ll have contentment and peace.
Sure, we still have times when we stray from our good Shepherd. But we’re miserable when we do. Although Jesus will bring us back, we can avoid a lot of heartache by staying close to Him in the first place.
So, let’s be like David when he declared in Psalm 23:1 that the Lord is his Shepherd. Stay close to Jesus. Keep your eyes on your good Shepherd and submit to His authority over your life. When you do, your soul will be completely satisfied as you walk by faith with Him.
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by Catherine McDaugale | Oct 30, 2023 | Bible Study, Christian Living, Spiritual Growth
He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (Matthew 11:15 (NKJV))
Many of us want to hear God speak to us. We want to receive a personal message from Him. Yet, we are often unwilling to slow down in our day-to-day lives to spend time with Him in His Word, the Bible.
God can speak in unexpected ways
God will sometimes use extraordinary methods to get a person’s attention. He can use unusual circumstances so you will listen to what He wants to tell you.
- God used a burning bush that wasn’t consumed by the fire to get Moses’s attention (Exodus 3:2–4).
- He got Balaam’s attention through a donkey (Numbers 22:26–34).
- And He sent a wind that was so strong it “tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces” to get Elijah’s attention (1 Kings 19:11 (NKJV)).
But He doesn’t usually speak to us in those ways.
God also speaks through people
Other times, God uses others to get your attention. For example:
- Have you ever felt exposed during a sermon, wondering if your pastor had bugged your car so he could hear the conversation you had with your husband on the way to church that morning?
- Or have you had a time when the Holy Spirit prompts you during a Bible study or teaching, telling you, “That was for you!”
We like those times when we know God has spoken to us through another person. It doesn’t feel like work when you hear from Him in those times. It’s a blessing to get a word from the Lord through your pastor on a Sunday morning.
God usually speaks through the Bible
Yet, we don’t have to wait for those special times. We can hear God speak to us every day. God wants to tell you things. And the primary way He does that is when you spend time with Him, praying and reading through His Word.
The Bible is alive and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). It’s not just a bunch of words that men wrote down thousands of years ago. The Bible is literally God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16). God will speak to you through His Word when you take the time to listen.
If you regularly take time to read the Bible, it can be tempting some days to read through it quickly. In those times, you open the Bible to the designated place you want to read. Then you read it. Close it. And you’re done for the day.
You may even feel good about yourself, thinking, I did my devos today. I did what I was supposed to do. Now I don’t have to do anything else until tomorrow. I can move on with my day.
But if someone asks you later that afternoon what you read, you would probably have to think about it to remember. Okay, I’ve been reading through the Book of John. I think I’m in chapter four. What’s in chapter four? In other words, you have no idea what you read.
Slowing down to hear God’s Word
But what if you approached the Bible differently each day? Instead of reading it quickly and proclaiming that you’re done, what if you sloooooooowwwwww dooooowwwnnnn.
- Start your time with God by singing along with a worship song you really like, preparing your mind to hear what God wants to reveal to you.
- Pray and ask God to speak to you as you read His Word. Ask Him to help you focus on what He’s saying. Tell Him about your desire to hear from Him.
- Open your Bible to wherever you’ve been reading. Read a verse or two. Then take time to think about it. Meditate on the words.
- Ask yourself the who, what, where, when, why, and how questions. For example, you could ask things like: Who is speaking? What is happening? Where is the speaker or the one being spoken to at the time? When was it? Why is something happening? How does it apply to your life? Does it say anything about God – His character or nature or something He’s done?
- Take the time to ponder the things you’ve discovered and to listen for God’s voice.
The Holy Spirit may want to teach you something about your amazing God – about what He loves or what He hates; about who He is and the awesome things He has done. He may want to prompt you and give you guidance about a question you have. The Holy Spirit may tell you to stop doing something you’re not supposed to do. Or He may just want you to learn about how someone in the Bible responded to a particular situation.
So, slow down. Take time out of your day to spend quality time with God. Talk to Him and listen so you will hear what He wants to say to you as you walk by faith with Him.
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by Catherine McDaugale | Oct 2, 2023 | Christian Living, Life
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1 (NKJV))
Someone once told me that Christianity is just a crutch. He said only weak people are Christians.
It was before I became a born-again believer. I had been going to church and considering whether God was real. I think I replied with something profound like, “No, it isn’t!”
Now that I’m a born-again believer, I still disagree. Christianity isn’t a crutch. A crutch implies that you can still do everything pretty much on your own. You’re still able to walk; you just need a little help.
Instead of a crutch, a better analogy is spiritual life support. Before I decided to follow Jesus, I was spiritually dead. If I hadn’t accepted God’s free gift of salvation, I would still be dead in my sins. I don’t need a little assistance; I need all the help I can get. I need God for everything. And so do you.
There’s an entire hospital waiting to render aid to those who are broken and sick. When you admit your condition, there’s no wait to be admitted into the emergency room. The ICU is always open to help you. All you need to do is call out to Him (Jeremiah 33:3).
God is the One who brings us from death to life (Ephesians 2:1). He takes our hearts of stone and gives us hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). And He sustains us every second of every day. He is literally holding us together (Colossians 1:17). Praise God!
Yet, that person was right about one thing. Christians are weak. But so is everyone else. Whether you’re willing to acknowledge it or not, we weren’t made to do life on our own. Our Creator made us to be in a relationship with Him.
We all need Jesus. No one can save himself. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). We can’t be spiritually alive on our own.
So, it’s okay to admit that you’re weak. It’s okay to ask God for help. When you do, you make room for Him to be strong in your life. Stay close to your life-giving, life-saving, all-powerful Savior as you walk by faith with Him.
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by Catherine McDaugale | Jun 12, 2023 | Bible Study, Christian Living, Spiritual Growth
The entirety of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. (Psalm 119:160 (NKJV))
Food is a funny thing, isn’t it? On the one hand, we need food to survive. Without food, your body will use its stores of fat and muscle until there is nothing else to sustain it. Studies suggest that we can only survive about one to two months without eating food.
On the other hand, we can abuse food by eating things that are unhealthy. Brain imaging has shown that when a person eats sugar, it stimulates the brain in the same way that drugs, like cocaine, do. The bottom line is that eating certain food leads to health while other food leaves us overweight, sluggish, and sickly.
It’s the same with spiritual food. There is spiritual food that leads to life. And other food that will lead to death.
The source of our spiritual food is crucial. We can get caught up in listening to things that sound good to us. Yet, they aren’t true. The Bible warns us that
a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. (2 Timothy 4:3–4 (NLT))
When we eat unhealthy spiritual food, it leaves us sluggish and sickly – in a spiritual sense. It moves us farther away from, instead of closer to, God.
We must remember that only one source of spiritual food is founded on truth. The rest are derived from lies.
And the source of that truth is God’s Word, the Bible. As Psalm 119:160 teaches us, all of God’s Word is truth. To be spiritually healthy, we need to be nourished by the truth found in His Word.
Indeed, Jesus’ Words are life (John 6:63). He is the bread of life (John 6:35, 58). And, we can feed on God’s faithfulness (Psalm 37:3).
When we eat healthy spiritual food, our walk with God grows closer and more intimate and our faith is built up. We are stronger and able to withstand spiritual attacks from the enemy because we are firmly grounded in God’s Word.
So, let’s commit to eating healthy food – the spiritual food that leads to life. Spend time in God’s Word, the Bible, every day, feeding your soul. Stay spiritually healthy so you can walk by faith with Him.
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by Catherine McDaugale | Mar 6, 2023 | Life, Thoughts
And take the helmet of salvation . . . . (Ephesians 6:17 (NKJV))
Have you ever had one of those days when it feels like you’ve fallen into a deep, dark pit? As you look up, the small point of light is so far away that getting out seems impossible. In those times, the only thing I can pray is “Abba, please help me,” over and over again.
Of course, God always rescues me when I finally turn to Him. He pulls me out of the pit. But how did I get there in the first place?
The day usually starts off just fine. No sign of a storm. Not a cloud in the sky.
But at some point, a barrage of negative thoughts pour into my head when I’m not paying attention. Before I know it, my mind is consumed by a situation, circumstance, or event.
Those thoughts are uninvited. Unwelcome. But that doesn’t stop them. And the descent into the pit begins.
So, what happened? When the thoughts came, I didn’t even consider that it was a tactic of the enemy. Satan’s mission is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Satan can’t possess a born-again believer who is already indwelt by the Holy Spirit (John 14:17). But one way he fulfills his mission is by messing with our minds.
Paul warned us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)). There’s a spiritual battle going on right now that we cannot see.
But God didn’t leave us defenseless. He gave us spiritual armor that we need to put on every day (Ephesians 6:13-18). One piece of that armor is the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17).
You can protect your mind with that helmet. You can keep the enemy from using your thoughts against you.
Surrounding your mind with the helmet of salvation reminds you of the truth. As a born‑again believer, all of God’s promises are yours in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20). The truth about your salvation is that
- your soul is secure because you’ve been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13);
- you are God’s child (1 John 3:1);
- you’re victorious because of what Jesus has done for you (1 John 5:4-5);
- you are safe in Jesus’ hand (John 10:28);
- nothing can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39); and
- this life is not all there is – one day you will live with Jesus (John 14:3).
All of these promises – and many more – belong to you. God loves you, and He will be faithful to fulfill His promises. As my pastor likes to say, “The best is yet to come.” Amen!
Remind yourself of these truths. They remain true no matter how you feel. Although feelings are real and we all experience them, they lie. They’ll pull you down into the pit if you don’t remember the truth.
So, be proactive. Protect your mind by putting on the helmet of salvation. Pray and ask God to protect your mind at the start of each day. Say something like this in your own words:
Abba Father, please protect my mind from spiritual warfare today. Help me to remember that I belong to You. Please remind me throughout the day that I am safe in Your hand. Prompt me to meditate on the fact that I have an amazing future in store for me with You. I praise You because You are faithful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Another beautiful promise is that, when you draw near to God, He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Draw close to Him today.
And remember – even though you can’t see what your future holds in this life, you can trust that God will fulfill His promises. Remember your status as God’s child and all He has promised as you walk by faith with Him.
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
by Catherine McDaugale | Feb 20, 2023 | Bible Study, Christian Living, Life, Spiritual Growth
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63 (NKJV))
Remember that cute guy in high school? The one you stared at every chance you got. You were nervous every time he walked by you in the hallway because it might be the moment he would finally notice you.
What would you have done if he had written you a note? I’m guessing you wouldn’t have set it aside to read later. You wouldn’t have put it in a place you could see so you would remember to read it – yet, never actually get around to opening it.
And I’ll bet it didn’t go unread so long that you finally committed to waking up at 6:00 every morning to read three lines a day until you had finally finished reading it. Then, when you did read three lines on the morning you managed to drag yourself out of bed, you probably wouldn’t have forgotten what you read almost immediately after you read it.
I would be surprised if that’s how it went down.
No, the moment you had that letter in your hand, it would have set your heart on fire. You wouldn’t have hardly been able to wait until you had a moment to open it. And then you would have devoured it. You would’ve taken it all in, reread it multiple times, and literally held it close to your heart.
Why? You loved him and wanted to know what he said.
It’s the same now with my husband. When he writes me a note, I want to read it as soon as I can. I want to know the words he took the time to pen. I know the note will reveal something about what he thinks and who he is.
It’s about relationship, isn’t it? In a relationship, you want to know the other person. You want to
- hear his voice;
- discover what he likes;
- find out what he hates; and
- be close to him.
You read something he wrote because you get to, not because you have to.
So, why is it so hard to read the Bible sometimes?
God has written down things for you to read. The Bible is literally God’s word. And when you take time to read it, the Holy Spirit teaches you what God wants you to know in that moment.
The point is that we make time for the things we want to do. Are you reading the Bible because you think you have to – as an item on your checklist? Or do you open it up and read it because you get to?
Check your heart motivation. If you find that you’ve been reading the Bible mainly because you’re supposed to and not because you want to, ask God to give you the desire to read His word.
God wants you to know about the things He loves and the things He hates. He wants you to know Him better. God wants you to know how much He loves you. And His words are life (John 6:63). If you truly want that desire, God will give it to you.
So, open up God’s word and devour it. Take it all in. Think about God and who He is – not because you have to but because you get to. Keep God in your thoughts all day long as you walk by faith with Him.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
by Catherine McDaugale | Dec 26, 2022 | Bible Study, Christian Living, Life
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 (NKJV))
Why do we celebrate Christmas? Even those who aren’t Christian know it’s the day set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus. But what’s so special about someone’s birthday?
Now that the busyness of the Christmas holiday has subsided, let’s reflect on how amazing it is that Jesus was born that night in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. And let’s meditate on what His birth meant for us.
People are sinners. The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). And our sins put us in a real quandary. They left us separated from God.
None of us could pay the penalty for our sins. Our sins were too costly because they were committed against a perfect, all-powerful God. Because we are imperfect, we couldn’t do anything to pay off our debt. The best we could offer was like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
But God knew our predicament. He knew we weren’t able to save ourselves. So, God Himself chose to pay the penalty for our sins. And He was our only hope.
Jesus is God. He was there at the beginning with God the Father (John 1:1). He existed before anything was created. Jesus is eternal. He was not created; He is the Creator.
Everything was made through Jesus. He created you, me, the mountains, the trees, the flowers, the animals, the birds, the earth, the stars, and the universe – to name just a few. The Bible says, “All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16 (NKJV)).
Yet, with all that power, Jesus chose to leave His glory in heaven to be born a helpless baby on earth. He loves you so much that He wanted to make a way for you to have a relationship with Him.
Jesus – the Word – became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He lived a perfect, sinless life; willingly died on the cross for your sins; was buried; and rose from the grave three days later (Matthew 28:6; John 10:17-18; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
How can we fully grasp the great sacrifice that our God made for us? An infinite God chose to come down to earth and take on a finite body. He left heaven, knowing that He would be rejected by His creation and die on the cross.
And He did it all for you. Jesus did it so your sins could be forgiven. He did it so you could have eternal life with Him. It’s truly something to celebrate!
So, whether or not you made time to worship Jesus on Christmas, worship Him now. Our worship is not confined to any specific day. In the aftermath of the holiday rush, let’s slow down and remember everything that our faithful God has done for us. Let’s take time to worship Jesus as we walk by faith with Him.
by Catherine McDaugale | Jul 18, 2022 | Christian Living, Life, Spiritual Growth
Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! (Isaiah 10:15 (NKJV))
It’s easy to take credit for the things that God is doing in and through your life. But the truth is that God deserves all the glory. He is the One who should get the praise. That’s because He is the one who
- made you;
- gave you certain abilities and intellect;
- gives you strength each day;
- puts each breath in your lungs; and
- guides you with His Spirit.
When we do God’s work, we are tools in His hand – like the ax or the saw in the verse above.
It seems ridiculous to imagine an ax looking back at you with a wink and boasting, “Look at all the wood I chopped. Aren’t I the sharpest, strongest ax you’ve ever seen?” You know that someone made the ax and sharpened it. And the strength and guidance of the one who was wielding the ax was responsible for the wood being cut.
Or let’s put it in more conventional terms. Let’s say you’re making vegetable soup for dinner. You went to the store to shop for the ingredients, washed the vegetables, and used your knife to cut them up just right. What if your knife started bragging about all of the work it had done?
You would know it was just a tool you had used. It didn’t do the work. Instead, the knife was used by you to accomplish your purpose of making the soup.
The same thing happens when we do God’s work. God works in and through us to accomplish His purpose. We shouldn’t take any credit for it because God is the One who did everything. He equips us for the work, prepares the way before us, and gives us strength through His Holy Spirit who lives inside of us. We are tools in His mighty, capable hand.
Although we make ourselves available and submit to His plan, we cannot please God with our own efforts. We need His help to do His work the right way. As Jesus told us, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 (NKJV)).
So, don’t get full of yourself. Resist the urge to steal God’s glory. As my pastor said the other evening, if your head gets too big, God might take a big pin and pop it. God won’t give His glory to another (Isaiah 42:8). Humble yourself or, one day, God will humble you.
Instead, give credit where credit is due. Praise God for all He is doing in and through your life. Tell others about the amazing things God has done. Share with them how God equipped you, helped you, and gave you the strength and ability to do His work. Remind them about the way God lined up certain things so it was possible for Him to work through you in that situation.
And, remember that God deserves all the glory. “Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!” (Revelation 19:1 (NKJV)). He is the One who will be exalted among the nations (Psalm 46:10). And one day, every knee will bow to Him (Romans 14:11).
Let’s exalt Jesus’ name now, remembering that we are tools in God’s hand as we walk by faith with Him.
* Photo by Alexei Scutari on Unsplash
by Catherine McDaugale | Jul 4, 2022 | Christian Living, Life, Ministry
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 (NKJV))
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Apparently, an average person makes about 35,000 choices each day. 35,000. That equates to 2,000 decisions every hour you’re awake and one every two seconds.[1]
Of course, most of those decisions are minor. And you probably don’t think too much about them. Decisions like . . .
Do I really want to get out of bed now? Maybe just five more minutes.
Should I wear a purple shirt or a blue one?
What should I eat for breakfast? I don’t really feel like eating yogurt this morning.
Should I drive five miles per hour over the speed limit? Maybe I should use my cruise control.
You get the idea. But there’s one decision that is more important than any other. It’s the most significant one you’ll ever make. And that’s not an exaggeration. The decision will not only affect your current life but all of eternity.
Have you decided to follow Jesus?
I hope you’ve already chosen to follow Him. If you haven’t, don’t put off making that decision for another day.
Anyway, by waiting, you’ve already decided by default. Jesus said that you’re either with Him or against Him (Matthew 12:30). By choosing not to make the decision, you’ve chosen to not follow Jesus today. By putting it off, you’ve chosen to be against Jesus.
If you wait until tomorrow to decide, you might not get a tomorrow. We are not guaranteed another day. No one knows when their time is up. And if you die before choosing to follow Jesus, it will be too late. The Bible teaches us that “each person is destined to die once and after that comes the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 (NLT)).
There is no purgatory. No penalty box where you wait until you’ve done your penance so you can enter into heaven. We don’t come back in another life as someone or something else. This life is your only opportunity to choose. As the saying goes, “You make your choices and then your choices make you.”
So, what’s keeping you from deciding? Maybe you think that you have plenty of time left and you’ll wait to take God seriously when you’re older. Or maybe you’re waiting for a sign – a lightning strike that will prove once and for all that God means what He says in the Bible.
But God has already given us a sign. As Jesus said,
“This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that He was sent by God.” (Luke 11:29-30 (NLT))
When God told Jonah to go and preach to the Ninevites, Jonah refused and got on a boat that was going to a place in the opposite direction from where the Ninevites lived (Jonah 1:1-3). God sent a storm that threatened the lives of all who were on that boat (Jonah 1:4). So they tossed Jonah overboard, and the storm ceased (Jonah 1:12, 15).
Jonah descended into the depths of the water where God had prepared a large fish to swallow him (Jonah 1:17). Still, it took three days for Jonah to repent (Jonah 1:17-2:9). When he did, God spoke to the fish, and it expelled him onto dry land (Jonah 2:10).
What happened to Jonah was miraculous. When he finally obeyed God, Jonah went to Nineveh and cried out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4 (NKJV)). That very short sermon was enough to get the people of Nineveh to believe in God and repent (Jonah 3:5).
Similarly, Jesus’ resurrection was a sign to that generation and every generation since then that Jesus is who He said He is. He is the Son of God. And Jesus is the only way to come to the Father and have eternal life. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried in a tomb, and rose again on the third day – just as the scriptures had predicted.
In fact, all of the Old Testament’s prophecies about the coming suffering, servant Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is our sign. So stop looking for another one.
As Steven Curtis Chapman exhorts us in his song, Waiting for Lightning:
But the sign and the word have already been given,
And now it’s by faith, we must look and we must listen.
Instead of waiting for lightning.
A sign that it’s time for a change;
Listening for thunder,
As He quietly whispers your name.
If you haven’t chosen to follow Jesus, do so today. Stop waiting for lightning. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Tomorrow never does come. By choosing Jesus, you can start walking by faith with Him today.
* Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
[1] Eva M. Krockow, Ph.D., “How Many Decisions Do We Make Each Day?,” Psychology Today, Sep. 27, 2018, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/stretching-theory/201809/how-many-decisions-do-we-make-each-day.
by Catherine McDaugale | May 23, 2022 | Life, Ministry
“He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created.” (Genesis 5:2 (NKJV))
The Confusion about Gender
The other day, I googled the question, “How many genders are there?” The search produced a variety of answers, many from medical-sounding websites. Based on the dates of those articles, it became clear that the number had been rising. Recently, people had come up with over 70 ways to self-identify.[1]
The idea that you get to choose your gender is becoming entrenched in our society. You’ve most likely heard about the effects, including
- the ability to get a passport or a driver’s license without specifying your gender;[2]
- discussions about the singular “they” to be used as “a generic third-person singular pronoun in English”;[3] and
- confusion about the biological implications of being male or female, such as the introduction of a pregnant man emoji, the mocking of a state governor for saying men can’t get pregnant,[4] and the elimination of gendered restrooms.[5]
The movement has also targeted our children with picture books about their gender options and school districts “educating” them on that subject.
The Truth about Gender
In the midst of the confusion, it’s important to go to a reliable source for the truth. And there’s no better source of truth than God’s Word, the Bible. As we see from the verse in Genesis, God created gender. And God’s Word is clear – there are two. God made them male and female.
It’s no surprise that biology supports this truth. Our DNA shows this very thing. A person either has a Y chromosome and an X chromosome (a man) or two X chromosomes (a woman). A person can try to change his or her gender with clothing, hormone treatments, or surgery. But the person’s DNA remains the same.
The Bible teaches us that God made the first woman, Eve, from a rib in Adam’s side (Genesis 2:21-22). Man alone was not good (Genesis 2:18). So, God made Adam a helper who was comparable to him (Genesis 2:18).
Importantly, God loves men and women equally. He doesn’t love a man any more than He loves a woman or vice versa. Both men and women are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). Yet, equal doesn’t mean the same.
God made us differently. Generally, men are physically stronger than women. And women can bear children while men cannot. There is a purpose for our different reproductive organs. After God made Adam and Eve, He told them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28 (NKJV)). God made us male and female so the earth could continue to be populated.
In this upside-down world where good – God’s design – is now being called evil, it’s important to remind ourselves of this truth. Internalize it. Choose to believe the truth and not the lie. It’s not for us to decide how we were designed. That is within God’s purview. He alone has that authority.
If you struggle with this truth, meditate on what God has told us in His Word. In addition to Genesis 5:2, read Genesis 1:27, Matthew 19:4, and Mark 10:6. As our Creator, God defines who we are and how we’re made.
Talk to God about what you’re thinking and feeling. He won’t be surprised by what you say. Come to Him and ask Him to help you accept His truth.
Your Responsibility as a Truth-bearer
As a truth-bearer, you have a responsibility to “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him” (Colossians 1:10 (NKJV)). What does that mean in this context? Here are three things that will help you to “walk worthy.”
1. Remember Where You Came From
Don’t forget who you were before God saved you. We “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 (NKJV)). As Paul reminds us,
“Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people – none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NLT)).
Paul lists some sins that may have been a regular part of your life before you decided to follow Jesus. One that most, if not all of us, used to practice was the worship of idols. I’m not talking about a little statue that you call your god and bow down to like ancient cultures once did (and some existing cultures still do).
Worshipping an idol means that you have made something more important than God. It might be money, a job, power, family, or even yourself. These are things that many people commonly prioritize over God. If you’ve ever done so, that is sin.
And your sin is not any better than the sin of self-identifying as a gender that God has not given to you. It’s only by God’s grace that you were saved. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)). You were not saved by anything that you have done.
2. Consider God’s Love For that Person
Just like you, that person was made in God’s image. And God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for that person’s sins – not just yours. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 (NKJV) (emphasis added)).
God doesn’t love you any more than He loves that person. And He wants that person to come to repentance like you did. God is patient toward us, “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)).
3. Be the Hands and Feet of Jesus
If the gospel is offensive on its own terms, that’s okay. The Bible tells us that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)). But if you’re offensive, that’s another thing. In that case, you aren’t loving people like God loves them. If you’re obnoxious or hateful, you are misrepresenting God.
You can meet people where they’re at, just like Jesus did. You don’t have to get angry with them or tell them that they’re living in sin the first time you meet them.
As you get to know the person, you can share your testimony – who you were before Jesus, how God brought you into a relationship with Him, and what God has done to change your life since then. Tell the person about the work God is doing in your life.
Then, if you get an opportunity to speak the truth, you must do so in love. You can hate the sin without hating the person. Send up a quick prayer to God in your mind, asking Him to fill you with His Spirit to help you handle the truth well. Ask God for His wisdom and guidance as you share His truth.
Tell the person what God’s Word says about gender. However, don’t forget to share the truth about God’s love and all that He has done for him or her.
With these things in mind, let’s stand for the truth. But let us not forget where we came from. And obey God’s command to love others as you love yourself (Matthew 22:39). Love the people God has placed in your path with His love as you walk by faith with Him.
*Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
[1] Shaziya Allarakha, MD, “What Are the 72 Other Genders?,” Medicine Net, Feb. 2, 2022, https://www.medicinenet.com/what_are_the_72_other_genders/article.htm.
[2] U.S. Department of State, “X Gender Marker Available on U.S. Passports Starting April 11,” Mar. 31, 2022, https://www.state.gov/x-gender-marker-available-on-u-s-passports-starting-april-11/; Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles, “Change Your Sex,” https://dmv.colorado.gov/change-your-sex.
[3] American Psychological Association, “Singular ‘They,’” https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/grammar/singular-they.
[4] Gabriel Hays, “Gavin Newsom savagely mocked as ‘disgusting transphobe’ for claiming men can’t get pregnant at abortion rally,” Fox News, May 5, 2022, https://www.foxnews.com/media/gavin-newsom-mocked-disgusting-transphobe-men-cant-get-pregnant-abortion.
[5] Kyle Morris, “Chicago Public Schools eliminating sex-specific restrooms to ‘increase gender equity,’” Fox News, Dec. 2, 2021, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chicago-public-schools-moves-to-eliminate-gendered-restrooms.
by Catherine McDaugale | Apr 11, 2022 | Bible Study
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV))
All scripture is profitable. Profitable means helpful or useful. That includes those pesky genealogies. You know, the Biblical family trees. The ones that seem to have an endless list of names we can’t pronounce and wonder why they’re there in the first place.
Yet, genealogies are useful. And they even contain hidden gems when we’re willing to take the time to look for them. For example, the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 includes some surprising names. One of those is Rahab. We know from Joshua 2 and 6:22-25 that Rahab was a harlot who God later spared when the walls of Jericho fell. Despite her past as a harlot, she ended up in Jesus’ family tree. It just goes to show you that God can work through your life no matter what’s in your past. God is amazing!
Another genealogy is useful to answer a question I received from one of you. Someone asked, “God made Adam and Eve. They had two sons. Where did all the other people come from?” That’s a great question. Before we get to the answer, let’s start with a little background.
On the sixth day of creation, God created the first man, Adam (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7). After Adam named all of the animals, he saw that there was no one comparable to him (Genesis 2:20). So God put Adam into a deep sleep, took a rib from Adam’s side, and created woman (Genesis 2:21-22).
God presented the woman, Eve, to Adam in the first marriage (Genesis 2:22). Then God commanded them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28).
We are then told about the first two sons that came from the union between Adam and Eve – Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-2). After Cain murdered Abel (Genesis 4:8), Adam and Eve had a third son named Seth (Genesis 4:25).
We are also told that Cain “went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod” (Genesis 4:16 (NKJV)). Cain “knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch” (Genesis 4:16 (NKJV)). And Seth had a son named Enosh (Genesis 4:26). Where did Cain and Seth get their wives from?
We get our answer from the genealogy in Genesis 5. I confess that this particular genealogy was a stumbling block to me for many years. For some reason, I thought I had to read the Bible like other books – starting at page one through the end. In order. Because I could never seem to finish reading through this genealogy, I didn’t get very far in reading the Bible for a very long time. Of course, the Bible doesn’t actually need to be read like that.
Anyway, I later discovered that you can learn a lot from these genealogies. If we take the time to slow down and consider them, we can glean some really great information.
In this genealogy, we learn that Adam lived for 800 years after Eve bore Seth. During that time, “he had sons and daughters” (Genesis 5:4 (NKJV)). We don’t know how many sons and daughters he had because the Bible doesn’t tell us. But 800 years is a long time. Even if Adam and Eve only had children during a portion of that time, they could have had many, many sons and daughters.
We also learn that Seth begot Enosh when he was 105 years old (Genesis 5:6). Based on that fact, there would have been plenty of time for one of Adam’s and Eve’s daughters to grow up to be a marriageable age.
And yes, that means that brothers and sisters would have married at the beginning of it all and had children. While this practice is unacceptable in our society (and even by the time of Moses about 2,500 years later (see, e.g., Leviticus 18:6-18)), it was not a restriction at that time.
As AnswersInGenesis.org points out, when Adam and Eve were created, they were perfect. It wasn’t until after they sinned that “suffering and death affected mankind and every other living thing.” [1] One thing that came with sin was mutations in people’s DNA. But since Adam and Eve had perfect genes, their children would have had few mutations. It was only when those genetic mutations increased that the likelihood of inherited disease became so great that it was dangerous to marry a close relation.
So, the next time you come across a Biblical genealogy, resist the urge to skip over it. Instead, pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you something as you read through it. You may be surprised at what you learn.
* Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
[1] Dr. Georgia Purdom, “Where Did Cain Get His Wife?” Answers Magazine, July 1, 2014, https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/cain/creation-basics/.
by Catherine McDaugale | Dec 30, 2021 | Christian Living, Spiritual Growth
As we get ready to start the new year, let’s look at an example of someone who walked by faith with God. The Bible tells us twice that “Enoch walked with God” (Genesis 5:22, 24 (NKJV)). What does that mean? In Hebrews, we get more insight into Enoch’s walk with God.
“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5 (NKJV))
Although we are not given the details, we know from this verse that Enoch pleased God. And how did Enoch please Him? Enoch pleased God because he walked by faith.
The next verse in Hebrews teaches us about faith.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV))
So, to walk by faith with God you must
- come to God;
- believe that He is God – that He is who He said He is, the way He has revealed Himself to us in the Bible; and
- believe that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.
Diligent means that you seek God in a steady, earnest, and energetic way. It’s a daily desire to find out more about God and draw closer to Him.
If you come to God, truly believing that He is God and that He will reward you if you diligently seek Him, you’ll share your life with Him and trust Him with everything. When you are trusting God, you live the way He wants you to live. And you do the things He wants you to do. You want to please Him. You do things God’s way because He knows what is best for you.
You can learn about what God wants you to do by reading the Bible. The Bible is “inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)). The Bible tells us what God loves, what God hates, and how God wants us to live.
After you learn about the things God wants you to do, you must actually do them. To walk with God, you must “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22 (NKJV)). In other words, you don’t just listen to the Bible, you do what it tells you to do.
As you move forward, you’ll talk to God about what is going on in your life and look to Him for direction. You’ll walk alongside Him at the pace He sets for you. You’ll go where He goes, turn when He turns, slow down when He walks more slowly, and stop when He stops.
We need to examine our walk with God because we don’t always do that. Paul exhorted us to examine ourselves “as to whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV)). We must focus on our walk with God because we can stray if we’re not paying attention. You may not even notice that you are no longer walking with Him.
Let’s look at it in a different way. Think about going for a walk with a friend. Generally, when you’ve planned to walk with a friend, you’re excited about spending time with her. As you walk, you talk about what is going on in your life. You keep in step with each other, walking at the same pace. Her nonverbal cues tell you when she’s going to turn a corner instead of going straight.
But what if you started to ignore her? Instead of paying attention to your friend, you begin thinking about the things you need to do or a problem you have. Before you know it, you start walking in a different direction. Further down the road, you look up, and you’re no longer with her.
Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Yet, our walk with God can be like that. One moment, we’re excited about spending time with Him. We’re sharing everything with Him. We tell Him the things we are thinking about and the problems we are having. We trust Him with our dreams. We ask Him for help, for wisdom. We seek His guidance as we walk in step with Him.
Then one day, you look up and realize that you’re no longer walking with God. You’ve started walking on your own path, at your own pace. You’re making decisions without consulting Him. You feel alone. You’re tired and weary.
What happened? You took your focus off God. God didn’t leave you; you left Him.
It doesn’t happen all at once. Typically, a person doesn’t wake up one morning and make a decision to stop walking with God. Instead, you start slowly drifting away from Him. Maybe you got up late and didn’t have time to read your Bible. You got busy so you didn’t pray. You didn’t talk to God throughout your day. Then one day becomes two. Before you know it, a whole week or month has passed.
We need to make a decision to walk by faith with God like Enoch did. It’s a choice we make – whether to get our direction from God each step of the way as we abide in Him or whether we do our own thing, in our own way.
Each day, we decide how we will walk. I hope you will join me in being like Enoch. Let’s diligently seek Him and be known as women who walk by faith with God.
by Catherine McDaugale | Oct 2, 2021 | Bible Study, Life, Thoughts
Have you read about Jacob, Leah, and Rachel in the Bible? Each time I read about them, I tend to look at it from Jacob’s perspective – a love story with obstacles placed in the path of the hero. But the other day, God showed me Leah’s point of view. Before we turn to Leah, let’s remind ourselves what happened to Jacob.
In obedience to his parent’s request, Jacob traveled to their relatives’ country to find a wife (Genesis 28:1-2, 5; 29:1, 4-5). When Jacob saw Rachel, he fell in love (Genesis 29:9-11, 18). Jacob agreed to work for Rachel’s father, Laban, for seven years so he could marry Rachel (Genesis 29:18). The years seemed only a few days because of his love for her (Genesis 29:20).
At the end of the seven years, it was time for the wedding (Genesis 29:21). The day had finally come for Jacob to marry the woman he loved. But on the wedding night, Laban had Leah (Rachel’s older sister) go into the wedding tent (Genesis 29:23). The following morning, Jacob realized that he had actually married Leah (Genesis 29:25).
How could Jacob have married Leah, thinking she was Rachel? Commentaries explain that the traditional wedding attire included a veil that would have entirely concealed Leah’s features. The veil, along with the alcohol that would have been consumed during the wedding feast, would make it possible for Jacob to unknowingly marry Leah.
Jacob was upset. And rightfully so. Laban had tricked him into marrying Leah because it was customary for the elder daughter to be married first (Genesis 29:26). Yet, Laban also agreed that Jacob could marry Rachel if Jacob worked for him another seven years (Genesis 29:27). Eventually, Jacob also married Rachel (Genesis 29:28-30).
So that’s Jacob’s point of view – he received the short end of the stick from Laban. He ended up marrying a woman he never intended to marry, a woman he didn’t love.
But now let’s look at it from Leah’s viewpoint.
First, we know that Leah was not beautiful like her younger sister. The Bible tells us that her eyes were “delicate” (Genesis 29:17 (NKJV)). That either means she couldn’t see well or she had blue eyes instead of the more accepted brown eyes of her culture. Although that may not seem like a big thing, the contrasting description of Rachel as “beautiful of form and appearance” shows us that Leah was not attractive like her sister (Genesis 29:17 (NKJV)).
Second, we know that she watched Jacob pursue her sister. Jacob was attracted to Rachel, not Leah.
Third, her father had her sneak into the marriage tent to deceive Jacob into marrying her. How do you think she felt knowing her father thought the only way a man would marry her was to be tricked into doing so?
Finally, the Bible tells us that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah (Genesis 29:30). Leah was married to a man who didn’t love her. That, in and of itself, would be difficult. But the situation was compounded by the fact that her husband was also married to another woman that he did love. And that other woman was her sister.
But God saw that Leah was unloved. (Genesis 29:31). So, God “opened her womb; but Rachel was barren” (Genesis 29:31 (NKJV)).
Given Rachel’s barrenness, it appears that Leah tried to get Jacob to love her by bearing him children.
- When Leah had Jacob’s first son, she named him Reuben, which means, “Look a son” (Genesis 29:32). And Leah said, “The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore my husband will love me” (Genesis 29:32 (NKJV)).
- Then Leah bore Jacob a second son and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also” (Genesis 29:33 (NKJV)). So she named him Simeon, which means heard (Genesis 29:33).
- Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a third son (Genesis 29:34). Leah said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons” (Genesis 29:34 (NKJV)). She called him Levi, which means “joined to.”
For several years, Leah tried to earn Jacob’s love by bearing him children. You can feel her pain – always feeling second rate to her sister, married to a man who didn’t love her, trying to win her husband’s love, and wanting to feel loved.
Then something changed. Maybe Leah finally realized she was looking to the wrong one for love. We don’t know what caused Leah’s heart change. But she stopped focusing on what she didn’t have and started looking at what God had already given her.
So when Leah had her fourth son, she said, “Now I will praise the LORD” and named him Judah, which means praise (Genesis 29:35 (NKJV)). She learned to praise God – not for her circumstances but in her circumstances.
Maybe you feel like Leah – plain, overlooked, and unloved. No matter what your circumstances are or how invisible you feel, the truth is that God sees you. And God loves you. God loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for your sins so you can have a relationship with Him (John 3:16).
God has not overlooked you. Just as God saw Leah, God sees you. And when you come to Him, like Leah did, praise will flow out of your heart.
by Catherine McDaugale | Sep 16, 2021 | Christian Living, Life, Spiritual Growth
Mornings are hard. I have always secretly envied people (like my husband) who are able to wake up early and still be congenial, outgoing, and talkative from the get-go. If I have to get up early, it seems the only thing I can focus on is how bad I feel – the brain fog and the general malaise.
I recently saw a mug that declared, “A fun thing to do in the morning is not talk to me.” Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.
During COVID, I worked from home. Without the long commute, I was able to slowly wake up before I had to travel down the hallway to our loft where I had set up my home office. I quickly adapted to my new routine. Needless to say, my morning disposition greatly improved.
But now it was time to go back to work at my real office. We had been summoned by those with the authority to change my morning routine. So, in the wee hours before the rising of the sun, I dragged my body out of bed. And I grumbled.
The Bible instructs us not to complain (1 Corinthians 10:10). The Greek word used for complain means to murmur or grumble against in a low tone. It shows a discontentedness with the way things are in your life.
Yet, I had been grumbling and complaining every chance I got. I grumbled in my head. I whined to my husband, coworkers, and friends. I complained about having to get up early. I criticized those who had made the decision to bring us back to the office given that we would be required to wear masks. I felt justified with my grumbling since I’m not a morning person.
Then God reminded me that we’re not supposed to grumble. While I was teaching other women in a Bible study, one of the verses talked about grumbling.
Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.” (James 5:9 (NKJV))
Ironic, isn’t it? There I was, telling them how they shouldn’t grumble when I had been doing that very thing. A few weeks later, God brought that verse to my remembrance, and the self-application finally sunk in.
I realized that my perspective was wrong. I had only been focused on the early hours and how my body felt. I had lost the bigger picture.
When I shifted my perspective, I could see all that God had given me. Sure, I now had to wake up early, but God was still blessing my life.
- God had continued to provide me with a job.
- God gave me coworkers that I enjoy working with.
- God provided me with the opportunity to spend time with Him in the morning while I commuted in my car – time to sing praises to Him, listen to His word, and pray.
I had forgotten that God is in control of everything. Nothing happens in my life without it going through Him first. There is a reason for everything. God had a reason for allowing the early hours and the long commute back into my life – even if I couldn’t see what it was. I can be certain that God will use whatever happens in my life for His glory.
I had also forgotten that grumbling ruins your witness to others. When you complain, the people around you will wonder why they should be a Christian when you aren’t any different than anyone else. Jesus said,
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35 (NKJV))
Jesus didn’t say they would know you are His disciple by your complaining. There is no love in grumbling.
Jesus also told us,
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. (Matthew 5:13 (NKJV))
Figuratively, Jesus was telling us that, as His followers, we are to exhibit wisdom and grace in our speech. As Pastor Jon Courson put it, “Salt promotes thirst, and as the salt of the earth, we should be making those around us thirsty for the living water of Jesus Christ.” We cannot be witnesses that will bring others to Jesus when we are complaining about things.
So I repented and asked God to forgive me for grumbling. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 (NKJV)). Praise God! Then I purposed in my heart to stop grumbling.
Have you been complaining about something? It may be something that seems unfair to you. And the situation may be unfair. Either way, God is faithful in your life.
If you’ve been grumbling, it’s time to change your perspective about your situation. Take a step back and ask God to show you the bigger picture. Instead of ruminating on what’s wrong, shift your focus from your circumstances to our faithful God. Make a list about the ways that God has been faithful in your life. Then meditate on God’s faithfulness. You can trust God as you walk by faith with Him.
