Your Trump Card

According to The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, here is the definition of a trump card: “the suit designated as having precedence over the others. In general, it is something capable of making a decisive difference when used at the right moment as in ‘The prosecutor played her trump card by calling a surprise witness.’”

There have been more than a few times in my life when I did not like the hand I was dealt. It looked like there were too many things against me, and I found my unreliable emotions taking a dip. But in those times, I have learned something. I have learned that God has given us the ultimate trump card.

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

Most of us quite naturally think that joy comes when we feel strong; when we have done well and when things work out as we think they should. If we are feeling weak, uncertain, ill-prepared, disappointed, guilty or hurt, it hardly seems that joy could be in our hearts at the same time.

But consider a verse in Nehemiah. This verse comes after the people have been listening to Ezra, the priest, read to them from the law of God over several hours. As they hear it, they are weeping, apparently realizing their failures.

Christian, I Hear You

A few days ago an old friend shared with me what he had been reading from Psalm 143. Two days later as I was encouraging another friend, I turned to the words that had been shared with me, and again the power of Scripture was seen. Moved by this result, I decided to spend time every morning for a week focusing on this passage.

Raise the Volume

Sometimes a mind change is made quietly as you contemplate Scripture or as you pray or maybe even as you work or drive your car. You confront your circumstances, take note of your faulty thinking and decide to lock your mind on to God’s thoughts instead.

But sometimes I find that the only way to make a mind change is to be loud and passionate.

This week I went to a place to pray and as I began, I was constantly distracted. I know we have all had that experience. We want to connect with God, but there are all kinds of things going on in our minds. As I paid attention to those distracting thoughts, one thing was clear: It is hard to admit, but they were all about me. They were about how hard something is for me. They were about how unfair some things seemed for me. They were all about how others could not understand me.

Now I suppose I could have quietly said, “Tom this is not good. You need to adjust your thinking.” But these thoughts seemed not only wicked but insistent and determined. It seemed no quiet response would do. Thinking immediately of Jesus’ rebuke of Peter, I blurted out with considerable force:  “Out of my sight, Satan! These are not the thoughts of God but the thoughts of men!”

My explosive response seemed to be just what was needed. The “what about me?” demons ran for the hills. I was freed up to focus on God, his calling and his provision. Some of the things that try to lodge in our minds can only be expelled with force, power and maybe even considerable volume. When this is needed don’t hold back.

Focus Scriptures

Matthew 4:1-11

Matthew 16:23

Conflict

[This "moment" first was published three years ago]

My wife, Sheila, and I recently confronted a mild but persistent pattern of conflict in our marriage. At first we tried to think our way out of the problem, but then we saw it as a call to rely more on God in prayer. The conflict has now led us to come together in prayer more often which means our marriage has grown that much stronger.

Pinhead Faith

 I heard a man talk about faith. He asked how many of us have pinhead faith. The fact that he even asked the question most likely didn't give anyone a good feeling--especially since he asked it of people who are supposed be known for their faith.  It is embarrassing for most of us to admit that our faith is so infantile.

But then the speaker helped us change our minds. He pointed us to a surprising and amazing truth taught by Jesus. He said, "If you have faith as small as mustard seed--the smallest of all the seeds--you will be able to move mountains."

As you contemplate Jesus' words, you realize he was saying the problem for us is not that we don't have magnificent and impressive faith. He was saying that humble, struggling pinhead faith, mustard seed faith is quite enough. And so when there is a problem, it is not found in the diameter of our faith but in the disuse of our faith-whatever its size.

Some of us are tempted to look at some situation in our lives--like something we need to change or something we need to overcome--and think "I just don't think I have enough faith."

But do you have pinhead faith? "Sure," you say, "that pretty well describes what I do have."

Well, Jesus says you have enough-enough to move a mountain. And surely the issue in your life is not bigger than that.

Luke 17:3-6

Mark 9:20-24

James 5:13-18

True Colors

Some years ago Aderonke moved from her home in Nigeria to the United Kingdom. In Manchester, England, she met Christians who taught her the message of Jesus. In 1998 she shared in Jesus’ death and resurrection in baptism, becoming his disciple.