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Devotion for Men Devotion for Women ZZ

I Want More of You, God

‘A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.’ Psalms 84:10(NLT)

It was a few years after Harold’s Everest climb when he and I (Rachel) were lying on the couch talking about our future. He looked at me and asked me what I am passionate about. Without hesitation I said, “Jesus.” After that we sat in silence for some time.

I don’t think my answer was what he was expecting—it wasn’t even what I was expecting. Harold is not only a very big dreamer but also a doer. When he has a dream he will do everything in his power to see it through. 

While I’ve always had lots of hobbies and love experiencing new things, I’ve never really had something that sets me on fire, that fills me with an overwhelming sense of purpose. I didn’t grow up dreaming of one specific route for my life. Even now I sometimes think, Should I be pursing something greater? Did I miss opportunities because I was crippled by fear? How can I accomplish my goals if I’m not really sure what they are? 

Then I realize that I do know my goals. They may not be goals that make me successful in our world but I am okay with that. My goals are to bring people to Jesus, to live my life with love and be ready and willing for God to use me whenever He chooses. I have passion, and I have drive, and more importantly, I have a great God who can and will use me. And that’s enough.

Whether we dream of climbing Mt. Everest or starting a business or raising a family, only God can truly satisfy us. He uses our longings to shape us, to reveal His unique gifts in our lives. But ultimately our prayers come down to, I want more of you, God.

As we wrap up this week’s devotional, we challenge you to live out boldly the dreams God has put on your heart, whatever they are. When our prayer is for more of Jesus, God will give us the courage for every calling in front of us.

from A Higher Calling by Harold & Rachel Earls

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Devotion for Men Devotion for Women ZZ

When Doubt Creeps In

‘For the word of God will never fail. ”’ Luke 1:37(NLT)

As we continued our long-planned journey, I (Harold) downplayed my fears and nerves when I talked with Rachel. I told her things like “It’s not too scary” and “It’s really pretty” and “I’m not too worried about it.” Those were half-truths. In reality, that towering beast in front of us was the meanest, blackest thing I’d ever seen. I was worried, and I was humbled. I could share this with her, my best friend and biggest supporter. But I wanted to protect her from the knot in my stomach, the nerves constantly rumbling inside, and the nagging questions: What am I doing? and What have I left behind? 

Have you ever come to a point in your life when the one thing you’ve been working toward suddenly seems insurmountable? A moment when your own personal Everest (be it creating a business, parenting, seeking healing from your past, or something else) stares you down, looking bigger and scarier than you ever could have imagined? A time when you feel intimidated and alone? A time in which you suddenly begin to question everything?

That’s what I was doing in Tibet, asking over and over again, Have I bitten off more than I can chew?

I know life sometimes presents moments that feel impossible. But I also know when you overcome these challenges, you come out with an even greater faith. 

The Bible tells us, “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Nothing! If you’re facing doubts right now about the Everest in front of you, spend some time studying God’s character. Write down words that the Bible uses to describe Him. I guarantee when you look up at that mountain again, it will seem small compared to the God who never leaves you.

from A Higher Calling by Harold & Rachel Earls

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Devotion for Men Devotion for Women ZZ

Faith Over Fear

‘Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. ‘ 1 John 4:18(NLT)

I (Rachel) supported Harold’s choice to follow his dream and climb Everest to raise awareness for soldiers recovering from PTSD. At the same time, I was terrified of something happening to him.

We hadn’t been married a full year when Harold and his team set off on their trek. I stayed in touch as closely as I could when they were on the mountain. After one particular call from Mount Everest’s Advanced Base Camp, Harold had sounded exhausted as he told me about the significant snowstorm headed his way, forcing his team to climb back down to a lower elevation. I knew with bad weather conditions, a tired body, and many hours of descending in low visibility, the chances of something going wrong were significantly higher. 

I couldn’t help but wonder, Is my husband making a bad decision—perhaps a fatal one? I didn’t know when I’d hear from him next, if at all. 

I was trying to be strong, but deep down, I was afraid of being left alone. I feared that if something did happen, I would blame Harold for making the choice to leave. Or I’d blame myself for letting him go.

Every day he was gone, I realized how precious and fragile life is and what truly matters. It’s not the material things, the success, the money, or our physical appearances. It’s the people we love. 

The little moments count. 

Living with that truth in the forefront of your mind changes you. It’s changing me. I am starting to approach life with an attitude of thanksgiving, even in the midst of my trials. I realize my time with Harold is limited, and time is better spent being joyful and living in love rather than living in anger, frustration, or stress. I remind myself something I have told others: You are capable of more than you can imagine. And with God by your side, you will always come out stronger! 

What can you do so that fear won’t write your story? What choices can you make so that circumstances won’t control your joy? It’s our love for others that makes us afraid of losing them, yet the Bible tells us that “there is no fear in love,” and love actually drives out fear (1 John 4:18). What would it look like, right now, to choose faith over fear as you pray for those you love?

from A Higher Calling by Harold & Rachel Earls

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Devotion for Men Devotion for Women ZZ

Small Beginnings

‘Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)’ Zechariah 4:10(NLT)

When Rachel and I started talking about my sense that God was calling me to climb Everest, I told her I’d already done some research—that is, I had Googled “climbing Everest.”

I wondered, How much does it cost? Have any soldiers done it? When is the best time to climb? Those questions caused me to think, Can I put together an Army team? How incredible would that be? Is it even possible for an Army Soldier to do it? 

I started emailing anybody and everybody who might have an interest in helping me make this dream a reality. I didn’t know which direction to head, so I just sent out a shotgun blast in every direction to see what got traction. 

One of the biggest obstacles people encounter once they decide to go after their dreams is not knowing how to start. Are you ready for the answer? Make a move, any move at all. It doesn’t matter how big or small. Just do it. Take ten minutes and start doing something to make your dream happen; chances are you won’t stop after just ten minutes. The sheer fact of starting makes it easier to continue because you’re no longer staring at a blank slate. 

The Bible even talks about this truth in Zechariah 4:10: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” God loves it when you take even a small step out in faith.

Now, say you take your first step, but you don’t go anywhere. Then what? Well, now it’s easier to take the second step because at least you know where not to step. Keep going until something works. It’s all about momentum. Once you get the ball moving, it’s easier to steer it where you want it to go. With Everest, I knew only the end state I was aiming for; all the stuff in between I figured out by trial and error. 

Today, think about what move you could make toward living out your calling. Even if it is a “small beginning,” God will honor your courage and give you momentum to keep going.

from A Higher Calling by Harold & Rachel Earls

Categories
Devotion for Men Devotion for Women ZZ

God’s Dreams for You

‘This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”’ Joshua 1:9(NLT)

I (Harold) remember it like yesterday. I was lying in bed at West Point, daydreaming and looking over my bucket list. Close to the top was “Become an American Soldier.” 

When I was young, we would go on family vacations to Washington, D.C., and visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Seeing those soldiers in uniform and learning about the selfless service the Unknown Soldier represented inspired me. So much so that in sixth grade, when given the prompt “Write About Your Hero,” my answer was obvious: an American Soldier. Since I would be commissioned as an Army officer when I graduated, I was almost ready to check this off the list. 

Also on my list: “Play baseball at West Point.” I could check that one off! While I didn’t write them down, the two most important items on my mental list were “Get married” and “Have a family.” One of those items was soon to have a check mark too. 

In bold at the very top of my list was “Climb Mount Everest.” As my eyes focused on this line item, I didn’t think about my zero climbing experience, nor that I was from the great state of Georgia, where our tallest mountain stands fewer than five thousand feet. But suddenly, I couldn’t get climbing Everest out of my head, even though I had always hated the cold and was terrible at running hills during PT in the Army. 

I knew it wasn’t a mountain for the inexperienced. It is a deadly beast. Although I would need a lot of training, I wanted to put myself in that extreme environment—in the death zone—to see what I was truly made of. I wanted to try to beat the thing I’m weakest at, and that’s why Everest was number one on my list. It was a mind-consuming idea that I just couldn’t ignore. 

I had an unshakable feeling God was speaking to me, and that burning desire only became stronger whenever I thought of Everest. I knew I had to go. 

So, what’s on your bucket list? Is God is speaking to you now through a desire to do something that doesn’t make sense on an earthly level? Spend some time in God’s Word, focused on Joshua 1:9. How would truly believing that God is with you give you courage to step out in faith?

from A Higher Calling by Harold & Rachel Earls