“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)

There are times in life when it feels so overwhelming that we just want to give up. Whether it’s our job, our finances, family problems . . .
I’m sure we can all relate in one way or another. I wrote this poem as a reminder of Who is really in control. For those of us who have given our life to Christ, it’s just so great to know that He holds it all in His hand and has a plan for all of us who put our trust in Him.

When I feel like this world is bringing me down,
Your mighty right hand holds me up to not drown.
As I walk through the water, You will be with me.
My life is clay for the Potter to mold and uplift,
The way God the Father holds my soul in His grip,
His presence is present; the Holy Spirit’s a gift.
He wants to know all of us: every woman, child, and man,
No matter if you’re close or in a far-off distant land.
The Lord calls out to those who hear His voice,
No one will ever force you; He’s given all of us a choice.
So won’t you bring what’s broken and lay it at His feet,
As the gates of glory open and heaven’s host we finally meet?

So, even during those hard or uneasy moments, He is there continuing to carry us — along with all of our burdens — through life’s storms.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for never leaving us nor forsaking us. Help us to strive to be more like You and to be less like us. Amen.

— Jason Jackson

Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.

Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org

The post He Is With Me appeared first on Council Fire.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 (NIV)

We all need light in order to walk. That’s why I am thankful that the Lord is my Light, and He helps me to “see” as I walk through this life. He is also my salvation — Jesus Christ has forgiven my sins, which I am very well aware of. I am also aware of my fears, but through
God’s Word, He gives me His strength to face them.

I sometimes wonder what it would like to be totally by myself. I’m sure there would be a lot of fear. In my ministry I have traveled a lot,
visiting northern communities where my people live. There have been times when I felt like I was surrounded by people who were against me, wanting me to leave, or even to hurt me. It may have sometimes just been my imagination but, whatever the case, I was confident of the Lord’s presence.

If it wasn’t for the Lord being my Stronghold, I’m sure I would fall under the weight in hard times. But those hard times are part of life.
My desire is to live for Jesus daily. In the Psalms, men wrote about being in God’s temple. That’s where I would want to be.

Jesus Christ truly is my Rock in hard times. Sometimes, in troubled times, I still do cry. One of them was years ago when my wife,
Laura, and I lost our adult son in a car accident. But the Lord is forever with me. He will never leave me.

There are sacrifices in the Christian life, but it is only the Lord who gives true joy to my soul and spirit. Over the years, I have gained
a deep desire for God’s Word. As I read God’s Word, He speaks to me. So I give Him praise.

— Gilbert Bekkatla

Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.

Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org

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“For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf
will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8 (NKJV)

Near my house stand very tall spruce trees. These trees have many branches, and the sum of their weight must be incredibly heavy.
One evening, as I observed the trees, I marveled. I thought, “To hold all those heavy branches, those tree trunks must be very strong.”

On another evening, it was storming very hard. I again thought, “Those tree trunks must be very strong to withstand the wind.” A couple
of seasons later, there was a bad blizzard. Still, the trees overcame. I thought again, “Those tree trunks must be very strong!”

Jeremiah writes — in the Scripture above — about believers being like trees that spread out their roots and do not fear, are not anxious,
nor cease from yielding fruit. When we are pressed every day, are we strong? Do we remain standing if we are pressed by many issues? Do we remain standing? Jeremiah tells us the secret of a tree’s strength: “. . . planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river.”

Jesus said to a Samaritan woman, “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14b, NKJV). The Apostle Paul said, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7, NKJV).

Remember, we know we need God every day, but when those additional challenges come into our lives — sometimes more than one at a time — they can be overwhelming. Let’s remain rooted in Christ.

— Ernie McDougall

Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.

Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org

The post Tough Like a Tree appeared first on Council Fire.

“Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that
had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.” Exodus 18:8 (ESV)

God’s people suffered 400 years of slavery. That’s a long time, my friends, but during that time the people cried out to God, and He heard them. Out of His mercy, God raised up a leader to deliver them from bondage.

Today, people are still enslaved and imprisoned in so many ways. Did you know that we can be enslaved by our own choices? Some
people seem to choose to accept defeat, and refuse God’s help. When we let the enemy lead us to sin, or allow our past experiences to define us, then we walk back into our own “Egypt,” slaves to the enemy. And most of our “prisons” are made up of our own thoughts about ourselves, our lives, and our whole identity.

Our past can also shape the building of our “prisons.” We may feel we need the approval of others or to meet certain expectations.
We can be held captive by our emotions and feelings. How much time have we spent in anger? . . . or plotting or seeking revenge, because of what someone did to us? But there is good news, my friends! Our God is the great deliverer. He alone is the great chain breaker. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved along with everyone in your household” (Acts 16:38).

In your time of hardship, cry out, as the people of God did in the Bible. The Lord will hear you. As He raised up the prophet Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, so He has sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to lead us out of the condemnation of sin by dying on the cross.
With Christ, we walk as free people, straight “out of Egypt”!

— Mark Little Elk

Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.

Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org

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“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 (ESV)

I sure didn’t find anything “good” in the scalding grief I felt when I lost my husband. He was my best friend, the love of my life, the best father, the most loving grandfather and chapan (great-grandfather). He was the backbone of our family, a wonderful friend, and man of God. The person I thought would be with me until the day God called me home.

“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so,” we sing. But I didn’t feel like Jesus loved me in the months after Al went home
to be with the Lord. If Jesus really did love me, why was my life full of loss? As a young girl, I experienced the loss of family security due
to divorce, the loss of all five brothers, the loss of both parents, the loss of my kokum and mushum (grandparents). Every time I turned around, there was another loss.

After the pain and sorrow began to fade a wee bit, I realized just how much Jesus really did love me. He loved me enough to see that
I didn’t owe one penny when Al passed. He loved me enough to give me daughters and grandchildren that care about me. He gave me an adopted family that walked beside me in my grief, even though I tried to push them away a time or two as I didn’t understand they were trying to help me.

God never wanted people to die — death is a result of the first sin in the Garden of Eden. God made people to worship Him, to have
fellowship with Him, to do His will. I realized how much God cared because He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for my sins. Yes, even in grief,
we can find the good when we have Jesus in our lives.

— June Cardinal-Howse

Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.

Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org

The post Good Grief appeared first on Council Fire.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

She was the tiniest puppy of the litter. Her brothers and sisters would push her away and Mama wouldn’t let her eat. One of the kids in
the house tried to feed her with a doll bottle, but that didn’t work out so well.

When I first saw this skinny little “runt of the litter,” I wanted her. It didn’t matter that she was malnourished, thin and kind of sickly — I
still wanted her! After the “rescue operation,” and when this impoverished puppy finally made her home at our place, things were very
different. The first thing that changed was that somebody wanted her. I’d fallen for that little dog big time!

The second thing was that somebody cared and looked out for her. Now there was Puppy Chow, vet shots, and her own little mattress.
That third change was that, for the first time in her life, she was special to someone!

It reminded me of how God relates to us. Firstly, the Bible tells us in John 3:16 that God loved us. For people who grow up in a home where there is no one who really cares for them, the concept of love may be a distant or distorted ideal. That is very sad, but there is good news.

Secondly, God cares for us. We read in 1 Peter 5:7, “He cares for you.” It’s a truth that I’ve had to learn over and over in my life — that
God cares for me!

Finally, God’s Word really brings out the thought of you and I being very special. Psalm 139:14 says, “I am fearfully and wonderfully
made: your works are wonderful.” That says that I am special!

That little puppy went from being rejected to being queen of the house. In God’s way of seeing us, we are loved, cared about, and very
special. Thank you, Lord, for loving and caring about me!

— Milly Jackson

Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.

Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org

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“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 (NASB)

I had started my vehicle on a cold morning before church. I ran in the house for not even a minute, came outside, and stood there in disbelief . . . my vehicle had been stolen! I had my passport and birth certificate in the vehicle. So, they not only stole my car, they stole my identity as well! It all happened so fast.

It reminds me of our enemy, Satan. He is waiting at every turn to come in and violate our sense of joy and strip away our peace. He
doesn’t respect boundaries, doesn’t ask if he’s allowed to take something — he simply does it without consent. Before we know it, our
identity and sense of well-being is robbed. This could cause our trust in God to falter.

So how do we maintain joy even through the harshest circumstances? Paul and Silas sang praises and prayed while they were in
prison chains (Acts 16:25). In following their story, we see that God was still God, even in their time of crisis. Sometimes we can forget
that. It’s easy to focus on the present difficulties, then feel abandoned by the One who is actually holding us.

Let’s continually be on guard against the enemy who is the real “joy thief.” We can choose to turn our thoughts towards Jesus, who will steady us along our journey. (Over time, my car was found, but was damaged. None of the contents were recovered.) If we maintain the right focus, we won’t be caught off guard when life doesn’t go the way we plan. We will “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16-18, NIV).

Heavenly Father, please guard and secure my heart, so that my joy can never be stolen. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

— Corrie Hill

Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.

Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org

The post A Joy Thief appeared first on Council Fire.

“So they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and God saved them from their desperate circumstances. God brought them out
from the darkness and deep gloom; he shattered their chains.” Psalm 107:13-14 (NIV)

Have you ever been (or are you) in a season where you don’t understand God’s plan? Are you frustrated? Confused? Apprehensive?

It can be difficult to navigate through the valleys when you can’t see a way out . . . whether it be loss of a job, loss of a loved one, a bad
day, a bad week, or a bad year. No matter the circumstance or struggle, know this: just as Mordecai advised Esther in the Old Testament, you were born “ for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14, NIV).

So if you are going through a valley, asking God, “Why me?” — as it says in 1 Peter, “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares
for you.” Be transparent. He sees and knows your mind and heart already, so you can cry, and later rejoice. You will see that God will
bring you peace of mind and understanding like you’ve never known — in His time.

Remember, you are “ fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14, NIV). We are meant to spread God’s Word and His love. So even though the valleys can be raw, embarrassing, or difficult . . . God carries us through. And that is reason enough to rejoice!

Thank you, Lord, for everything You’ve done in my life. Even when I fall, You are beside me, and when I am frustrated or confused,
it doesn’t make sense to me, but You know. Please continue to give me Your peace and understanding to get me through, as Your joy comes in the morning! I trust You and Your plan but, please, I pray for Your strength to carry on, and to always seek Your kingdom first. In your Son’s name, I pray, Amen.

— Tayola Brown (L’Hirondelle)

Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.

Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org

The post Why Me, Lord? appeared first on Council Fire.

“God blesses those that mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (NLT)

God knows you will experience grief in this life, but you’re not meant to go through it alone. Relying on God and others can relieve your
sorrow. Ecclesiastes 3:1a-4 says: “To everything there is a time . . . a time to weep . . . a time to mourn, . . .” (KJV) John 11:35 says, “Jesus wept.” (KJV) Jesus felt deeply the pain of Lazarus’ death.

I was raised in a culture where open grief was not normal. I recall standing by a family that had suffered a devastating loss to suicide.
While viewing the casket, a little girl was weeping. A grandmother beside her was trying to comfort her by telling her not to cry. I can only imagine how the girl felt. From then on, she may have believed that it was not okay to cry.

I have heard many stories of grief and loss as a counselor. Most often I hear symptoms such as, “It’s like something is stuck in my throat.” True sorrowing is a normal stage of grief, which is a deep gut cry. To cry is very therapeutic and brings an emotional release from pain.

This taboo—“don’t cry”—was broken in my village years ago when we tragically lost a young man. During the wake service, the church
was packed. A respected elder of the church got up and stated that we had suffered a devastating loss, “But it’s okay to cry.” It was like a dam broke—everybody was crying, from youth to adults. As one of the crisis workers, we didn’t know what to do. We tried to comfort everyone, then finally one of the workers said, “It’s okay, let them grieve.”

Today, I am very grateful for the freedom to grieve with others and to comfort those that mourn. But most importantly, Jesus Christ is
the greatest Comforter—He modeled grief by weeping. He is also the Healer. Psalm 147:3: “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” (KJV)

– Liz Beardy

Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.

Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org

The post Biblical Advice for Grief appeared first on Council Fire.

“We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his
purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NASB)

On this side of heaven, we may never understand how all things can work together for good for God’s children. If we trust God, He
will turn all these into opportunities for spiritual growth.

My daughter and I both had dreams of a very dark storm coming our way. I believe God was preparing me for what was coming. My
husband had been sick for a few weeks and had lost 27 pounds. He was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and COVID-19. Since there were restrictions, it meant that none of us could be with him.

Every day I phoned him to read the Bible and pray. I felt the dark cloud hovering over our home, and I couldn’t eat. When I didn’t have
the appetite to eat, I would force myself. Without warning he was transferred to Saskatoon. None of us were allowed to go with him. He
had to go alone in the ambulance. This would be the last time that I saw my loving husband, as a few days later he passed away.

Yes, I was shocked and devastated. I couldn’t cry. I just felt numb. One moment I was happy he wasn’t suffering anymore, the next moment I was angry at the medical people. All of a sudden, I felt God’s peace like I never felt before. He was telling me, “I am here, and you will see him again soon.”

I am thankful for my Heavenly Father and the Word of God. Yes, I have times when I cry and grieve, but I know that my husband would
not want me to stay in my closet and waste away. He would say, “Liz, go out there and tell them about our Great Savior Jesus.” I am blessed as I go out and minister for Jesus.

– Liz Genaille

Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.

Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org

The post This Side of Heaven appeared first on Council Fire.