dire straits:
[dahyuhr streyts] / ˈdaɪər ˈstreɪts /
→ very difficult circumstances.
In Psalm 142, David relates the dire straits he was in:
Enemies closing in.
Trapped in a dead-end cave.
No one around to help.
I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. (Psalm 142:4 NLT)
When there is no earthly way you can get out of the jam you’re in, it’s a perfect time for God to show you that He cares enough to do what no one else can do or will do!
Don’t throw in the towel; throw your hands up to God.
Then I pray to You, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.” (Psalm 142:5 NLT)
If you are in dire straits, you may also want to check out:
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
On this episode of The Podcast, let’s talk about seeing something brighter in the darkest of times.
Check out all of the Scriptures I reference in this video here.
You may seem some glimmers of light in your dark place—like Paul did in the Roman prison—but even if you don’t see anything but darkness, make the choice to worship. I need to remind myself that God has a plan for my life and that He is working out all the details for my good and to bring glory to Himself.
Let’s change our self-focused “Why me?” to God-focused worship as we say, “Thank You, Jesus, that You are using me to build Your kingdom!”
As I was studying the Book of Jude, I came across this phrase, “Though you already know all this, I want to remind you.” This prompted these three quick thoughts that I want to share with my fellow pastors.
Using the words from Isaiah 40:10-11, Sarah Young has Jesus speaking these words to us: “Adverse circumstances become growth opportunities when you affirm your trust in Me no matter what.”
Ken Blanchard has long used a challenge for leaders to catch their teammates doing something right. That phrase has now become the title of a biography about Ken. He says, “Great leaders who want to encourage and motivate their people set up a positive cycle:
A great leader catches someone doing something right and praises them.
The leader’s praise helps the person feel good about themselves.
People who feel good about themselves produce good results.
A great leader notices when people produce good results.
See #1.”
This is a very encouraging read for men! Scott Hubbard writes, “You may not have ability for preaching and teaching, as Timothy did. But the Holy Spirit does not leave any Christian giftless. … You may have a small vision for your life; God does not.”
An amazing series from T.M. Moore on the law in a Kingdom economy. T.M. writes, “Christians don’t keep the Law to be saved; we keep it because we are saved, because it is the path that Jesus walked (1 John 2:1-6); and we recognize its value for helping us realize more of the life of holy, righteous, and good works for which we have been redeemed (Romans 7:12; Ephesians 2:8-10).”
Geologists have discovered what Creationists already proposed about plate tectonics related to the Flood described in the Bible. “Flood geologists have predicted that plate motion slowed at the end of the Flood year, and now conventional scientists are finding it to be true.”
The Assemblies of God has always responded to popular religious trends with solid biblical exegesis. The “latter day rain” movement in the 1940s is a good example.
“Mature leaders swallow their egos and recognize God as their power source. They walk confidently in His authority, but never assume credit for it. Faith enables them to stretch, while humility enables them to stoop.” —John Maxwell
Moreover, [God] called for a famine upon the land of Egypt; He cut off every source of bread [Genesis 41:54]. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold as a servant [Genesis 45:5; 50:20, 21]. His feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in chains of iron and his soul entered into the iron, until his word to his cruel brothers came true, until the word of the Lord tried and tested him. The king sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the peoples, and let him go free. He made Joseph Lord of his house and ruler of all his substance [Genesis 41:40]. To bind his princes at his pleasure and teach his elders wisdom. (Psalm 105:16-22 AMPC)
“The word of the Lord tried and tested him.” When we cling to God’s promises despite the seemingly impossible circumstances we are in, that faithful clinging matures us. It both softens our heart and strengthens our trust in God.
Before going through the difficulties, Joseph wasn’t ready to operate effectively in such a lofty leadership position. God uses all things to mold us and shape us for His purpose (Romans 8:28). We certainly see a more mature Joseph standing before Pharaoh than we saw interacting with his brothers earlier in his life.
God called Joseph and he prepared Joseph. All that was lacking was Joseph’s faithful clinging to God and yielding to God’s maturing process. The end result was one of the most impactful leaders that history has ever known!
Every “miss” along the journey can be a stepping stone to future success. If you don’t win, at least learn. Check out the full conversation Greg and I had.
“A leader must embody the strength that inspires others to follow. And yet, this strength must be tempered with humility, for Christ Himself came not as a warrior-king but as a servant-leader, washing the feet of His disciples.” —Lost Kings reading plan on YouVersion
John Piper identifies the roots of false teaching in his Look at the Book teaching on 1 Timothy 6—
When swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also, but with the humble (those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by trial, and renounce self) are skillful and godly Wisdom and soundness. (Proverbs 11:2 AMPC)
The pruning, trials, and discipline the Lord allows us to experience are for an important purpose: To allow ourselves to be emptied of ourselves. This humility that empties us of ourselves makes room for us to be full of the presence of God.
On the other hand, remaining full of yourself—also called “pride”—will also bring an emptiness. But this emptiness comes with shame and is absent of God’s fulfilling presence.
You and I must choose one or the other: humility before God or pride in ourselves.
Leaders are needed for tough times. “Doing difficult creates natural separation” for your leadership, says Eric Thomas. Check out this full conversation from The Craig and Greg Show.
“Busier than a businessman, more sought out than a celebrity, wanted as a mother of many toddlers, and bearing a task as big as the world, Jesus prayed.” Check out Scott Hubbard’s post Never Too Busy To Pray.
“This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge keeps his wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well.” —Sir Francis Bacon
“Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.” —Hudson Taylor
There are almost 12,000 species of snakes and lizards, but evolutionists still do not know where they came from. Vertebrate paleontologist Michael Benton stated, “The early history of squamates [snakes, lizards] is patchy,” and the debate of snake origin “is far from resolved.” ICR offers the most straightforward solution to this supposed evolutionary dilemma: “snakes and lizards have been created with the genetic ability to undergo “remarkably varied jaw shapes” that have led to “their extraordinary ecological success” as they move in and fill various niches.”
Seth Porch, in talking about the joy of daily reading the Bible, notes, “By itself, neither habit, shame, nor duty will lead you to open God’s word daily with a heart posture of humble expectation and joy. Such an attitude toward the Bible comes only from the astonished realization that in these pages God actually speaks.” I hope you find the joy in reading God’s Word throughout this new year. I love my YouVersion reading plans that take me through the Bible. You may also like the companion book by Dick Brogden called Missionary God, Missionary Bible. And I shared some Bible studies that may interest you here and here.
Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.
When you’re trying to accomplish a task it’s natural to want to search for the quickest way to get it done. But what if that’s not the best way? In this episode Greg and I discuss why rejecting shortcuts and persevering through struggles will make you a better leader, and also allow you to help your team get better as well. Join us for some powerful motivation to kick off the new year!
[0:23] The shortest distance between two points is ____?
[1:04] Why do we want things done so quickly?
[2:36] When difficulty makes us slow down, our natural inclination is to bail.
[3:40] Sometimes slowing down enriches our lives.
[5:22] Leaders have to prepare their team for upcoming hardships, and be willing to fight through them with the team.
[7:12] Greg discusses how going the extra mile separates you from the crowd.
[8:29] Failure informs your success.
[9:27] Greg and I discuss our personal experiences with “shortcut culture” in today’s society.
[16:02] Greg shares a story from his time coaching football that illustrates how a leader can push the team farther.
[18:43] We share action points for leaders to implement this new year.
[22:35] A leadership coach will help you improve and be better equipped to lead your team.
Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
Paul’s first visit to Philippi didn’t go so well!
It started off with some success—Lydia and her household accepted Jesus as their Messiah, and a demon-possessed girl was set free—but then things turned sour very quickly! Paul and Silas were falsely accused of subverting Roman law, and without any sort of trial they were beaten and thrown into prison.
Even after the local magistrates realized their mistake in mistreating Roman citizens in this way, they simply asked Paul and Silas to leave town. You can read this story in Acts 16:11-40.
But there were seeds planted in this city. Not just Lydia’s family, but the jailer’s family as well, became followers of Jesus. And what about the girl set free from demonic oppression? I have a hunch she joined with the Christians in praising God too! This group of believers then became the first financial supporters of Paul’s missionary work.
Paul knew that his brief imprisonment in Philippi had resulted in a thriving group of believers. And now as he writes a letter to these saints from a Roman jail, he is once again starting to see what God is going to do through this hardship—
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brothers and sisters, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. (Philippians 1:12-14)
Paul was not embittered by his imprisonment, but he was rejoicing in all of the good things God was accomplishing because of his imprisonment.
✅ An attitude of thankfulness allows our eyes to stay open to God’s blessings even in hardships.
❌ A grumbling attitude prevents us from acknowledging what God is doing.
Paul’s trust in God’s provision gave him an attitude of gratitude in a difficult place, and he now encourages his friends to adopt this same mindset. In the next chapter, he writes—
Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you. (Philippians 3:1)
Paul knew that in a heart full of gratitude there is no room for grumbling. That’s why always rejoicing in the Lord is “a safeguard” for Christians. Rejoicing in God’s character and God’s blessings keeps our mind on Him, making it very difficult for any temptation to ambush us.
Let’s proactively keep a heart full of gratitude so that no grumbling can seep in. But if we do find ourselves in a dark place that may prompt us to grumble, let’s react quickly to turn any complaints into praying and singing hymns to God, just as Paul and Silas had done in the Philippian jail, and undoubtedly as they were also doing now in their Roman jail.
![Psalm 142 [intro]](https://i0.wp.com/craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/psalm-142-intro.jpg?w=386&h=386&crop=1&ssl=1 "Psalm 142 [intro]")
![Psalm 142.4 [nlt]](https://i0.wp.com/craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/psalm-142.4-nlt.jpg?w=386&h=386&crop=1&ssl=1 "Psalm 142.4 [nlt]")
![Psalm 142.5 [nlt]](https://i0.wp.com/craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/psalm-142.5-nlt.jpg?w=386&h=386&crop=1&ssl=1 "Psalm 142.5 [nlt]")
Craig T. Owens 