Tag Archives: holy spirit

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Small Things 

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Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.   Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)

Small things are big to God, so they are not to be discounted or despised. After all, our Savior is in the small things. Our pride wants to get on to the larger and more important opportunities. It dismisses the mundane or the monotonous. But success and significance are also found in the small things.

A quiet smile at a restaurant server is small, but significant. A little gift for an unsuspecting sanitation worker is small, but significant. Learning the children’s names of a blue-collar worker in your company, and occasionally joining him for lunch is small, but significant. Attention to small things makes people big. Celebrate an office employee’s birthday over breakfast, or an important personal milestone over lunch or dinner. When we give attention to small things, we say we care. Private acts of love foster public loyalty and long-term commitment. It is the attention to small things that build great people and grow great companies.

This is also true with our children. If we want influence with them when they face big issues as teenagers and adults, it is imperative we show interest in the small things of their childhood. Parental investment in ballgames, recitals, school plays, scouts, church camps, outdoors, homework, shared hobbies, and church all add up to an invitation to big things. Little things like tucking them in at night will one day give them the trust to invite us into the dark night of their soul. Investment in the small things invites influence with the big things.

Therefore, do not despise this season of small things. They are like seeds that eventually grow into grand and glorious opportunities of influence. There is a definite sequence of seed planting, watering, fertilizing, and cultivating. The process can become boring and seem unproductive, but this illustrates how God works. Your Savior is into stringing together a sequence of small activities that leads to larger outcomes. So stay with the small things, for in due season you will reap the harvest.

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – A New Husband

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Read: Romans 7:1-6

Do you not know, brothers and sisters — for I am speaking to those who know the law — that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. Romans 7:1-3

Paul uses an illustration to teach us the way to be free from the Law. The woman is us. She has two husbands, one following the other. Notice what the death of the first husband does to the woman’s relationship to the Law. When the first husband dies, the woman is released from the Law. Not only is she released from her husband, but she also is released from the Law. If her husband dies, the Law can say nothing to her as to where she can go, and what she can do, and who she can be with. She is released from the Law. The death of the husband makes the woman dead to Law.

The first husband is Adam, this old life into which we were born. We were linked to it, married to it, and couldn’t get away from it. Like a woman married to an old, cruel, mean husband, there is not much she can do about it. While she is married she is tied to that husband. She cannot have a second husband while she is married to the first. She is stuck with #1, and she has to share his lifestyle of bondage, corruption, shame and death. That is why we who were born into Adam have to share the lifestyle of fallen Adam.

If this woman, while she is married to her first husband, tries to live with another — for this lifestyle is sickening to her — she will be called an adulteress. Who calls her that? The Law does. The Law condemns her. It is only when the first husband dies that she is free from that condemnation of the Law and can marry again. When she does, the Law is absolutely silent; it has nothing to say to her at all. Verse 4 says, So…you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

What a fantastic verse! Here is the great, marvelous declaration of the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Notice how Paul draws the parallel: So … you also. We fit right into this. The key words here are you also died to the law through the body of Christ. The body of Christ refers to the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – A New Husband →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Joy

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Read: John 16:16-24

Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (v. 24)

The connection between prayer and “softness” may have been rather puzzling, but the link here, between prayer and joy, is made crystal clear. There is puzzlement, for sure, in the minds of Jesus’ friends, because up to this point the idea that he might leave them, if only (as it will turn out) for the three days between his death and his resurrection, has been totally mystifying. But knowing a crucified and risen Christ will open up for them a whole new way of praying.

Joe, whom you met yesterday, has been a “disciple” for some time, but the person and name of Jesus are not yet a reality to him. Sooner or later, in God’s good time, Jesus will confront him with the words that lead into today’s text: “Until now you have asked nothing in my name.” To spell it out, Jesus will be saying something like this: “Be sure of it, Joe, when you ask me to be your Savior from sin and the Lord of your life, you’ll find you are able to talk in a new way to ‘him up there,’ who has already helped you from time to time in the past, and he will begin to answer you as never before. Just tell him ‘Jesus said I could come,’ and you’ll be welcome at once. Ask, and you will receive; that missing element, joy, will begin to color your life in ways you never dreamed of.”

 

Here is the poem in its entirety:

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – The LORD Is Good

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“They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” (Psalm 145:7-9)

This psalm was a well-known song among the Israelites in Old Testament times. What do you think the people in the neighboring nations must have thought when they heard the lyrics to this Israelite tune? The “neighbors” were godless people, meaning they were without the God of the Bible. Some of them were idolaters who worshipped many gods. Some of them would not bow the knee to any kind of god at all.

Do you think these godless people were happy? Were their idols hearing or answering their prayers? Were they able to get themselves through hard times on their own, without God? Maybe you are thinking, Well, how can I know what those ancient people were thinking? I am living in the twenty-first century, and those people are all dead now. I can’t watch them live without God. I can’t ask them how they liked their godless lives.

And you would be right, in a way. In our time, we can only imagine what people might have been thinking back then. But you can look around at people today. You can watch how godless people respond in a crisis and see how hopeless they are. You can read about them and see what they do and say. You can watch how it is for them to live life apart from belief in the God of the Bible. And you can see for yourself whether they really are happy or at peace.

When the USA’s World Trade Center was attacked on 9/11/01, Americans everywhere were asking a few questions: “Is God really out there?” “Is God really good?” If you have ever heard recordings of reporters and bystanders that day, as they watched the towers burn and fall, and as so many lives were lost, you can hear that many of them – even the ones who would never admit that God exists – were calling out on God! Most of them were probably saying His name in vain (in an empty way, because they were not really calling Him for help). But if you do not believe that God exists, why would your first reaction be to call out the name of a non-existent “God”?

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – The LORD Is Good →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – His Loving Discipline

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Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 12:6

“The Lord . . . chastises every son whom he receives.”

In addition to disciplining those he loves, the Lord also, as our Father, “chastises” or punishes us. Punishment may serve one of two purposes: the execution of justice or the correction of character. When a person convicted of a crime is sent to prison, that’s punishment in the execution of justice. When a loving parent punishes a child, it’s for the correction of the child’s character.

Although today we usually equate discipline with punishment, the biblical use of the word discipline had a broader meaning. Punishment would have been one aspect of the overall program of child-training. But all of God’s discipline, including punishment for disobedience that he sends to us in the form of adversity, is administered in love and for our welfare. We must never equate his punishment of us with the negative emotions we often see in a human parent.

God does punish in the execution of justice. The Scriptures say, “God is just” (2 Thessalonians 1:6, NIV) and “?t is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19, NIV). But as far as believers are concerned, God has already executed the justice we should have received on his Son on the cross. Christ fully satisfied the justice of God and turned away his wrath from us. Therefore, God’s punishment of us is always corrective and always administered in love and for our welfare.

In times of adversity Satan will seek to plant the thought in our mind that God is angry with us and is disciplining us out of wrath. Here is another instance when we need to preach the Gospel to ourselves. The Gospel will reassure us that the penalty for our sins has been paid, that God’s justice has been fully satisfied. (Excerpt taken from The Discipline of Grace)

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – A Cheerful Giver

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6-9

“I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” – -Luke 21:3-4

I spent several weeks in the African country of Liberia teaching at a small Bible college. The missionaries who oversaw the college told me of a tragedy several years before, when their house burned down and they lost everything they had. The day after the fire, a little African girl came to them with a pair of well-worn canvas sneakers and gave them to one of their daughters. They were the only shoes the African girl had, and she would likely never get another pair, but she came offering them freely, saying she wanted to help. The missionaries were overwhelmed by her sacrificial giving.

It reminded me of Paul’s description of the Macedonian churches’ response to the grace of God. Second Corinthians 8:2-4 says, “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.”

Paul directs our attention to Jesus Christ as the great example of what it means to give: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (verse 9). Paul went on to say that our sacrificial giving should be more than an emotional response on the spur of the moment. It should be thought through and done deliberately. Christian, if you have never done it, sit down and lay out a giving plan that honors the Lord in its sacrificial generosity.

Prayer

Lord, everything I have comes from You. Guide me as I consider how to give to others out of my abundance. Amen.

To Ponder

If your giving practices were made known to Christians in other lands, would your example be a challenge and encouragement to them?

 

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – A SLEEPLESS NIGHT

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Read ESTHER 6:1–10

People will try counting sheep, drinking warm milk, taking deep breaths, and moving the television out of the room in order to get some shut-eye. In today’s passage, God uses a sleepless night to change the course of history.

The beginning of Esther 6 contains an ironic turn of events. Haman was preparing to destroy Mordecai. But now there would be a great reversal: he would be asked to construct an elaborate plan to honor him.

Notice how God intervened in the plot line of the tragic story. Even before Xerxes heard Esther’s request, Mordecai’s act of bravery was brought to his attention. The king could not sleep. We know that throughout Scripture, God often spoke to men and women in dreams and visions, and we can reasonably conclude that He was responsible for this restless, sleepless night in the palace. God engineered events to bring something to King Xerxes’ attention.

The king asked for the book that chronicled the historical records of his kingdom. Certainly the lengthy, detailed manuscript would be enough to induce drowsiness! But the book had the opposite effect. The king was reminded of Mordecai’s act of heroism when Mordecai prevented his assassination (2:21–23). Although the guilty officials had been put to death for the attempt, Mordecai had never been rewarded.

In a wonderful ironic twist, Haman was asked to suggest a reward for the hero. In his self-centered way, Haman assumed the recipient of the king’s gratitude would be himself (v. 6). He certainly never expected that the recipient would be Mordecai. While honoring Mordecai would delight the king, it was devastating and humiliating for the man who wanted to destroy him.

APPLY THE WORD

Do you realize that your acts of loyalty and love can delight your King? Psalm 147:11 says that God delights in those who fear Him and put their hope in Him. It is wonderful to know that we can bring joy and honor to our God. Ask Him today to guide your steps and to make each word and action one that will bring Him delight.

 

http://www.todayintheword.org

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – How God Reveals Himself

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Romans 1:18-21

Look at the delicate veins of an oak leaf, and you experience the beauty of God. Observe the storm-whipped surf beating against a beach, and you witness His power. The Lord’s sense of order is revealed in the march of the seasons and the precise tilt and turning of the earth. People need to look no farther than nature to understand that God is real.

Romans tells us that the revelation of the Lord in nature is sufficient to render inexcusable those who would deny His existence (Rom. 1:20). There’s no reasonable explanation for the creation of the material universe other than an omnipotent God putting it all together. The matter and fuel for a “big bang” had to come from Someone.

But nature can’t give us a full revelation—creation does not show the Lord’s holiness or eternity. That is why He gave us His Word. The Bible reveals God’s character, records His laws, and explains His expectations for the faithful. In its pages, we can learn about our Father and the kind of life He wants us to lead. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).

Scripture teaches about the living Word—Jesus Christ—who is the full revelation of God. The heavenly Father wanted to ensure that humanity could know Him intimately, so to make Himself known, He sent His Son clothed in flesh. Jesus said, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” (John 14:7). Spend time in Bible study and prayer to know your Father better.

Bible in One Year: Hosea 1-5

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Survival Float

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Read: Psalm 55:4-23

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 27-29; 2 Corinthians 10

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.—Psalm 55:22

Sunlight glittered on the swimming pool in front of me. I overheard an instructor speaking to a student who had been in the water for quite a while. He said, “It looks like you’re getting tired. When you’re exhausted and in deep water, try the survival float.”

Certain situations in life require us to spend our mental, physical, or emotional energy in a way that we can’t sustain. David described a time when his enemies were threatening him and he felt the emotional weight of their anger. He needed to escape the distress he was experiencing.

As he processed his feelings, he found a way to rest in his troubled thoughts. He said, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you” (Ps. 55:22). He recognized that God supports us if we dare to release our problems to Him. We don’t have to take charge of every situation and try to craft the outcome—that’s exhausting! God is in control of every aspect of our life.

Instead of trying to do everything in our own effort, we can find rest in God. Sometimes it’s as simple as asking Him to handle our problems. Then we can pause, relax, and enjoy the knowledge that He is sustaining us. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt

God, today I give my problems to You. I know that You are in control of everything and I believe You are willing to help me. Please help me to find peace in You.

How do you find your rest? Share with us at odb.org.

God is a safe resting place.

INSIGHT: In today’s reading David lamented over the activities of the wicked against him and denounced those who accused him (Ps. 55:1-15). Especially troubling was the betrayal of a former friend. Yet David had confidence in God. His goodness and ability to deliver pulled David into a spirit of praise (vv. 16-23).

 

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Spirit-Filled Song

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“Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).

If we are Spirit-filled, we will have songs of praise in our hearts and on our lips.

Once a Christian knows about being Spirit-filled and walking by the Spirit, it is still fair for him or her to ask, “But how can I know if the Holy Spirit is really at work in my life?” Ephesians 5:19 answers this question by declaring one of the unmistakable evidences of the Spirit’s full operation in our lives—we will have a song in our hearts.

The Bible does not give us much detail about the practical use of music and song, but there are enough references so that its significance to God and His people is clear. The Israelites praised God after He rescued them from the Egyptians (Ex. 15). The Psalms are filled with songs and praise, epitomized by the final verse, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” (150:6).

In the New Testament, Jesus and the disciples closed the Last Supper by singing a hymn (Matt. 26:30). Paul and Silas sang while they were imprisoned at Philippi (Acts 16:25). During his vision in Revelation 5, the apostle John sees this: “When He [Christ, the Lamb] had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song” (vv. 8-9).

That “new song” John was about to hear sung before God’s throne was not just new chronologically—it was new qualitatively. Here as elsewhere in the New Testament, “new” is used in relation to God’s salvation, which means it makes perfect sense for us to sing a new song—one that is far better than the world’s songs—if we are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Words of genuine praise should well up in our hearts often and at the appropriate times break forth from our lips as we reflect the joy of the Spirit-filled life.

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God specifically for some of your favorite hymns.

For Further Study

Read Revelation 5:1-14 for the complete context of John’s new song.

  • What is the song’s theme?
  • How many eventually join in the praises?

 

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Safe Environments 

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“Your brother has come,” he replied, “and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.”    Luke 15:27

Our soul seeks out safe environments. We are attracted to people we can trust, who accept us for who we are instead of who we need to be. Safe environments give us security and peace. We can bare our souls because we know we are in a place of confidentiality, so do not fear rejection. A business meeting with a rigid agenda, pretense, and pride is not a safe place in which to be yourself.

Those who foster safe environments seek first to understand; there is no rush to judgment, but there is a rash of love. In safe environments, we feel loved, even when we are unlovely. Parents have the privilege of providing a safe environment for their teenagers transitioning into young adulthood. This can be a trying time for everyone, as your children are not babies anymore, so they do not want to be babied and controlled.

By God’s grace, you have trained them for such a time as this. This is your teenager’s time of transition into maturity and he or she may have to make a bad relational decision in the process. This is how he or she grows and learns. Therefore, as parents, it is imperative you keep the home environment safe and non-combative. Continue to speak the truth in love, but do so graciously with great patience and after much prayer. If your teenager doesn’t feel safe at home, they will find safety and acceptance elsewhere; so create attractive environments they want to be in.

Safe environments are also necessary for Christ-seekers. People searching for authentic faith need someplace to ask questions without being rebuffed for their elementary inquires. More mature believers have the opportunity to be there for those on their faith journey, but judgment is a juggernaut against safe environments, as it crushes with a condescending attitude. So, be careful not to impose your high standards on a person or situation, and in the process endanger the safe environment. Share your own failures and struggles, doing so builds bridges to the heart. Safe environments are void of pedestals of pride. Consider a Bible discussion in your home, and follow it up with a fun activity. Make Christianity attractive, not boring. Safe environments draw people to Christ.

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Back to Your Future—Back to the Drawing Board

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Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way.”

1 Kings 19:15

The Bible is full of people who broke down in the Lord’s work. Jonah melted down in chapter 4 of his book. Jeremiah wandered around Jerusalem in near despair. John the Baptist questioned the Messiah. The apostle Paul went to Troas where a great door opened, but he was too anxious to launch a work there. And Elijah is a model for all of us who need to go back to the drawing board to rest and reprioritize our lives.

Recommended Reading: 1 Kings 19:11-18

Elijah’s story is a model for us. In 1 Kings 19, the great prophet collapsed in exhaustion and fear. He fled to the desert and went all the way to Mount Sinai. He rested, slept, prayed, ate, and complained to the Lord about his traumas. God listened, patiently restored him, and sent him back on his way along the way he had come. The Lord re-commissioned his prophet with fresh assignments.

Sometimes we need a break. We have to go back to the drawing board, reset ourselves physically, and reestablish our priorities. God has more work for us, so we mustn’t quit too soon. If you feel you’re near a collapse, don’t despair. The same God who helped Jonah, Jeremiah, John, Paul, and Elijah can help you too.

All Elijah needed to get renewed for service was a fresh vision of the power and glory of God.

Warren W. Wiersbe

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Joel 1 – Amos 4

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Humble and Bold

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Be strong (confident) and of a good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded  /*/  you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.- Joshua 1:6-7

Not only is it possible to be humble and bold, it is impossible to be truly bold without humility. Joshua was a man who was both. God told him to finish the job Moses started and take the Israelites into the Promised Land. Immediately after giving Joshua the command, God announced to him, No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you (Joshua 1:5).

Joshua’s confidence rested in the fact that God was with him, and because of that he was able to go forward to do something that he probably felt unqualified to do. Joshua must have felt fear because the Lord repeatedly told him to “fear not,” which means “don’t run!”

God told Joshua that if he would be strong, confident, and full of courage, he would cause the people to inherit the land that God had promised them.

Lord, what an amazing promise this is! I receive it as my own. Help me to know Your Word and to be absolutely faithful to it. Amen.

 

.1`1From the book The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – A New Master

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Read: Romans 6:8-14

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Romans 6:14

Why does Paul bring in the Law? He brings in the Law because he is dealing with one of the most basic problems of the Christian struggle, the thing that often depresses and discourages us more than anything else — the sense of condemnation we feel when we sin. The Law produces condemnation. The Law says that unless you live up to this standard, God will not have anything to do with you. We have been so engrained with this that when we sin, even as believers, we think God is angry and upset with us and he doesn’t care about us. We think that way about ourselves, and we become discouraged and defeated and depressed. We want to give up.

But Paul says that is not true. Believers are not under Law, and God does not respond that way toward us. We are under grace. God understands our struggle. He is not upset by it; he is not angry with us. He understands our failure. He knows that there will be a struggle and there will be failures. He also knows that he has made full provision in Christ for us to recover immediately, to pick ourself up, and go right on climbing up the mountain. Therefore, as his beloved child, you and I don’t need to be discouraged, and we won’t be.

Sin will not be your master because you are not under law and condemnation, but under grace. And even though you struggle, if, every time you fail, you come back to God and ask his forgiveness, and accept it from him, and remember how he loves you, and that he is not angry or upset with you, and go on from there, you will win.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – A New Master →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Peace

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Read: Philippians 4:4-7

In everything . . . prayer . . . and the peace of God. (vv. 6-7)

After the curious link between prayer and “softness” comes a metaphor that is much less puzzling, but will even so repay our close attention: that is, prayer as peace.

We need to focus on the word “everything” in verse 6 of our reading. My friend Joe has complicated problems, and when he and I are focusing on a particular one, the others have to wait their turn. Do they at that point begin to spin out of control?

Of course not. Life may be a jigsaw puzzle with a multitude of pieces, but God knows exactly where every bit of the puzzle is, and how each is designed to fit in with the rest; in what order, and at what speed, and with what purpose, all are eventually to be pieced together. He already has the whole picture in mind, involving many other people besides Joe and me. Because “The Lord is King,” says Josiah Conder’s hymn, “alike pervaded by his eye / All parts of his dominion lie.” When we are told to combine “supplication with thanksgiving” in our prayers, those two terms mean more than simply looking ahead to ask and looking back to thank; the thanking as well as the asking has in view what God is doing in the present and will be doing in the future, because we can with a peaceful heart know that every last detail will turn out to be part of the pattern.

Here is the poem in its entirety:

Continue reading Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Peace →

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

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People are born for trouble as predictably as sparks fly upward from a fire.—Job 5:7

There are times I just don’t know why God does or does not do certain things. I, like you, am mystified by a lot of it.

Listen, being a Christian does not mean you will not suffer. We may ask the question “Why me?” but we could more easily ask “Why not me?” 1 Peter 4:12 warns us, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (ESV). Our trials and sufferings should not be seen as strange, but should be expected.

Jesus Himself assured us that there will be suffering in our lives. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NKJV).

Here is what we need to know: suffering will come. It’s not a matter of if but when and how much. We need to prepare for it.

If, as you are reading this, you are not experiencing any suffering or tragedy, I would say, “Rejoice, and enjoy it!” But know that hardship will come.

Here is the bottom line. You are either coming out of a storm or headed into another. “People are born for trouble as predictably as sparks fly upward from a fire” (Job 5:7 NLT). It’s just a matter of time. In this life, the only way to avoid suffering is to die. So, like the diligent squirrel gathering nuts for winter, store these truths in your heart.

In his book If God Is Good, Why?, Randy Alcorn says, “Most of us don’t give focused thought to evil and suffering until we experience them. This forces us to formulate perspective on the fly, at a time when our thinking is muddled and we’re exhausted and consumed by pressing issues. People who have ‘been there’ will attest that it’s far better to think through suffering in advance.”

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Glorified When His Disciples Bear Fruit

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“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:8)

Jody brushed the clods of dirt off her hands and tapped her trowel on the edge of the garden path. That does it! she thought. I’ve done my part. Now it’s up to this garden to hold up its end of the bargain! As she walked toward the house, Jody wondered at how she kept seeing rows and rows of weeds in her mind every time she closed her eyes. It felt like she had been weeding and planting for a thousand days! But it would be worth it, she knew – like when the squash and tomatoes were ripe and ready to eat! She could almost taste them now!

How do you think Jody would feel if she came to her garden at harvest-time, after all that work she put into it, only to see that none of her crops came in? What if none of her tomato plants decided to yield one tomato? What if her squash vines decided to bear a pumpkin or a carrot, but no squash? What if the ears of corn never grew kernels? That would be weird, for one thing! Who ever heard of a squash vine that gave a pumpkin, or of corn-ears that never grew kernels? A harvest like that would be very weird indeed.

That would be a strange harvest, yes, but worse – a harvest like that would also be so disappointing! Think of all the work Jody poured into her garden! How do you think it would feel to not get any fruit, not even after so much hard work?

Discipleship is hard work, too. The whole growing process for a Christian is a hard thing. But did you know that God is glorified when His people bear fruit? The Bible teaches about the kinds of things we should see growing in our hearts – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, kindness – all sorts of amazing characteristics. They should be a part of every believer’s life, and every believer should be growing in this kind of “fruit” every day.

Do you know why God is so glorified when we bear fruit? Because ultimately, He is the One Who deserves the credit for our growth. God expects us to become more and more like His Son, but He also works in our hearts to change us so that we can! He gives us the desire to grow. He enables and strengthens and gives grace to help us. And His power is greater than any human power. Only God can bring spiritually-dead people to life and grow them into spiritual fruit-bearers.

God gets all the glory when His disciples bear spiritual fruit.

My Response:

» What kind of “fruit” is my life bearing right now?

» Do I desire to glorify God?

» How can I glorify God?

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Progressive Sanctification

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Today’s Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1

“As you received from us how you ought to live, and to please God, . . . do so more and more.”

Warring against the sin that remains in us and putting on Christ-like character is usually called sanctification. But because the term definitive sanctification is used to describe the point-in-time decisive deliverance from sin’s dominion, it’s helpful to speak of Christian growth as progressive sanctification. The word progressive indicates positive change. To use the tug-of-war analogy, it assumes that though the rope may move back and forth, over time it moves in the right direction until finally at the end of our lives we win the tug-of-war against sin.

There’s no doubt this rope must move in the right direction. The New Testament writers assume our growth and continually urge us to pursue it. We’re to pursue holiness “more and more,” and to love each other “more and more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1,9-10). We’re to possess the qualities of Christian character “in increasing measure” (2 Peter 1:8, NIV). However, we can always expect resistance. To stay with the tug-of-war analogy, although the Spirit who dwells within us is stronger than the sinful nature, that nature continues to “dig in its heels” every step of the way. And sometimes it will pull the rope in the wrong direction.

What is it then that will keep us going in the face of this internal conflict? The answer is the Gospel. What will motivate us and keep us going—even in the midst of the tension between the Spirit and the sinful nature—is the assurance in the Gospel that we have indeed died to the guilt of sin, that there’s no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus, that the Lord will never count our sins against us, and that we’re truly delivered from the reigning power of sin.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Building up the Church

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Today’s Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11-14

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 1:2

I had a friend who decided to paint his car, but about halfway through he got busy with something else and didn’t finish the job. Month after month, there it stood, half green and half something else, looking terrible. A job half done.

Now, when you and I think of our involvement in the Great Commission, we need to think of finishing the job. And that involves two things–winning the lost and building up the saved. We want those who turn to Christ to become strong, robust, dedicated, mature disciples. We want to see them built up in the faith, so they can reach out to others with the gospel and begin to build up those new ones in the faith.

That is what Paul was pleading for in 1 Corinthians 14:12, where he told the Christians in Corinth to “try to excel in gifts that build up the church.” It is imperative that you and I know how to help people grow in their Christian lives. Why? Because if a person comes to Christ and does not go on to become a mature disciple, the job is half done.

One of the most helpful things anyone ever did for me as a new Christian was get me started in Scripture memory. It has become a lifetime habit of memorizing God’s Word. Over the years, I’ve started scores of other people in Scripture memory. You see, that’s how it works. You take the things others have used to build you up, and you use them to help others. That’s the only way to fulfill the Great Commission and keep it from being a job half done.

Prayer

Lord, show me how I can more effectively use my spiritual gifts to build up others in the faith. Amen.

To Ponder

Every Christian should be built up in the faith and equipped to minister to others. How far are you in the building process?

 

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – HATRED REVEALED

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Read ESTHER 5:9–14

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Hate is a powerful and destructive emotion, but God’s love vanquishes man’s hatred.

Haman began the day “happy and in high spirits” (v. 5). He was unaware of Esther’s intention in selecting him for this special banquet. Instead, he bragged to his friends and family about his high position in the king’s court. His good mood at being selected for a banquet with the king and queen temporarily offset his hatred of Mordecai. But his rage was never far from his mind. Even his boasting about his position and wealth gave him “no satisfaction” (v. 13), as long as Mordecai was allowed to exist. Even though Haman knew Mordecai would be killed within the year, it was no longer enough. He craved immediate results. His hatred was boundless.

Haman’s wife and friends had a suggestion. He should set in motion a gruesome plan for Mordecai’s death. That way the execution would happen promptly, and Haman could enjoy his exclusive invitation. Haman was “delighted” by their suggestion (v. 14), and immediately put the plan in action.

Death by impalement was a particularly gruesome choice, intended to make a spectacle and example of the one being punished. Verse 14 describes the pole as being 50 cubits high, approximately 75 feet. Haman’s rage was clearly out of control.

God’s people have often been the targets of anger. In Isaiah, God assures that He alone will vindicate such rage. “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced” (Isa. 41:11). Mordecai’s fate would not be determined by Haman. He was safe in the protection of the Almighty God.

APPLY THE WORD

Haman reminds us that when we allow our hatred to fester, it will lead us to monstrous places. Unfettered hate will drive out our ability to enjoy God’s good gifts. If you struggle with hatred or bitterness today, confess it before the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the fruit of the Spirit instead (see Gal. 5:22–23).

 

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