Tag Archives: nature

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Travel Light (Part 1)

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Read: Psalm 5:1-8

Make your way straight before me. (v. 8)

The famous travel host Rick Steves says, “You’ll never meet a traveler who, after five trips, brags: ‘Every year I pack heavier.’ The measure of a good traveler is how light he or she travels.” Ever run a bag race? I remember it from childhood Sunday school picnics. Sometimes you did it with a partner, each of you putting one leg in the same empty burlap sack, competing with others doing the same. Another way was for each contestant to run or hop with both legs in a bag. It was good for lots of laughs, not for impressive racing!

In our Christian race, stumbling doesn’t require gross sins. It’s enough to be unaware, careless, or undisciplined. So Scripture urges, “Let us run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end” (Heb. 12:1-2 GNT). We get just one chance to faithfully serve God in our generation. Travel light. Let’s not use our energy to add more “things that get in the way,” but use our drive to serve God with greater devotion. Brian Diemer, an Olympic steeple chase runner, when he failed to win a gold medal, said, “I gave the best that I had . . . and that’s all that matters. There’s a lot more in my life than running—my family, my Lord and Savior.”

When you stand before Christ will you be able to say of your Christian race, “I gave it the best that I had?”

Prayer:

Lord, empower me.

Author: Chic Broersma

 

https://woh.org/

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Best

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Choices: it seems that there’s always another one to make. What to wear for school; what to have for lunch; what seat to sit in at school. Have you ever gone back and forth between two choices? You wanted to make the best decision, but you couldn’t decide which one it was.

We all want the best, whether it is the best decision or the best toy or the best score on a video game. Best is a good word to describe our God, too.

God is the best friend we can have. Do you have a best friend? As a kid, I always wanted a best friend and wanted to be someone’s best friend. Proverbs 18:24 says, “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” God proved that He is that friend when He said, “I am with you always” and “I will never leave you or forsake you.” No matter what is happening in your life, God will always be there for you. You cannot travel to a place on this earth where God will not be. You can’t hide from God. He is always there and will never leave you. He is the best friend you can have.

God is the best God. “Wait a minute!” you might be thinking. “I thought that there is only one God!” There is only one true God, but there are many false gods. That is why one of the Ten Commandments is, “Thou shalt not have any gods before me.” Paul often talked about the false gods that people worshipped in the cities he visited.

The Bible teaches that anything we think is more important than God is a false god to us. It can be anything – TV, school, friends, games, or a musical instrument. If we are so busy with those things that we are not spending time with God, then we are worshipping a false god.

We know that God is the best God, because He is the only true God. The gods many people worship cannot help or even hear their worshippers. But your God hears you and helps you every day, even if you don’t see His help.

God is the best choice. Joshua told his army to choose whom they were going to serve: the false gods of the land or the true God. You have to make that same choice each day. Who are you going to serve? God is the best choice.

God is best.

My Response:

» How can I serve God today?

» How can I serve God with the rest of my life?

» How is God my best friend?

 

http://kids4truth.com/home.aspx

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Our Underlying Hostility

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 3:11

“No one understands.”

It’s difficult for decent, upright Americans to accept that they’re by nature hostile to God, that we cannot please him. This is because they’ve confused general American morality, plus a dose of church attendance, with obedience to God’s law. Most have never been seriously confronted with the exceedingly high standard of God’s eternal law. When they are, they typically reveal their underlying hostility to it.

Paul’s writings are filled with dismal descriptions of our spiritual condition before we became believers. he said, for example, “you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked” (Ephesians 2:1-2). He’s speaking, of course, about spiritual death. We were totally unresponsive to the God of Scripture. We may have been religious, but we were still dead.

Spiritually dead people cannot receive and embrace the Gospel. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “The man without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (NIV). Does this mean unbelievers cannot understand the facts of the Gospel? No—it means they cannot sense their own need of it and embrace it. As long as we were spiritually dead, we could not just “decide” to believe the Gospel and trust in Jesus Christ.

In our spiritual deadness, we were “following the course of this world” (Ephesians 2:2). World is often used in the Bible for the sum total of human society in opposition to God. The world’s attitude toward God varies from indifference to hostility, but the bottom line is, “no one seeks for God” (Romans 3:11). This is the world we followed. We were spiritually dead, enmeshed in a culture totally opposed to God.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Spiritual Cruise Control

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Today’s Scripture: Malachi 1-4

We love because he first loved us. – 1 John 4:19

I’ve heard it said that in the Christian life you are either moving forward or going backward. But I know people who seem to be on a kind of spiritual plateau. They aren’t in rebellion against God nor are they living in open or secret sin. But they aren’t making any progress either. They haven’t led anyone to Christ in years, and they aren’t excited about anything related to the kingdom of God. They seem to have leveled out–just cruising on some kind of spiritual automatic pilot.

During the time of the prophet Malachi, God’s people were existing on a plateau of lukewarm mediocrity. The fifty thousand Jews who returned to Jerusalem from their captivity in Babylon had been settled in Judah for over seventy years, but the Messiah spoken of by Haggai and Zechariah had not yet come. All excitement about a genuine and intimate relationship with God seemed to have drained away. Even the worship of God had become an empty chore.

This is the background against which Malachi speaks, calling this lukewarm community of believers to return to a living and vital relationship with God. It’s fascinating to note that in forty-seven of the fifty-five verses in this book, God speaks with first-person directness to His people. The book of Malachi is God’s call to His lukewarm people to be faithful during a time when heaven seemed silent. Notice how God begins in Malachi 1:2: “‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord.”

It is love that binds God to His own. And it is love that God seeks from His own. He wants to walk with you in the devotion and commitment of your first love.

Prayer

Lord, I confess that my spiritual life is often on automatic pilot. Rekindle the fervor of my first love for You and Your purposes in this world. Amen.

To Ponder

If the joy is gone from your walk with God, how hard are you looking for it?

 

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – TWO FATHERS AND THE SON

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Read Genesis 32:22–33:4

Boxers train for months leading up to a match. They lift weights and engage in rigorous exercise to build up their stamina and strengthen their core. They do pull-ups, chin-ups, and squats. Before the fight they pose for the media in an effort to show that they are ready to beat their opponent. The goal is to be as strong as possible. Nobody aims to look weak.

But weakness was exactly what Jacob needed in his approaching face-off with Esau. After his encounter with the mysterious being described in today’s reading, he was left physically weaker, not stronger for the possible battle ahead. Who was the “man” who wrestled with Jacob until daybreak but refused to reveal his name (32:24)? According to Hosea 12:4–5, this was the Lord God Almighty! This interaction is an example of what theologians call a theophany, an appearance of God in human form before the Incarnation.

This event is the fulcrum of Jacob’s spiritual pilgrimage. Caught between the anger of his father-in-law and his brother, he encountered a power greater than all of them. According to the prophet Hosea, “He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor” (Hosea 12:4). The favor Jacob received was a wounded hip and a name change. From this point on Jacob would walk with a limp and would be called Israel, which literally means “he struggles with God.”

The brother that Esau met shortly after this encounter with God was not the same deceiver he once knew. Jacob’s pilgrimage was not yet over, and neither was the strife between these two rival branches of the family. But the intervention of God made a difference. Instead of a clash of armies, the reunion of Jacob and Esau was marked by a tearful welcome.

APPLY THE WORD

The apostle Paul prayed for God to remove his “thorn in the flesh.” The Lord’s responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:6–10). Whatever your source of weakness might be, ask the Lord to reveal His sufficient grace through it. Thank Him that you can rely on His power and not your own.

http://www.todayintheword.org

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – By Faith Alone

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Romans 1:16-17

If you are too proud to bend your spirit before God, you’ll never get to heaven. You may be a kind, gentle person; you may even be naturally benevolent and charitable. But if your pride keeps you from admitting your need for Christ, then you will not accept His gift of salvation. Many people have missed out on eternal life because their heart was too hard and they believed they knew better than the God who created them.

There is only one way to reach heaven. Holy God cannot tolerate sin in His presence, and He decreed that the penalty for it is death (Rom. 6:23). And the truth is, all people are sinners (Rom. 3:23). So, to provide a bridge between mankind and Himself, merciful God sent Jesus to die in man’s place. Christ’s sacrifice is all that is necessary for a person to enter into a relationship with God the Father.

The believer does not work or reason his way into heaven. The bridge spanning the gap between each individual and God is crossed only through an act of faith: acknowledging the need for a Savior and accepting Christ’s death on the cross as payment for one’s sins.

Perhaps you’re thinking, I want only what I deserve. But no one deserves grace (Rom. 3:23-24). Maybe you tell yourself, I want only what I have worked for. But nobody can earn salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). And yet the heavenly Father wants to give grace and salvation to you and to me, undeserving though we are. The truly wise people of this world are those who have accepted the truth and bent their spirit—and their knees—before the Lord.

Bible in a Year: Psalms 39-43

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Defeat or Victory?

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Read: 1 John 5:1–13 | Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 10–11; Acts 4:1–22

Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4

Each year on June 18 the great Battle of Waterloo is recalled in what is now Belgium. On that day in 1815, Napoleon’s French army was defeated by a multinational force commanded by the Duke of Wellington. Since then, the phrase “to meet your Waterloo” has come to mean “to be defeated by someone who is too strong for you or by a problem that is too difficult for you.”

When it comes to our spiritual lives, some people feel that ultimate failure is inevitable and it’s only a matter of time until each of us will “meet our Waterloo.” But John refuted that pessimistic view when he wrote to followers of Jesus: “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

Enable us to overcome the world through faith and obedience to You.

John weaves this theme of spiritual victory throughout his first letter as he urges us not to love the things this world offers, which will soon fade away (2:15–17). Instead, we are to love and please God, “And this is what he promised us—eternal life” (v. 25).

While we may have ups and downs in life, and even some battles that feel like defeats, the ultimate victory is ours in Christ as we trust in His power.

Continue reading Our Daily Bread – Defeat or Victory? →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – A Godly Legacy 

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When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people. Genesis 49:33

Jacob gave his dying instructions to his sons as they waited at his beside. They lingered there out of love and respect. They had observed his life and though not perfect by far, it was a life of overall faithfulness to God. The sons of the father wanted to receive his blessing and they were proud of the legacy left to them, a legacy of faithfulness to God.

What legacy will you leave? If you died today, how would you be remembered? These are important questions for your children’s sake. Maybe your parents did not leave you a godly heritage. Nevertheless, you have a wonderful opportunity to start a new tradition, one based on the principles of Scripture. Lord willing, your legacy will start a godly lineage that will reach across the future for generations to come. Yes, your name will probably be forgotten, but what you stand for will be held in high esteem for all to remember.

Perhaps you can start by documenting your family vision and mission. Write down outcomes you are praying for related to your family. Pray that your parental example of character compels your children to walk with Christ. Hold the Bible in such high regard that its commands and principles are lived out in love and obedience. Love your children with acceptance, discipline, training, and kindness. Follow the ways of God, and your children will see and secure a clear path of purpose to pursue.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – A Godly Legacy  →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Follow the Son This Summer: Enjoy Your Freedom

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Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

John 8:36

The doors of the school burst open on the last day of school and kids come pouring out, laughing with joy that school is out for three whole months. Freedom! Summer certainly represents a measure of freedom for everyone. Because school is out, families are free from car pools, homework, and other activities that regulate the September–May calendar.

Recommended Reading: Galatians 5:1

As glorious as the freedom of summer is, there is a greater freedom that lasts all year long and which is only found in the Son of God: the freedom from bondage to sin and the guilt of the law. Just as children are freed from the regulations and policies of school for three months, Christians are freed from the regulations of the law forever. But liberty is not license. Being free from the law doesn’t mean we are free to indulge our sinful nature. Rather, we are free—by the power of the indwelling Spirit—to please God because we want to, not because we have to. The Spirit writes God’s law on our heart, giving us a newfound freedom to please Him (Jeremiah 31:33).

Enjoy the freedom of the summer! Even more, enjoy the freedom granted by the Son of God by which you are “free indeed.”

The Christian is not free to please himself but to please God.

John Blanchard

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Psalms 73 – 80

 

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A More Excellent Way

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And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight [that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment]. —Philippians 1:9

When something abounds, it grows and becomes so big that it chases people down, overtaking and overwhelming them. This is how Paul prayed for the church—that love would abound. Then he said, “So that you may surely learn to sense what it vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value” (Philippians 1:10).

It is very important to be a person of excellence—to do your very best every day in all you believe God is asking you to do . . . to do every job to the best of your ability. You can’t be an excellent person and not walk in love, and you can’t walk in love and not be an excellent person. To abound in love is the most excellent thing you can do.

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Gave His Son

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“Since He did not spare even His own Son for us but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also surely give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32).

George was very faithful in his Christian walk. In fact, he had a little black book in which he recorded all of his activities for each day. These included daily devotions, note-taking, verses to be memorized, appointments to be kept and every activity of his life. Outwardly he seemed so perfect that I, as a young Christian, wanted to be like him. Then one day he had a nervous breakdown. As he told me later, the last thing he did before he went to the hospital was to throw away his little black book and tell his wife he never wanted to see it again. Without realizing it, he had become very legalistic in his relationship with God rather than accepting, by faith, what God had already done for him. while in the hospital he began to recall some of the thousands of verses which he had memorized through the years. It was then that he relaxed enough to allow the Holy Spirit to illumine his mind to comprehend the importance of living by faith.

As Paul writes to the Galatians in the third chapter: “What magician has hypnotized you and cast an evil spell upon you? For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death as clearly as though I had waved a placard before you with a picture on it of Christ dying on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by trying to keep the Jewish laws? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you heard about Christ and trusted Him to save you. Then, have you gone completely crazy? For if trying to obey the Jewish laws never gave you spiritual life in the first place, why do you think that trying to obey them now will make you stronger Christians?”

I ask you again: Does God give you the power of the Holy Spirit as a result of your trying to obey His laws? No, of course not. He gives that power when you believe in Christ and fully trust Him. The greatest heresy of the Christian life is legalism; and yet, it inevitably seems to attract dedicated, committed Christians. They are happy to accept salvation as a gift of God by faith. But like the Galatians, they insist on earning their way thereafter.

We must never forget that salvation is a gift of God which we receive by faith. Nothing can be earned. If we believe God, we will want to work to please Him, not to earn His favor.

Bible Reading: Romans 8:33-39

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will invite the Holy Spirit to protect me from becoming legalistic in my walk with Christ. Having received salvation by faith, I shall claim each day’s blessings by faith as I live the supernatural life.

 

http://www.cru.org

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Prayer’s Anchor

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Read: Genesis 18:22-33

Then Abraham approached him and said: Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Gen. 18:23

Abraham has been informed that the hour of judgment for Sodom has come. He is appalled by this, but it is very important for us to see what is really troubling him. If you ask, Is Abraham really trying to save these cities? the answer has to be, No, that is not really his concern. Abraham knows that God’s hour of judgment has struck, that there has been long record of his patience up to this point. He knows that it is only unrighteousness that will ultimately be judged, so he is not trying to save the cities. He expresses his concern in these words: Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Are you going to treat righteous people the same way you treat wicked people? That is what is troubling him.

There is a cold fist of fear gripping the heart of Abraham. He fears he is going to find that God is not quite who he thought he was. Perhaps he understood that righteous people have a way of salting the world, preserving it from corruption and from judgment. Perhaps he is troubled that if God destroys a whole city full of wicked people, with some righteous among them, the word will go out that righteousness is of no effect and a wrong impression will be left. Abraham has a troubled heart, questioning whether God really is the kind of God he has thought him to be.

Have you ever felt that way? In your prayers, or in your confrontation with life, have you suddenly seen God moving in ways you did not anticipate, allowing things to happen that you did not think he ought to allow? Have you thought, Lord, can you really do this? Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? This is not right. We are getting very close to how Abraham felt at this point, when we sense that sudden horror that God is not going to act as we expected him to. Abraham is really raising the question here, Does righteousness make any difference? If God wipes out these cities filled with both wicked and righteous people, if they are all treated alike, isn’t it telling us that righteousness really does not make any difference?

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Prayer’s Anchor →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Bumpy Road Ahead

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Read: Psalm 73

I have made the Lord God my refuge (v. 28)

A friend of mine grew up in a large family where Mom ruled the kitchen. She fixed meals of her own creation throwing this and that into a big pot on the stove. Sometimes the boys would cry out, “Mom, you’re not putting that in the pot!” Then Mom would announce, “Get out of my kitchen.” Often times after the meal the boys would say in surprise, “Mom, that was really good!” A wise mother, she then said, “I want you boys to learn a lesson. Don’t judge something when it’s not finished.”

The road we travel as disciples of Jesus Christ includes many jarring bumps and unexpected curves; illnesses, accidents, painful disappointments. We’re tempted to judge our journey prematurely. Sometimes it feels like faith is not worth the struggle. Why is it, we ask, those who don’t seem to care—who aren’t trying to serve and love God and do what is right—why is it often such people seem to do better than I do? They have good jobs, make lots of money and always seem to be healthy and well? Why is it?

You’re not the first to ask such questions. You’ll be reassured by the answers in this psalm. As mom told her boys, “Don’t judge something until it is finished.” Read verses 21-28 again. “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works” (v. 28).

Prayer:

I take refuge in you, O Lord. Keep me close.

Author: Chic Broersma

 

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Five Steps of Temptation

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“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” —James 1:14–16

In James 1:14–16 we have the five steps of temptation:

  1. The temptation itself. “But each one is tempted . . .”

The evil thought knocks on the door of your imagination. As they say, “Opportunity knocks once, but temptation beats on the door every day.” It happens to the best of us; there are no exceptions. There is no sin here yet. It is not the bait that constitutes temptation, but the bite. There’s still a way out.

  1. You are now under its power and enjoying the experience.

“Drawn away by his own desires . . .”

You are now “taking it for a test drive.” It’s been said, “What makes temptation difficult for many people is they don’t want to discourage it completely.”

  1. You are almost hooked. “Drawn away . . . and enticed.”

Continue reading Greg Laurie – The Five Steps of Temptation →

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Gives Rewards

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One night as my family was walking into a store, we heard a woman yelling that her purse had been stolen. Just then, we saw a man in a green jacket run right past us carrying the stolen purse! Immediately my dad and another man took off chasing after the thief. Realizing he was going to be caught, the thief threw the purse underneath a parked car and continued fleeing the scene. My dad and the other man finally caught the thief and turned him over to the police.

While my dad was busy trying to catch the thief, a few kids found the purse and returned it to the woman. She was so happy to get her purse back that she started giving out money to reward the kids. But by the time my dad came back with the police the woman was all out of money, and my dad didn’t get anything as a reward!

Later I asked Dad if it bothered him that the kids got reward money for returning the purse when he didn’t get anything for catching the thief. I’ll never forget his answer. He said that it had bothered him for a minute, but then he remembered that we are here to serve God and that God gives rewards for service to Him.

Throughout the Bible, God’s rewards are often referred to as crowns. Let’s look at what the Bible says about God and His rewards.

God rewards those who are waiting for Him to come back (2 Timothy 4:8). Jesus is coming back someday. You need to be looking forward to that day and be ready for that day to come.

God rewards pastors (1 Peter 5:4). Your pastor has the responsibility to protect you from danger and to teach you God’s Word. It is a tough job – you need to pray for him.

Continue reading Kids 4 Truth International – God Gives Rewards →

The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – A New Heart

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”

One of the best descriptions of this initial act of God in sanctification is found in Ezekiel 36:26-27 where God makes this gracious promise: “and I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

Note the changes God brings about in our inner being when he saves us. He gives us a new heart and puts a new spirit within us—a spirit that loves righteousness and hates sin. He puts his own Spirit within us and causes us to follow his decrees and obey his law. God gives us a growing desire to obey him. We no longer have an aversion to the commands of God, even though we may not always obey them. Instead of being irksome to us, they have now become agreeable to us.

David said in Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do your will, o my God.” Why did David have this delight? It was because, as the remainder of the verse says, “your law is within my heart.” David found a law written in his own heart corresponding to the law written in God’s Word. There was an agreeableness between the spiritual nature within him and the objective law of God external to him.

It’s that way with a person who’s a new creation in Christ. There’s a basic though imperfect correspondence between the law written in a believer’s heart and the law written in Scripture. (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Serving God

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Today’s Scripture: Ezekiel 33-36

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. – 1 Corinthians 3:6

In 1956, Dawson Trotman asked my wife and me to move to the Midwest and begin the Navigator ministry there. We invited a young mechanical engineer named Ron Rorabaugh to join us, rented a U-Haul trailer, and moved to Omaha, Nebraska.

As I searched the Scriptures for a plan of attack, the Lord led me to Ezekiel 36:37-38 which said the Lord would fill the ruined cities with flocks of people, and they would know that He is the Lord.

Ron and I began praying every morning that God would raise up a flock of men to join us in starting a disciple-making ministry throughout those Midwestern states. God soon put us in touch with a young insurance executive in Des Moines, a veterinarian in Sioux City, and a manager of an electrical firm in Omaha. As Ron and I continued to pray, I met with these men to teach them how to have a walk of daily discipleship with Christ, and we began to see people come to Christ through their witness. Gradually, there were little flocks of people all over the place. When we had our first weekend conference about a year later, 125 people came.

Years later, when I asked a staff worker for The Navigators how many people in the Midwest were being touched by all aspects of Navigator ministries, including our publications and church training courses, he thought for a minute and said, “Oh, I suppose around 50,000.” Now, I didn’t make that happen and neither did Ron. God did it, just as He promised He would. God can do the same through you as you claim His promises by faith and make yourself available to Him.

Prayer

Lord, use me to help increase Your flock in my neighborhood and the surrounding areas. Amen.

To Ponder

If our testimony is faithful, God will take care of the multiplication.

 

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – GOD OF OUR FATHERS

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Read Genesis 32:1–21

The hymn “God of Our Fathers” was written by Daniel C. Roberts for the centennial celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Roberts was an Episcopalian rector serving in Brandon, Vermont. The hymn begins by celebrating God’s work of creation, and the fourth stanza is especially fitting in view of the events in today’s text: “Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way, / Lead us from night to never-ending day; / Fill all our lives with love and grace divine, / And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.”

After Jacob separated from Laban, he encountered a band of angels. We have no details about the encounter other than the name Jacob gave to the location. He called it Mahanaim, which meant something like “two hosts” or “two armies.” This vision was a reminder of God’s continued protection. But Jacob also took practical measures to protect what was most precious to him. He sent a message to Esau to warn him of his arrival. Then he divided his household into two groups, reasoning that if one were attacked the other might escape.

Jacob asked for God’s protection, praying to the God of his fathers in a way that both reflected his sense of vulnerability and showed evidence of a changed character. In his prayer Jacob acknowledged God’s blessing and admitted that he was unworthy of His protection. Finally, Jacob sent gifts ahead to Esau in the hope that it might appease his anger. Once these measures had been taken, Jacob lay down to sleep. How should we view the gifts that Jacob sent on ahead to Esau? Perhaps they were a tactical maneuver of appeasement. Maybe they were proof that Jacob had changed. Perhaps they revealed Jacob’s inability to fully trust in God. But we might also view them as a form of restitution.

APPLY THE WORD

Are you finding it hard to trust God today? It is reasonable to take responsible measures to secure your future. You might take a few minutes to write down some action steps you need to take. But don’t forget to follow Jacob’s other example: cry out to God and ask for His protection and provision. Put that in writing too!

http://www.todayintheword.org

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – For Our Own Good

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Hebrews 12:10

Have you ever seen a ski jumper fly off the ramp and thought, “I could do that”? Of course not. You know it takes hours and hours of practice to pull off a stunt like that. When you start something new, like ski jumping, a coach doesn’t just push you down a ramp and say, “Jump!” You first learn the basics. You practice fundamentals. You repeat what you learn over and over. And as you practice, you become a better jumper, eventually able to do things you thought you never could.

No matter what you pursue, practice takes time, energy, focus, and perseverance. As you pursue Jesus—talk to him, read what he said, consider what he did—you will eventually be able to do things you never thought you could. You might forgive a friend more easily than before. You might become more patient with a little sister who used to drive you nuts. You might be best able to comfort a new kid in school. Your practice and discipline will start to reflect your new heart and character borne through hours and hours of practice.

People will notice the changes in you—certainly your family will, everyone you show kindness to will, friends who are watching will. It may not be an Olympic sport, but your practice is enough to earn a medal.

Dear Lord, Help me pursue you with discipline. I want my character to reflect you. Amen.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Faith Versus Intellect

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1 Corinthians 1:18-25

In Paul’s day, unbelievers rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ as foolishness and tried to approach God purely through their intellect. Today many people still propose views of God and salvation that are contrary to what Scripture teaches. Their ideas sometimes sound so reasonable that they lead many astray. According to human logic, the man with the highest education, the most degrees, and the greatest intelligence should have the wisest plan to reach God. But, as the apostle explained, the “wisdom” of mankind is folly.

The Lord promised to destroy the false wisdom of the world (Isa. 29:14; 1 Cor. 1:19), and for good reason: Human wisdom is used to glorify man. Those who dismiss faith in favor of a strictly intellectual approach to God attempt to gain His approval by means of reasoning, rationalizing, or working. For instance, every religion other than Christianity has a plan or ritual by which one supposedly gains acceptance with that belief system’s god. Such plans all boil down to this: “If I do better, I will be better. If I am better, then I will be more acceptable to my god.” A person does the work and thereby earns the glory for being a good member of his or her religion. The end result of all that work, however, is death—eternal separation from the one true God.

Christianity, on the other hand, glorifies God and His work. We are considered faithful believers when we trust in Him alone and believe that Jesus gave His life so we could be free from the chains of sin. Only He has made a way for believers to be reconciled to the Father and righteous in His eyes.

Bible in a Year: Psalms 35-38

 

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