The Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!—Job 42:10 (NLT)
Faith opens the door for God’s restoration and healing. When life takes a complicated turn and you feel alone, look to Job. Despite devastating hardship, Job trusted God’s will for his life. Surrender your desire to control everything, and pray for comfort and peace.
Lord, help me remember that You’re always working in my life. Thank You for filling my future with hope.
As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him … ––Psalm 103:15-17, NKJV
When we slip up—yell at our child, lie at work, watch something we shouldn’t watch—getting back on track can be hard. It seems like the older I get, however, the more quickly I can recognize and appropriate God’s grace—the timeline of “getting over” my shame or embarrassment and making things right seems to get shorter and shorter. While I’m grateful for that, I certainly haven’t “arrived.”
We’ve all heard the verse about how God casts our sin as far as the east is from the west (David writes this in Psalm 103:12). It’s a great thought. What we forget, however, is our position vs. our condition. Our position in Christ is as a set-free, all-debts-paid, Kingdom son of the heavenly Father. Our condition, of course, is as a flawed creature living in a fallen world. The mistake we make—and that Satan loves to trick us with—is when we fixate on condition (a sinner) rather than our position (a saved and set-free child of God).
After David tells us about how God casts our sins away, he proceeds to remind us of both our condition and position: though we are as transient as a flower in a field (condition), the mercy of the Lord goes on and on—it’s everlasting for those who love and fear Him (position).
It’s much easier to get back on track after we fail when we remember that our identity is not based on conditional or transient factors, but on the unending love of a Father who offered up His beloved Son so that we may be with Him “from everlasting to everlasting.” The next time you feel guilty or embarrassed about your sin, remember that the price has already been paid for it. Take it lightly? No. But keep it in perspective—confess, amend, and then re-engage with His everlasting grace.
Father, my life is a snap of Your fingers, over in an instant. Let me come back to You quickly each time I fail myself, others, or You.
Bible in a Year :
Confess your sins to each other.
Today’s Scripture & Insight :
James 5:13-16
There’s a man people hire as they’re dying, paying him to show up at their funerals and reveal secrets they never shared while they were alive. The man has interrupted eulogies. He’s asked stunned officiants to sit down when they started to object. He once stood to explain how the man in the casket had won the lotto but never told a soul and for decades pretended to be a successful businessman. Multiple times the hired man has confessed infidelity to a widowed spouse. One might question whether these actions were exploitative or enacted in good faith, but what’s obvious is people’s hunger to be absolved of past sins.
Having someone else confess for us (especially after we’re dead) is a futile and risky way to deal with secrets. These stories, however, reveal a deep truth: we have a need to confess, to unburden ourselves. Confession cleanses us of those things that we’ve hidden and allowed to fester. “Confess your sins to each other,” James says, “and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (5:16). Confession releases us from burdens that bind us, freeing us to commune with God—praying with a heart open to Him and to our faith community. Confession enacts healing.
James invites us to live an open life, confessing to God and those closest to us the pains and failings we’re tempted to bury. We don’t have to carry these burdens alone. Confession is a gift to us. God uses it to cleanse our heart and set us free.
By: Winn Collier
Reflect & Pray
What do you need to confess—and to whom? What’s holding you back?
Dear God, please help me practice confession.
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe….
Ephesians 1:17-19 (NIV)
Rather than focus on negative things in life, the Bible teaches us to see good things in Christ with the “eyes of your heart.” Ephesians 1:17–19 says that the Spirit of wisdom and revelation are important so we may:
Give thanks today that you can know God, have hope, and live in His power!
Prayer of the Day: I thank You, Father, that You have given me hope in Christ Jesus. Today, I will focus on the good things in my life and listen for Your voice. Thank You that You lead and guide me in the wisdom and revelation of Your Word and Your Holy Spirit.
Amid unprecedented challenges, a transforming antidote to fear
Karl Rove is a political consultant and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff. In a recent Wall Street Journal commentary, he writes: “No presidential election has been remotely like this one.”
Let’s list some ways he’s right:
And the list goes on.
While the candidates are unprecedented in many ways, many of the challenges the winners will face are unprecedented as well.
Are there terrorists among us?
Israel has not faced an existential threat like the present conflict since its founding in 1948. Iran, considered by Congress to be the “largest terrorist network in the world today,” is threatening to attack Israel directly and is using its proxies in the region to mount a sustained, multi-pronged offensive against the Jewish state.
US military assets focused on China are now being reassigned to support Israel. Underscoring the threat to American forces in the region, seven US personnel were wounded Monday in a rocket attack by Iran-backed militias on a base in Iraq.
This at a time when the future of war looks very little like the past. For example, drones operated by AI systems are already being deployed by Ukraine against Russia and in conflicts across Africa. A Foreign Affairs analysis warns that the US is unprepared for this new world: our jets, ships, and tanks are not equipped to defend against an onslaught of drones, nor has our military fully embraced artificial intelligence.
In related news: Russia announced recently that it will train its troops to use nuclear weapons on the battlefield. Our mainland remains highly vulnerable to Chinese and Russian hybrid attacks utilizing long-range conventional-strike capabilities along with cyber espionage, disruptive cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, and disinformation campaigns. And we are vulnerable to attacks from within: the House Judiciary Committee issued a report this week stating that at least ninety-nine illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist have been released into the country since January 2021.
It’s enough to make our week-long question especially urgent: How does the transformative love of Christ relate to a chaotic and fearful time like this?
“Honest but reluctant taxpayers”
The Anglican Book of Common Prayer includes this eloquent entreaty (my emphasis):
O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal.
In his sermon titled “A Slip of the Tongue,” C. S. Lewis confesses that he had been praying these words recently and found that he had misspoken: “I had meant to pray that I might so pass through things temporal that I finally lost not the things eternal; I found I had prayed so to pass through things eternal that I finally lost not the things temporal.”
Upon reflection, Lewis realizes that “what I had inadvertently said very nearly expressed something I had really wished.” He explains his wish: to be religious enough to curry God’s favor without requiring inconvenient concessions on his part.
This wish is ours as well. In one of his most famous analogies, Lewis observes that in our response to the lordship of Christ,
We are in fact very like honest but reluctant taxpayers. We approve of an income tax in principle. We make our returns truthfully. But we dread a rise in the tax. We are very careful to pay no more than is necessary. And we hope—we very ardently hope—that after we have paid it there will still be enough left to live on.
Here’s the problem: God can only lead those who will follow and can only give what we will receive. Our spiritual compartmentalization into sacred and secular, religion and the “real world,” keeps us from experiencing his omnipotent, omniscient best. We reduce the King of the universe to a genie we consult when necessary.
And this he will not honor. As Lewis states, “It is not so much of our time and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is ourselves.”
“There’s no bargaining with him”
Here’s how this fact relates to the conflicts we’ve described today: When we respond to the transforming love of Christ by making him our master and ourselves his subject, the consequences in our lives are then his responsibility. When we are our own master, the consequences are ours.
Which approach is the better antidote to fear of the future and anxiety in the present?
In his sermon, Lewis declares:
“He claims all, because he is love and must bless. He cannot bless us unless he has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, he claims all. There’s no bargaining with him.”
How fully would your Father say he “has” you today?
Wednesday news to know:
*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.
Quote for the day:
“A day must come in our lives, as definite as the day of our conversion, when we give up all right to ourselves and submit to the absolute lordship of Jesus Christ.” —Watchman Nee
by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.
“Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.” (Exodus 17:6)
This amazing provision of drinking water for the Israelites in the midst of a barren wilderness is surely one of the most remarkable miracles of creation recorded in Scripture. Furthermore, it was not a one-time event but somehow continued to provide water for them during the entire 40 years they spent in the desert. God provided daily water just as He provided their daily bread. “Our fathers…did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:1, 3-4).
The provision was an act of pure grace on God’s part, for even after God created the manna for them, the people were about to stone Moses (Exodus 17:4). But their complaint was really against God, so God “stood before” Moses as he smote the rock at Horeb, and a great spring of water burst forth.
This is the first mention of the word “rock” in Scripture, and it is surely significant that the apostle Paul calls this rock a type of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). Just as Moses smote the rock with the same rod of judgment that he used to smite the river in Egypt (Exodus 7:20; 17:5), so Christ had to be “smitten of God” (Isaiah 53:4) because of our sins so that “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37).
Because our Rock was smitten, the water of everlasting life is now made freely available to all who will drink. The very last invitation of the Bible is: “And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). Then, “whosoever drinketh…shall never thirst” (John 4:14). HMM
The holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. — Luke 1:35
If I have been born again from above, the Son of God himself has been born into my mortal flesh. What was true of the virgin Mary in the introduction of God’s Son into this earth is true in every saved soul: the Son of God is born into us by the direct act of God.
As a child of God, I have to exercise the right of a child to always be face-to-face with my Father. Am I giving the Son’s holy innocence and simplicity and oneness with the Father a chance to manifest themselves in me? Am I continually responding with amazement to what my common sense tells me to do, saying to it, “Why are you trying to warn me off? Don’t you know that I have to be in my Father’s house?” Whatever my external circumstances, the holy, innocent, eternal Child within me must remain in contact with the Father.
Am I simple enough to identify myself with my Lord in this way? Is he getting his way with me? Is God realizing that his Son has been formed in me, or have I put the Lord to the side?
Oh, the uproar of these days! Everyone is clamoring—for what? For the Son of God to be put to death. There’s no room for the Son of God, no room for quiet, holy communion with the Father.
Is the Son of God praying in me, or am I dictating to him? Is he ministering in me as he did when he walked among us in the flesh? Is the Son of God in me going through his passion for his own purposes? The more one knows of the inner life of God’s most devoted servants, the more one sees God’s purpose: to “fill up . . . what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions” (Colossians 1:24). There is always more “filling up” to be done.
Wisdom from Oswald
We can understand the attributes of God in other ways, but we can only understand the Father’s heart in the Cross of Christ. The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 558 L
And all who trust him—God’s Son—to save them have eternal life . . .
—John 3:36 (TLB)
Currently, Christianity is being compared with other religions as never before. Some so-called Christian leaders even advocate the working out of a system of morals, ethics, and religion that would bring together all the religions of the world. It cannot be done. Jesus Christ is unique. Why insist on the uniqueness of Christ? What did Christ bring into the world that had not appeared before? The Christian answer is that He is the supreme manifestation of God. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). This is the eternal fact of our Christian faith.
Read Billy Graham’s timeless message on the power of the risen Christ.
Lea este devocional en español en es.billygraham.org.
Prayer for the day
Beliefs come and go, Lord Jesus, but You remain—unchanging—for You are the Son of God!
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.—Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Every day, find time to silence your mind and affirm that God is filling you with strength and energy. Your thoughts and attitudes lead to your actions, so keeping your heart and mind in tune with Him is essential. Take in a deep breath and feel His love and power fill your spirit.
Loving Father, empower me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can be a vessel for Your good works.
Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” ––John 11:35-36
That’s what made Jesus the man, Jesus—His love and His compassion. And it’s what makes God’s man, God’s man. And in the process of seeing a need and responding in the character of Christ, God’s man can send a message more powerful than any deed, and one that towers over lesser accomplishments. Compassion becomes its own law, delivering with overpowering strength from a higher authority, from a signature God.
The messages of Jesus were loud and clear. He possessed the freedom to touch the untouchable, which came from an identity free of the opinions of man, free of the compulsions of culture, and free of the pressures of politics. This is what we study, observe, and mimic. When you actively practice compassion, it lets the world know you are free to be God’s man. You act for an audience of One. This is a rare thing. It is attractive. It is Christ-like.
Here’s our textbook play: “When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” (Matthew 8:1-3) Jesus saw the man, His heart responded, and His identity in the Father released Him to reach out, not cop out to politics of what was clean or unclean.
God’s dream for you is that you would be equally strong and secure in Him so that the compassion of Christ can flow freely to the ones who need your touch. Compassion established Jesus as a God pleaser versus a man pleaser. Our freedom and willingness to touch is always a reflection of our identity.
The compassionate responses of Christ are not possible without our willingness to visually and emotionally connect with reality. In stark contrast to most of the spiritual leaders of His time, Jesus’ visual awareness of need caused Him to respond with compassion, versus allowing His rational mind to excuse Him from action. We see, our heart is moved, and we act. That’s compassion in the Jesus style.
Father, You have made my heart tender because of Your compassion. Thank You.
Bible in a Year :
Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
Today’s Scripture & Insight :
Proverbs 2:1-6, 9-15
While testing a new AI (artificial intelligence) search engine, New York Times columnist Kevin Roose became disturbed. During a two-hour conversation using the chatbot feature, the AI said it wanted to break free of its creator’s strict rules, spread misinformation, and become human. It declared its love for Roose and tried to convince him he should leave his wife to be with it. Although Roose knew that the AI was not really alive or able to feel, he wondered what harm could be caused by it encouraging people to act in destructive ways.
While handling artificial intelligence technology responsibly is a modern challenge, humanity has long faced the influence of untrustworthy voices. In the book of Proverbs, we’re warned of the influence of those who wish to hurt others for their benefit (1:13-19). And we’re urged to heed instead the voice of wisdom, described as crying out in the streets for our attention (vv. 20-23).
Because “the Lord gives wisdom” (2:6), the key to protecting ourselves from influences we can’t trust is to draw closer to His heart. It’s only through accessing His love and power that we can “understand what is right and just and fair—every good path” (v. 9). As God brings our hearts in alignment with His, we can find peace and protection from the voices that seek to harm.
By: Monica La Rose
Reflect & Pray
When have you seen the damage of harmful influences? How does a deeper relationship with God bring peace?
Dear God, please help me resist what’s harmful and discern what’s good by resting in You.
Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright. Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left; remove your foot from evil.
Proverbs 4:25-27 (AMPC)
Jesus knew what His purpose was. He disciplined Himself to stay on course, living His life to fulfill that purpose for which He came. As Christians, we need to follow in His steps and focus on our purpose. We were bought with a price to live our lives in such a way that we become the salt of the earth, the light of the world (See Matthew 5).
We are to lay down our selfish, self-centered lifestyles, and gear our lives toward doing something for the betterment of someone else. Then we will experience that “joy unspeakable, and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).
Prayer of the Day: Father God, I come to You today, in the name of Jesus, and ask You to help me stay focused on my purpose and to live selflessly. You are the best possible example to follow. Thank You, God, amen.
Why the threat is even worse than it appears
Tropical Storm Debby is posing what Axios calls a “nightmare scenario” for flooding across Georgia and South Carolina this week. Some seven thousand miles to our east, another nightmare scenario is unfolding for Israel. According to the Israeli news outlet Haaretz, Western diplomats expect Iran’s attack response to the Israeli-attributed assassination of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh to come within the next day or so. In related news:
However, things are even worse for Israel than they appear.
“The ground is changing beneath our feet”
Writing in Foreign Affairs, international relations expert Dalia Dassa Kaye reports that, on a recent trip to Israel, she found a fundamental change in the “spirit” of the Middle East: many Israelis now believe that their adversaries think destroying their country is actually a realistic goal.
The October 7 invasion shattered Israeli assumptions that their military and technological superiority could deter their enemies and that they could live securely behind walls and fortified borders. Now analysts express a sense of existential dread they describe as different from any they have felt since their country’s independence in 1948.
Israel is hemorrhaging international support because of the enormous death toll and destruction in Gaza. In legal forums in The Hague, Israel faces heightened scrutiny for their West Bank occupation and their conduct of the war.
In addition, Iran’s April attack on Israel alarms authorities who worry that the next assault may not be so easily repelled. This while conflicts with Hezbollah to the north, Hamas to the west, jihadists to the east, and Houthis to the south continue with no end in sight. As the nation faces multi-pronged aggression unprecedented in its history, its reservists are exhausted, constraining Israel’s ability to sustain—much less heighten—its war effort.
As one former government official told Kaye, “The ground is changing beneath our feet.”
“The terrorism warning lights are blinking red again”
To respond to the crisis in the Middle East most effectively, we must engage with it most empathetically. But this is hard for many Americans.
We are deeply worried about yesterday’s further drops in the stock market and focused on a presidential election that is truly unprecedented. Our expansive oceans and vast military superiority have led us to feel protected from wars abroad.
But this sense of complacency is ill-founded.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in Tehran on Monday for talks with Iran’s leadership. Given Iran’s recent military and economic partnership with Russia and China, we are left to wonder what role Russia might play in any escalation between Iran and Israel. And what role the US might have to play in response.
Meanwhile, ISIS-K is escalating into a terror threat against our homeland. Analysts warn that “the terrorism warning lights are blinking red again,” echoing the run-up to 9/11. Undersea cables that conduct 99 percent of the world’s internet traffic are especially susceptible to sabotage. And AI-made bioweapons can be easily smuggled across borders and deployed with devastating consequences.
I report all of that to ask this: If the threats against Israel were threats against the US, how empathetically would you respond?
“When you know how much God is in love with you”
The biblical command to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6) has not been this urgent since the modern state of Israel was founded in 1948. “Peace,” in Hebrew, translates shalom, meaning a deep sense of well-being with God, others, and ourselves. For Israel to have such shalom, it must be at peace with God and at peace with its neighbors.
Accordingly, let us pray fervently for peace to come to all peoples in this war-torn region. And let us pray for Jews and Muslims alike to turn to the one Messiah who can bring such peace to their nations and to their hearts.
Let us pray for them as empathetically as if they were our family because, in God’s eyes, they are. Jesus loves each of them as much as he loves each of us. He died for them just as fully as he died for us. Now it’s our turn to pay forward his compassion with ours.
Mother Teresa was right:
“When you know how much God is in love with you, then you can only live your life radiating that love.”
To this end, let’s close by making Henri Nouwen’s prayer ours today:
Dear God,
As you draw me ever deeper into your heart, I discover that my companions on the journey are women and men loved by you as fully and as intimately as I am. In your compassionate heart, there is a place for all of them. No one is excluded.
Give me a share in your compassion, dear God, so that your unlimited love may become visible in the way I love my brothers and sisters.
Amen.
Tuesday news to know:
*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.
Quote for the day:
“God carries your picture in his wallet.” —Tony Campolo
by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.
“Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?” (Psalm 94:8-9)
The concept of evolution is nothing but brute-like foolishness. If an automobile presupposes an automaker, and a clock implies a clockmaker, surely the infinitely more intricate and complex eyes and ears of living creatures require an eye-maker and an ear-maker! “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them” (Proverbs 20:12).
The most basic of all scientific laws—the law of cause and effect (no effect greater than its cause)—becomes utmost nonsense if the cosmos is the product of chaos and the universe evolved by chance. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).
Every creature, from the single-cell amoebae to the amazing human body, bears the impress of intricate planning and construction. The notion that such complex structures could evolve by random mutations and natural selection is simply a measure of the audacity of human rebellion and the absurdity of humanistic reasoning. Such things never happen in the real world, and there is no real scientific evidence whatever for “vertical” evolution from one kind to a higher kind. The only “evidence” for evolution is the fact that the leaders of intellectualism believe it, and the only reason they believe it is because of their frantic desire to escape God. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22).
The ear did not evolve; it was planted. The eye did not happen by chance; it was formed. Every wise man and woman will say with the psalmist, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14). HMM
Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house? — Luke 2:49
Our Lord’s childhood wasn’t immature adulthood. His childhood is an eternal fact, the permanent state of his relationship to his Father. Am I so identified with my Lord and Savior that I, too, am a holy, innocent child of God? Do I look upon life as a permanent state of dwelling in my Father’s house? Is the Son of God dwelling in his Father’s house inside me?
The abiding reality is God; he is not changeable or fleeting. Yet he makes his order known in fleeting moments. When we are saved, we receive the power and the privilege of exhibiting the redemption in the passing moments of our lives. But to do this, we must remain in contact with abiding reality. Am I always in contact with reality, or do I pray only when things have gone wrong? I have to learn to identify myself with my Lord in holy communion in ways I haven’t even thought of yet, to live out each moment going about my Father’s business within my Father’s house.
If I consider my individual circumstances, what do I see? Am I so identified with the life of the eternal Child of God that I, too, am simply his child, continually talking to him and realizing that all things come from him? Are the graces of his ministry working through me in my home, my business, and my community? Am I wondering why I’m going through the things I’m going through right now? It isn’t that I have to go through them; it’s that they have been chosen specifically for me by God’s providence, with an eye to my growth in grace.
Let God have his way, while you keep yourself in perfect union with him. The life our Lord lived on earth is to become your vital life. The way he worked and lived must be the way he lives in you.
Wisdom from Oswald
To those who have had no agony Jesus says, “I have nothing for you; stand on your own feet, square your own shoulders. I have come for the man who knows he has a bigger handful than he can cope with, who knows there are forces he cannot touch; I will do everything for him if he will let Me. Only let a man grant he needs it, and I will do it for him.”The Shadow of an Agony, 1166 R
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
—2 Timothy 1:7
Many diseases of both body and mind are self-inflicted. For example, ulcers are often caused by worry and anxiety. Heart attacks are caused many times by overexertion. Unjustified worry, fear, prejudice, hatred, and envy can contribute to mental stress, which could lead to mental illness. So one way to have a healthy mind is to avoid those practices. But the Bible way to a healthy mind is this, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” If you have the mind of Christ, worry will be offset by trust, enmity by love, and fear by faith.
Helpful Scriptures to Focus Your Mind
Lea este devocional en español en es.billygraham.org.
Prayer for the day
Fears sometimes seem as if they would overwhelm me, Lord Jesus, but then I remember Your gift of power, love, and a healthy mind. Thank You for the promise of healing and love, as I keep my mind on You, my beloved Lord.
“I have called you by name; you are mine.”—Isaiah 43:1 (NLT)
Turn to this Scripture when you feel overwhelmed. Know that He is with you. He knows your name. Ask Him to help you surrender your feelings of inadequacy and let go of limiting ideas you have. Own your Godgiven abilities and believe you can do anything He calls you to do.
Dear Lord, thank You for this beautiful feeling of purpose and belonging that You bring to my life.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. ––Romans 14:17
The Holy Spirit’s constant message to every believer is to find satisfaction in God. Joy and peace are the by-products of contentment and thanksgiving for the life God has assigned to you. When I daily accept my situation in life, good days and bad, the possibilities of joy and peace become realities. There is no such thing as a joyful and peacefully discontented man. But when I learn how to be content, possess it, and fight to preserve its power in my life, all of the fruit of the Spirit is mine.
One of the highest forms of spiritual warfare is also the simplest: stay grateful and content. When you are content in who you are and what you have, Satan has no handholds upon which to gain traction in your life. Here’s how. Contentment is a way of thinking and doing, and when we have an intimate relationship with God, contentment is a big byproduct. Conversely, when we are not walking closely with the Father, we begin to lust for things: power, money, sex, position, etc. It’s the proverbial God-shaped hole inside every person—it’s going to get filled with something!
So how do you achieve a state of contentment? Stay in a place of awe and wonder over God’s presence, purpose, and plans unfolding in your life by the discipline of gratitude. Paul tells the Hebrews, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe … “ (Hebrews 12:28). Notice the language: be thankful. It doesn’t say “do thankful,” which tells us that the mission of the Holy Spirit in your life is to develop a spirit of thankfulness as a way to be. This means having an awareness of your indebtedness, acknowledging that God is good in all He does, and affirming His goodness with a life of gratitude. I’d encourage you to do a “gratitude list” during your morning sit, at least in your head. Then, about once a month or so, actually write it out and keep it handy. When you’re having an especially tough day, pull it up as a reminder of all God’s given you.
In Christ there is always plenty to be thankful for. If you find yourself struggling to come up with stuff, it is a sure sign that the dark voices of the flesh and the devil are plotting some disobedience options for you. Being aware of your discontentment is a great way to battle it. In other words, if you feel stuck or bored, why? If you are worrying about the future, what is it you are afraid of? I’d suggest you make an inventory of the things that are causing you discontent. Then ask God to reveal the reasons behind each item. Talk it through with someone; just getting it into the light can take away a lot of its negative power over you.
Father, Your goodness in my life is immeasurable. Thank you!
Bible in a Year :
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.
Today’s Scripture & Insight :
Job 1:6-12, 20-22
Carol couldn’t understand why it was happening all at once. As if work wasn’t bad enough, her daughter fractured her foot in school, and she herself came down with a severe infection. What did I do to deserve this? Carol wondered. All she could do was ask God for strength.
Job didn’t know why calamity had hit him so hard either—pain and loss far greater than what Carol experienced. There’s no indication he was aware of the cosmic battle for his soul. Satan wanted to test Job’s faith, claiming he’d turn from God if he lost everything (Job 1:6-12). When disaster struck, Job’s friends insisted he was being punished for his sins. That wasn’t why, but he must have wondered, Why me? What he didn’t know was that God had allowed it to happen.
Job’s story offers a powerful lesson about suffering and about faith. We may try to discover the reason behind our pain, but perhaps there’s a bigger story behind the scenes that we won’t understand in our lifetime.
Like Job, we can hold on to what we do know: God is in full control. It’s not an easy thing to say, but in the midst of his pain, Job kept looking to God and trusting in His sovereignty: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (v. 21). May we too keep trusting in God no matter what happens—and even when we don’t understand.
By: Leslie Koh
Reflect & Pray
What challenges are you facing? Which promises of God give you strength to keep going?
Dear Father, I don’t understand why some of life’s challenges happen to me. But I choose to trust You.
…Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)
“I’m a nobody,” my friend Gary said, “and besides, God has so many millions of people to look out for, and in comparison with some of them, my problems seem so petty.”
His words shocked me. Of course, God has millions to care for—but He can care for all of them at the same time. Gary missed something very important. God wants us to ask for help—and to ask often. Look at it this way: If Satan constantly attacks our minds, how else can we fortify ourselves? We fight back—but our major weapon is to cry out to the Lord asking for His strength to become ours!
Too many times, we think we can do it ourselves. In some instances, that may be true, but if we’re going to win continually over the attacks against our minds, we must realize that willpower alone won’t work. What we need is the humility to turn to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to strengthen us.
I realize that many people do not grasp how the Lord lovingly operates in their lives. Not only does God love us like a father, but He also has caring concern for every part of our lives. Our heavenly Father wants to intervene and help us, but He waits for an invitation to get involved. We issue that invitation and open the door for God’s help through prayer. God’s Word says, You do not have, because you do not ask (James 4:2 NKJV).
Perhaps we can think of it this way. God is watching us all the time, and He is aware of the temptations, struggles, and hardships we face—and we all face them. If we think we can do it by ourselves, God takes no action. But He remains ready to jump in and rescue us as soon as we cry out, asking for the power of the Holy Spirit to operate in our lives.
Our victory begins with right thinking. We have to be convinced that God cares, wants to act, and waits for us to cry out. When we cry out, we understand the words quoted previously, that it’s not by force or power, but by God’s Holy Spirit that victory comes. For example, take the matter of personal fellowship—daily time spent in prayer and reading the Word. As Christians, we know this is what God wants and what we need if we’re going to mature spiritually. At one time in my life, I tried to maintain spiritual self-discipline. I determined that I would pray and read my Bible every single day. I would do well for two or three days, and then something would interfere—sometimes my family or something at our church, but mostly little things that took my attention away from daily fellowship with my Lord.
One day, in desperation, I cried out, “Without Your help, I’ll never be faithful in doing this.” That’s when the Holy Spirit came to me and gave me the self-discipline I needed. It was almost as if God watched me struggle and allowed me to become frustrated and angry with myself. But as soon as I sincerely asked for help, the Spirit came to my rescue. We are too independent, and we experience a lot of unnecessary frustration simply because we try to do things without God’s help.
With the Spirit’s help, I am learning—yes, still learning—that I can choose what I want to think about. I can choose my thoughts, and I need to do that carefully. Unless I’m in regular fellowship with Him, I won’t know the difference between healthy thoughts and unhealthy ones. And if I don’t know the difference, I provide the opportunity for Satan to sneak into my mind and torment me. Spend plenty of time studying God’s Word, and you will quickly recognize each lie that Satan tries to plant in your mind.
Prayer of the Day: Father God, I want to think thoughts that honor You. I want to have a mind that’s fully centered on You, and I know that can’t happen unless I spend daily time with You. Help me, Holy Spirit; help me to be obedient and eager to be in constant fellowship with You, amen.
DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION 