by Kathy Lay
This Week's Verse: Revelation 5:8, "And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."(NIV, emphasis mine)
Devotion
I was reading in Revelation 4 about the infinite praise taking place in heaven. It blew me away on several levels that this praise was, is, and is to come. It's going on right now. When we offer our own praises, we're simply joining a chorus already in progress around the throne of God.
And then something else struck me. Each of the 24 elders sitting around the throne is holding a golden bowl of incense. What's the incense? Our prayers! A scent pleasing to the Lord!
If you've ever felt "disconnected" in your prayer life, there might be an issue God wants you to address. Maybe you have some unrepented sin. Maybe you need to humble yourself. Maybe you just flat out aren't praying the things God would have you pray. But if you've given everything to the Lord in repentance and humility and are praying His will and still wonder if it's making a difference, know this: Your prayers are precious in heaven.
Consider the following scene: Up to this point in Revelation we see the beings, the creatures, the surroundings in heaven and there is quite a commotion. The praises are constantly being sung, the elders are falling prostrate before the throne, and the scroll is being revealed. And then suddenly, it all stops!
"When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour. I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets. Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out" (Rev. 8:1-4, NLT).
The trumpets were present, but silent. The heavenly hosts were watching in anticipation, but uncharacterically quiet. I don't know if it's possible to hear footsteps in heaven (you know, with the clouds for a floor and all!) but I imagine the angel carrying the incense burner echoing them as he makes his way to the alter. All of heaven stops and holds its breath in anticiption.
The continual praise of the Lord stops for one thing--the prayers of the righteous. That's how important your prayers are to God.
God, in this season of celebrating how precious You are to us, thank you for the reminder of how precious we are to You. Thank You for holding our communication with You in such high regard that You quiet all of heaven for it to be offered up to You.
Application:
Read Revelation 4, 7, & 8:1-5 from a few different translations and really soak in the vivid scene. Notice that John writes about his vision in past tense (because he's telling about a vision he had seen) but presents some elements in the present tense to convey that these events are occuring in the present. Praise and thank God as you visualize that at that very minute, heaven's stopping to hear your heartfelt prayer offering.
Power Verses:
2 Chronicles 6:39, "then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you."(NIV)
Daniel 10:12, "Then he said, 'Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer'."(NLT)
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Blended Worship
by Mollie Thompson
This Week's Verse: John 4:23, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (NKJV)
Devotion:
I ran across a young man’s blog talking about his frustration with the song services in many churches. He referred to the mixing of traditional and contemporary styles of singing and called it "blended worship".
As I thought about this term I started to get totally pumped – not by what he meant, but by what the term "blended worship" can really mean…because worship isn’t just about singing.
You see, each person worships God only as they feel the need to worship. It is as we each humbly realize our true condition, as we face ourselves in the light of God that we see ourselves as we really are – poor, destitute, and sinful, unable to remove ourselves from the mud and slime of life. (Psalm 40:1-5 says it beautifully.) Until I see myself as I really am, how can I possibly worship God for who He really is? How can I see my need of a Savior if I don’t really think I am that needy?
And when I worship God whether it is in my car, when I’m doing the dishes, or when I’m wiping a snotty nose, that worship needs to come from the center of my being. It’s when nobody can hear me but the Almighty God and it is just Him and me, and I’m bowing down before Him in my neediness.
And when I say neediness, I mean I need His companionship. I need His love. I need His grace and mercy and wisdom and forgiveness and understanding. I need His presence! I’m so in love with Him that I need to pour out to Him. I so desire just to be with Him.
Those are the spirit and truth elements. Those are our everyday moments of worship. Notice none of them were accompanied by any certain type of music. None of them had a certain beat or style. No certain type of sensation had to be worked up. Our true worship comes from our hearts in everyday ways in everyday places.
And so then – THEN – when we do come together we truly can have blended worship. Our full hearts will naturally pour out of our spirits in truth in a unidirectional and harmonious way towards our God and our King – our Father who art in Heaven. How awesome is that?!! And we won’t care what instruments are playing or not playing, whether we are singing hymns or praise choruses. All that will matter is that we are all truly worshipping, and that sound will be so awesome both to us and to our Father.
Like the young blogger, sometimes we confuse harmonious instruments and vocals with the harmony that God really desires. Let us give Him the harmony of unity in spirit and truth instead. It’s harder, but more worth the while.
Father, we need You. We need You to help us worship. We worship other things. Sometimes we even worship ourselves. But that’s not what we really want to do. Help us, Lord. We do want to worship You in spirit and in truth, but we can’t do it unless You lead us into it. Humbling ourselves so we can do this is hard. Our flesh gets in the way. So hear our prayer, Lord, and lead us into worshipping You in spirit and in truth – no matter what it takes. And we thank You however You choose to answer. It is in Jesus name we ask. Amen.
Application:
The next time you are in church ready to sing, look at the words. Can you sing them from your heart? Do you really believe what you are singing? Do you picture our Father hearing you? Can you forget everyone around you and just reach up to the One that loves you more than any other ever can? Do you recognize your neediness of our Creator, our Savior?
Power Verses:
Psalm 29:2, "Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." (NKJV)
Philippians 3:3, "For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances." (Amp)
Isaiah 12:5-6, "Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done excellent things [gloriously]; let this be made known to all the earth. Cry aloud and shout joyfully, you women and inhabitants of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel." (Amp)
This Week's Verse: John 4:23, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (NKJV)
Devotion:
I ran across a young man’s blog talking about his frustration with the song services in many churches. He referred to the mixing of traditional and contemporary styles of singing and called it "blended worship".
As I thought about this term I started to get totally pumped – not by what he meant, but by what the term "blended worship" can really mean…because worship isn’t just about singing.
You see, each person worships God only as they feel the need to worship. It is as we each humbly realize our true condition, as we face ourselves in the light of God that we see ourselves as we really are – poor, destitute, and sinful, unable to remove ourselves from the mud and slime of life. (Psalm 40:1-5 says it beautifully.) Until I see myself as I really am, how can I possibly worship God for who He really is? How can I see my need of a Savior if I don’t really think I am that needy?
And when I worship God whether it is in my car, when I’m doing the dishes, or when I’m wiping a snotty nose, that worship needs to come from the center of my being. It’s when nobody can hear me but the Almighty God and it is just Him and me, and I’m bowing down before Him in my neediness.
And when I say neediness, I mean I need His companionship. I need His love. I need His grace and mercy and wisdom and forgiveness and understanding. I need His presence! I’m so in love with Him that I need to pour out to Him. I so desire just to be with Him.
Those are the spirit and truth elements. Those are our everyday moments of worship. Notice none of them were accompanied by any certain type of music. None of them had a certain beat or style. No certain type of sensation had to be worked up. Our true worship comes from our hearts in everyday ways in everyday places.
And so then – THEN – when we do come together we truly can have blended worship. Our full hearts will naturally pour out of our spirits in truth in a unidirectional and harmonious way towards our God and our King – our Father who art in Heaven. How awesome is that?!! And we won’t care what instruments are playing or not playing, whether we are singing hymns or praise choruses. All that will matter is that we are all truly worshipping, and that sound will be so awesome both to us and to our Father.
Like the young blogger, sometimes we confuse harmonious instruments and vocals with the harmony that God really desires. Let us give Him the harmony of unity in spirit and truth instead. It’s harder, but more worth the while.
Father, we need You. We need You to help us worship. We worship other things. Sometimes we even worship ourselves. But that’s not what we really want to do. Help us, Lord. We do want to worship You in spirit and in truth, but we can’t do it unless You lead us into it. Humbling ourselves so we can do this is hard. Our flesh gets in the way. So hear our prayer, Lord, and lead us into worshipping You in spirit and in truth – no matter what it takes. And we thank You however You choose to answer. It is in Jesus name we ask. Amen.
Application:
The next time you are in church ready to sing, look at the words. Can you sing them from your heart? Do you really believe what you are singing? Do you picture our Father hearing you? Can you forget everyone around you and just reach up to the One that loves you more than any other ever can? Do you recognize your neediness of our Creator, our Savior?
Power Verses:
Psalm 29:2, "Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." (NKJV)
Philippians 3:3, "For we [Christians] are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit and by the Spirit of God and exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances." (Amp)
Isaiah 12:5-6, "Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done excellent things [gloriously]; let this be made known to all the earth. Cry aloud and shout joyfully, you women and inhabitants of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel." (Amp)
Friday, December 4, 2009
What If?
by Debby Craig
This Week's Verse: Acts 20:28, "Now it's up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God's people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for."(MSG)
Devotion:
As I looked around church last Sunday I noticed how many people I didn’t recognize. Who were they? Did I know them? Were they visiting for the first time or had they been coming for weeks and just happened to sit on “my side” this time? Whichever it was, I needed to make sure that I greeted them with a smile that would come from Christ himself.
But I don’t always do that. Do you? We sometimes get caught up in this mindset: but I don’t know who they are – I’m sure someone else knows them or invited them and I’m not in the greatest mood today so I better not say anything or look their way.
There are many, many “what if” stories we could imagine about the visitors that come through our church doors, but here is just one.
What if the visitor had fought with herself all week about finally getting there that particular Sunday morning for some unknown reason to her (read on)? What if her mother had been praying for her for as long as she could remember to come back home to the Lord? And what if that young woman ran into me or you on that very first visit--scared, away from her hometown, not knowing anyone at all--and we were in one of those “moods” and did not look her way.
What would we tell her mother? What would we tell our Lord?
Let’s be cheerful when we meet new people in church. It’s the place Our Father drew them to get loved on! Let’s greet people all over the place. Who cares who they are or what they were doing yesterday. Let’s pretend like we invited them over for dinner and are so glad to see them. If we see someone and we don’t know who they are, let’s say “Hi” – tell them our name and they will probably tell us theirs. It is a simple concept and it works. We might even get a reputation of being "the friendly person." Our whole church needs to be "the friendly person" for that matter.
Even if we weren’t born with that touchy-feely gene, the Holy Spirit can muster it up on demand. Galatians 5:22 says, "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..."
What if we submit to the Spirit?
What if we reach out to others as Christ Himself?
What if?
Father, help us to discern and follow your promptings in making people feel welcome and loved. Love them through us, in Jesus' Name.
Application:
Let’s get it started girls! Let’s not let one person slip by us or slip out that door this Christmas season. Let's impress the Lord on them so much that they leave thinking, I love these people. I know why my momma has been praying for me now. I think I’m coming back next week.
Power Verses:
John 21:15, "After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' Peter replied, 'you know I love you.' 'Then feed my lambs,' Jesus told him."(NLT)
Psalm 68:3, "But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy."(NLT)
John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."(NIV)
This Week's Verse: Acts 20:28, "Now it's up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God's people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for."(MSG)
Devotion:
As I looked around church last Sunday I noticed how many people I didn’t recognize. Who were they? Did I know them? Were they visiting for the first time or had they been coming for weeks and just happened to sit on “my side” this time? Whichever it was, I needed to make sure that I greeted them with a smile that would come from Christ himself.
But I don’t always do that. Do you? We sometimes get caught up in this mindset: but I don’t know who they are – I’m sure someone else knows them or invited them and I’m not in the greatest mood today so I better not say anything or look their way.
There are many, many “what if” stories we could imagine about the visitors that come through our church doors, but here is just one.
What if the visitor had fought with herself all week about finally getting there that particular Sunday morning for some unknown reason to her (read on)? What if her mother had been praying for her for as long as she could remember to come back home to the Lord? And what if that young woman ran into me or you on that very first visit--scared, away from her hometown, not knowing anyone at all--and we were in one of those “moods” and did not look her way.
What would we tell her mother? What would we tell our Lord?
Let’s be cheerful when we meet new people in church. It’s the place Our Father drew them to get loved on! Let’s greet people all over the place. Who cares who they are or what they were doing yesterday. Let’s pretend like we invited them over for dinner and are so glad to see them. If we see someone and we don’t know who they are, let’s say “Hi” – tell them our name and they will probably tell us theirs. It is a simple concept and it works. We might even get a reputation of being "the friendly person." Our whole church needs to be "the friendly person" for that matter.
Even if we weren’t born with that touchy-feely gene, the Holy Spirit can muster it up on demand. Galatians 5:22 says, "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..."
What if we submit to the Spirit?
What if we reach out to others as Christ Himself?
What if?
Father, help us to discern and follow your promptings in making people feel welcome and loved. Love them through us, in Jesus' Name.
Application:
Let’s get it started girls! Let’s not let one person slip by us or slip out that door this Christmas season. Let's impress the Lord on them so much that they leave thinking, I love these people. I know why my momma has been praying for me now. I think I’m coming back next week.
Power Verses:
John 21:15, "After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' Peter replied, 'you know I love you.' 'Then feed my lambs,' Jesus told him."(NLT)
Psalm 68:3, "But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy."(NLT)
John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."(NIV)
Friday, November 27, 2009
A Christmas Light
by Kathy Lay
This Week's Verse: 1 Peter 3:15-16, “...And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak evil against you, they will be ashamed when they see the good life you live because you belong the Christ.” (NLT)
Devotion:
I read this on facebook a few days ago by an acquaintance: (Name) "is going to celebrate the seasonal festivities. I will celebrate the winter solstice in the manner I wish to, which involves gifts and do NOT tell me because I don't believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the son of god that I cannot. The “Church” stole my religion, my holidays, and labeled my beliefs as evil. So there!"
If you follow and put your trust in Christ, reading that status update probably knocked the wind right of you like it did me. I was angry, sad, and heartsick all at the same time, especially when I saw that six people “liked” it.
Fourteen comments followed. A few of them echoed her sentiments but as I read through the thread I saw an interesting conversation unfold. One Christian friend responded apologetically for unloving Christians who had condemned her in the past and through some back-and-forth with my friend, left a door open to talk about things if she ever wanted some questions answered from someone who loved her.
Ah, hope.
This Christian was being the light of Jesus in an area of darkness, lovingly meeting this person where she was with the truth of the Gospel. A real Christmas light of a magnificent sort.
As we approach the Christmas season, many non-believers could echo the thoughts of my facebook friend. When our defensive hackles raise, it is paramount that we let the Holy Spirit exert self-control through us. In this case my initial knee-jerk reaction was to impulsively zip back a sarcastic comment such as “Oh yeah, because the winter solstice is SO worthy of celebrating! Did it die for you?!”
Ahem. You can see that would have done nothing to further the cause for Christ. (Sorry, Lord.) Self-control led me to read the comments instead of...uh, not helping. And the comments revealed that the Lord was working through someone else.
Thank God for the Christian sister that responded in love and allowed room for God to soften a hard heart!
May we do the same.
Lord, forgive me when I allow my defensiveness of you to overtake my emotions to the point when it would cause more harm than good. Infuse me with your Spirit so that its fruit is what people see. And make them hungry for it. Help us to be the light. In Jesus' Name.
Application:
Ask God to put people in your path who need to see his light. The Christmas season is a time when many people are more open to the truth if only we Christians approach them non-judgmentally and out of concern and love. Who can you reach out to so that God can “prepare Him room” in their heart?
Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 4:4, "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God."(NLT)
Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."(NIV)
John 8:12, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"(NIV)
This Week's Verse: 1 Peter 3:15-16, “...And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak evil against you, they will be ashamed when they see the good life you live because you belong the Christ.” (NLT)
Devotion:
I read this on facebook a few days ago by an acquaintance: (Name) "is going to celebrate the seasonal festivities. I will celebrate the winter solstice in the manner I wish to, which involves gifts and do NOT tell me because I don't believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the son of god that I cannot. The “Church” stole my religion, my holidays, and labeled my beliefs as evil. So there!"
If you follow and put your trust in Christ, reading that status update probably knocked the wind right of you like it did me. I was angry, sad, and heartsick all at the same time, especially when I saw that six people “liked” it.
Fourteen comments followed. A few of them echoed her sentiments but as I read through the thread I saw an interesting conversation unfold. One Christian friend responded apologetically for unloving Christians who had condemned her in the past and through some back-and-forth with my friend, left a door open to talk about things if she ever wanted some questions answered from someone who loved her.
Ah, hope.
This Christian was being the light of Jesus in an area of darkness, lovingly meeting this person where she was with the truth of the Gospel. A real Christmas light of a magnificent sort.
As we approach the Christmas season, many non-believers could echo the thoughts of my facebook friend. When our defensive hackles raise, it is paramount that we let the Holy Spirit exert self-control through us. In this case my initial knee-jerk reaction was to impulsively zip back a sarcastic comment such as “Oh yeah, because the winter solstice is SO worthy of celebrating! Did it die for you?!”
Ahem. You can see that would have done nothing to further the cause for Christ. (Sorry, Lord.) Self-control led me to read the comments instead of...uh, not helping. And the comments revealed that the Lord was working through someone else.
Thank God for the Christian sister that responded in love and allowed room for God to soften a hard heart!
May we do the same.
Lord, forgive me when I allow my defensiveness of you to overtake my emotions to the point when it would cause more harm than good. Infuse me with your Spirit so that its fruit is what people see. And make them hungry for it. Help us to be the light. In Jesus' Name.
Application:
Ask God to put people in your path who need to see his light. The Christmas season is a time when many people are more open to the truth if only we Christians approach them non-judgmentally and out of concern and love. Who can you reach out to so that God can “prepare Him room” in their heart?
Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 4:4, "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God."(NLT)
Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."(NIV)
John 8:12, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"(NIV)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Okay, So Anyway...
by Kathy Lay
This Week's Verse: 2 Peter 1:10-11, "Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."(NIV)
Devotion:
We see references to it on facebook multiple times a day, we hear it from people’s mouths, and we say it ourselves: I just can’t get motivated. I really should be doing so and so but I just can’t find the wherewithal to do it. I don’t feel like doing anything.
See, I know what I’m talking about because I have a propensity to be easily overwhelmed. And when I get that way, often my coping mechanism is to shut down and not do a whole lot of anything. I allow myself to be paralyzed in times when I should be productive.
In some areas of life that may not be a big deal. If the dishes sit overnight they’ll get done the next day. If the floor goes unvacuumed no one will probably even notice—at least for awhile.
But what about when God has clearly called me to do something and I have said yes to Him? I’m fueled by excitement at first, but feelings fade. Eventually, I’m left to carry out obedience even when I no longer want to because it’s hard or boring or confusing.
I’m referring specifically to my writing. God made it clear that I am to write fiction for young people that will draw them into a closer relationship with him. Fun, right? Not so much anymore. And then I ran across this little excerpt from Cynthia Ruchti:
This Week's Verse: 2 Peter 1:10-11, "Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."(NIV)
Devotion:
We see references to it on facebook multiple times a day, we hear it from people’s mouths, and we say it ourselves: I just can’t get motivated. I really should be doing so and so but I just can’t find the wherewithal to do it. I don’t feel like doing anything.
See, I know what I’m talking about because I have a propensity to be easily overwhelmed. And when I get that way, often my coping mechanism is to shut down and not do a whole lot of anything. I allow myself to be paralyzed in times when I should be productive.
In some areas of life that may not be a big deal. If the dishes sit overnight they’ll get done the next day. If the floor goes unvacuumed no one will probably even notice—at least for awhile.
But what about when God has clearly called me to do something and I have said yes to Him? I’m fueled by excitement at first, but feelings fade. Eventually, I’m left to carry out obedience even when I no longer want to because it’s hard or boring or confusing.
I’m referring specifically to my writing. God made it clear that I am to write fiction for young people that will draw them into a closer relationship with him. Fun, right? Not so much anymore. And then I ran across this little excerpt from Cynthia Ruchti:
As in marriage, feelings come and go. (But) devotion and commitment hold us to the task. An author lays fingers to the keyboard whether emotionally full or emotionally empty. That's where miracles happen. God responds to our obedience and commitment by restoring the feelings we thought were dead.
It's all about writing *anyway*.
•No one will ever buy this dribble. *Write anyway.*
•Even I don't like the story anymore. *Write anyway.*
•Laundry looks mighty tempting right now. *Write anyway.*
•I've been writing a very long time with no visible success. *Write anyway.*
It's natural to write when we feel it. What a sweet victory (and testament to God's power at work within us) when we write when we don't feel it!
How remarkable is it to be faithful when the words come easily? When your mate is adorable? When your boss just gave you a raise?(But) how *divine *to be faithful when your mate did something unkind and the boss doesn't appreciate you and the words come hard!
Now, that's remarkable.
These words hit me right between the eyes. I have to be obedient to my calling and not let doubt or distraction or yes, even being overwhelmed, become strongholds for the enemy who wants to thwart God’s plan.
It’s easy to serve when everything is roses, when life’s going our way, and when our motivation skyrockets on pure emotion. But it's commitment to God and perseverance in our "anyway" that grows us closer to God as we serve him through the dry spells.
Father God, forgive me for doubting your call or dragging my feet with it just because things get tough. Help me to be faithful in my follow-through. Lord, my desire is that you find favor in my service because you know you can count on me to do your will. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Application: What’s your “anyway” area? Is there something you know you’ve been called to do but haven't yet? Make a list of anyway statements similar to Cynthia Ruchti's above. Resolve to fulfill your calling by persuing it anyway.
Power Verses:
2 Peter 1:3-4, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."(NIV)
Hebrews 10:36 , "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."(NIV)
2 Peter 1:5-8, "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."(NIV)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Rooted in Love
by Kathy Lay
This Week's Verse: Ephesians 3:17, "...May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love." (NLT)
Devotion:
A few weeks ago, there was a lot of talk about roots in our house as both my 6th graders were studying for a science test. I helped them study and learned right along with them.
One term on the study sheet was "positive gravitropism" and it referred to the roots of a plant "being pulled down into the ground to allow for them to absorb maximum water and nutrients from the soil." The deeper the roots go, the stronger and healthier the plant is.
This definition made me think of Jesus' parable about the seeds falling into four distinct places. If you remember, some seeds fell on the road and were immediately snatched up by the birds. Some fell in rocky places and though they sprouted new growth, the roots weren't deep so the young plants were quickly scorced by the sun. Still others fell into weeds and again, began to grow, but were eventually choked out by the weeds.
But look what happens to the fourth type. Luke 8:15 says, "But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest."(MSG)
This time the roots went deep. And this week's verse shows that the soil we're to root deeply in is God's love. When we soak it up we're stronger. When we soak it up we're healthier. We're not scorched and we're not choked out.
Things get out of hand though when the enemy takes our focus off of God's amazing, beyond-all-understanding love for his people. We start to think God's love is conditional. That we're not worthy. (And but for the blood of Christ, we're not.)
But Ephesians 3 goes on to say, "May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God"(v. 19, NLT).
By being rooted--really firmly embedded--in God's love in an unshakeably confident way, we'll thrive and be fruitful. Never let the enemy snatch that away.
God, I'm amazed at how you've written your love for us in nature itself. Set our roots firmly so that like a plant, we're nourished by the rich soil of your steadfast love and will go on to produce fruit for you.
Application: Have you allowed God's multifaceted love to nourish your soul? Even when you feel scorched, choked, or snatched away? Plant yourself firmly in the good soil and have faith that the power of his love will grow you taller and stronger than any of the enemy's attempts to stunt your growth.
Power Verses:
2 Timothy 1:13, "So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It's as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us." (MSG)
Jeremiah 17:8, "They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green,and they never stop producing fruit."(NLT)
This Week's Verse: Ephesians 3:17, "...May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love." (NLT)
Devotion:
A few weeks ago, there was a lot of talk about roots in our house as both my 6th graders were studying for a science test. I helped them study and learned right along with them.
One term on the study sheet was "positive gravitropism" and it referred to the roots of a plant "being pulled down into the ground to allow for them to absorb maximum water and nutrients from the soil." The deeper the roots go, the stronger and healthier the plant is.
This definition made me think of Jesus' parable about the seeds falling into four distinct places. If you remember, some seeds fell on the road and were immediately snatched up by the birds. Some fell in rocky places and though they sprouted new growth, the roots weren't deep so the young plants were quickly scorced by the sun. Still others fell into weeds and again, began to grow, but were eventually choked out by the weeds.
But look what happens to the fourth type. Luke 8:15 says, "But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest."(MSG)
This time the roots went deep. And this week's verse shows that the soil we're to root deeply in is God's love. When we soak it up we're stronger. When we soak it up we're healthier. We're not scorched and we're not choked out.
Things get out of hand though when the enemy takes our focus off of God's amazing, beyond-all-understanding love for his people. We start to think God's love is conditional. That we're not worthy. (And but for the blood of Christ, we're not.)
But Ephesians 3 goes on to say, "May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God"(v. 19, NLT).
By being rooted--really firmly embedded--in God's love in an unshakeably confident way, we'll thrive and be fruitful. Never let the enemy snatch that away.
God, I'm amazed at how you've written your love for us in nature itself. Set our roots firmly so that like a plant, we're nourished by the rich soil of your steadfast love and will go on to produce fruit for you.
Application: Have you allowed God's multifaceted love to nourish your soul? Even when you feel scorched, choked, or snatched away? Plant yourself firmly in the good soil and have faith that the power of his love will grow you taller and stronger than any of the enemy's attempts to stunt your growth.
Power Verses:
2 Timothy 1:13, "So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It's as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us." (MSG)
Jeremiah 17:8, "They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green,and they never stop producing fruit."(NLT)
Friday, November 6, 2009
Upside Down Kingdom: Trials
by Missy Milbourn
This Week's Verse: James 1:2, "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." (NIV)
Devotion:
So many times as I read the Bible, which explains and describes and teaches the things of the Kingdom of God, I think what an upside down kingdom. God looks at things so differently than the way the world teaches us to view things.
The longer I’m a Christian, the more I realize how important it is that we go through the process of the “renewing of the mind”. We need to let go of how the world looks at things, and grab hold of how the Lord looks at things. Take this week’s scripture for example:
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”
WHAT!?! Are you out of your mind?!?!
I don’t know about you, but when troubles come my way, I am anything but joyful about it. Seriously.
Depending on what trouble comes my way, my response to it--instead of being joyful--typically falls under one of these categories:
Fearful
Angered
or
Offended
Let’s pick one of those and examine it a bit. Let’s say that I get angry easily, and I find that various situations keep happening that cause me to become angry. As a result, I think, why does trouble continually come into my life causing me to be upset?!
A wise Christian friend once told me that God, in his mercy, often brings us to the same mountain because He wants us to learn how to get over that mountain.
I believe that’s a huge part of what James 1 is teaching. Let’s looks at it in The Message: "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way" (James 1:2-4).
If anger is our issue, I can assure you that God wants to help us deal with that, because we’ll be a lot happier if we’re not honked off all the time.
If being offended is our issue, I can assure you that God wants to help us with that, because we’ll be a lot happier if our feelings aren’t hurt all the time.
If fear is our issue, I can assure you that God wants to help us with that because we’ll have a happier life if we learn to trust God instead of living in a state of worry all the time.
Oftentimes when we find ourselves mad or offended or fearful, our first inclination is to flee the situation. But God is saying “don’t”. Don’t leave prematurely, but let this trial do its work in you so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
John Bevere, in his book The Bait of Satan, speaks of how Christians often leave their church over an offense. And often, when they do that, they run into the same problem at their next church. Because, guess what, God wants to work something out in that person, and as long as we’re in relationship with Him, He’s going to keep bringing the issue up. He wants to help us through it, because we belong to Him, and He’s molding us into His image for our benefit, and for the benefit of His Kingdom. He is guiding us into full maturity.
Let’s not run from what He has for us. But instead, let’s ask Him what it is He wants us to learn from the trial. Knowing that we can trust Him to make us mature, not deficient in any way…and that, my friend, is reason for joy.
Father, it is so hard when trouble comes our way. Typically our reaction is a “not so good” emotional one. But Lord, help us to trust you when trouble comes our way. Help us to know You more. To lean on You more. To learn from You, allowing the trial to grow us up in whatever manner you see fit.
Application:
Think about how you respond when troubles come your way. Or maybe you are in the midst of a trial right now. Take a moment to think about what God may want to teach you through that particular trial.
Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 4:17-18, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (NIV)
2 Corinthians 12:10, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (NIV)
This Week's Verse: James 1:2, "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." (NIV)
Devotion:
So many times as I read the Bible, which explains and describes and teaches the things of the Kingdom of God, I think what an upside down kingdom. God looks at things so differently than the way the world teaches us to view things.
The longer I’m a Christian, the more I realize how important it is that we go through the process of the “renewing of the mind”. We need to let go of how the world looks at things, and grab hold of how the Lord looks at things. Take this week’s scripture for example:
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”
WHAT!?! Are you out of your mind?!?!
I don’t know about you, but when troubles come my way, I am anything but joyful about it. Seriously.
Depending on what trouble comes my way, my response to it--instead of being joyful--typically falls under one of these categories:
Fearful
Angered
or
Offended
Let’s pick one of those and examine it a bit. Let’s say that I get angry easily, and I find that various situations keep happening that cause me to become angry. As a result, I think, why does trouble continually come into my life causing me to be upset?!
A wise Christian friend once told me that God, in his mercy, often brings us to the same mountain because He wants us to learn how to get over that mountain.
I believe that’s a huge part of what James 1 is teaching. Let’s looks at it in The Message: "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way" (James 1:2-4).
If anger is our issue, I can assure you that God wants to help us deal with that, because we’ll be a lot happier if we’re not honked off all the time.
If being offended is our issue, I can assure you that God wants to help us with that, because we’ll be a lot happier if our feelings aren’t hurt all the time.
If fear is our issue, I can assure you that God wants to help us with that because we’ll have a happier life if we learn to trust God instead of living in a state of worry all the time.
Oftentimes when we find ourselves mad or offended or fearful, our first inclination is to flee the situation. But God is saying “don’t”. Don’t leave prematurely, but let this trial do its work in you so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
John Bevere, in his book The Bait of Satan, speaks of how Christians often leave their church over an offense. And often, when they do that, they run into the same problem at their next church. Because, guess what, God wants to work something out in that person, and as long as we’re in relationship with Him, He’s going to keep bringing the issue up. He wants to help us through it, because we belong to Him, and He’s molding us into His image for our benefit, and for the benefit of His Kingdom. He is guiding us into full maturity.
Let’s not run from what He has for us. But instead, let’s ask Him what it is He wants us to learn from the trial. Knowing that we can trust Him to make us mature, not deficient in any way…and that, my friend, is reason for joy.
Father, it is so hard when trouble comes our way. Typically our reaction is a “not so good” emotional one. But Lord, help us to trust you when trouble comes our way. Help us to know You more. To lean on You more. To learn from You, allowing the trial to grow us up in whatever manner you see fit.
Application:
Think about how you respond when troubles come your way. Or maybe you are in the midst of a trial right now. Take a moment to think about what God may want to teach you through that particular trial.
Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 4:17-18, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (NIV)
2 Corinthians 12:10, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (NIV)
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