Devotions - Prayer
“Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.” – Judges 11:29a
We’ve all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years.
*Children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease – these are all difficult circumstances to overcome.
Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming great in God’s sight.
*He was born to Gilead, a result of his father’s adulterous encounter with a prostitute.
*Jephthah’s half-brothers decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman.”
*Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.
This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang?
As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander.
Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years.
“Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house?” he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.
It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive.
**It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly.
**Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.
The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways.
*Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God.
*However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will choose to follow Him with an upright heart.
*Jesus does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.
Lord, I’m so glad I don’t have to say that right thing to get Your attention. Thank You for Your Spirit that lives in me and leads me—in my daily activities and even in my prayers. Please show me verses You want me to pray so I can see Your Word come alive in my circumstances and become active in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Read MoreAll our flowery words about Jesus are not enough. Our actions must match our words in order for it to become truth.
*”Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Matthew 23:28
Psalm 147:2–3The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
The Lord is today building up Jerusalem. He is gathering the exiles of Israel. He’s healing the brokenhearted and binding up their wounds.
* That’s good news for all who will turn to God.
*It’s good news for God’s people, Israel.
*It’s good news for the church of Jesus Christ, because the same God that is gathering Israel is gathering the church back to Himself, bringing us into our inheritance, healing our wounds, binding up our broken hearts.
There’s a ministry of the Holy Spirit today that’s something very special –
*it’s a ministry to the brokenhearted.
*It’s a ministry to those who are wounded in their hearts.
If you carry a wound inside you, turn to God, say, “God, this is a time of restoration; it’s a time of regathering.
*You are healing the brokenhearted.
*You are binding up their wounds.
Lord, You know that wound I’ve carried so long in my heart; will You heal me?”
And the invisible finger of God, the Holy Spirit, will reach down where no surgeon can reach and touch that wounded place in your life and bring you healing and restoration.
God has placed all His majesty, glory and power in one source: Christ.
Colossians 2:2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
*His glory is not made known in smart and powerful men or through brilliant plans and ingenious strategies.
*His glory is found in a single source: Jesus.
If we want Christ’s glory in our lives and in our churches, it is not going to come through our strength or schemes.
*It is going to come by emptying ourselves out that He may fill us.
*As we go deeper in loving Him we become more like Him.
We must say with John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease”. (John 3:30).
Father, Forgive me for the many times I have been too busy to see the needs around me. Break my heart for those who are brokenhearted in pain and feel hopeless. Encourage them through me, Lord. Fill my heart with Your love so that I can give it away.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read–Romans 5:6-11
What do you think about when you see a depiction of Christ on the cross?
Most of us are overwhelmed by the physical and emotional suffering that He endured—the scourging, beating, thorns, nails, mocking, and shame. We are horrified at the cruelty of the Romans and the hard hearts of the Jewish rulers.
But during the crucifixion, far more was happening than the eye could see. God was carrying out His plan to rescue mankind, providing everything we need for salvation:
- Redemption. Jesus paid the full price of the debt we owed for transgression: death. His payment set us free from bondage to sin.
- Forgiveness. God could now release us from the punishment we deserved.
- Propitiation. Christ’s payment satisfied
the Father by fulfilling His demand for justice while letting Him forgive us.
- Justification. On the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice, the Lord now declares believers not guilty.
Although we will still sin in this earthly life, our standing before God is one of righteousness. This is a legal declaration that can never be reversed.
- Reconciliation. The sin barrier that separated us from the Father was removed by Christ’s death on our behalf. We’re now God’s children—we have open access to Him and fellowship with Him.
The crucifixion was the only way to rescue lost humanity. If there had been any other way, the cross would have been a ugly display of divine cruelty. But because so much was at stake, it can truly be called the greatest act of love by both the Father and the Son.
Thank You Jesus for the Cross which won total Victory over Satan. Help me to come to know You more and more Jesus so that Your love will fill me to overflowing and then give that same love to others in need. Amen
Read More
Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Thy faithfulness, in Thy righteousness! And do not enter into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy sight no man living is righteous. For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground. Psalm 143:1–3
The psalmist there was struggling with a dark force that attacks almost every one of us at some time or another, the force of condemnation.
Each of us has an enemy, an accuser, one who seeks to make us feel guilty, unworthy, one who reminds us of our failures and our shortcomings and our unworthiness, and if we let him go on speaking to us he’ll crush our life down to the ground.
The answer is the answer that the psalmist found. He turned to God and he prayed. And he said, “Give ear to my supplications. Answer me in Thy faithfulness and in Thy righteousness.”
When we are facing condemnation (Guilt, separation from God, eternal punishment) and a sense of unworthiness, it is most important that we don’t listen to the enemy any longer; that we turn to God and that we appeal to God for help. “Speak to Him-“PRAY”!
Not on the basis of our righteousness or our faithfulness, but on the basis of God’s righteousness and God’s faithfulness.
*That is the way out from condemnation.
*That’s the way back into victory. (see 1 Jn 4:4)
Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
Jesus was crucified, buried and rose on the third day that we might have eternal life.
*What could we possibly do in return for that?
“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Ro. 10:4).
This verse has brought freedom to all generations of believers:
Christ is the end. There is nothing else!
“So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16).
When you feel lost and all alone remember God loves you!
“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.(1 Timothy 1:15-16)
Thank You Jesus, that You found me and extended Your Free Undeserved Grace to me. I no longer feel lost or alone! I have You Jesus, 24/7.Thank You for your word which is Truth and which is alive. Please help me share this Great News with all that will listen. Amen
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12 NIV).
If you were to ask people if they are going to Heaven or Hell, you’ll likely hear them say, “I hope I’ll go to Heaven.”
But hope just isn’t good enough. I pray that’s not your answer. Your eternal destiny is too important not to know for sure.
Only a fool would be unprepared for what we all know is inevitable: death. The most recent statistics show that mortality rates in the world are 100 percent!
You’re not guaranteed another minute on this planet, much less another hour. Don’t put off the most important choice you’ll ever make.
The Bible says in 1 John 5:11-12,“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (NIV).
That’s about as clear as you can get.
- If you have Jesus, you have life.
- If you don’t have Jesus, you do not have life.
- You have a choice.
You won’t go to Heaven because of someone else’s faith. You’ll never go to Hell because of someone else’s choice.
It’s your choice! You decide where you’ll spend eternity.
This is why Christmas and Easter are so important. If Jesus hadn’t come at Christmas and if he hadn’t died and come back to life on Easter, we’d be hopeless. Nothing we do would matter. You wouldn’t have this choice.
The cross is the answer to our deepest problem — our separation from God.
The Bible says, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross”(Colossians 2:13-14).
God nailed everything that separated you from himself to the cross. But God won’t force you to make the most important decision of your life. It’s in your hands.
It’s time to choose.
Lord, Help me to KNOW you more each and every day, because to know You is to have eternal life (JN 17:3). Amen
Read MoreWe are not responsible to change our negative feelings. Our responsibility is to put “in charge” the only Person who can change them, and that Person is God.
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.”Psalm 37:5
Psalm 19:12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden(some trans say secret) faults. 13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
*Do you suffer with the sin of secret faults?
*Is there something in your life that is hidden from the eyes of man that is sin?
Romans 1:18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.
*Are you living a life of falsehood?
*Do others think that you are something that you are not behind closed doors?
If so—it’s time for a “session of confession” and repentance, it’s time to seek the Lord and ask Him to cleanse you from your secret faults.
Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
You see your “secret faults” are not so secret. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of the Father.
Nothing is secret to the Father.
Confess any secret faults/sins you have to the Lord and turn away from them, ask Him to take the desire for them away from you and tell Him you don’t want to do anything that does not please Him (and mean it).
Ask Him to cleanse you from those secret faults and He most assuredly will.
Psalms 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Father today I bring all of my faults before you, I confess each and every one of them. I bring my secrets faults before you Lord and I ask that you would cleanse me from these secret faults Lord. Amen
Does our heavenly Father favor certain of his children?
When it comes to salvation and his wonderful promises, God treats ALL alike but He also puts his special favor on those who respond wholeheartedly to his calling and yield their lives to him entirely!
God is all knowing, therefore He knows the good and the bad, those who seek him an those who don’t. If you truly seek him with your heart and through your actions then he will have a place for you in heaven!
Our heavenly Father puts a special garment on those who completely give him their heart:
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).
* True saving faith’s object is Jesus alone
* True saving faith results in a changed life.
W are to be looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith! When Satan comes and points at some weakness in our heart, WE have every right to answer, “My God already knows it all and he still loves me! He has given me everything I need to attain victory and keep it.”
(See 1JN 4:4 for Fighting From Victory)
The Lord leads each of His children along a path that is uniquely tailor made for him or her. Comparing is not only wrong; it is also meaningless.
**Don’t look for affirmation in the wrong places; your own evaluations, or those of other people.
*The only source of real affirmation is the Lord’s unconditional Love.
JESUS died for your sins, so that He might clothe you in His garments of salvation. This is how the Lord sees you: radiant in HIS robe of righteousness.
When the Lord disciplines you, it’s never in anger or disgust; it is to prepare you for face-to-Face fellowship with HIM throughout all eternity.
Romans 8: 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?
* Paul provides us with a very descriptive manifestation of all that is for those who are in Christ Jesus;
Romans 8:
1. No condemnation! (vs. 1)
2. Live in the Spirit (vs. 9)
3. Life because of righteousness (vs. 10)
4. Are children of God (vs. 14 & 15)
5. Have hope (vs. 23-25)
6. Experience God’s good working (vs. 28)
7, Are called, justified, and glorified (vs. 30
8. Are more than conquerors! (vs. 31 &37)
9. Will never be separated from the love of God! (vs. 35)
This is an amazing Chapter full of the promise that God gives us- His children.
YES WE ARE GOD’S MASTERPIECE. Amen Thank You Jesus!
Read MoreHave you ever felt like you’re spending your life using your talent for nothing?
“But I said, ‘I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.'” Isaiah 49:4
Life is often spent doing mundane activities that seem to have little eternal purpose.
The great prophet Isaiah was struggling with his own purpose. He knew he was chosen to be a voice for God, yet life became purposeless for Isaiah.
We all go through periods when our purpose seems to be clouded with the mundane.
*We see little meaning in life. On the other hand, Isaiah didn’t stay in this place. We read in this passage that he knew the truth of his existence.
*He could look past his present circumstance and know that his real reward and purpose would be revealed in eternity.
*He knew that God was just and fair, so he placed his faith on this truth.
When life appears to lack meaning and purpose, remember that if you devote your life to the purposes He has for you, the fruits of your labor will be manifested in due time.
“The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it” (1 Thess. 5:24)
There should be a willingness.
Once we make that decision to forsake everything to follow Jesus, then Christ begins to live through us (Gal. 2:20) and we find a strength that is not our own, equal to whatever test we may encounter.
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17-20
*These verses describe a sacrificial and extravagant love, showing compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
*They also encourage us to show love in the name of Jesus, which is a way to honor Him.
You may not be rewarded on earth, but you will be in heaven.
Help us Lord to know the Truth and Divine order of our existence here on earth and have an Eternal Perspective. Amen.
Temptation is a false promise–a promise that doesn’t deliver. When we give into temptation, we put our trust in a lie, we are believing a lie. (Lies VS Truth).
John 6:28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
*Jesus was making the indisputable point that unbelief is the force that gives birth to all of our bad behavior and every moral failure. It is the root!
Thought: “Every Sin begins with a Lie”?
Believing 100% that “it is finished”, that EVERYTIHING we need in Christ is already ours and therefore we need NOTHING more, is the hardest thing (so much harder than modifying our behavior) because we are all seasoned “do-it-yourselfers.
“To be convinced in our hearts”, said Luther, “that we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God by grace ALONE is the hardest thing” because “the sin underneath all sins is the lie that we cannot trust the love and grace of Jesus and that we must take matters into our own hands.”
*Real freedom in “the hour of temptation” happens only when the resources of the gospel smash any sense of need to secure for myself anything beyond what Christ has already secured for me.
Hebrews 13:14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
“God is patient.” Why, “because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.”
2 Peter 3:15 And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.
All afflictions are not sickness and poverty as some religious teachings suggest. These afflictions are described as the “fellowship of sufferings” that the believer will encounter for doing the will of God, or the sufferings brought on by one’s allegiance to Christ.
Persecution for righteousness’ sake is not something that we can rebuke (2 Tim. 3:12). We must remember that as we live godly lives, suffering will follow. The Apostle Peter reminds us that these trials of our faith will result in praise, honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:7). Jesus’ comfort, strength, help, and love are ready to “overflow” into every “trial” that we face if we will only look to Him (Heb. 12:2). Amen
Sometimes in life when we pray we wonder if God is even there. But the more we learn about Gods character and heart we will realize that he is always there no matter how we may feel.
“Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?” – Psalm 10:1
One of the great mysteries of God is His ways.
Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if He were indifferent to our circumstances.
It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows.
These events in our lives have a particular objective to perform for us.
That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might discover the treasure of darkness.
“Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness” (Job 30:26).
*When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed.
*Our sensitivities become heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated.
Unless we are taken into these times, our souls never develop any depth of character.
We do not gain Wisdom, only knowledge.
*Knowledge is gained through understanding.
*Wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.
After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time.
It does not feel or appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods.
However, He is there walking with us. He has told us countless times that He will never leave us.
However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there because He does not rescue us from the circumstances.
***He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more like Jesus.
Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will learn obedience?
Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times.
Thank You Lord for Your word— “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) Amen
Read MoreLoving God with “all our heart” doesn’t just mean inviting Him into our hearts. It also means allowing Him to be the motivation for all our choices.
“Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou hast taken hold of my right hand. With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.” Psalm 73:23-24
How to stay free from bondage and captivity.
*How can we stay in victory?
*How can we walk in a constant flow of not having to return to the things that once plagued us?
Sometimes the emotional baggage that we grew up with can cause us to have certain patterns of living.
For instance, some might have experienced a series of disappointments that must be fought against.
*Is there a way not only to break free but to stay free?
*Is there a way not only to gain the victory but to keep the victory?
*Is there a way for us to find glorious, overcoming, sustained, powerful, lifelong victory in Jesus Christ?
You might think it will take ten years of counseling to attain victory, or twenty years for the maturation process to take place in your life, but Jesus can come in and instantly set you free.
Jesus will not only set you free but He will keep you walking in that freedom.
We need to have the kind of mindset that says,
***“It’s not about me, it’s all about Jesus.
*** It’s not about my purposes, plans and ambitions, it’s all about Him.”
Set your eyes on Jesus and He will cause you to be raised up and set free and He will enable you to stay free in the things of God.
“We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Amen
Read More“I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.” Ephesians 1:18
Are You Hopeful?
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
*Obedience is a proof of faith.
*Faith is converting belief to action!
When you think about the future, are you hopeful?
Or do you struggle with a sense of dread?
People who have seen God’s faithfulness in the past tend to be very hopeful about the future.
*They know a bad situation can turn into a wonderful testimony in a matter of minutes.
On the other hand, people who have lost all hope view life from the perspective of dread.
A close cousin to fear, dread steals the ability to enjoy ordinary life and makes people anxious about the future.
Hope is the opposite of dread, and a close relative of faith.
*When we have faith in God, it leads to hope, and our outlook on life and the future is positive. (have an eternal perspective)
Hope allows us to:
* Leave our unanswered questions in God’s hands.
* It empowers us to remain at peace.
* It enables us to believe the best about the days to come.
You can have hope when you trust in God’s love.
God has the power to provide for you and lead you through every situation.
God, I choose to put my faith in You, knowing that it will turn into hope. I don’t have to dread, because You have the ability to care for me, so I put my hope in You. AMEN
Ephesians 4:4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.
*So let’s stay in our lane and finish running our race that God has given us with much Hope looking at the Eternal Perspective VS the temporal worldly one.
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10
What does it mean to repent?
When you or I wrong another person, or we sin against God, do we simply say we are sorry and move on?
Is there anyone you need to seek forgiveness from?
1. Acknowledging our sin is the first step.
2. Humbling ourselves and taking actions to restore is the next step.
Love has no limits, and neither does forgiveness.
“Then Peter came and said to Him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to Him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”Matthew 18:21-22
When we allow God to love others through us, it’s God they see in us and not ourselves.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”Galatians 2:20
# 2 FROM THE 8 TRUTHS TO MASTER LIFE.
I honestly admit and regret that I have failed God, my family, myself and others.
Result: I receive God’s forgiveness and thankfully rest in His Peace.
I am “Forgiven.”
*This expresses the difference between-“I am truly sorry for my sin” versus I’m sorry I got caught.”
2 Corinthians 7:10. “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”.
Psalm 32:5. “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.” (Other passages: Romans 5:18-21, Matthew 18:21)
Lord, help me daily to stop and turn and come back to you in all areas of my life that are not pleasing to You. Point out in me anything that is not giving You the Glory. Amen
Read MoreI believe through experience and trials– difficulties often are meant to bring us into maturity and out of childish bondages.
Consider the way children react; one minute they’re laughing and the next they’re screaming.
*They’re easily hurt and they cry a lot.
In spite of all this, godly parents love and comfort their children through all of life’s experiences.
Likewise, as Christians, we sometimes pout or throw fleshly tantrums when we face difficult times.
We cry, “Okay, God, if that’s the way You’re going to treat me, if You’re going to keep letting bad things happen, then why should I even pray to You?”
Yet our heavenly Father loves and comforts us through every tantrum, through our burdens, our childish ups and downs.
*His great desire is that in the midst of our trials we begin to grasp the knowledge of who we are and what we possess as His children.
*He knows that whenever we are tossed about by the winds and waves of our emotions, we often forget we are His children and we begin living far beneath our privileges.
Yet His Word tells us we are His heirs and joint heirs with Jesus!
“The heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all” (Galatians 4:1).
Paul says such a child illustrates those who are under the law.
*The law is the tutor that instructs us in God’s commands.
*But a time comes when our schooling ends and we are to take our places as heirs of God’s riches through the grace of Christ.
Yet, many Christians still live according to good works and rules without comprehending their position as sons of God.
“We, when we were children, were in bondage” (verse 3). They are still serving God as slaves, bound by fear, guilt and despair because they don’t understand their adoption.
Paul says to such believers, “You’re still childish in your thinking, laboring under the bondage of laws you established for yourself.
*You don’t see that you’re now lord over all things, able to partake in everything your Father owns.
*He adopted you, loved you and put you in school to prepare you.”
Here is the amazing thing about Jesus. When Peter began sinking, he cried out for Jesus to save him (Matt. 14:29). And Jesus did. Just as Jesus didn’t hesitate to pull Peter out of the rough waves, He will pull you and me back too as soon as we ask.
Life has stormy seasons. Unexpected health diagnoses’, years when children decide to walk away from the Lord, rough patches in our marriage … all cause waves of doubt, stress, worry or fear. These can cause us to stumble and fall if we only focus on them.
The best place to fix our eyes is on Jesus. He’s our peace, source of hope, and the One person we can trust will always be there for us.
And when we do fall, as soon as we call out to Him, He’ll pick us up.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Dear Jesus, I confess I lose focus on You while running through the distractions of life. I have fallen many times. Help me to trust and have faith in You, and avoid letting life distract me from Your truths. Help me read Your word daily to find Truth! In Jesus Name, Amen.
“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:10
What if there were two doors to choose from;
1. Behind one door was the complete will of God for your life.
2. Behind the other door was how life could be according to your own preference.
Which door would you choose?
The struggle for most lies in the Desire to follow God completely and the Fear of what might be behind the door of full surrender.
*Most of us desire to follow God, but few of us will do it at any cost.
*We do not really believe that God loves us to the degree that we are willing to give Him complete permission to do as He wills in us.
If we desire to fully walk with Christ, there is a cost. We may give intellectual assent and go along with His principles and do fine; however, if we are fully given over to Him and His will for our life, it will be a life that will have adversity.
The Bible is clear that humans do not achieve greatness without having their sinful will broken.
*This process is designed to create a nature change in each of us, not just a habit change.
The Bible calls it circumcision. Circumcision is painful, bloody, and personal.
If God has plans to greatly use you in the lives of others, you can expect your trials to be even greater than those of others. Why?
Because, like Joseph who went through greater trials than most patriarchs, your calling may have such responsibility that God cannot afford to entrust it to you without ensuring your complete faithfulness to the call.
*He has much invested in you on behalf of others.
*He may want to speak through your life to a greater degree than through another.
The events of your life would become the frame for the message
*He wants to speak through you.
Jesus did much more than just obtain eternal life for us, He also paid all the wages of our sins (Rom. 6:23).
* God literally placed the condemnation, or judgment, that was against us upon His own Son. Jesus’ perfect flesh was condemned so our defiled flesh could go free. (Read Romans 8)
*What a trade! What Love! Since Jesus bore our sentence (condemnation), we don’t have to bear it. The debt has already been paid.
Do not fear the path that God may lead you on. Embrace it. For God may bring you down a path in your life to ensure the reward of your inheritance.
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor. 4:17).
Lord, I surrender All. Increase my Faith so I really believe and know that You love me to the degree that I am willing to surrender and give You complete permission to do as You will in me. Come and take all of me for Your Glory! Thank You for Your Love. Amen
When we allow God to love others through us, it’s God they see in us and not ourselves.
* “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”Galatians 2:20