Shaped by Difficulties

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Listening to some Christ followers, you’d think that there should never be any difficulties in life. The way they tell it, you expect that God will ALWAYS…

Bless us

Protect us

Put us at ease

Dote on us as His children.

It reminds me of a line in the 1971 “Love Musical” by Ottis Skilling, “Some think of God like a vending machine; pop in a coin and He makes a scene.” But God desires something greater for us, much greater — Tribulation!

I saw a poster once that captured my attention. It pictured a crusty ol’ cowboy on a cattle drive, dirty and dusty, with rivulets of sweat running down his face. He was rugged looking, yet he looked weary after a long day on the trail. Squinting past you, the caption revealed his thoughts:

“There were a lot of things they didn’t tell me when I hired on with this outfit!”

That cowboy might as well have been any of the disciples, or you and me for that matter. 

The Christian life is not without hardship. Peter wrote, “Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you” [1 Peter 4:12].

God shapes us through difficulties. Real growth can come no other way. More than our comfort, God wants our Christlikeness. Our brief life on earth is the only time when we can glorify God in the midst of struggle. 

Let’s join the likes of Peter and, as long as God will grant us life, to struggle well.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Facts and Faith

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

In the old black and white TV series Dragnet, Sergeant Joe Friday, would tell the people he was talking to, “Just the facts, mam/sir, just the facts.” That may be the right way to go in an interrogation, but it is not the best thing to see in life. The facts usually mean bad news. You paycheck is too small. The diagnosis was worse than you thought. Your biological clock is running out of time. Facing facts in real life is really hard at times. 

That’s where faith comes in. As Christ followers, we need to face ALL the facts. God has to factor into our thinking as well. The facts in this life are not all there is. 

The godly Hezekiah knew that. Jerusalem was being threatened by the powerful Assyrians under Sennacherib. While his army was demolishing Lachish, he sent emissaries to Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 32:9-10 records part of what they asked Hezekiah: “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege?’” 

Here are the fact they were asserting:

Assyria has never lost.

The gods of other nations haven’t saved them.

Hezekiah’s own city of Lachish would soon fall.

Fear could have gripped Hezekiah if these were the only facts available to him. But he also knew facing facts includes faith. He had the Lord’s promises. So he responded to the facts by calling on Isaiah the prophet. They prayed together [wouldn’t Isaiah make a great prayer partner!]

Their reaction teaches us a tremendous lesson. When the world besieges you on all sides with hard facts, remember your strength lies in the Lord God—not in the arm of flesh. When facing real life facts, add to them a few of your own because of who you are in Christ Jesus. Things like:

You are not forsaken [Hebrews 13:5].

God’s provision, or seeming lack of provision, has your good in mind [Deuteronomy 8:3].

You will not die until God says it’s your time to go home [Job 14:5; Psalm 139:16].

These, too, require faith.

As we begin our week, remember to add to the facts you see, the facts that are unseen. Behind your faith is something greater than anything you face. 

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 

2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust.” 

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the perilous pestilence. 

4 He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 

6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,

Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand;

But it shall not come near you. 

8 Only with your eyes shall you look,

And see the reward of the wicked. 

9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 

10 No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 

11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways. 

12 In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:1-12

A Lofty Goal

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

From the “Golden Rules of Goal Setting” by MindTools, to the “Four Simple Goal Setting Ideas for 2015” by Forbes, management experts know the value of setting goals. Someone has suggested that a life without a goal is like the captain of a ship without a map and a compass. His ship will just drift aimlessly from day to day hoping to arrive somewhere. 

Perhaps that’s why the apostle Paul had set a goal for himself. It really was the “ultimate” goal — “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” A lofty goal indeed. 

Goal setting is important in that, if it is truly a goal, one will set a course to achieve it. It’s a decision to act, to work, in order to reach it. It’s a map, of sorts, and for Christ followers, they depend on the Lord as the compass to provide the direction He wants them to go. It’s more than a dream, it’s acting upon the dream. It’s not, “I wish I could,” it’s a declaration of faith.

Are you striving for the “upward call of God?” It’s a lofty goal. Declare it. State your goal by faith, then press on. Lay the groundwork to reach you goal by means of the Word and prayer. Delight yourself in the Lord and His instruction. You’ll be amazed where His compass will lead you!

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

Ready for Duty

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

I can’t count the number of biographies I’ve read about D. L. Moody. What a man of God! My favorite story he tells is about hearing Pastor Henry Varley say, "The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.”

I’ve pondered that statement many times…mostly in conviction. What gets me is what he didn’t say. He didn’t say that God would work through the most intelligent person or the most gifted person. He didn’t say God would work through the richest person or the most famous person. The wise pastor said that God would work with and for and through the person “who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.”

Moody was radically changed by that. Truth is, it should radically change us too. Think about it; God isn’t looking for people with amazing intellects, computer skills, or voices. He’s not looking for the people with the highest SAT scores or GPA. He is searching for those who will simply say, “I’m here, Lord. I’m available. Use me whenever and wherever!” 

That kind of walk requires a daily, no, a moment by moment dependence on God. It requires a focus on important spiritual matters like, “The cross before me, the world behind me; No turning back, no turning back.”

I hunger for that kind of walk with God, don’t you? So let’s do something about it. When I was a missionary in Germany in the ‘70s, I knew a young soldier named Butch Bradley. He gave his heart to the Lord at our Christian Servicemen’s Center in Fuerth [near Nurnberg], Germany. When his alarm went off in the morning, the first thing he would do is stand at attention, salute, and with great enthusiasm say, “Good morning, Lord. Private First Class Butch Bradley reporting for duty!”

Reporting for duty; Ready for service; Fully and wholly consecrated to Him! 

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” Isaiah  6:8

God's Will

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

A woman once asked John Wesley what he would do if he knew that he would die at midnight the next day. "Why, Madam," he replied, "just as I intend to spend it now. I would preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning, after that I would ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the societies in the evening. I would then go to Martin's house…talk and pray with the family as usual, retire myself to my room at 10 o'clock, commend myself to my Heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in glory.”

John Wesley seemed quite confident that He was walking in God’s will daily. Is that you, or are you like so many people who wonder what God's will is for their lives?

Wesley seemed to embrace Paul’s admonition to the Romans that he present his body as a living sacrifice to God [Romans 12:1]. A living sacrifice; we could all work on that, I’m sure. But it doesn’t stop with our bodies. We also need transformed and renewed minds. This will put us on the path to best attest God’s pleasing and perfect will. 

It’s Wednesday and we are half-way through the work week. It’s a great day to offer our bodies, minds, and hearts to the Lord, and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to His perfect plan for our lives. God’s will may not be as mysterious as you think. It may be that you continue your regular routine, knowing that the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord [Psalm 37:23].

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

Christmas in July

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

A friend of mine sent me a FaceBook message yesterday reminding me that there were only 158 days left until Christmas, and that I should be thinking about the gift I needed to buy him — a Ferrari. Good luck with that!

But that really got me to thinking. As a Christ follower, we live Christmas and enjoy our Christmas gift every day; the gift of God, Himself. Truth is, He has given us a lot of gifts…

His WORK: on the cross and in resurrection means no guilt of sin and no fear in life [See Romans 5:1 and 2 Timothy 1:7] .

His STRENGTH: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” [Philippians 4:13].

His LOVE: we are inseparable from it [see Romans 8:35-39].

And so much MORE!

Who can imagine such priceless gifts? Who can imagine not opening them!

Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; tell the world about His unforgettable deeds. Psalm 9:11

Accessible

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Because of recent political activity, I’ve sent letters and eMails to all my elected representatives including the President of the United States. I’m not holding my breath for an answer to any of them. It’s quite apparent that there is a direct correlation between how high a government official's position is, and how accessible that individual is to regular citizens. The higher the position, the less accessibility. Take the President, for example. An ordinary citizen cannot expect to pick up the phone and have a conversation with him, much less expect a return call. And you most certainly would never barge into his office unannounced and expect to talk with him.

I’m glad God, the King of kings and Lord of lords, is not like that. His authority far exceeds that of any potentate, and yet He is accessible. By all rights, who are we to set foot in His presence? For one thing, He is holy and we are not. That alone should banish us from His presence. Yet, the apostle Paul said we have been granted access to Him, with freedom and confidence, all because of Christ Jesus.

Think about that for a while. Imperfect and not-so-holy people are privileged to go in — to the very throne room — and have an audience with God. That can only happen because Jesus took on our sinfulness. He did that on Calvary’s cross and was cast out of the presence of God. He took the punishment we deserve. Now, all Christ followers, because their sins have been washed away by His blood, are free to approach God. His perfection is theirs through faith.

What a great thought to begin the week. Faith in Jesus means that you can approach God fully confident that you will not be turned away. Furthermore, you have His undivided attention!

In [Christ] and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:12