God Can Use Me? or God Can Use Me!

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

The other day I was reading through the book of James when a verse grasped my attention. “Elijah was as human as we are…”  [5:17 New Living Translation, 2nd Edition].

I’m so glad the Lord prompted James to say Elijah was just another guy (my loose translation), because we sometimes think the miracle workers in the Bible were super-human or super-spiritual — bold, courageous, and fearless. 

Well, that certainly wasn’t the case with Elijah! He had moments of fear and despondency, so much so, that he wanted to throw in the towel; give up and die [see 1 Kings 19:3-4].

Perhaps you’ve felt that way too. If so, then I have good news for you. God can use a flawed, imperfect person, a person who has weaknesses. Truth is, it seems that God goes out of His way to find people like that. If God were to choose only the super-talented, the highly educated, the rich, the beautiful… well, that would eliminate most of us! So when God chose Elijah, a guy like we are, there is hope that He can use us too!

Paul said it this way, “Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.  1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Rather than asking the question: God Can Use Me?, make it an exclamation: God Can Use Me! Do you believe it? Then get busy; there is so much kingdom work to be done!

Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. James 5:17-18

Get to Work!

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

I’m concerned at the alarming number of professing Christ followers who believe that there is no relationship between what they believe and what they do. In their minds, requiring good works violates the principle of faith. In other words, one is judged solely by what they believe, not by what they do.

And yes, there are those who swing the pendulum in the opposite direction and say that one is judged solely by good works. I understand where they get that [see James 2:24], but a belief that says you earn your salvation through works alone is heretical.

It’s that age old “Paul said - James said” argument. Can you know if someone is a true Christ follower by watching his or her behavior? Both Paul and James resoundingly say, “Yes!”

Paul said that we are saved by grace through faith, God’s gift to us, so that no one could boast that they earned their salvation by any means [Ephesians 2:8-9]. In the next breath he explained that true salvation results in good works, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…” [2:10].

Likewise, Paul wrote to Titus that we are not saved by our works, but rather through the mercy and grace of God [Titus 3:5]. But he also told Titus what that grace leads to, “…to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly right now” [2:11-12].

James taught the same thing, that God redeems the ungodly by the implanted Word, which enables a person to progress in holiness [James 1:18, 21]. That’s divine work, not human effort. And yet, he followed that by saying if the divine work has taken place in your life, it will show up in good works, “You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works” [James 2:18].

The Greek word, deiknuo [pronounced dake.noo’.oh] translated show, means, to exhibit, to demonstrate, or put on display. Mincing no words, James points out that it is impossible to verify true faith in God apart from a holy life because doctrine and deed are inseparable.

You shouldn’t be confused how faith and works relate. They go together. Your works are a living testimony of the saving grace of God. When a person tells me they are a Christ follower on the basis that they “believe” in Jesus, but there is no evidence of that belief in their actions, I say they should examine themselves to see if they are really in Christ or not. 

So, let’s get to work, dear Christ follower. Make it your aim to glorify God through your obedient response to biblical truth, because true faith produces good works!

What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?... You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. James 2:14, 24

Divine Discontent

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

One of the things that really excites me about being a Christ follower is divine discontent. That may sound strange to some of you. How does discontentment fit in with the joy and satisfaction of knowing your sins are forgiven and that a place is reserved for you in heaven?

The answer is simple. Divine discontent doesn’t have anything to do with my salvation - my position in Christ. It has to do with my walk. I’m not satisfied that my walk is a mirror of who Jesus is therefore, I long to be be more like Him. Does that resonate with you? 

If you think of divine discontent that way, then the Psalmist wrote the cry of your heart when he said, “I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness” [Psalm 17:15]. There’s my divine discontent. I want to be more like Jesus and I won’t be satisfied until I am.

I have a theory about this. A true Christ follower hungers and thirsts to be righteous, to be like Jesus. Unfortunately, many will spoil their appetite by snacking in between meals. There are things, relationships, and pursuits in life that, while harmless in and of themselves, take the edge off the godly appetite we should have. 

I know the best way to deal with them is to ask yourself: Does this pursuit make me more or less hungry for spiritual things? Does it draw me closer, or keep me away from Jesus? Does this pursuit weigh me down in the race of life? 

I also know that if you hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be like Jesus, you will be filled [see Matthew 5:6]. 

So, are you hungry or have you been snacking too much lately? If so, lay aside the snacks and feast on Jesus. Keep pursuing righteousness.

Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. Psalm 105:4

Think Joy

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Joy! It’s lost to a lot of people because they think it comes from being problem free. Still others think it is a perpetual state of happiness - NOT!

No other book in the Bible embraces joy like the letter to the Philippian Christ followers. If you know something about this letter, you know that it was not written while Paul was seated on the Mediterranean coastline, catching some rays, and sipping something with an umbrella in it. That wasn’t the case. Paul was a prisoner in Rome when he wrote it, and yet Philippians resonates with joy.

How could this be? How could Paul exude joy under those circumstances? Maybe a better questions is, can I experience joy in my circumstances?

The answer is a resounding yes! Joy was not something unique with Paul; joy is for you. Paul said the same thing in a letter to the Romans, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and JOY in the Holy Ghost” [Romans 14:17 - KJV, emphasis mine].

While joy permeates the Philippian letter, there is another word that is often overlooked — the mind. It is used ten times, linked to thinking five times. and coupled with remember once; sixteen references to the mind.

Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not talking about positive or possibility-thinking, word-faith, or mere optimism here. The Bible is not a self-help book that puts a little spring in your step and a smile on your face. The Bible wasn’t given to us to make us a little happier. When Paul wrote about the mind, he was thinking biblically, along Scriptural lines. 

Joy is not found in a problem-free world, there is no such place. Rather, joy is found in the way we think about who God is and what He can do!

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your mind on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

Be Industrious and Don’t Worry

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

What about tomorrow? Will I have enough to eat? Will I have anything to wear? When it came to food and clothing, Jesus told His disciples not to worry about it. I think the emphasis should be placed on worry. He didn’t say, “Don’t think about your needs.” Nor did He say, “Don’t plan ahead for your needs.” Rather, He said, “Don’t worry about them.”

Keep in mind that the biblical record is critical of lazy people (aka sluggard) - Proverbs 13:4; 15:19; 20:4, for examples. There is nothing wrong with being industrious to provide for the future. We are even encouraged to plan and work hard for the future just as the ant does [see Proverbs 6:6-8]. At the same time, we are not to worry about it. 

Worry is the way of the world. When Jesus told His disciples not to worry about food and clothing in the future, He said, “…the pagans run after all these things.” So why shouldn’t we worry about them too? “…your heavenly Father knows that you need them,” Jesus said. In other words, put God first and don’t worry about the rest.

The lives of many people revolve around the material. The problem is that material things never satisfy the deepest need of your life. What will satisfy, you ask? God, first and foremost in your life! He knows what you need, and will provide it, when you seek Him and His righteousness.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33

Ananias and Simple Obedience

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Before Saul became a Christ follower, he was a Pharisee, and according to some scholars, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin as well. We know that he was present at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr [see Acts 7:58], and possibly presided over it [8:1]. When Saul had his encounter with Jesus, resulting in his conversion, the contemporary Christ followers were suspicious of him, and understandably so. 

It’s what follows next that captures my attention. God directed a Christ follower named Ananias to pray for Saul. In fact, God told him where he could find Saul, and gave him specific instructions to pray that he would receive his sight (Saul had been blinded when he met Jesus on the Road to Damascus). He also received a message from God to give to Saul.

Who was Ananias? We know he was a disciple [9:10], but not one of the Twelve. He didn’t write any of the New Testament books. We have no record that he preached any notable sermons or performed the miraculous. What we do know is that he was an obedient disciple, one who did what God wanted him to do. He prayed for Saul and took him under his wing. It’s possible that he is the one who baptized Saul [9:18].

On this occasion, God didn’t call an Apostle like Peter or John to accomplish His will. He chose an obedient Christ follower, and look what happened! In time, Saul became the legendary Apostle Paul, arguably the greatest evangelist in church history. 

God still calls ordinary Christ followers to do His work; the ordinary to do the extraordinary. Thank God for all those like Ananias who do kingdom work, often behind the scenes. Their simple obedience makes a difference. And while they may be unknown to men, they are beloved of God.

But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! Saul is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. Acts 9:15

Pray from Your Heart

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

The church experienced difficult challenges in its early days. It drove them to their knees in prayer, and because of it, they witnessed many miracles. Acts 12 is an example of that. James had just been executed by Herod, and when he saw the advantage it gave him with the Jews, He thew Peter in jail to await execution.  

Peter would later escape with supernatural help, but what intrigues me the most is how the Body of Christ, the Church, handled his imprisonment. They were in “constant” prayer for him [Acts 12:5].

The idea of constant prayer doesn’t have to do with a 24 hour prayer vigil. It wasn’t the timing of the prayer, it was the intensity of the prayer; passionate prayer from the heart. 

The Greek word translated constant is ektenes [pronounced ek.ten.ace’], which means, ernest, strained. Another way of saying it is, they prayed with intensity. It’s the same word used to describe the Lord’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane [see Luke 22:44].

Our cute “Now-I-lay-me-down-to-sleep” prayers lack power because they are so laid back; there’s no passion, no intensity. Let me ask you, when was the last time you went to God with an intense, passionate desire? 

Prayer that prevails is prayer with intensity—offered continually and passionately, from the heart.

Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. Acts 12:5