Rahab had the rather undistinguished title of Harlot of Jericho…and since it wasn’t unusual for strangers and foreigners to come and go out of her house, that’s where the two spies went to not cause suspicion. But despite her infamous title, Rahab was instrumental in the taking of Jericho by the Israelites and the saving of her entire family. She is remembered as one of the great heroines of ancient Israel…raised to a position of honor…amazingly enough, her name appearing in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5, her great faith commended in Hebrews 11:31. Rahab didn’t permit her past title to define her future and God honored her in doing so. Maybe your life today is being defined by some past title that you’re not proud of. It doesn’t have to be that way…the Lord is more than capable of changing you from what you once were into what you can be through Him.
Category: Daily Inspirational Devotional
Luke 19:12-13 ” He said: ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. Put this money to work, he said, until I come back.’ “
At face value, the Parable of the Ten Minas Jesus taught was much more than an earthly story…it was an eternal truth for all of us to remember. Just like the servants, we’ve been entrusted with the Gospel Message, and like the nobleman, Jesus expects us to put it to work and earn interest. For like the nobleman, someday Jesus will ask the same question of us…”What did you do with what I gave you?” No matter how much or how little we have, we’re responsible for what God has given us to be wise, obedient, and faithful as we wait for His return.
Genesis 1:1 ” In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
The creation story was written by someone, (Moses) to someone, (The children of Israel) for something, (to show them they were in fact God’s chosen people)…and reminding them that their Covenant God was also their Creation God. God spoke, and the vast universe came into being…He called forth into the nothingness and everything as we know it sprung forth. This magnificent creative power is only original to God, and can only be done by Him. God spoke and it happened…that is, making everything out of nothing.
Ecclesiastes 3:14 ” I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him.”
When I think of God’s unchanging character, I can’t help but stand in awe. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever…and in this crazy and ever changing world we live in today, that’s a promise I can hold on to. And the endless, lasting, and abiding nature of everything God does and will ever do gives me great comfort as I walk with Him. For with God there is no beginning or end…or as Psalm 102:25-27 tells us, ” In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them and they will be discarded. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”
II Corinthians 4:7-8 ” But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
Suffering will visit us all. No one is immune to trouble and affliction. Too often we are overwhelmed and bewildered by the devastation that suddenly, and without warning, overtakes us. It’s at that point we need Godly perspective and these verses can help us see it. First, we must admit that we are just clay jars…fragile vessels in which God’s great and wholly capable power is residing in. Next, because of this indwelling power, we have been given the capacity to endure and not give up. Finally, we need to lift up our eyes above our sufferings to see eternity…understanding that God makes His strength known in our weaknesses. (II Corinthians 12:9) For when we have God’s perspective on our suffering, we will only glance at our situation but then fix our gaze on our Savior.
Colossians 2:2-3 ” My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge.”
Whether you’ve been a Believer for years or days, we can all agree on this, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33) We can also all agree that the mysteries of God take a lifetime to pursue for a fuller and more complete understanding of Him. The revelation of the mysteries of God are both easy and most difficult to obtain, because it requires work on our part…mainly searching the Scriptures for spiritual truths, divine wisdom and insights in order to understand Biblical concepts and see the relationships between them. But this takes discipline and commitment to achieve…and sadly a lot of Christians today just aren’t that engaged. They’d rather hear bits and pieces preached from the pulpit every Sunday and let it go at that. But Paul is encouraging all of us here in Colossians that if we do search the Scriptures for ourselves, the spiritual benefits we obtain in that daily Bible study will give us a great harvest of revealed truths.
Lamentations 2:1 ” How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion with the cloud of His anger.”
The Book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah as he watched the destruction of Jerusalem. All five Chapters in Lamentations are called Poems of Mourning…each one giving an eye witness account of the horror taking place. These Poems of Mourning were a way that an overwhelmed Jeremiah could grieve what was happening to his beloved city, express sorrow and confess the people’s great sinfulness, and bemoan the fact that it was their own wickedness that had brought this judgment upon them. But Jeremiah also rightly pointed out that God is just in all He does, that nothing happens without God first ordaining it, and that sin will not go unpunished. (Jeremiah 3:37-39)
Psalm 85:8 ” I will listen to what God the Lord will say; He promises peace to His people, His saints – but let them not return to folly.”
In John 14:27 Jesus said, ” Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.” And as Believers, we can attest to this kind of peace…the safety and security found within our relationship with Jesus Christ. But this verse warns us of returning to folly…so what does that look like? Anytime we allow fear and doubt to overtake our mind and emotions we’re returning to folly. At that point, we’re not being ruled by peace and righteousness but rather by anxiety and wrong thinking…and God’s peace is far from us. So listen to what Paul wrote in II Thessalonians 3:16 and take it to heart the next time fear and doubt tries to overwhelm you and rob you of your peace, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way.”
Numbers 11:4-6 ” The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna.’ “
The rabble identified in these verses were non-Israelite riff-raff that had followed the Hebrews out of Egypt. These foreigners had no personal knowledge or attachment to God…or His promises, they were just along for the ride and whatever they could get out of it. But even though the Jews held no high regard for them, they still allowed the rabble’s discontent to influence them. The Israelites began grumbling too…totally forgetting how and why God had brought them out of Egypt in the first place. We as Christians need to be very careful in listening to the world’s rabble…for if we don’t, we’ll start complaining just as loudly and be just as discontent…forgetting everything about God.
II Timothy 4:2 ” Preach the Word.”
To many times when we’re trying to tell someone about Jesus, we focus on how nice our home Church is and how many great programs they have for all ages. Or we expound on the Theology our Church believes in. But if you think about it, all this has little to do with the eternal salvation of the person we’re talking to. It’s all trivia when placed side by side to the Good News of the Gospel Message… for it will never save their soul. Our goal should be to introduce them to Jesus, direct their attention to His love and saving grace, and point them to the One Who offers them eternal life. The rest is just details.
Safetypinlove 