Jesus had just told the Disciples that where He was going, they could not follow at that time. But impulsive Peter didn’t want to wait. Waiting on the Lord can be maddening at times. We think we know what to do…and so impatiently we attempt to steer the ship in that direction…only to do more harm than good. When God says, “Not now,” we need to be able to rest in it, knowing that His timing is perfect. And while we wait…we should strive to find delight in the delay and praise in the postponement…for it’s a chance to learn firsthand what patience and perseverance are all about.
Tag: daily devotion
Acts 2:47 ” Praising God, and having favor with all people. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved.” (King James Version)
I use the King James version of this Scripture today… because it states that it was the Church that God was adding to daily…(other versions say – God added to their numbers). So what was so different about this particular group of people? What we saw was unity and mutual care for one another. There was fellowship, prayer, and the breaking of bread among them…but there was also evangelism outside the four walls. The early Church was a delicate balance of both inward and outward focus…and God added to their numbers daily.
Acts 6:1 “…there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.”
Nothing divides a workplace or a Church more than grumbling, complaining, and gossip spreading. Suddenly you have one side pitted against another…flamed by second-hand information, false assumptions, and passive-aggressive behavior. My mantra during all the years I managed large medical staffs used to be, ” I will act, but I refuse to react to you running in my office tattling on someone else.” Satan loves to divide and wound groups of people who were once one happy family. So ask yourself the next time someone grumbles and murmurs against another to you, “Do I want to be part of the problem, or part of the solution?” For it’s so much easier to talk about a person than to talk directly to them.
Joshua 1:5 ” I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
It’s happened to all of us…someone who we think is a trustworthy friend betrays us. While it hurts and humiliates us, we can also learn from it. We can either decide to put up an emotional wall…letting no one on the other side, and self-isolating ourselves from the world. Or we can take the lessons we’ve learned and look to our heavenly Father to reestablish that lost trust. It says in Deuteronomy 7:9, “…your God is God; He is the faithful God keeping His covenant of love…” Our God is reliable. He will never abandon or turn His back on us. Within Him is no deception…for He is steadfast and worthy of all our trust.
Psalm 46:1 ” God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
God is your helper. He is not indifferent to your plight. He is not just siting there watching you go through tough times, detached and uncaring about what’s happening. It tells us in Psalm 18 that when David cried out to God for help, He reached down from on high and rescued him. That’s called divine intervention by a ever-present, ever-loving God. Whatever you’re going through today, know that the Lord is actively involved and is keenly aware of every detail. Cry out to Him and He will respond.
Matthew 7:11 ” If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”
God is a generous giver and His desire is to bless us. It says in James 1:17 that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” So as big-hearted as God is towards us, we need to reflect that generosity in our giving to others. But He’s not just talking about money here…for it’s easy to give money. No, He’s talking about our time…and we’re probably more tight-fisted about that than any amount of money we’d give. Proverbs 21:26 tells us, “The righteous give without sparing.” So if you’ve been stingy with your time for the Lord…think of this…you will never be able to out give God.
Psalm 86:15 ” But You, O Lord, are compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”
God is ever merciful and kind towards you…regardless of how badly you act towards Him. It tells us in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” We need to reflect the mercy God first showed us by forgiving others. Forgiveness is so very powerful…because it’s the starting point for both parties to begin the road towards healing. For without forgiveness, there will never be a release from all the negative and dark emotions of resentment, anger, and bitterness. For without forgiveness, you are never really set free from the past.
Psalm 77:13 ” Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?”
I Peter 1:15-16 tells us, “But just as He Who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy , because I am holy.’ ” In these Scriptures, Peter is quoting at least three different areas in Leviticus that all say the same thing…Be holy, because I am holy. The Lord is commanding us to reflect His holiness in our own lives, and as far as it’s possible…to live then a life with a pure heart and moral uprightness.
Luke 1:37 ” For nothing is impossible with God.”
God is mighty and strong on our behalf. There is nothing that God can’t do. In addressing the Lord, Jeremiah stated, “Nothing is too hard for You.” (Jeremiah 32:17) The Creator of heaven and earth is not confined to time, place or our limited reasoning. For our mighty God can attain the unattainable…make the impossible possible, and take the out of the question and answer it with a miracle.
Psalm 119:148 ” My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on Your promises.”
Sadly today, the Church has been lulled into this self-indulgent form of “quasi” Bible Study. We get all comfy on the couch, usually with a cup of coffee…Christian music playing in the background and a personal Journal on our lap and we wait. But what we’re jotting down is just our own thoughts, feelings, and emotions…for no where is found an open Bible. Bible Study is meditating on God’s Word… not on what we think. Sure, there’s a place for journaling what the Holy Spirit is showing you, but it needs to be grounded in the Word first.
Safetypinlove 