The disciples thought Jesus was confused and making a mistake for wanting to go back to a place where He had almost been killed. But where they were coming from was a very incorrect and sorely limited understanding, perception, and interpretation of just who Jesus was and what He could do. Psalm 18:30 tells us that, “As for God, His way is perfect.” Nothing that God has done or will ever do is a miscalculation or blunder. His Will in your life is faultless, flawless, and correct in every detail…and His timing is always perfect.
Tag: daily devotional blog
Acts 26:16 ” Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of Me and what I will show you.”
This is what the Lord said to Saul, (later Paul) on that hot and dusty Damascus road. When we are born again, we have a glimpse of what the Lord has in store for us…visions of the work He wants to accomplish through us. But suddenly fear and doubt take over, for the visions are so large and we feel so small and inadequate. That’s when we need to take a look at this Scripture again, for the Lord says that He was with Paul not only then, but would be into the future… revealing to him more as Paul obediently moved forward. So much, that later in his ministry, Paul proclaimed in Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Please remember this, you too can do all things through Him that gives you strength.
John 13:37 ” Peter asked, ‘Lord, why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.’ “
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.
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.
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