The Jewish leaders thought they had the upper hand…that they were in control of the situation. But little did they realize just who they were up against. And there were many times that angry crowds threatened to stone Jesus…but He slipped away from their grasp. (John 11:8, John 10:31, John 8:59) In the human mind, the Crucifixion was the Lord at His lowest point of defenselessness and helplessness…but it was quite the opposite. Jesus Christ came to earth with one mission…to atone for our sins on the Cross. And during those three years of His ministry…He was in complete control of every situation…every moment…for He was in control of time. Several times He told His disciples, “My time has not yet come.” But later, He told them, “My time has come.” Whatever you may be going through today, remember, Jesus is in complete control of the situation…including time.
Tag: daily encouraging devotion
Ecclesiastes 10:1 ” As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.”
You don’t hear the word “folly” used much now a days…to the point I had to look it up for the correct definition. According to Webster, folly means a lack of good sense, a foolish act or a stupid idea. So we may not call it folly today, but yet we can see a lot of it across social media! People taking chances and performing dangerous acts on a dare, or acting the fool in front of a camera without thinking first how it might impact their life tomorrow. Proverbs 13:16 tells us that, “a fool exposes his folly.” So think about it – anytime you act on a foolish idea before you first think about the consequences…you risk revealing just how stupid you look to others.
II Peter 1:2 ” Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
Today, this Scripture would be my prayer for you…no matter where you are in your walk with the Lord. I ask that God’s grace and peace…His unearned and unmerited favor, would be lavished on you, and that you would come to realize just how much He loves you. Great word lavish! It speaks of profusion, extravagance, and of showering down abundantly. It’s used in I John 3:1, where it states, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” I pray that you would experience that abundant love for yourself today.
Psalm 118:8 ” It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”
For all of you that enjoy Bible trivia, the middle Scripture of the Bible is this verse, Psalm 118:8 . It’s the very center point of God’s Word. So was it placed there by chance or divinely inspired? Many times I’ve prayed to find God’s perfect plan and purpose in my life…to be in the very center of His Will. For I know that’s the safest and very best place to be. And if I look at the fundamental truths in this verse, it makes that search easier. Where am I placing my faith and trust…whose promises am I putting stock in…and where really does my confidence lie? If it’s in man, I’m going to be disappointed…but if my trust is in the Lord, I will find His ultimate plan and purpose for my life.
John 9:1-2 ” As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ “
Jesus saw this blind beggar as an opportunity to heal a broken human being. But His disciples only saw him as a chance to debate the beggar’s situation…totally ignoring the man…they gathered around, talking about him rather than to him. As Believers, we love to talk about ministry work, out reach into the community, and other things we should be doing for the Lord. We’ll debate, plan, and call together committees…always talking about but never actually getting around to doing. The Lord is calling all of us to personal ministry…to rolling up our sleeves and ministering to that blind beggar sitting in front of us. He wants us to stop just talking about it and start doing something.
Ephesians 2:19-20 ” Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.”
What does being part of a family mean to you? To me, it means walking in the front door without having to knock first. It means having a place that I can call my own where I feel safe and secure. But most importantly, being part of a family means I have people I can trust with my very life…that will be there for me at a moments notice, and will love me unconditionally. The same goes for the Family of God…seeing that as Believers, we are now part of God’s household…and with it, all the benefits there of. For this loving family circle we are part of is made up of all those who went before us, every precious saint that confessed Jesus Christ as Lord, with the center of this family unit being Jesus Christ Himself.
Proverbs 16:16 ” How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver! “
In this commercialized world where we are constantly bombarded by advertising telling us to “Buy! Buy! Buy!” … this verse stands in stark contrast. In fact, elsewhere in Proverbs, the author is even more emphatic when he writes , “Wisdom and understanding are more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.” (Proverbs 3:13-14) So what he’s saying is that our choices have eternal consequences…that by choosing wisdom and understanding, they will yield better and lasting benefits…that material possessions are not what make us who we are…and by choosing wisdom and understanding over riches – the result will be a life marked by purpose, and peace…not things.
Hebrews 10:39 ” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”
The gist of this Scripture is repeated in Habakkuk 2:3-4 where it says, ” But the righteous will live by faith. And if they shrink back, I will not be pleased with them.” We all claim to have faith and trust in God…but do we really? Shrinking back is hesitation and self-doubt that we can really do what God is calling us to. Sure, we can believe for great miracles in someone else’s life…but when it comes down to trusting God in our own, we falter. Self-doubt can effectively stop any Kingdom work the Lord has for you…for when you hesitate, you’re essentially telling God you don’t trust Him. We are to live by faith, believing that if God calls us to something, He will equip us also.
Genesis 17:1-2 ” When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless. I will confirm My covenant between Me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’ “
So here we have this very old couple…the husband is 99 and his wife is 90. At that age, it’s virtually impossible physically for that couple to conceive a child together. Yet here in this Scripture the Lord is promising them children…and all He asks of them is to trust and obey. Many think at a certain age they can “retire” from doing God’s work…but God’s saying, “No way!” There is no retirement age in God’s Kingdom…and there’s no impossibility that God can’t overcome…and all He asks of us, is to trust and obey.
James 1:2-3 ” Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
The only way you can become really good at something is to practice…whether it’s a sport, a musical instrument, or a newly discovered talent, without practice, it’s just wishful thinking. Today, this Scripture wants us to take a new and different attitude when faced with the trials in our lives. It wants us to consider trials as practice. Every time we’re put to the test, we need to realized it’s a God-ordained crucible in which we are being purified. In other words, trials equal refining…trials equal developing patience…trials equal suffering in the faith…trials are a chance to practice what we preach.
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