God’s plan and purpose…His Will for us, has been set in stone since before the dawn of mankind. His Will is that all may come to a saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ. He has established His Will for our well-being, that as long as we obey, we can only benefit from it. So it’s preposterous for us to think that we can somehow manipulate God’s Will. In Proverbs 19:21 it says, ” Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” We can ignore Him, mock or defile Him…but we’re never going to change His Will for our life.
Tag: inspirational daily devotional
Philippians 4:12 ” I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
The Apostle Paul was well acquainted with adversity and poverty. In I Corinthians 4:11-12 he explains his plight, “To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.” So is it surprising to see Paul write here, ” I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…”? Contentment in our life can be as simple as looking at the glass as half full, rather than half empty during trials and tests. It can be expressing gratitude to God for the rain, (the blessings) in the midst of the raging storm in our life. For the secret to personal contentment for anyone can only be found in the deep and abiding relationship with God the Father.
Job 28:12 ” But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? “
To answer the “where” in both questions above…it’s God who is the source of all wisdom and ability. And He is more than eager to impart His wisdom and understanding to us when we ask. For it tells us in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him.” Maybe, like me, you’ve at one time been in a training session of difficult material, so you ask a question of clarification only to be rebuked by the leader…makes you not want to ask anymore questions, right? But God’s not that way…He wants us to ask for discernment and insight when we’re struggling. And it says that He will not only give it freely but won’t make fun of us for asking.
Hebrews 3:12 ” See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”
Turning away from the Lord can be very subtle. Every time I tell myself that I believe God…but then in the next breath lament that I’m not worthy enough to be used by Him…I’m turning away. Or every time I’m confronted by God’s truth and I distance myself rather than allow His truth to change me…I’m turning away. The deception of sin will always be veiled in mistrust and disobedience.
Isaiah 49:6 ” I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Discipleship is so much more than just spitting out information to a unsaved friend. It involves becoming a mentor for the long-haul and modeling your values and beliefs in order to help shape the character of this person. For the Great Commission is more about relationships than rhetoric. It’s more about building a bond of mutual enjoyment between teacher and student…that the student may see the love of Jesus and desire Him in their life also.
Colossians 4: 5-6 ” Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt so you may know how to answer everyone.”
In this verse it tells us how we should approach evangelism and share the Good News of Jesus with others. It’s about being encouraging not convicting…listening not preaching…and having conversations not sermonizing. It’s also about not having an “us versus them” mindset, but rather thinking “we” as a group. Finally, it’s about living with integrity but also being vulnerable and transparent about our own struggles. For none of us is a perfect Christian without faults and flaws. And when we can show this side of us…we become more believable.
Isaiah 48:18 ” If only you had paid attention to My commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.”
In this verse it tells us what the secret to having inner peace and security is. This assurance we can have can only be found within God’s Word. But it also means not just listening, but actually applying it to your life. And when we do this, there is no end to His peace for us. (Isaiah 9:7) For the Lord rewards the godly with all good things. (Psalm 103:5)
I Corinthians 15:1 ” Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.”
The Apostle Paul was telling the Church in Corinth to focus on the Gospel Message, not on the person that had presented it. There was disunity and infighting in the Church depending on who they had heard the Gospel from…Paul or Apollos. Paul wanted them to move on from that and rather center their minds on the Good News of Jesus…not on man. For too many times we can get caught up by a dynamic, charismatic personality and end up following the person… not Jesus. For if you think about it, the Gospel Message doesn’t need theatrics or drama for it to be powerful and life-changing. All it needs is an obedient soul sharing its story.
I Corinthians 15: 57-58 ” But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
In these verses the Apostle Paul is encouraging the Church in Corinth to not give up in doing the Lord’s work, no matter how unimportant it may seem. Even today in this goal oriented world, we want anything we do for the Lord to have measurable outcomes. So if we aren’t achieving specific concrete results, we feel that our work is insignificant. But Paul addresses this notion earlier in his letter when he writes, ” What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” (I Corinthians 3: 5-6) We need to realize that God’s purpose is in the process not in His final goal. And each one of us have a unique role to play in this process. For nothing we’ll ever do in the name of the Lord is futile or pointless….and no matter how big or small the task, will it ever be a waste of time when it comes to Kingdom work. For as long as we are obedient and persevere in the race the Lord has laid out before us, we will be victorious.
Proverbs 10:16 ” The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.”
When children are little and they disobey out of ignorance…there’s some wiggle room for correction. Usually, just enlightening them with clear instructions will alleviate further problems. But when there’s willful disobedience on their part…that’s when a serious discussion of the consequences of their wrongdoing is in order. Our Heavenly Father desires us to be obedient children…not only because He commands it but for our eternal benefit. For Proverbs 11:18 says, “He who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.” When we pursue doing the right thing, we not only receive the gift of salvation, but we are showered with God’s infinite grace and mercy.
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