|
|
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Do You See Your Calling? by Oswald Chambers
God’s Loving Desire by Charles Stanley
Whether we realize it or not, our thoughts are usually centered on what we want—but have you ever considered what God desires? Why did He create us, and what is His goal for us? The answer is found in 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord ... is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” But why does God want mankind saved?
Because He loves us (Eph. 2:4). His love isn’t based on any worthiness in us but on His nature. As 1 John 4:16 says, “God is love,” and His attributes never change.
Because of His grace (Eph. 2:5). We can’t do anything to earn salvation, because it’s obtained only through God’s grace. And throughout our time on earth and into eternity, the lives of God’s children should exhibit evidence of His grace (Eph. 2:7).
For His glory (Eph. 1:5-6). God’s glory is displayed as He saves sinners and changes them into saints. Then as we each live obediently before Him, others will see our good works and glorify the God who transformed us.
Sometimes we’re shortsighted and think we’re the center of salvation, but it’s really all about our amazing God, who sent His Son to rescue us from sin, death, and eternal punishment. Jesus died and suffered the chastisement we deserved, and He offers us forgiveness and reconciliation with the Father. And all we have to do is believe and receive Christ’s payment for our sins. What a gracious God we have, who wants us to be with Him forever so He may continue to shower His kindness upon us.
Adopted by Mike Wittmer
Adopted
I’m glad when a philanthropist builds an orphanage for homeless children. I’m thrilled when that person gives even more and adopts one of them. Most orphans would be delighted merely to have a patron. But then to learn the sponsor isn’t content merely to help me but also wants me. How must that feel?
If you’re a child of God you already know, because it’s happened to you. We couldn’t complain if God had merely loved us enough to send His Son that we might “not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It would be enough for us. But not for God. He “sent his Son . . . to redeem” us, not as an end in itself, but “that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4–5).
The apostle Paul refers to us as “sons” because in his day it was common for sons to inherit their father’s wealth. His point is that now everyone who puts their faith in Jesus, whether man or woman, becomes a “son” of God with equal and full rights of inheritance (v. 7).
God does not merely want to save you. He wants you. He has adopted you into His family, given you His name (Revelation 3:12), and proudly calls you His child. You could not possibly be loved more, or by anyone more important. You aren’t merely blessed by God. You are the child of God. Your Father loves you.
If you’re a child of God you already know, because it’s happened to you. We couldn’t complain if God had merely loved us enough to send His Son that we might “not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It would be enough for us. But not for God. He “sent his Son . . . to redeem” us, not as an end in itself, but “that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4–5).
The apostle Paul refers to us as “sons” because in his day it was common for sons to inherit their father’s wealth. His point is that now everyone who puts their faith in Jesus, whether man or woman, becomes a “son” of God with equal and full rights of inheritance (v. 7).
God does not merely want to save you. He wants you. He has adopted you into His family, given you His name (Revelation 3:12), and proudly calls you His child. You could not possibly be loved more, or by anyone more important. You aren’t merely blessed by God. You are the child of God. Your Father loves you.
Father, what a privilege to call You this! Thank You for saving me, and for wanting me.
Welcome to Mike Wittmer! Meet all our authors at odb.org/all-authors.
Welcome to Mike Wittmer! Meet all our authors at odb.org/all-authors.
You are more than saved. You are loved.
He Can Use Anyone by Billy Graham
He Can Use Anyone
Helen Keller, who is a classic example of handling life’s handicaps, said, “I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and my God.” Some people with handicaps drown themselves in self-pity, and thus limit their usefulness and service to mankind and to God. The Apostle Paul knew the pangs of suffering. He used his infirmity rather than allowing his infirmity to use him, and he used it for the glory of God. He seized everything, even death, to glorify his Lord. No matter which way fate turned, he was one jump ahead of it, and using it to magnify his Savior.
Daily Prayer
Even my handicaps can be used by You, Lord Jesus. Like the Apostle Paul, let me rise above them for Your glory.
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Philippians 1:21 NASB
January 31 / Seeds of Spring
Planting and Tending Your Garden
SEED OF TRUTH
Read Ephesians 4:25-28.
Read this passage carefully and then consider which command is being directed at you today and then make the choice to come up under that truth and walk in it. Ask Christ for His help to take that truth to heart. As you do, confess anything that you might need to confess to Him. What have you said, thought, or done that was wrong?
PLANT THE SEED
Quietly recite today's focus verse to yourself. Hide it in your heart and meditate on it throughout the day.
Ephesians 4:25
"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another."
WATER THE SEED
Going through great trials can take their toll. Difficult circumstances can make you more vulnerable to sin. Peter says to cast all of your anxieties upon Christ for "the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Don't try to walk alone. Be diligent to find another believer to share the journey with. Make time to be in community. The sheep that wanders from the flock gets caught in a thicket, becomes the prey of wolves, or gets lost.
Spend a few moments thinking about the truth that as Christians we are all members of one body, Jesus Christ. Psalm 51 comes to mind. David says that when he sinned, he sinned against God, and God alone! This verse helps us understand why! We are all members of one another - all members of Christ's body! When we lie to one another, we are lying to Jesus. When we are unkind to one another, we are being unkind to Jesus. Lord, help us see all the ramifications of this truth today as we meditate on this scripture. Reveal your truth!
BEAR THE FRUIT
Members of one another, of Christ's body.
CLOSE IN PRAYER
Ask the Lord to bring to life all that has been planted in your heart today.
SEED OF TRUTH
Read Ephesians 4:25-28.
“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.”
Ephesians 4:25-28 NASB
PLANT THE SEED
Quietly recite today's focus verse to yourself. Hide it in your heart and meditate on it throughout the day.
Ephesians 4:25
"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another."
WATER THE SEED
Going through great trials can take their toll. Difficult circumstances can make you more vulnerable to sin. Peter says to cast all of your anxieties upon Christ for "the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Don't try to walk alone. Be diligent to find another believer to share the journey with. Make time to be in community. The sheep that wanders from the flock gets caught in a thicket, becomes the prey of wolves, or gets lost.
Spend a few moments thinking about the truth that as Christians we are all members of one body, Jesus Christ. Psalm 51 comes to mind. David says that when he sinned, he sinned against God, and God alone! This verse helps us understand why! We are all members of one another - all members of Christ's body! When we lie to one another, we are lying to Jesus. When we are unkind to one another, we are being unkind to Jesus. Lord, help us see all the ramifications of this truth today as we meditate on this scripture. Reveal your truth!
BEAR THE FRUIT
Members of one another, of Christ's body.
CLOSE IN PRAYER
Ask the Lord to bring to life all that has been planted in your heart today.
The Powerful Influence of Music by Adrian Rogers
The Powerful Influence of Music
“. . . and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
Satan is waging a battle to control the thought life of America’s teenagers. The typical teenager listens to an average of 10,500 hours of rock music from the seventh to the tenth grade. That’s only 500 hours shy of all the time he/she spends in school from first through twelfth grade!
Do you have any idea of the fatalism that is bombarding the airwaves every day into young people’s heads? The National Education Association estimates that a percentage of the 5,000 teenage suicides we have in America every year are caused by the fatalistic music of today’s youth. Somebody has said, “You let me write the songs that a nation sings, and I don’t care who makes its laws.”
Is there a teen in your life? If so, spend some time this week talking with them about the music they listen to and the healthy choices they need to make to take back the ground that Satan is trying to conquer with his onslaught of fatalistic music.
Waiting for Jesus by Adam Navis
Waiting for Jesus
January 31, 2019
Read: John 5:1-17
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” (v. 6)
You can learn a lot about a person if you watch their reaction when technology fails. Imagine that your Internet stops working, your lawnmower sputters to a stop, your smartphone crashes, or your car won’t start in the morning. How long does it take for you to feel frustrated, helpless, or angry? A couple of minutes? Two seconds?
The man in today’s Scripture has been looking for help for 38 years. Thirty-eight years of wanting and wishing. Thirty-eight years of hoping and imagining a different future. Thirty-eight years of frustration, helplessness, and anger. So when Jesus sees him, he can tell this man has been waiting for a long time, because waiting has come to define this man’s life. He’s so obsessed with getting into the pool that he doesn’t really live. He doesn’t even see the man, Jesus, standing before him. This is what makes Jesus’ question more than rhetorical, because Jesus really wants to know, “Do you want this thing you’ve been seeking? Or do you want to be healed?”
How long have you been waiting? Have you become too focused on whatever you believe will make your life better that you can’t see the Savior standing right beside you, offering maybe not what you want but exactly what you need? —Adam Navis
As you pray, ask God to open your eyes to the reality that in a short time, or a long time, Jesus can heal us.
|
The Incredible Value of What God’s Given You / Senior Living
The Incredible Value of What God’s Given You
However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him. - 1 Corinthians 2:9
When the Western Union company asked the great inventor Thomas Edison to “name his price” for the ticker he had invented, Edison asked for a few days to think it over. His wife suggested he ask for $20,000, but Edison thought that was too much.
So when the time came for the meeting, the Western Union official asked Edison for his price. Edison wanted to say $20,000, but couldn’t get the words out of his mouth. So the official broke the silence. “Well, how about $100,000?”
It’s sometimes easy to undervalue things that haven’t come to full fruition yet. Edison hadn’t really seen the full potential of his world-changing invention, so he wasn’t aware of its incredible value. The same is often true of salvation. You see, no living person has seen what God has prepared for those who love Him, but its true value is beyond what anyone could imagine.
As a believer, what you have in Jesus Christ is the most valuable thing in the world. Yet there are still those who take it for granted, using it as license to live as they please. But a Christian who knows its value will live every day in thankfulness to the glory of God.
Live today in light of your salvation, giving thanks to God and doing everything to bring honor to Him!
Prayer Challenge
Thank God for His saving work in you and pray your life would bring glory to Him!
Questions for Thought
What are some times in your life when you might have taken God’s salvation for granted?
What would it look like for you to live each day in thankfulness, bringing honor and glory to Him?
Reduce Your Debt by Bob & Debby Gass
|
Refocus Your Faith By Anne Graham Lotz
| Refocus Your Faith |
| By Anne Graham Lotz |
| As the first month of 2019 comes to an end, where is your focus? Are you looking back and focusing on all the problems and pressures that occurred in the past? Or are you looking ahead and focusing on all the possibilities that await you this year? The church at the end of the first century was surely tempted to get out of focus. The early believers did not think they had a future. The Roman Emperor Domitian declared himself god, demanded to be worshipped and poured out horrific persecution on Christians who refused to do so. In that setting, God gave the Apostle John a vision of the glory of Jesus Christ that he recorded in the Book of Revelation (1:9–17) … a vision that has given hope to Christians throughout the centuries as it has refocused them on Jesus. What type of pressure are you under? Is it emotional? Physical? Financial? God has given us a clean slate in this brand-new year—12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days. Would you choose today to lift up your eyes and refocus under pressure? Refocus with patience, with preoccupation, until you are prostrate. Simply refocus on the vision of His glory. Read your Bible, every day. Listen for His voice and look for His face through its pages. Especially if … like me … you are on Patmos. |
Peace Always in Every Way by David Jeremiah
|
|
January 31 / Streams in the Desert
He giveth quietness (Job 34:29).
Quietness amid the dash of the storm. We sail the lake with Him still; and as we reach its middle waters, far from land, under midnight skies, suddenly a great storm sweeps down. Earth and hell seem arrayed against us, and each billow threatens to overwhelm. Then He arises from His sleep, and rebukes the winds and the waves; His hand waves benediction and repose over the rage of the tempestuous elements. His voice is heard above the scream of the wind in the cordage and the conflict of the billows, "Peace, be still!" Can you not hear it? And there is instantly a great calm. "He giveth quietness." Quietness amid the loss of inward consolations. He sometimes withdraws these, because we make too much of them. We are tempted to look at our joy, our ecstasies, our transports, or our visions, with too great complacency. Then love for love's sake, withdraws them. But, by His grace, He leads us to distinguish between them and Himself. He draws nigh, and whispers the assurance of His presence. Thus an infinite calm comes to keep our heart and mind. "He giveth quietness."
"He giveth quietness." O Elder Brother,
Whose homeless feet have pressed our path of pain,
Whose hands have borne the burden of our sorrow,
That in our losses we might find our gain.
Of all Thy gifts and infinite consolings,
I ask but this: in every troubled hour
To hear Thy voice through all the tumults stealing,
And rest serene beneath its tranquil power.
Cares cannot fret me if my soul be dwelling
In the still air of faith's untroubled day;
Grief cannot shake me if I walk beside thee,
My hand in Thine along the darkening way.
Content to know there comes a radiant morning
When from all shadows I shall find release,
Serene to wait the rapture of its dawning--
Who can make trouble when Thou sendest peace?
Whose homeless feet have pressed our path of pain,
Whose hands have borne the burden of our sorrow,
That in our losses we might find our gain.
Of all Thy gifts and infinite consolings,
I ask but this: in every troubled hour
To hear Thy voice through all the tumults stealing,
And rest serene beneath its tranquil power.
Cares cannot fret me if my soul be dwelling
In the still air of faith's untroubled day;
Grief cannot shake me if I walk beside thee,
My hand in Thine along the darkening way.
Content to know there comes a radiant morning
When from all shadows I shall find release,
Serene to wait the rapture of its dawning--
Who can make trouble when Thou sendest peace?
Dressed for War by Stephen Davey
Dressed for War
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
In World War II, as Germany prepared to invade Poland, the Poles readied themselves for battle. They were experienced warriors with a long history of repelling enemy attacks from barbarian neighbors. The Polish army was renowned for its skilled horsemanship—the Cavalry was well-trained and their horses were among Europe's finest steeds.
When it was learned that German forces were advancing, twelve brigades of their finest Cavalry were prepared. With swords flashing in the sunlight, the officers sounded the charge and their horses surged forward with powerful strides. Remember the time frame—World War II.
In his biography of Winston Churchill, Manchester wrote that the Cavalry galloped into oncoming, newly-designed German panzer tanks. The outcome was predictable—total annihilation! Horsemen with swords battled iron tanks.
I'm convinced that we, as believers, often expect to take on the enemy of our soul with methods similar to that of galloping on horseback at full speed, heading into the path of an oncoming tank division.
Even worse, we enter our daily activity without so much as a thought that we have an enemy who is on a search-and-destroy mission. Satan seeks to deceive, to distract, and to defeat any attempt by Christians who desire to advance the kingdom of light and the glory of the Prince of Heaven.
Paul warned us that the battle would be fierce. But in Ephesians 6, he tells us how to dress for war:
Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
So . . . are you properly prepared for battle? You can't go against tanks on horseback! In the same way, you can't resist the enemy of your soul armed with an hour of church, a blessing before meals, and a prayer at bedtime. You are to clothe yourself in a warrior's armor which has been designed by God for the dangers of daily, state-of-the-art battle.
Get dressed for combat . . . today!
Prayer Point: Pray through this passage, mentally putting on each piece of armor and asking the Lord for His strength to wage war with the temptations of life.
Extra Refreshment: Read Ephesians 6:19-24.
Hands and Feet By Carolyn Lee Purdy (Virginia)
|
|
|
What Matters Most by John MacArthur
What Matters Most |
“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1).
Compared to walking worthy of Christ, nothing else is really important.
Let’s review what Paul has taught us from Ephesians 4:1-6. God has chosen and called us to be part of His family, and He expects us to act like His children. He wants us to walk worthy of Christ and be unified.
To follow God’s will in this, we must, with His help, deal with our sin and develop godly virtues. Our lives must first be marked by “all humility” (v. 2). We become humble when we see ourselves as unworthy sinners and see the greatness of God and Christ. Pride will always be a temptation, but we can resist it if we remember that we have nothing to be proud about; every good thing we have is from God. He alone deserves the glory; we can take no credit.
Humility produces “gentleness,” which is power under control. Gentle people willingly submit to God and others. They may become angry over what dishonors God, but they are forgiving to those who hurt them.
“Patience” flows from gentleness. A patient person endures negative circumstances, copes with difficult people, and accepts God’s plan for everything.
We must “love” others with a forbearing love. Christian love is selfless, and forbearance keeps us from gossiping about the failures of others and causes us to love our enemies.
“Unity” (v. 3) is the goal of the worthy walk, and only diligent believers who pursue these virtues of the worthy walk will contribute to such unity. Because we have one Body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one Father, we should behave as a unified people. Then we will have the effective testimony God wants for us.
Only one thing really matters from the moment you become a Christian until the day you see Jesus—that you walk worthy of Him. What you own, what you know, and what you do for a living are not all that important.
Suggestions for Prayer
Ask God to give you the resolve to walk worthy every day.
For Further Study
Read Hebrews 11 and perhaps some related Old Testament passages, and note what was representative of the main characters’ walks with the Lord.
|
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
The Dilemma of Obedience by Oswald Chambers
|
|
Godly Living in an Ungodly Age by Charles Stanley
Our Founding Fathers created a governing framework heavily influenced by biblical principles. Slowly, we have changed from “one nation under God” to a group of people who no longer want Him to be involved.
Our nation has become ungodly in several ways: Many are driven by materialism and power; immorality and rebellion are prevalent; empty philosophy and false doctrine are widely accepted. Underlying it all is the push to keep God out of the nation’s affairs.
Yet even in an unbelieving society, people can, follow Jesus as individuals. But the world will continually disseminate faulty teachings, so believers must be discerning. Otherwise, erroneous messages can lead Christians to compromise their convictions. Then affections and priorities may change. Don’t let the world’s clamor make the Spirit’s voice less audible. Without His guidance, our minds become vulnerable to lies.
The Word of God is a compass that keeps us headed in the right direction, even in the midst of confusing messages. We need to be consistently filled with truth by reading, believing, meditating upon, and applying Scripture. God’s Word also says to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If our minds are focused upon Him, unholy beliefs will not be able to take root.
The Word is our guidebook. We will still face difficulty as we live in this imperfect world—it is a confusing, dark place that entices us but can never fulfills our true longings. Yet God’s truth will bring confidence and boldness, and His Spirit will direct and strengthen, enabling us to live victoriously.
Algae and Diatoms by Julie Schwab
Algae and Diatoms
“What’s a diatom?” I asked my friend. I was leaning over her shoulder looking at pictures on her cell phone she had taken through a microscope. “Oh, it’s like algae, but it’s harder to see. Sometimes you need a drop of oil on the lens or they have to be dead to see them,” she explained. I sat amazed as she scrolled through the pictures. I couldn’t stop thinking about the intricate detail God put into life that we can only see with a microscope!
God’s creation and works are endless. In the book of Job, one of Job’s friends, Elihu, points this out to Job as he struggles through his loss. Elihu challenges his friend, “Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?” (Job 37:14–16). We, as humans, can’t begin to understand the complexity of God and His creation.
Even the parts of creation we can’t see reflect God’s glory and power. His glory surrounds us. No matter what we’re going through, God is working, even when we can’t see it and don’t understand. Let’s praise Him today, for “He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted” (Job 5:9).
God’s creation and works are endless. In the book of Job, one of Job’s friends, Elihu, points this out to Job as he struggles through his loss. Elihu challenges his friend, “Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?” (Job 37:14–16). We, as humans, can’t begin to understand the complexity of God and His creation.
Even the parts of creation we can’t see reflect God’s glory and power. His glory surrounds us. No matter what we’re going through, God is working, even when we can’t see it and don’t understand. Let’s praise Him today, for “He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted” (Job 5:9).
Lord, thank You for the detail You put into creation and for being at work even when we can’t see it.
Welcome to Julie Schwab! Meet all our authors at odb.org/all-authors.
Welcome to Julie Schwab! Meet all our authors at odb.org/all-authors.
God is always working.
January 30 / Streams in the Desert
I will be as the dew unto Israel (Hosea 14:5).
The dew is a source of freshness. It is nature's provision for renewing the face of the earth. It falls at night, and without it the vegetation would die. It is this great value of the dew which is so often recognized in the Scriptures. It is used as the symbol of spiritual refreshing. Just as nature is bathed in dew, so the Lord renews His people. In Titus 3:5 the same thought of spiritual refreshing is connected with the ministry of the Holy Ghost--"renewing of the Holy Ghost."
Many Christian workers do not recognize the importance of the heavenly dew in their lives, and as a result they lack freshness and vigor. Their spirits are drooping for lack of dew.
Beloved fellow-worker, you recognize the folly of a laboring man attempting to do his day's work without eating. Do you recognize the folly of a servant of God attempting to minister without eating of the heavenly manna? Nor will it suffice to have spiritual nourishment occasionally. Every day you must receive the renewing of the Holy Ghost. You know when your whole being is pulsating with the vigor and freshness of Divine life and when you feel jaded and worn. Quietness and absorption bring the dew. At night when the leaf and blade are still, the vegetable pores are open to receive the refreshing and invigorating bath; so spiritual dew comes from quiet lingering in the Master's presence. Get still before Him. Haste will prevent your receiving the dew. Wait before God until you feel saturated with His presence; then go forth to your next duty with the conscious freshness and vigor of Christ.
--Dr. Pardington
--Dr. Pardington
Dew will never gather while there is either heat or wind. The temperature must fall, and the wind cease, and the air come to a point of coolness and rest--absolute rest, so to speak--before it can yield up its invisible particles of moisture to bedew either herb or flower. So the grace of God does not come forth to rest the soul of man until the still point is fairly and fully reached.
Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease:
Take from our souls the strain and stress;
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.
Breathe through the pulses of desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, its beats expire:
Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm!
Till all our strivings cease:
Take from our souls the strain and stress;
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.
Breathe through the pulses of desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, its beats expire:
Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
The NIV 365-Day Devotional Reading Plan Day 259 of 365 Lavish Love! We single women sometimes feel deprived of love, don...
-
DAILY DEVOTIONAL MAY 14, 2018 Jesus' Nature He will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom. Isaiah 4...
-
Monday, May 14 Undergirded Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to ...
