The Trial of Faith / Oswald Chambers

 

The Trial of Faith If you have faith as small as a mustard seed…nothing will be impossible for you. MATTHEW 17:20 We have the idea that God rewards us for our faith, and it may be so in the initial stages. But we do not earn anything through faith— faith brings us into the right relationship with God and gives Him His opportunity to work. Yet God frequently has to knock the bottom out of your experience as His saint to get you in direct contact with Himself. God wants you to understand that it is a life of faith, not a life of emotional enjoyment of His blessings. The beginning of your life of faith was very narrow and intense, centered around a small amount of experience that had as much emotion as faith in it, and it was full of light and sweetness. Then God withdrew His conscious blessings to teach you to “walk by faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7). And you are worth much more to Him now than you were in your days of conscious delight with your thrilling testimony. Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds. Faith being worked out into reality must experience times of unbroken isolation. Never confuse the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life, because a great deal of what we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him— a faith that says, “I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.” The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is— “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth.

Despite Halloween Hoopla, Satan Is Defeated Adrian Rogers

 Despite Halloween Hoopla, Satan Is Defeated          

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

Many years ago, international chess master Paul Morphy was taking a tour of Europe. He and a friend entered an art gallery. Morphy was drawn to “The Chess Players” by Morits Retzch, a painting depicting two figures playing chess: Satan himself and a young man. They were playing for the young man’s soul. Satan has just moved into position for checkmate. It’s obvious now the young man has no way of escape. Pale with fear, he realizes the devil has outwitted him. All is lost. There’s no move he can make. 

Morphy stood intently studying the chessboard. His friend moved on. After a while, Morphy exclaimed, “Young man, there’s one move you can make!” Morphy ran to his friend, shouting “I’ve found it! All is not lost!” 

I don’t know much about chess, but I know a lot about the Word of God, and I know what that one move is. Don’t you? To receive Jesus. In the warfare between Helland Heaven, His name is Jesus.

Satan is a defeated foe. His kingdom is crushed. “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” The Son of God will make you free indeed (John 8:36). Receive Christ. There is no other way.

Redeeming the Season / ODB

 

Redeeming the Season He made the moon to mark the seasons. Psalm 104:19 READ Psalm 104:10–23 Leisa wanted a way to redeem the season. So many of the autumn decorations she saw seemed to celebrate death, sometimes in gruesome and macabre ways. Determined to counter the darkness in some small way, Leisa began to write things she was grateful for with a permanent marker on a large pumpkin. “Sunshine” was the first item. Soon visitors were adding to her list. Some entries were whimsical: “doodling,” for instance. Others were practical: “a warm house”; “a working car.” Still others were poignant, like the name of a departed loved one. A chain of gratitude began to wind its way around the pumpkin. Psalm 104 offers a litany of praise to God for things we easily overlook. “[God] makes springs pour water into the ravines,” sang the poet (v. 10). “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate” (v. 14). Even the night is seen as good and fitting. “You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl” (v. 20). But then, “The sun rises . . . . People go out to their work, to their labor until evening” (vv. 22–23). For all these things, the psalmist concluded, “I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (v. 33). In a world that doesn’t know how to deal with death, even the smallest offering of praise to our Creator can become a shining contrast of hope. By Tim Gustafson How do you and your friends deal with the idea of death? What are some ways you might make the world curious about the hope you have in Jesus? Thank You, Father, for the multiple good things You’ve placed on this earth. Make my life a grateful offering of praise to You.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Many psalms celebrate the greatness of God as the Creator and Sustainer of the physical world. These are known as “nature psalms” (for example, Psalms 8, 19, 29, 33, 65, 95, 104, 135, 148). Psalm 104 celebrates and glorifies God as the Creator and Sustainer of all creation. Verses 10–23 describe how He creates, cares for, sustains, and renews His creation. The psalmist also exalts God as the source of life—who holds the power of life and death of every creature on earth—and highlights His providence and provision for His creatures (vv. 24–30). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus too speaks of God as our Sustainer. He asks us to consider how the Father feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass of the field (Matthew 6:26, 30). K. T. Sim

October 31 / Wisdom from the Psalms

 Psalm 130:5

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

 

Elizabeth sat by her nightstand, reading from her Bible. Each night before bed, she read from the Scriptures. She always claimed that the key to a long and happy life was to keep in contact with God. Each night as she turned out the light, Elizabeth smiled to herself. She wondered how much longer she would live, but not with any fear or dread. She knew that her heavenly home was waiting for her, and that thought held only comfort. As she drifted off to sleep, she prayed for God's will to be done, and she knew in her heart that it would be.

 

Prayer: Lord, do Your will in my life. If I live but one more day, help me make it the best day of my life. If I live for years, help me to fill them with peace, joy, contentment, and service. Amen.

Hope for the Backslider / Alistair Egg

 

Hope for the Backslider 

Renew a right spirit within me. 

Psalm 51:10

A backslider, if there is a spark of life left in him, will groan for restoration. In this renewal the same exercise of grace is required as at our conversion. We needed repentance then; we certainly need it now. We required faith that we might come to Christ at first; only the same grace can bring us to Jesus now. We needed a word from the Most High, a word from the lip of the loving One, to end our fears then; we shall soon discover, when under a sense of present sin, that we need it now. No man can be renewed without as real and true a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s energy as he felt at first, because the work is as great, and flesh and blood are as much in the way now as they ever were.

Let your personal weakness, Christian, be an argument to make you pray sincerely to your God for help. Remember, David when he felt himself to be powerless did not fold his arms or close his lips, but he hurried to the mercy-seat crying, “renew a right spirit within me.” Do not allow the doctrine that you, unaided, can do nothing make you sleep; but let it be a goad in your side to drive you with an awful earnestness to Israel’s strong Helper. O that you may have grace to plead with God, as though you pleaded for your very life—“renew a right spirit within me.” He who sincerely prays to God to do this will prove his honesty by using the means through which God works.

Be much in prayer; live constantly on the Word of God; kill the lusts that have driven your Lord from you; be careful to watch over the future uprisings of sin. The Lord has His own appointed ways; sit by the wayside, and you will be ready when He passes by. Continue in all those blessed ordinances that will foster and nourish your dying graces; and knowing that all the power must proceed from Him, do not cease to cry, “Renew a right spirit within me.”

God is Love! / Billy Graham

 

God is Love!

As I read the Bible, I find love to be the supreme and dominant attribute of God. The promises of God’s love and forgiveness are as real, as sure, as positive, as human words can make them. But the total beauty of the ocean cannot be understood until it is seen, and it is the same with God’s love. Until you actually experience it, until you actually possess it, no one can describe its wonders to you. 

Never question God’s great love, for it is as unchangeable a part of God as His holiness. Were it not for the love of God, none of us would ever have a chance in the future life. But God is love! And His love for us is everlasting.

Daily Prayer

Knowing myself as I do, Lord, the knowledge of Your love and forgiveness never ceases to amaze me. In the knowledge of this, help me to communicate to others that this love is theirs too, if they will only reach out for it.

“The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:3‬ 

Why Paul Wasn't a Zombie by John UpChurch

 Why Paul Wasn't a Zombie

by John UpChurch

“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” Colossians 1:28-29

Worn out. Exhausted. Please oh please oh please be Friday. Those words probably describe many of our weeks—often by Monday afternoon. The surge of the weekday tide sucks us under and spins us around and strips away our energy by making us swim to the surface over and over again. Gasp. Bills. Gasp. Long meeting. Gasp. Kids biting each other.

What more can we give than that? What else can God expect from us than just trying to keep from drowning in the mess of life?

Paul says everything and more. Yep, you read that right. We’re supposed to slap down every last ounce of ourselves to the cause of Christ. We’re supposed to surrender every modicum of ourselves to the purpose of “proclaiming Him” with our joy-filled words and our peace-in-the-midst-of-this-hurricane-called-life actions.

Everything. Every single bit. For Him.

Feeling tired yet? I hope you don’t. You see, there’s something in here that we too often overlook. It does take energy—loads of it—to live a life of surrender. We wouldn’t expect anything less from being a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). That means using all that we are to make all that He is known to all. But even with all those alls, you won’t be using up your energy.

Look again at what Paul says here: “To this end I labor, struggling with all hisenergy, which so powerfully works in me.” He doesn’t say, “I did it all myself until I burned out and crashed into the dirt and hated my life and decided it was just too hard to do anything and wanted to move to Alaska forever and hide in a cave.” Instead, he tells us that the source of his oomph is Christ.

Christ didn’t save us so that we could barely keep going, dragging our way like zombies down the road of life. Instead, we’re operating with power—His. He jumpstarted our lives with a spirit of power (2 Timothy 1:7), cranking up the juice through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). After all, like Paul, we’re wrestling with the tasks God’s called us to do. We aren’t supposed to do this by tapping into our own reserves. God takes these fragile clay pots that we are and supplies His power so that He gets the glory (2 Corinthians 4:7). He adds the zing, and His zing is potent.

Intersecting Faith & Life: When you try to make it all work on your own guts and grit, you’ll eventually drain down and sputter out. Instead, take Him up on His “by my Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6) thing—that is, not your own strength. That doesn’t mean you’ll never get tired or weary. You will. But you can be sure that He specializes in renewing the worn out and exhausted (Isaiah 40:30-31).

For Further Reading

The Lord of Hosts Who Conquers Through Pots of Clay
Isaiah 40

Inspiration / NKJV 365

 

Inspiration

When it seems that everyone has turned away, a crook places himself between Jesus and the accusers and speaks on his behalf.

“We receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong” [Luke 23:41].

The soldiers look up. The priests cease chattering. Mary wipes her tears and raises her eyes. No one had even noticed the fellow, but now everyone looks at him.

Perhaps even Jesus looks at him. Perhaps he turns to see the one who had spoken when all others had remained silent. Perhaps he fights to focus his eyes on the one who offered this final gesture of love he’d receive while alive. I wonder, did he smile as this sheep straggled into the fold?

For that, in effect, is exactly what the criminal is doing. He is stumbling to safety just as the gate is closing. . . .

As he looks into the eyes of his last hope, he made the same request any Christian has made.

“Remember me when You come into Your kingdom” [Luke 23:42].

No stained-glass homilies. No excuses. Just a desperate plea for help.

At this point, Jesus performs the greatest miracle of the Cross. Greater than the earthquake. Greater than the tearing of the temple curtain. Greater than the darkness. Greater than the resurrected saints appearing on the streets. He performs the miracle of forgiveness. A sin-soaked criminal is received by a blood-stained Savior.

“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” [Luke 23:43].

Wow. Only seconds before the thief was a beggar nervously squeezing his hat at the castle door, wondering if the King might spare a few crumbs. Suddenly he’s holding the whole pantry. (From Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado)

Taken from The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible

“And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23:41-42‬

What Cannot Be Uttered / Streams

 What Cannot Be Uttered

Likewise also the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what to pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God - Rom 8:26-27

This is the deep mystery of prayer. This is the delicate divine mechanism which words cannot interpret, and which theology cannot explain, but which the humblest believer knows even when he does not understand.

Oh, the burdens that we love to bear and cannot understand! Oh, the inarticulate out-reachings of our hearts for things we cannot comprehend! And yet we know they are an echo from the throne and a whisper from the heart of God. It is often a groan rather than a song, a burden rather than a buoyant wing. But it is a blessed burden, and it is a groan whose undertone is praise and unutterable joy. It is “a groaning which cannot be uttered.” We could not ourselves express it always, and sometimes we do not understand any more than that God is praying in us, for something that needs His touch and that He understands.

And so we can just pour out the fullness of our heart, the burden of our spirit, the sorrow that crushes us, and know that He hears, He loves, He understands, He receives; and He separates from our prayer all that is imperfect, ignorant and wrong, and presents the rest, with the incense of the great High Priest, before the throne on high; and our prayer is heard, accepted and answered in His name. —A. B. Simpson

It is not necessary to be always speaking to God or always hearing from God, to have communion with Him; there is an inarticulate fellowship more sweet than words. The little child can sit all day long beside its busy mother and, although few words are spoken on either side, and both are busy, the one at his absorbing play, the other at her engrossing work, yet both are in perfect fellowship. He knows that she is there, and she knows that he is all right. So the saint and the Saviour can go on for hours in the silent fellowship of love, and he be busy about the most common things, and yet conscious that every little thing he does is touched with the complexion of His presence, and the sense of His approval and blessing.

And then, when pressed with burdens and troubles too complicated to put into words and too mysterious to tell or understand, how sweet it is to fall back into His blessed arms, and just sob out the sorrow that we cannot speak! —Selected

Living under the Cloud of Guilt / Chuck Swindoll

 Living under the Cloud of Guilt

by Pastor Chuck SwindollScriptures: Psalm 32:1–11

Your conscience may be invisible but it is certainly not inactive! Who hasn't been kept awake by its pleadings? With incredible regularity, an unforgiven conscience can rob us of an appetite, steal our sleep, and drive us to distraction.

Do you remember Edgar Allan Poe's haunting short story "The Tell-Tale Heart"? The main character has committed murder. Unable to escape the lingering guilt of his deed, he begins to hear the heartbeat of the victim he has buried under his floorboards. A cold sweat covers him as the beat-beat-beat goes on . . . relentlessly. It refuses to go away. Ultimately, it becomes clear that the pounding that drove the man mad was not in the grave down below but the pounding within his own chest. So it is with an unforgiven conscience.

The ancient songwriter David was no stranger to this maddening malady. As we shall soon discover, the longer he refused to come to terms with the enormity of his grinding guilt, the more he became physically ill and emotionally distraught. Only forgiveness can take away that grind.

As we begin to read through this song, two things catch the eye even before we get to verse one. First, we notice this is a Psalm of David. It is a song the man David was led to write under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So, at the outset let's remember that the song he writes describes some situation from David's personal experience. 

Second, we notice this is a "maskil," a term that is unfamiliar to us. Maskil is a transliterated Hebrew word that appears before thirteen of the songs in this ancient hymnbook of the Hebrews. Most likely it is from sakal, a Hebrew verb meaning "to be prudent, circumspect, wise—to have insight;" it has to do with intelligent knowledge gained through reason. According to my English dictionary, "insight" means "the act or power to see into a situation." Putting all this together we understand that the Thirty-second Psalm is designed to give its readers wisdom and insight when dealing with certain situations.

The situation in this case is the grind that accompanies a guilt-ridden conscience. Psalm 51 should be considered along with Psalm 32. Both were written after David's adultery with Bathsheba and his attempt to cover up his sin by arranging her husband's death on the battlefield. Of the two, Psalm 51 was written first, during the anguish of guilt under which David suffered so severely. Psalm 32 was written after the anguish, after his forgiveness had been secured and his peace of mind restored. So, the theme of Psalm 32 could be "The Peace Following Forgiveness" and how it can be achieved. We learn right away that this song is incredibly relevant; we live in a world filled with people living under a thick cloud of guilt, a society in desperate need of forgiveness.

As you read the psalm, allow yourself to enter into the feelings of David. It is obvious that he is joyful at the outset, rejoicing in his present state of forgiveness (32:1–2). He then falls into a reflective mood as he thinks back to days past (32:3–5). Twice during this section of the song, he adds the word selah, which most scholars believe is a musical notation indicating a pause, most likely for reflection. When we come across this musical notation, it is best to pause and then read the section again, only this time more slowly and thoughtfully. The next three verses (32:6–8) look ahead to the future, directly addressing anyone who may read these words. David's conclusion (32:9–11) exhorts his readers to live in an upright manner. Here, then, is an outline of the song.

1. Expression of Present Joy (32:1–2)
2. Reflection on Past Sins (32:3–5)
   1. Reluctance to confess (32:3–4)
   2. Willingness to confess (32:5)
3. Provision for Future Needs (32:6–8)
   1. Invitation (32:6)
   2. Protection (32:7)
   3. Guidance (32:8)
4. Application to Every Believer (32:9–11)
   1. Don't be stubborn! (32:9)
   2. Take your choice! (32:10)
   3. Remain upright! (32:11)

October 31 / Daily Blessings

Daily Blessings

“By grace you are saved.” - Eph 2:5

Oh! the volumes of blessed truth that are couched in these few words; thrown in out of the Apostle’s full heart as if to give a moment’s vent to his love of salvation by grace! Mercy, love, and grace are all in the bosom of God toward his saints; and yet they differ from each other. But how? Mercy regards the criminal; love regards the object; grace, perhaps, is a blending of the two—the union of mercy and love. God loves the holy unfallen angels; there is an object of love in which there is no mixture of mercy; for having never sinned, mercy they do not need. Again, God showed no mercy to the fallen angels; there we have justice and wrath, without mercy; but in the case of the saints of God, the election of grace, we have not only mercy and love, but we have the joint attribute, that uniting mercy and love in one stream flows onward to the Church, as the river of the water of life; the pure crystal river of grace.

Grace means, as you well know, the pure favor of God, and, as such, is sovereign, distinguishing, free, and super-abounding. Every attribute of Jehovah is distinct, and yet so blended that the whole shine forth in one glorious effulgence. The rays of the sun united form one complete body of pure, bright light; but the prism or the rainbow separates these rays into distinct colors. So the attributes of God are not confused though blended, and all shine forth in one pure bright glory. But this is the peculiar character of grace, that any intermixture of worth or worthiness in the object would destroy it. For if the gospel require merit, we are damned by it as inevitably as by the law. This Luther felt when, racked and torn by the words “the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,” he cried out in the agony of his soul, “What! am I damned not only by the law, but damned by the gospel also!”

This pure, free, unadulterated grace is the joy of every soul that is able to receive it; for it comes as a blessed cordial when sinking and swooning under a sight and sense of the deserved wrath of God. When, then, the pure gospel of the grace of God comes as a cordial from the Most High, it lifts up his drooping head, revives his sinking soul, and pours oil and wine into his bleeding wounds. By this grace we are justified, pardoned, accepted, sanctified, and saved with an everlasting salvation. Oh! glad tidings to perishing sinners! Oh! blessed news to those who are sinking under a sense of guilt and misery, in whom the law of God is discharging its dreadful curse!

When we get a view by faith, and a sweet taste of the pure grace of God, what a balm, what a cordial, what a sweet reviving draught it is. It is this which makes us prize so highly, and exalt so gladly the free grace of God; because it is so pure, so free, and so super-abounding over all the aboundings of sin, guilt, filth, and folly. It never can be laid down too clearly, it never can be too much insisted on that “by grace,” and grace alone, “you are saved.” If free grace has reached your soul, it has saved your soul; if free grace has come into your heart, it has blessed you with an everlasting salvation, and you will live to prove it, when your happy soul joins the throng of the blessed.

If anything can lift up a drooping sinner, restore a backslider, break a hard, or soften a stony heart; draw forth songs of praise, and tears of contrition; produce repentance and godly sorrow for sin; a humble mind and a tender conscience; it is a sweet experience of the super-abounding grace of God. Can we then exalt it too much? Can we prize it too highly? Can we cleave to it too closely? No; in proportion as we feel our ruin and misery, we shall cleave to it with every desire of our soul; for it is all our salvation, as it is all our desire.

 

Faith / Oswald Chambers

 

Faith Without faith it is impossible to please Him… HEBREWS 11:6 Faith in active opposition to common sense is mistaken enthusiasm and narrow-mindedness, and common sense in opposition to faith demonstrates a mistaken reliance on reason as the basis for truth. The life of faith brings the two of these into the proper relationship. Common sense and faith are as different from each other as the natural life is from the spiritual, and as impulsiveness is from inspiration. Nothing that Jesus Christ ever said is common sense, but is revelation sense, and is complete, whereas common sense falls short. Yet faith must be tested and tried before it becomes real in your life. “We know that all things work together for good…” (Romans 8:28 ) so that no matter what happens, the transforming power of God’s providence transforms perfect faith into reality. Faith always works in a personal way, because the purpose of God is to see that perfect faith is made real in His children. For every detail of common sense in life, there is a truth God has revealed by which we can prove in our practical experience what we believe God to be. Faith is a tremendously active principle that always puts Jesus Christ first. The life of faith says, “Lord, You have said it, it appears to be irrational, but I’m going to step out boldly, trusting in Your Word” (for example, see Matthew 6:33). Turning intellectual faith into our personal possession is always a fight, not just sometimes. God brings us into particular circumstances to educate our faith, because the nature of faith is to make the object of our faith very real to us. Until we know Jesus, God is merely a concept, and we can’t have faith in Him. But once we hear Jesus say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9) we immediately have something that is real, and our faith is limitless. Faith is the entire person in the right relationship with God through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS Civilization is based on principles which imply that the passing moment is permanent. The only permanent thing is God, and if I put anything else as permanent, I become atheistic. I must build only on God (John 14:6). from The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 565 L

The Promises of God / Charles Stanley

 The Promises of God

2 Corinthians 1:18-22

 

The Christian life rests on a foundation of God's promises for today and for the future. We can trust everything that our heavenly Father has said because His Word shows Him to be...

 

Truthful. The Lord knows what is true and speaks honestly in all matters. We can be assured of this because He is holy; there is no sin in Him. He is also omniscientand understands everything (Heb. 4:12-13). His promises are based on His infinite knowledge and truthfulness.

 

Faithful. Scripture compares the Lord to a shepherd who "gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart" (Isa. 40:11 niv). What He has planned for us, He will bring to fruition (Rom. 8:28). Our heavenly Father does not waver in His intentions or will.

 

Loving. God's love for us was demonstrated at the cross. He sent His Son Jesus to die by crucifixion and thereby take the punishment for our sins. The Savior experienced God's wrath against iniquity so we might know only His love. This is the ultimate proof of His devotion to us.

 

All-powerful. Divine power created the world and raised the Savior back to life, so we know God has the ability to carry out all His plans. Our omnipotent Father can keep every one of His promises.

 

A promise is valuable only if the one making it has trustworthy character and the ability to carry through. Our heavenly Father is truthful, faithful, loving, and all-powerful. We can base our entire life on His promises, secure in the knowledge that He will do just as He has said.

Will God Answer My Prayer if It’s Not His Will? / Adrian Rogers

Will God Answer My Prayer if It’s Not His Will?

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

There’s nothing in life outside the reach of prayer.  If it concerns you, it concerns God.  We sometimes try to divide life into the “secular” and the “sacred,” saying “This is the sacred. We’ll pray about this. But this is the secular. I’ll handle it myself.” But for the child of God, everything that concerns us, concerns Him.

Many years ago when Dr. Charles Stanley was the new pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, the deacons and finance committee were holding a meeting. The church had been through some turmoil, and they came to a halt over a financial problem. Charles said to those around the table, “Men, let’s pray.”  One of them answered, “Preacher, this is business.  We don’t need to pray about this.”  

Can you imagine Jesus Christ dividing His life into the sacred and the secular? We don’t divide our lives into the secular and the sacred. So what do we pray about? Everything.  

You ask, “Can I pray about small things? A parking space? That’s too small.”  Can you think of anything too big or too small to God? There’s nothing “big” to God.   Things aren’t either bog or small to Him. The biggest thing you can think of is small to God, and the smallest thing is important to God if it’s important to you. “…in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

You may ask, “Suppose there’s something I want, and I know it’s not God’s will. Should I pray about that?” Absolutely. Pray: “Lord, there’s something wrong with me. I want something You don’t want. Fix my want-er.” Tell God about it. He already knows what you’re thinking anyway. 

A New Calling / Alistair Begg

 

A New Calling He has saved us and called us to a holy life. 2 Timothy 1:9 READ 2 Timothy 1:6–14 Teenage gang leader Casey and his followers broke into homes and cars, robbed convenience stores, and fought other gangs. Eventually, Casey was arrested and sentenced. In prison, he became a “shot caller,” someone who handed out homemade knives during riots. Sometime later, he was placed in solitary confinement. While daydreaming in his cell, Casey experienced a “movie” of sorts replaying key events of his life—and of Jesus being led to and nailed to the cross and telling him, “I’m doing this for you.” Casey fell to the floor weeping and confessed his sins. Later, he shared his experience with a chaplain, who explained more about Jesus and gave him a Bible. “That was the start of my journey of faith,” Casey said. Eventually, he was released into the mainline prison population, where he was mistreated for his faith. But he felt at peace, because “[he] had found a new calling: telling other inmates about Jesus.” In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul talks about the power of Christ to change lives: God calls us from lives of wrongdoing to follow and serve Jesus (2 Timothy 1:9). When we receive Him by faith, we desire to be a living witness of Christ’s love. The Holy Spirit enables us to do so, even when suffering, in our quest to share the good news (v. 8). Like Casey, let’s live out our new calling.  By Alyson Kieda When have you shared the gospel with someone, and what was the result? Did it ever lead to suffering? What happened? Dear God, thank You for offering me a new calling through Your Son. And thank You for giving me the Spirit to live inside me to guide and empower me to serve You.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT Second Timothy is heavy and heartfelt. Paul knew this would be one of his last letters before his death (4:6–8). Based on the formal introduction (1:1), the letter was meant to be read to Timothy’s congregation or others, but it’s addressed specifically to Timothy, who was a spiritual son to Paul (v. 2). Paul was writing from prison, and he wanted to encourage his protégé that the gospel was worth suffering for (v. 8). But he also longed for a chance to see him again (v. 4) and requested Timothy come quickly: “Do your best to get here before winter” (4:21). Julie Schwab