Bible in One Year: Numbers 20-22; Mark 7:1-13
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
"Do You Now Believe?' / Oswald Chambers
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God Is Sovereign over Delays / Charles Stanley
God Is Sovereign over Delays
No one likes to wait, but have you ever wondered why? It's because delays show us that we are not in control. Someone or something else is calling the shots. Although we may be able to identify the immediate cause--like a traffic light or the long checkout line--ultimately the One who controls all our delays is the Lord. Since He is sovereign over everything in heaven and on earth, even our time and schedules are in His hands.
This means that in every delay, we are actually waiting for God in one way or another. You might have thought that the expression "waiting upon the Lord" applies only to seeking guidance from Him or an answer to prayer. But it can mean so much more when you remember that He controls all your day-to-day inconveniences and frustrations.
In the Christian life, learning to wait is vitally important because until you do, you'll never be able to walk in obedience to God, have an effective prayer life, or experience the peace of resting in His loving sovereignty. We must learn to trust His judgment--about not just the big events in our lives, but also the trivial ones which cause us to become irritated, impatient, or even angry. If we're sensitive to His instruction, each delay has a lesson.
The next time you face an unexpected or unwanted wait, remember that it comes as no surprise to God. He wants to teach you patience and increase your faith. He's more interested in developing godly character than He is in making sure your schedule runs according to your plans.
Priorities and Prayer Shape The Family / Adrian Rogers
Priorities and Prayer Shape The Family
Sermon: 2157 Dads Who Shoot Straight, Part 2
Pray Over This
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Ponder This
Your family may hear people preach about God, but the home is the real classroom. How will your family members see God at work in your home? First, they’ll see God in your worship. They’re going to watch you when company comes, whether you miss church. They’re going to watch your priorities in your worship. They’ll see the way you spend your money. They’re going to watch how you use your time. Let them see God as a vibrant reality in your life.
Our kids know we’re not perfect, but our kids need to know God is number one. If I were to bring one of your children up here and ask, “What is the priority of your parents?” What would that child say? Let your children see God at work in your home. The next step is to cover your family members constantly with prayer. If you are the archer, and the children are the arrows, the bow is prayer. That’s what sends them forth. A parent without prayer is like an archer with an unstrung bow. You need to pray for your children regularly.
- What priorities have you observed in people you have looked up to spiritually?
- Who regularly prays for you? How has that impacted your life?
Practice This
Take some time to pray for your children, your grandchildren, or the people you mentor.
A Baboon, a Donkey, and Me / ODB
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Slow to Chide / David Jeremiah
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He gave me eternal life! / Billy Graham
He gave me eternal life!
Recently I read that it will cost this country a hundred billion dollars to get one man safely to Mars. It cost God the priceless blood of His only Son to get us sinners to heaven. By tasting death for every man, Jesus took over our penalty as He erased our guilt. Now God can forgive. In a moment of thanksgiving, Paul once exclaimed, “He loved me and gave Himself for me!” Will you repeat these words right now, even as you read? If you do, I believe you will have cause to be thankful too, and that you will experience the love of God in your heart. Try it and see. The Bible teaches that you can be absolutely sure that you are saved.
Daily Prayer
Father, although my finite mind cannot understand all the wonders of the Gospel, I thank You for the assurance of my salvation through Christ.
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
1 John 5:13 NASB1995
Go Back to the Beginning / Greg Laurie
Go Back to the Beginning
Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. (Revelation 3:3 NLT)
Was there a time in your life when you were stronger spiritually than you are now? If there was, then you can return to that place again.
Think for a moment about what you did when you were a younger Christian. You probably read your Bible every day and had a prayer life. It’s likely that you were a regular at church and that you shared your faith. Do you still do those things?
Sometimes we have a breakdown in the basics of the Christian life, and we wonder what’s going wrong. It isn’t a mystery. We need to get back to doing those things again.
In the Book of Revelation, we find Jesus’ words to the church in Sardis: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again” (3:1-3 NLT).
This is a picture of a church that needed to come back to life—to awaken and get back to its roots. And this is what we all want to do. But it starts individually.
If you want to see a revival, then you need to do revival-like things. It doesn’t matter whether you feel it; just do it. Emotions will catch up. Don’t wait for a big encounter with God or some emotional experience. That may happen, or it may not. To have a personal revival, you need to go back to the basics in your walk with Christ.
We can talk all day long about a spiritual awakening in America. We can talk all day long about revival. But it starts with each one of us.
Hope for Today / February 28
If you have a ministry, any ministry, be thankful that God has so blessed your life. Some places God sends us are fraught with difficulty. Others are for a short season. Few find themselves in a long-term life of ease in ministry, whether they are filling a pulpit or filing in the church office.
God uses the hard times to perfect us. He uses the short seasons to augment our experience. He uses pain to get our undivided attention. He uses a few unlikable characters to knock off our own rough edges. The fact of the matter is that God’s hand is leading those He has called through the darkness, through the rain, through the trouble, through the pain, through the laughter, through the tears, through the hour or through the years. God is intimately involved in our lives. How can we fail to see the power and wonder of it all?
Ministry and mumbling are strange bedfellows. Our complaints undermine the very foundation that God wants to build through us. Whining is a sure sign that tawdry circumstances have drawn us away from His glory. Paul endured the prisons and stripes maintaining an attitude of gratitude.
You have been counted as faithful by God. You have been called to ministry. Don’t stoop to be a king.
God uses the hard times to perfect us. He uses the short seasons to augment our experience. He uses pain to get our undivided attention. He uses a few unlikable characters to knock off our own rough edges. The fact of the matter is that God’s hand is leading those He has called through the darkness, through the rain, through the trouble, through the pain, through the laughter, through the tears, through the hour or through the years. God is intimately involved in our lives. How can we fail to see the power and wonder of it all?
Ministry and mumbling are strange bedfellows. Our complaints undermine the very foundation that God wants to build through us. Whining is a sure sign that tawdry circumstances have drawn us away from His glory. Paul endured the prisons and stripes maintaining an attitude of gratitude.
You have been counted as faithful by God. You have been called to ministry. Don’t stoop to be a king.
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,”
1 Timothy 1:12 NASB1995
Daily Encouragement / February 28
If the Israel of old was blessed, how much more “the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16) today. The sum of all blessing is the salvation of the Lord, and this truth is reflected in “the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death” (Deut. 33:1).
There is satisfaction in the salvation of the Lord: “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders” (Deuteronomy 33:12).
There is strength in the salvation of the Lord: “Your strength will equal your days” (Deut. 33:25). Strength for each day and for every day until the final day.
There is safety in the salvation of the Lord: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27). We look to him and echo the words, “Surely it is you who love the people; all the holy ones are in your hand” (Deut. 33:3).
“A people saved by the Lord” cannot but call for praise to him:
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
the king of creation;
O my soul, praise Him, for He is
thy health and salvation;
All ye who hear,
Brothers and sisters, draw near,
Praise Him in glad adoration.
(Joachim Neander)
“Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, Who is the shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places.””
Deuteronomy 33:29 NASB1995
A Pat on the Back / Max Lucado
A Pat on the Back
Click below to listen to today's devotional
How often do you see people more concerned about getting a job done right than they are about saving their necks? Too seldom, right? But when we do—when we see a gutsy human taking a few risks—ah, now that’s a person worthy of a pat on the back.
So here’s to the woman whose husband left her with a nest of kids to raise and bills to pay, but who somehow tells me every Sunday that God has never been closer. Here’s to the single father of two girls who learned to braid their hair. Here’s to the girl, told to abort the baby, who chose to keep the baby. Here’s to the doctor who treats more than half of his patients for free. Here’s to all of you reckless lovers of life and God. So what if you forget about pleasing the crowd – most of us aren’t even in your league.
Monday, February 27, 2023
The Impoverished Ministry of Jesus / Oswald Chambers
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Sowing Spiritual Seeds / Charles Stanley
Sowing Spiritual Seeds
Think about everything that contributed to the story of how you came to know Christ as your Lord and Savior. It's probably not possible to fully count all those spiritual seeds that God used to draw you to Him. And not all the people who sowed good seed into your life knew what the outcome would be.
We also have the opportunity and privilege--every single day--of sowing seeds into the lives of others, such as our friends, co-workers, children, grandchildren, or even strangers. God takes what you plant and adds to it. He leads others to sow further seed or "water" the ground. Little by little, truth gets cultivated in their lives. What greater thing could you do?
Conversely, you might focus on providing your kids with plenty of material security and send them to the best schools and colleges--and yet it would count nothing for eternity. But when you sow into their lives the things of God and the qualities of Jesus, you're feeding their spirits. The seeds that affect their hearts, view of God, and desire to make a difference for Him in the world are what will produce genuine, lasting fruit and a great harvest in their lives. Whether or not you ever see the results, the Lord is using you profoundly when you sow this kind of crop.
God sees all the little things you do; He's interested in more than just "big" things. The fruit of His Spirit--such as kindness, patience, and self-control--often manifests itself in quiet ways that others may never give you credit for. But such spiritual seeds accomplish powerful work in His kingdom.
Are You Leaving A Legacy Of Faith? / Adrian Rogers
Are You Leaving A Legacy Of Faith?
Sermon: 2157 Dads Who Shoot Straight, Part 1
Pray Over This
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.”
Ponder This
What is my responsibility as a dad? My responsibility is to shape, sharpen, and shoot arrows at the enemy. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of one’s youth. My highest ambition is not to be primarily a good pastor or a good preacher; it’s to be a good husband and a good father. If I had to choose between my profession and my family, I’d choose my family. There are many pastors and preachers in the world, but my kids only have one dad.
As a matter of fact, the Bible says that, if a man doesn’t practice it at home, he won’t be able to do it outside the home either (see 1 Timothy 3:4-5). A pastor ought to be one who has his family under his spiritual leadership. The archer of these arrows must be strong: “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior.” We’re not talking about physical strength here, because some of us could not qualify. We’re talking about spiritual strength, and any can qualify. Be strengthened in the Lord so that you can pass on the legacy of faith.
- Who passed down a legacy of faith to you?
- Who do you have the opportunity to share your legacy of faith with?
Practice This
Consider ways to pass on your legacy of faith to another and take a specific action this week that moves toward that goal.
Seeing a Need / ODB
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Do-Overs / David Jeremiah
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Don’t Ignore Open Doors / Greg Laurie
Don’t Ignore Open Doors
“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” (Revelation 3:8 NKJV)
In the Bible, a door is a symbol of opportunity and a key is a symbol of authority. The apostle Paul referred to this in 2 Corinthians 2: “When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me” (verse 12 NLT).
God opens doors. For example, maybe you’re having a conversation with someone, and suddenly they bring up something that is an open door to share the gospel. You want to be sure to go through that door.
Jesus has the key, and He opens the doors.
I’m glad that He has the keys, by the way. If I had the keys, they would be lost by now. But Jesus doesn’t lose the keys. He wants to open doors. God opened a door for Pastor Chuck Smith, who was at the epicenter of the Jesus Revolution, and he walked through it.
There are some things that only God can do, and there are some things that only we can do. God will open a door, but we must walk through it. In the church, we want our doors open. We don’t want to put up a wall where God has put a bridge. We want to be stepping stones, not stumbling blocks, to people coming to Christ. It should never be difficult for people to come to Him.
Someone might show up at church who lives a certain lifestyle or dresses in a way that makes some Christians uncomfortable. But they need to hear the gospel. And our job is to call them to Christ.
We don’t say, “Clean up your life and come to Christ.” Rather, we say, “Come to Christ, and He will clean up your life.”
The church should be a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.
God Our Comforter / Billy Graham
God Our Comforter
There is also comfort in mourning, because in the midst of mourning God gives a song. His presence in our lives changes our mourning into song, and that song is a song of comfort. This kind of comfort is the kind which enabled a devout Englishman to look at a deep dark hole in the ground where his home stood before the bombing and say, “I always did want a basement. Now I can jolly well build another house, like I always wanted.” This kind of comfort is the kind which enabled a young minister’s wife in a church near us to teach her Sunday school class of girls on the very day of her husband’s funeral. Her mourning was not the kind which had no hope—it was a mourning of faith in the goodness and wisdom of God; it believed that our heavenly Father makes no mistakes.
Daily Prayer
Oh heavenly Father, who knows what agony and grief are because of the sacrifice of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ—I thank You for the comfort which embraces all those who love You.
““I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of the son of man who is made like grass,”
Isaiah 51:12 NASB1995
Hope for Today / February 27
Words are powerful. You don’t need many to make a point, or stir an emotion, or spark a memory. I was working with a four-word text, “By faith Abraham obeyed,” when it seemed a floodgate opened somewhere in my soul and I was overwhelmed by a steady stream of four-word texts. In half an hour, I had jotted down 63. I ended up preaching 45 of those texts over a year’s time. Four words can tell quite a story: In the beginning, God. God is our refuge. How will they hear? Why are you angry? My grace is sufficient. It will be done. Has God indeed said? For He has risen. Why are you weeping? I never knew you. Can these bones live? The Lord remembered her. He tore his clothes. Be strong and courageous. You shall receive power. Sing to the Lord. Walk in the Spirit. Do you love me? To live is Christ. Whom shall I fear? All things are possible. The days are evil. I am not ashamed. I will come again. I am a debtor. So send I you. This man receives sinners. Have you not known? Great is your faithfulness.
By year’s end, we had covered the core of God’s great story … in four words. Consider the awesome power God has chosen to concentrate in human speech and choose your words with great care.
“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
Hebrews 11:8 NASB1995
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