God the Giver of Strength..... Craig Denison

 God the Giver of Strength

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Our heavenly Father is the giver of every good gift. His mercies are vast, powerful, and real. His love has the ability to completely overwhelm and satisfy every one of our needs. Everything he gives us satisfies, transforms, and leads us to abundant life. As we spend this week stirring up our affections toward God, allow your heart to become soft and open. Allow his loving character to draw you close and provide life to every dry and weary place in your soul.

Scripture:“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” - Psalm 73:26

Devotional:

The story of God’s people is one of God’s strength covering our weakness. Our heavenly Father takes our problems, sins, fears, and feebleness and uses them as opportunities to demonstrate the overwhelming power of his love. He takes those the world deems to be the weakest and uses them to accomplish incredible, powerful works. Isaiah 40:28-31 says:          

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Our God knows our frame. He knows that our bodies have come from dust and will one day return to their original form. He knows that without his help we accomplish nothing. But Paul’s declaration in Philippians 4:13 is just as true for you and me as it was for him: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” We can do all things through the anointing and power of our heavenly Father. We can tackle any obstacle that stands in our way because our God is perfectly strong in our weakness.

Where do you need the strength of God today? Where do you feel weak, powerless, or weary? Where do you need to run but only feel exhausted? Your lot is not to go through life living solely by your own power. You’ve been given a new identity as a son or daughter of the Most High God who desperately wants to clothe you with strength and teach you how to use the authority given to you by Jesus.

In God you can defeat the powers of sin and darkness that have held you back. In God you can accomplish the tasks set before you with joy, energy, and strength. And in God you can love and be loved to such a capacity that your very attitude, outlook, and emotions transform into reflections of your heavenly Father’s.

Spend time in prayer receiving the strength that comes from God alone. Allow him to fill you with fresh vision and align your perspective with his.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire to fill you with strength.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - >Isaiah 41:10

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” - >Isaiah 40:28-31

2. Where do you need God’s strength today? Where do you feel weakest? Where do you need his power and anointing?

3. Ask God to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask him to make his strength known to you. Allow your perspective and outlook to shift in light of God’s power and love.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” - Psalm 73:26 

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.” - >2 Samuel 22:33-34 NIV

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” - >Philippians 4:13

We are never meant to do life on our own. We are designed to be in connection to the strength of our heavenly Father in every situation, relationship, job, and trial. God longs to fill us with strength to accomplish the good work laid before us. He longs to make us strong in him. Don’t go throughout your day in your own strength. Instead, seek out the hand of your heavenly Father and allow him to help you today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 73

I Am a Beneficiary..... KASSANDRA HAUGHTON

 I Am a Beneficiary

KASSANDRA HAUGHTON

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

I was dealing with incredible regret over past failures, the current course of my life and my lack of clarity for the future.

For days, I would sit crying in disbelief as I reflected on things I had done. I knew all the “forgiveness scriptures” but could not seem to bring myself into agreement with God's offer to let the past be the past. Carrying the weight of regret seemed like a more appropriate arrangement.

While carrying my burdens, I still needed to remain present. My daughter had to eat; laundry needed to get done, and bills needed to be paid.

One day, my cousin called. He had started a new business venture selling insurance and providing financial counseling and was in need of clients. He asked if he and his mentor could come by to practice his presentation. “Sure, why not?” I responded.

During our discussion, his mentor spoke about the great opportunity I had to set aside funds for my daughter as my beneficiary. There was nothing she would need to do. I would declare her as my beneficiary, and in due time, she would reap the benefits.

As I closed the door to our discussion, it was like God held me by the shoulders, sat me down and said, “We need to talk. Did you hear what he said about being a beneficiary? Do you understand what it means to be a beneficiary? Just like you think about leaving things behind for your daughter, so it is with Me. I not only thought about it; I did it. I have left treasures, promises and gifts for My children. Things they did not have to work for but they are entitled to because they are My children and My beneficiaries.” 

I was speechless. Later, as I sat in the parking lot of the dance studio waiting for my daughter's classes to end, I rehearsed God's words to a friend. My friend said, “Typically, one has to die before their beneficiary is entitled to what they have left behind.”

Then it hit me, as though hearing it for the first time: Jesus' death sealed the deal. He made sure you and I would have access to His promises just like a beneficiary.

Tears poured down my face, but this time, they were tears of gratitude and not regret. How could I have ever doubted His love, the extent of His forgiveness or His grace? “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen …” (2 Corinthians 1:20, KJV) When His Word says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17), He means every word of it.

When you accept God, nothing in your past stops Him from loving you. You become His beneficiary and have access to everything He left in trust for you. Say it with me: “I am a beneficiary!”

Father, may we rest in the knowledge of Your forgiveness and grace. May our eyes be opened to the extent of Your love and provision. Remind us that we are not an afterthought but that before the foundations of the earth, You knew us and formed us. Please remove far from us everything preventing us from developing a deeper relationship with You. Do not hesitate to interrupt our days with Your Word or a song about Your goodness. For all that You are, God, thank You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If God Is Sovereign, Why Should We Pray? (Matthew 6:9)..... By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

 If God Is Sovereign, Why Should We Pray? (Matthew 6:9)

By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

Today’s Bible Verse: Matthew 6:9 (ESV) Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”

I don’t know about you, but sometimes, I fall into the bad habit of thinking: “If God is sovereign, why should we pray?” It isn’t necessarily a conscious thought I have, but a subconscious doubt that I occasionally operate out of.

For example, right now, I’m praying for a couple going through a sudden divorce. I’m praying for a friend whose family member is missing. I’m praying for another friend who is caught up in a prodigal daughter type situation and causing her family pain. And another friend just discovered her mom was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

I know my will for each of these situations—reconciliation, discovery, reunion, healing—but what of God’s will? And if His will prevails, then why even pray for what I want? Why does it matter? Does it matter?

It does—and we know that through Scripture.

Here’s a great, encouraging quote from well-known pastor John Piper. “God doesn’t plan the world, and then wonder if anybody’s going to pray for part of his plan to be changed. He plans the world, and part of his planning for the world is the praying of his people for what he plans to do.”

Meaning, God plans our prayers. He isn’t waiting for us to try to change His mind, rather, He uses our prayers to accomplish His planned purposes. He invites us into the process of answered prayers, rather than shove us out of the way to do His will.

He did the same with Peter. Luke 22:31-32 (ESV) “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” God planned for Peter to deny Jesus, and God planned for Jesus’ prayer for Peter to turn Peter back. I love the word “when” in that last verse. Not if—when. It’s a world of difference, and there’s so much rich theology packed into that little phrase.

Here are a few more things to remember about prayer that might help us when we doubt. Namely, that prayer is a command in the Bible—one we’re to obey. To disobey in this area would be a sin. And secondly, the Bible tells us that we have not because we ask not. (James 4:2b) We’re encouraged to ask! If it were pointless, this wouldn’t be a repeat theme in Scripture.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is our key verse, Matthew 6:9. The word hallowed here means to make holy. Jesus gave us instructions on how to pray and the very beginning of that example starts with beseeching God to make His name holy. God is for His glory, and we give God glory when we pray. It’s a beautiful cycle. Why would we not want to participate in that?

The next time doubt strikes you or you feel like you’ve seen a streak of “unanswered prayers” or “silence from Heaven”, refresh yourself with the truths of these Scriptures. Meditate on the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6.  Your prayers matter, and you can pray with purpose and trust God’s will to be done in and through your petitions.

Be on Your Guard..... by Laura MacCorkle

 Be on Your Guard

by Laura MacCorkle

Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 2 Peter 3:17, NIV

Who of us doesn’t remember a film, television show, book or play with some swordsman in chainmail declaring, “On guard!” before engaging in a duel with someone else?

In that type of adversarial situation, the warning is said to alert the other party that “I’m armed, so prepare to defend yourself.” And in light of the current belief battles going on today within evangelical Christianity, that meaning has been front and center in my head and heart—especially after reading through today’s verse in 2 Peter.

I did a little further study and found what I read in the New Testament portion of The Bible Knowledge Commentary to be quite helpful in understanding this passage:

If [Peter’s] readers were not careful, they could be carried away by the error of lawless men … The verb “carried away” emphasizes a group or corporate movement. False teachers are not satisfied with ambushing one or two, now and then, here and there; they want to sweep large groups of people away from the correct doctrine of Christ. Those who keep company with such people are in danger of being led astray.

I don’t need or want to name prominent names or cite recent book titles or the like within the Christian bubble, as I’m sure that one or many have already come to your mind by this point in today’s devotional. Sadly, false teaching is everywhere these days and only seems to be gaining momentum as we head further into the twenty-first century.

It’s alarming, for sure, to hear those who are in pastoral, shepherding or leadership positions mishandle God’s Word or imply that there is suddenly a new “change” in the meaning of scriptural doctrines that trained theologians and Bible scholars have agreed upon for centuries prior.

But Truth is supposedly relative in the world where we now live, isn’t it? What’s true for you may not be true for me and so forth. Right? So how do we arm ourselves and follow Peter’s instruction to “be on your guard” as believers?

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

First, there’s grace. Unmerited favor from God. How do we grow in that? By reminding ourselves continually of what God did for each and every one of us. If we don’t understand grace, then we will never know who God is, what he stands for and what a right relationship with him looks like. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). When we get that, in turn, our lives will be lived from a place of humility and in testimony of what God has done through us.

And then there’s knowledge. We will only grow spiritually and know God as much as we can in this life if we know the Word. And that doesn’t begin and end only with what someone says the Bible says (which isn’t bad in and of itself). But it means reading the Bible for yourself on a continuing basis, so that it will take root in your heart and inform your thinking and your actions. There is no better way to mature in the Lord and know Truth (and be corrected in your thinking, if it’s “stinking”) than to spend time getting to know God through the Word.

No one else can have your spiritual relationship for you. And anyone who leads you away from Truth is leading you away from a secure position. So be on your guard. And get in there, dig deep and know His unchanging truth.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Are you ready to confront false teaching and see through the devil’s schemes to trick and deceive—even in Christian circles? Always consider the source and always measure what you hear or read against God’s Word.

Further Reading:

Matthew 7:15-20, NIV
Ephesians 6:10-18, NIV
2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV
1 John 4:1-6, NIV

A Prayer for Struggling Relationships..... By Meg Bucher

 A Prayer for Struggling Relationships

By Meg Bucher

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Relationships remain imperfect because humanity is incapable of selfless love. Due to the fall in the garden of Eden, we are continually cursed with sin, keeping us from accomplishing correct communication with each other. Only one pair of feet have ever trod the earth in perfect obedience to God. Jesus came out of compassion for us. It’s through Him, that we can find victory in life, and our relationships. Not through perfection of our behavior, but through the perfect forgiveness and hope that His love grants us.

The very definition of ‘struggle’ is “to contend with an adversary or opposing force.” We often pit the people on the other side of our relationships against ourselves. In addition to the disagreement at hand, we internally mull over all of the ways that we want them to treat us, and expect to be treated. We are set to a defensive default, but created to love.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Jesus taught that this was the most important command. The NIV Notes on this verse say that “Jesus’ teaching united his followers around love.” Unity is the opposite of struggling opposition. There’s nothing we can do to force our relationships to work. But we can focus on Love.

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

There are times God will allow the door to be closed on unhealthy relationships, but most can be reconciled by His love. When we ask God to help us recognize the hardships that we bring into our relationships, our hearts can begin to grow out of that conviction. Prayer and time in God’s word, and following the footsteps of Jesus’ life on heart, can give us direction on the path to constructing new bridges where old ones have been burned.

God is love. We can cry out to Him in pain when our struggles to get along with others, especially the more important relationships in our lives, are hard and hurting. He commands us to love, but we cannot accomplish it without His grace. If we cannot, than understanding that no one else can, either, will help us extend that same grace to others. When we allow each other to be the imperfect people that we are, forgiveness flows easier. When we look to Christ as an example, He will show us how to find a way to mend our struggles with love.

Father,

Praise You for Jesus’ example on this earth. We know that You are purposeful in the plan that You have or our lives, and for the people that you place in it. We are not always going to get along with everyone. Not always going to execute our behavior in Christ-like fashion. Help alleviate the shame of our imperfection, and help us to extend that grace to others.

Christ came to forgive us for every misbehavior He knew that we would choose to suffer by. Imperfect people dealing with imperfect people can get a little messy down on earth. We ask for You to cover us in Your grace, and convict our hearts to change and love more like Jesus every day that we wake to breathe again. Forgive us for letting the sharp edges of our sensitivities take over conversations, and the anxieties of our minds cloud our judgment. Help us to see others through Your eyes, as souls that You love just as much as You love ours.

Bless our hearts to soften towards others, yet protect us from deceptive motives. When there is a relationship that you wish us to walk away from, be it friendly or romantic, help us to hear a clear word from You. Bless our friendships to be godly and God-centered. Bless our marriages to be lifelong and blessed. When we struggle maritally, provide godly counsel and reconciliation, so that if at all possible we may honor our lifelong commitment to You and each other. Show us, by illuminating Your Word and blessing us with Your presence, how to be more like Jesus, how to love as He spoke, and You command.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

A Clean Heart..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 A Clean Heart

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 119:9-11

Reaching our full potential begins with a clean heart—one that loves the Lord and desires to obey Him. However, each of us was born with a nature bent away from God. Jeremiah 17:9 describes the heart as deceitful and inclined towards wickedness. Pleasing self is man’s normal state.

Salvation changed our hearts and lives. Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty for our sin and broke its power over us. By receiving Christ as Savior, we each became a new creation—with a heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and a mind that strongly desires to know the Father better. We also received the Spirit’s power to deny our selfish desires and obey God. With clean hearts, we can begin to realize the capabilities our loving Lord has given us.

The best way to maintain a clean heart is by meditating on Scripture. It acts like a mirror in which we see ourselves as God does. Through it, we discover the areas where we have been faithful and also the places where we’ve veered from His path. Expressing genuine repentance brings God’s forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9).

The heart represents the seat of our mind, will, and emotions. When we strive to keep it pure, we will more easily discern the Lord’s plan, submit our will to His, and follow Him obediently.

Becoming the person God planned for each of us to be requires an intimate relationship with Him and a desire to obey His Word. Apart from Jesus, we can’t achieve anything of lasting value (John 15:5). Cooperating with the Holy Spirit’s transforming work will help us keep our hearts clean.

The Lord Gives Direction..... Craig Denison

 The Lord Gives Direction

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Our heavenly Father is the giver of every good gift. His mercies are vast, powerful, and real. His love has the ability to completely overwhelm and satisfy every one of our needs. Everything he gives us satisfies, transforms, and leads us to abundant life. As we spend this week stirring up our affections toward God, allow your heart to become soft and open. Allow his loving character to draw you close and provide life to every dry and weary place in your soul.

Scripture:“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.”Psalm 37:23

Devotional:   

Isaiah 48:17-18 offers a hopeful yet heart-wrenching promise of God. Scripture says, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” What would it be like to experience peace like a river? What would it feel like to float on a continual stream of rest and contentment? How would past circumstances have turned out differently if only we would have listened to the commandments of God? Isaiah makes it clear that a lifestyle of peace and righteousness is readily available to us if we will simply follow the Lord our God “who leads [us] in the way [we] should go.” Let’s open our hearts and minds to the Spirit of the living God today and ask him to mold and shape us into followers of his direction.

<< First15 Devotional

The Lord Gives Direction - First15 - June 29

• 2021Jun 29

The Lord Gives Direction

Weekly Overview:

Our heavenly Father is the giver of every good gift. His mercies are vast, powerful, and real. His love has the ability to completely overwhelm and satisfy every one of our needs. Everything he gives us satisfies, transforms, and leads us to abundant life. As we spend this week stirring up our affections toward God, allow your heart to become soft and open. Allow his loving character to draw you close and provide life to every dry and weary place in your soul.

Scripture:“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.”Psalm 37:23

Devotional:   

Isaiah 48:17-18 offers a hopeful yet heart-wrenching promise of God. Scripture says, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” What would it be like to experience peace like a river? What would it feel like to float on a continual stream of rest and contentment? How would past circumstances have turned out differently if only we would have listened to the commandments of God? Isaiah makes it clear that a lifestyle of peace and righteousness is readily available to us if we will simply follow the Lord our God “who leads [us] in the way [we] should go.” Let’s open our hearts and minds to the Spirit of the living God today and ask him to mold and shape us into followers of his direction.

Psalm 32:8-9 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.” The Lord is faithful to give direction. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s word illuminates the ways in which we should go physically, emotionally, and mentally. His word is designed to influence the ways we think, feel, and act. If we will choose to follow the direction offered to us in Scripture, we will discover a wellspring of peace and righteousness that completely drenches every part of our hearts with passion and purpose.

Scripture is also clear that God continues to speak to us and offer us direction straight from his voice. John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” All throughout the New Testament we see God’s people living and working by the direct word of the Lord. The Holy Spirit loves to speak to us and give us knowledge of his plans for us. Our job is to keep our ears open to him and to respond anytime he offers us direction. He longs to lead us daily into the incredible plans he has for us. He longs to direct us into abundant peace, joy, and purpose. As his sheep we must acknowledge the leadership of our Shepherd and trust in his guidance.

What situation lies before you today in which you need the direction of your all-knowing, loving heavenly Father? Where do you need peace and righteousness today? Where do you need your path illuminated? Dive into the word and God’s heart under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and search out his commandment for your life. Tune your ears to the frequency of God’s Spirit and listen to whatever he would say to you. May you discover the direction you need today as you pray.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire and ability to offer you direction through his word and voice.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.”Psalm 37:23

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” >John 10:27

2. Where do you need God’s direction today? Where do you need the peace that comes from knowing God’s will and desire for you?

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.’” >Isaiah 48:17-18

3. Ask the Spirit to direct you right now, and dive into what God’s word says about your circumstances. Trust that God will speak to you perfectly because he loves you. He will make his will known to you if you ask him.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.”Psalm 32:8-9

God never desires to send you out into this world on your own. He longs to establish you as a good follower of his direction. He longs to teach you how to live your life under the guidance of the Spirit and the word. Spend time receiving fresh revelation on what it looks like to follow your heavenly Father and receive his will. Ask him to guide you throughout your day today and teach you how to be a good follower.

Extended Reading: Psalm 37