God's Grand Plan..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 God's Grand Plan

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

It's amazing but true that God's grand plan for your life is far greater than you can imagine. In fact, this earth-bound existence has us so preoccupied with the demands of life that most of us give little thought to what it will mean to be completely sanctified.

In the Christian life, sanctification is a three-stage process. At the moment of salvation, God sets us apart for Himself. Then throughout the rest of our earthly life, He works to transform us into the image of His Son. One day, however, there will be a glorious culmination to our sanctification. Presently, we all struggle with sin, but when we die, our spirits and souls will ascend to heaven and be completely sinless. Then we'll see our Savior face to face and experience unimaginable joy. No longer will we struggle with the pride of life or the lusts of the flesh and the eyes (1 John 2:16).

However, as great as this will be, it's not yet the final step. Some day in the future, Jesus will descend from heaven, bringing with Him the souls of those who have died in Christ. They will be united with their resurrected bodies, and believers who are still alive on the earth will be changed (1 Thess. 4:14-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-54). Then sanctification will be complete--spirit, soul, and body.

This is not a fairy tale, but the believer appointed destiny. God Himself promises to bring it to pass. We'll walk in His presence, spotless and without blame, for all eternity. Knowing this, how will you live today? The promise of salvation isn’t meant just to give hope, but to spur us on to holy living.

Waiting on the Lord..... Craig Denison

 Waiting on the Lord

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview

Our heavenly Father has made incredible promises to us, his children. And while our God is completely faithful to deliver on his promises, he does not force them on us. He’s promised his nearness, his affections, and an eternal life spent with him. But we have the power to choose our own way. He doesn’t force himself where there’s no space. God’s word won’t have power in our lives if we don’t read it. We won’t hear God effectively if we’re not listening. And we can’t experience his nearness if we constantly fill our lives with other things. So, this week we’re going to talk about different ways we can experience the promises of God so that they might come to full fruition in our lives. May you encounter God powerfully as you grow in fully experiencing the incredible promises of your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“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 40:31

Devotional:

Throughout Scripture, God gave his people the strength they needed to both sustain them through circumstances and achieve victory over their enemies. We read examples like David defeating Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, Samson defeating the Philistines in Judges 15, and Jesus crushing the power of sin and death on the cross in Matthew 27. Truly, God has promised his people his strength. But the Bible also tells us of a principle for receiving and experiencing God’s strength. Isaiah 40:31 says, “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.” Let’s look today at the practice of waiting on God for the purpose of experiencing the strength and endurance God has promised us.

Waiting is a practice that seems counterproductive to most of us. In a world where those who act sooner and faster seem to be more successful, the ideas of patience and waiting don’t seem to have a place. But the wisdom of the world is not the wisdom of God. David was a man who was wise in the ways of experiencing God’s promises. He shares with us his insight into receiving God’s strength in Psalm 33:20-22: “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” God longs to shield you from the attacks of your enemy. He longs to protect you from what would tear you down. But like a shield, he can only protect you if you are willing to stay behind him. He can only help you if you are willing to be helped. You must wait on him. You must allow him to go before you and guide you.

David also gives us insight in Psalm 33 on how he was able to so effectively wait on God. He says, “For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.” You will only be able to wait on God to the level that you trust him. Look at your own life today. Where do you struggle with running out in front of God? Where do you have a hard time waiting? Where do you lack patience? Trust isn’t simply a matter of the head, but of the heart. To be able to actively trust God, you have to believe he truly has your best interests in mind. You have to believe in your heart that he isn’t asking you to wait just to stress you out, but because he has something better for you in store.

To fully experience God’s promises of strength and guidance, you must learn to trust God. You have to be willing to wait on him. God’s guidance and timing are perfect. He knows how to lead you, protect you, and empower you. Trust in your heavenly Father today. Take the example David set and choose to wait on God. It’s in doing so that you will experience victory. It’s in waiting on the Lord that you will “mount up with wings like eagles.” Take time today to place your trust in God. Take time to encounter his love. Let his presence fill you with the longing and ability to wait on him. And live today in response to God’s word by asking for and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your life. He has an incredible day in store for you. Simply wait and follow wherever the Spirit leads. 

Guided Prayer:           

1. Take time to receive God’s presence. Let his presence lay a foundation for you to trust him. As you experience his presence, let his goodness remind you of his character as a good Father.

2. Now think about areas of your own life where you have a hard time waiting on God. Where do you lack patience? Where do you feel scared or lacking in trust?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you wait on him today. Ask him to help you trust and follow him wherever he would lead you.

“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 40:31

Following the leading of the Spirit is about your willingness to wait and listen. And waiting and listening starts with encountering the nearness and goodness of your heavenly Father. You aren’t meant to trust in a distant God. You are created to know personally the reality of your God and his love for you, and place your trust in him as a response. Wait on God today. Grow in your willingness to follow him wherever he would lead you. The Holy Spirit has the perfect way to guide you. Simply open your heart to him and listen. So great is God’s love for you that he promises to go before you in every situation. He promises to be your help and shield. Stay behind your God and experience renewed strength for every circumstance you come to today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 33

Thirsting For Rest Amid Stress..... BRENDA BRADFORD OTTINGER

 Thirsting For Rest Amid Stress

BRENDA BRADFORD OTTINGER

“Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.” Genesis 21:19 (NLT)

I’d barely tiptoed into dreamland before hearing a clamor down the hall. Rising in the moonlit shadows, I tended to the night-owl noise of my offspring before shuffling back to the warmth of my sheets.

Yet my mind had long forsaken sleep, wandering instead through a mental desert of checklists and concerns. A tide of trouble beat against the shores of my soul, begging a prayer or two or ten. My heart is not skilled at laying down a world of worry without putting my sticky fingerprints on it again and again and again.

And in the soft glow before dawn, my thoughts drifted to another weary mom named Hagar, who we meet in Genesis Chapters 16 and 21.

God promised a son to Abraham and his wife Sarah, but Sarah grew tired of waiting and arranged for Abraham to father a child with her maidservant, Hagar. As Sarah’s maidservant, Hagar was regarded as belonging to Sarah, therefore Hagar’s child would belong to her as well. Sarah’s plan for parenthood succeeded, and Hagar delivered Abraham’s firstborn child, Ishmael. Sadly, as Ishmael grew, so did the tension between these two women. (Genesis 18, 21)

Of course, God remained faithful to His promise, and in His appointed time, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. But the conflict between Hagar and Sarah continued, reaching an all-time high when Sarah witnessed young Ishmael harassing Isaac, and she demanded Abraham send Ishmael and Hagar away.

While trekking alone through the desert with nowhere to go, Hagar and Ishmael depleted their last drop of water. Anguished, Hagar placed her son in the shade to eventually die, sat down by herself and sobbed. Her weary heart wept with all the worry and exhaustion of sustaining the survival of her family.

Oh, how her cry echoes through the centuries, resonating in my modern-day soul. So often I drain my last drop of physical and mental reserve, yet still thirst for rest amid stress.

Walking out our varied responsibilities as women isn’t always easy and charmed, is it?

But take heart — hope abides in the most parched of places. This wasn’t the end of Hagar’s story. The Bible tells us that God saw her pain, saying, “… What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid …” (Genesis 21:17, NIV).

God called her by name. He knew her, saw her and cared for her anxious heart in two ways, as only He could:

First, God calmed her soul-deep fears about the future. He assured her that He would take care of her and Ishmael, repeating the promise He gave her in Genesis 16:10. “Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation” (Genesis 21:18, NIV).

And then, there in the midst of Hagar’s desert, God provided a wellspring of relief: “Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink” (Genesis 21:19).

In this timeless tale of a worn-out, worried woman, fresh life abounds for our dehydrated spirits.

Beloved, God knows our names too, and His faithful eye is tracking us through every desert of distress we travel. He hears our cries and comforts us with the tender calm of His whisper: “Do not be afraid,” bringing healing and life to the parched ground of our weary hearts.

Verse 20 shows us, as so many places in the Bible do, that we have a God who can be trusted: “God was with the boy as he grew up” (Genesis 21:20a, NIV).

Be encouraged — He’s still the God who forms living water from desert dust.

Dear God, thank You that You know my name and track my path through life. Please refresh me with Your strength as I walk out the purpose You’ve planned for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Isaiah 40:29, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (NIV)

Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (NIV)

Rejoice and Be Glad Today..... By: Lia Martin

 Rejoice and Be Glad Today

By: Lia Martin

Today’s Bible verse is Psalm 118:24 - This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Far more than a sunny platitude, this powerful verse celebrates God’s strength to call forth morning from our darkest nights of the soul. It’s not a command to “get happy,” but rather an awestruck gratitude for God’s steadfast love.

Living in the light of the New Testament, modern-day Christians are privy to the realization of biblical prophecy. As is often beautifully the case throughout Scripture, this “day the Lord has made” isn’t only the very day that the psalm singers are celebrating deliverance and freedom, but foretells of “the day” for all humanity to rejoice.

Parts of this psalm reach through time to connect us with the conclusion of the Last Supper when the disciples sang a hymn with Jesus. On the day Christ prepares to redeem humanity from sin, they sing from this psalm “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Was there suffering in the lives of God’s people as they sang to him in Psalm 118? Loads. But did God come through as promised? Indeed.

It’s true that the Lord makes this very day, too, for us to rejoice in. But my heart swells with the knowledge that God saw the day in Psalm 118; long before Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey amidst ‘hosannas’ and praise. The day the psalm sings about corresponds with an even better day ahead.

God was there, guiding, when the psalms were being sung. And he most definitely sees the glory coming.

So, even if you’re wandering in the desert or heading into or coming out of a struggle, the song in your heart is there to pull you through.

Psalm 118 also includes “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” This line is again famously shouted in Luke 19:38 on a day so glorious (what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday) that when the Pharisees reject this nonsense rejoicing, Jesus rebukes them in Luke 19:40 with:

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 

This joy, is uncontainable. It’s in response to glory revealed and realized.

This is the kind of day that the Lord makes. A day of eternal, miraculous significance. And days riddled with anguish and pain and destruction. And even when his people were, as the psalm says, “in anguish,” “about to fall, and “rejected,” the Lord makes his “light shine upon us,” as it says in Psalm 118:27.

He makes this day. He made that day when the house of Aaron proclaimed “His love endures forever,” and every day...from the beginning of time through eternity.

The comfort in Psalm 118:24 is that no matter what the day looks like to you, God created it with reason to rejoice and be glad. His plan is good. And his word here has power to raise your spirit.

Borrow Psalm 118:24 today or Psalm 118:28 which says “You are my God and I will give you thanks; you are my God and I will exalt you.” Sing, pray, shout, or whisper it to the One who made this day possible.

Consider his majesty to raise Christ from death as he makes light shine upon you this day. No matter what your place in history feels like to you today; the opening and closing verses of this psalm bookend the story with assurance: God is good...and his love endures forever.

Rejoice, and be glad in it!

How Can I Hear From God?..... by Adam Weber

 How Can I Hear From God?

by Adam Weber

My wife says sometimes I talk too much.

It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I know it’s true. If you have a pulse, I can and will talk with you. A lot.

“You need to give others a chance to talk and just listen,” she’ll tell me.

Just listen.

This is good advice for having a conversation with a friend, coworker, or stranger. I mean, it’s a basic social norm and a common courtesy that one acquires by the age of 5. It’s important to listen to others. To give others a chance to speak and share. To give each other a turn to talk.

But it’s also good advice when it comes to prayer and talking with God.

To give Him a turn.
To give God a chance to speak.
To listen to Him.

While many of us, especially us extroverts, are good at talking with people, we often struggle when it comes to speaking with God. Prayer can be overwhelming for many because we don’t know the words to speak. That said, when it comes to prayer, the most important part isn’t speaking. It’s listening!

Listening and giving God a chance to speak isn’t just good advice, it’s necessary and vital to having a true conversation with God.

Now, we can hear from and listen to God at any place and at any time, but we must know what the voice of God sounds like.

The best place to start knowing His voice is by opening up the B-i-b-l-e. #SundaySchool. By seeing His words come alive. As we read, we come to understand the character and heart of God. We come to know His promises and truths. His ways. We see what God has said in the past, which gives us a good idea of what He’ll say to us today. And what He won’t say to us. We come to know what His voice sounds like.

Unlike we naturally assume, when God speaks in the Bible, it’s often not in a loud booming voice from heaven that stops traffic. Instead when God speaks, He does so using a still small voice.

Instead of brashly breaking into our lives, He stands at our front door and gently knocks.
Instead of shouting when we don’t listen, we’re told that He draws us to Himself with His kindness, not His anger.

When it comes to hearing from God, often the main question that we need to answer is the most basic one: Do we want to hear from Him?

If we do, we need to give God the space and room to speak.

More practically, invite God to speak and then be quiet.
Turn off the noise. Instead of checking Twitter between meetings, be still for three minutes and listen.
Get into the Bible. Again, we have to be able to recognize God’s voice if we want to hear it.
Declutter your life. Is every ounce of your day full (including every evening and weekend)? Good luck hearing from a God who whispers and quietly knocks.

If we want to hear from God, we need to give Him time.

Time to share.
Time listening.
Time and availability to speak into our lives.

We need to.

Just listen.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Give God the space and room to speak to you today. Put away the distractions and open up His Word — because He has things He wants to say to you.

For Further Reading:

Jeremiah 29:12
Jeremiah 33:3
James 1:22

A Prayer for When You’re Worn Out..... By Betsy de Cruz

 A Prayer for When You’re Worn Out

By Betsy de Cruz

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

“If I can just make it to the weekend, I’ll finally get to rest,” I tell myself. I look forward to sleeping in and watching Netflix, but that kind of weekend rest only offers a temporary respite from the challenges I’ll face all over again on Monday morning.

While God offers us a deep soul rest that comes from a close walk with Jesus, we’re often dreaming about our next break or vacation. We don’t realize we can experience spiritual rest even on a busy day.

Jesus offers us an invitation and a promise when all our endeavors have worn us out: “Come to me…I will give you rest.”

All we have to do is draw near to Jesus and turn our hearts toward Him. When we ask Jesus to fill us with His life-giving Spirit and give us the strength and energy we need for our daily tasks, He gives generously. Better yet, He offers to walk with us.

When we keep company with Jesus, we learn His gentle nature and humble heart. As we take His yoke upon us, He guides our efforts, showing us what to make our priority and what to leave undone.

Personally, my worries tire me out even faster than my work. It’s my worries that wake me up at 3:00 in the morning, robbing me of a good night’s sleep. Sometimes I tire myself out carrying burdens my Savior never meant for me to shoulder alone.

When we make the choice to entrust our concerns to Jesus, He carries them for us. We can walk freely and lightly, resting and trusting in His Sovereign, loving care.

Friend, if you feel physically tired today, come to Jesus. Ask Him to walk with you. Make abiding in Jesus your first priority, and He will give you spiritual rest as He directs your work. If you feel wearied by worry, how about handing your burden over to Jesus to carry for you?

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus, I come to you today. You know what makes me tired better than I know myself. Would you fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me the physical and spiritual rest I need?

Lord, forgive me for trying to power through life in my own strength. Forgive me for not trusting you with my concerns and for carrying burdens you never meant for me to carry.

Help me walk closely with you and teach me how to abide in you. Empower me for the work you are calling me to do. Teach me to be gentle and humble in spirit. Lord, give me the grace I need to trust you with my worries and cares. I lay them at your feet. I don’t want to carry anything today except for your yoke, which helps me walk more closely with you.

Lord Jesus, you are my resting place. Help me find my rest in you.

In Your Name I pray, Amen.

The Life-Changing Power of the Cross and the Resurrection..... By Debbie McDaniel

 The Life-Changing Power of the Cross and the Resurrection

By Debbie McDaniel

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

The cross is empty and so is the tomb.

You can try to bury Power, but it won't stay there. You can try to bury Truth, but it is not dead. You can try to bury Love, but it cannot be contained.

Jesus is alive, He won the victory of sin and death.  And He’s still the same, even in all the days after the Easter weekend. He never changes.

He made a way for us to live free.

No other truth in history has the ability to change our lives and affect our future like this. Yet so many still choose to reject Christ’s sacrifice and love. He offers us a choice today, and it’s the best decision you could ever make.

What Christ’s Death on the Cross and the Power of His Resurrection Offers:

-It provides a bridge, a way, to God. It gives us an opportunity to have a personal relationship with the very God who made us and loves us more than we could imagine. Without the cross, there is no way to cross over to the other side of relationship with him. Any attempt will fail. He is the Only Way.

-It provides opportunity for forgiveness of sin. Through the price that Jesus paid on Calvary, we have the chance to be forgiven of our own sin. He took our sin and shame upon his very shoulders. He took the blows on our behalf so we wouldn’t have to suffer. Such incredible love. Such amazing sacrifice.

-It provides freedom to all those who believe. Freedom from the shackles of sin. Freedom from shame. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from hopelessness. Freedom from despair. Freedom from addiction. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from darkness and eternal separation from God.

-It provides new life. We are not only forgiven and set free, but we have a whole new life and destiny through Christ. We are changed, from the inside. He renews our minds. He changes our hearts and desires. He gives us fresh purpose for every day set before us.

-It provides power for us to live today. When Jesus died on the cross, and was buried, it didn’t stop there. The final picture of all that the cross provides lies in the powerful Resurrection of our Lord. He won. He didn’t stay dead. His power broke through, and that same power is alive within us today. As believers, God gives us the power of the Holy Spirit, living and moving through us each day.

-It provides the way to have victory over the enemy. We don’t have to fear him or his attacks. As we live aware of his traps, the power of Christ over our lives gives us a covering and protection from his evil schemes. We’re not left to fend for ourselves. We don’t fight in our own strength. We can stand strong in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ.

-It provides for us an eternal heavenly home. We never need to fear about what will happen when we die. In Christ we have been given the gift of eternal life. This earth is only our temporary home. God is preparing a place for us, with him, to live forever. And you can be assured it will be far greater than we could ever imagine.

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor.15:57

Intersecting Faith & Life: Dear God, thank you for your great gift of love and sacrifice, so that we can live free. Thank you for the power of the cross and the Resurrection. We ask that the truth of it all sinks deeply into our hearts and changes us forever. Fill us fresh with your Spirit today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Further Reading:
2 Corinthians 5:17
John 8:36
Ephesians 1:7
Acts 1:8