Thoughtful Living..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Thoughtful Living

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 25:8-15

Are you living thoughtfully and intentionally—or automatically? It’s so easy to get up each morning, do our work, enjoy some relaxation or entertainment, and fall into bed each night without giving any thought to God’s involvement in our lives. But to be ignorant of how He has blessed, guided, protected, and warned us is a foolish way to live. Just consider the benefits of keeping our spiritual eyes and ears open throughout the day.

Those who are aware of the Lord’s presence during their daily activities enjoy the peace of knowing that He is always in control and working to accomplish His good purposes. Every day’s experiences with Him teach them to know and love Him more.

When we learn to see God’s footprints in our days, we will become aware of the scope of His involvement in our lives. Maybe He strengthened you for a task or opened a door of opportunity. Perhaps He guided your decisions or helped you respond in a godly way to a difficult person.

If our ears are open to the Lord’s warnings and instructions, we won’t repeat the same mistakes again and again. But those who are deaf to His voice will continue in unhealthy thought patterns, negative emotions, and foolish responses.

Each night before you go to sleep, take some time to reflect on the day’s activities. The Lord is constantly with you, guarding and guiding your way. He wants you to see Him in everything and understand life from His perspective as you rely on His wisdom and power to face any challenge.

An Open Heart..... Craig Denison

 An Open Heart

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

So often we view God as an enforcer of religious rules. We see the commands of Scripture as a list of to-dos rather than a path leading to abundant life. But those perceptions aren’t the truth of Scripture. Those beliefs are founded on misguided notions of God’s character. God is after the heart. More than he wants us to do right, he wants us to see him rightly. He wants going to church, reading the Bible, worshipping, serving the poor, and living righteously to come from a heart filled with a true revelation of his loving-kindness. May your heart be wholly God’s this week.

Scripture:

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Devotional:    

In order to experience all the fullness of life God has in store for us we must live with an open heart. Oftentimes, whether it be from wounds or simply bad teaching, we live closed off and self-focused. We go throughout our days with walls up around our hearts and rarely allow ourselves to receive the reality of God’s nearness moment to moment. But God is calling us deeper. He’s calling us to a lifestyle of encountering him. He’s calling us to tear down the walls we’ve built up and trust that living openly and receptively will bear life, peace, and joy.

John 15:4 says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” God longs to be with you. He longs to speak to you, guide you, pour out his love on you, and remain with you throughout your day. He’s not just a God of Sundays. His presence isn’t only available at conferences, worship services, or monasteries. He is God of every moment. He is Lord of all eternity. And he longs to give you good gifts all the time. He longs to bear wonderful, life-giving fruit in you. But you must be willing to abide in him. You must receive all he has to give.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Life comes from the heart both physically and spiritually. Just as the heart pumps blood out to the rest of your body, your heart pumps out spiritual life. Your heart is the place where God is constantly speaking. Your heart is what he cares about. It’s not enough to just give him your mind for understanding or your hands for good works; he wants you at your core. He wants your life to be wrapped up in his.

Take time today to open your heart to your loving heavenly Father. Look for any walls you’ve built up around your heart. Stop believing any lies or misconceptions that would keep you from experiencing God’s love moment to moment. May your time in guided prayer be filled with new life as your heart is open and receptive to the freedom of God’s presence.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of having an open and receptive heart to God.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” John 15:4

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23

2. Do you have any walls up between you and God? Are you living at times as if he isn’t with you? Are you fully open and receptive to the things of God throughout your day?

3. Cast down any walls you’ve built up at the feet of Jesus and open your heart to him. Receive a revelation of his nearness and spend some time simply resting in his presence. Ask him to give you eyes to see all the good gifts he has given you today.

God is constantly blessing us. He constantly has good gifts to give us. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” God longs to demonstrate his love to you by giving you good and perfect gifts. Cultivate a lifestyle of noticing and receiving God’s blessings. Look for all the ways he is providing for you and give thanks to him. Live your whole life in light of the reality of his nearness and experience all his goodness throughout your day. May you be filled with abundant blessings as you seek to live with an open heart.

Extended Reading: Matthew 12

When You Can’t See What God is Doing, Remember This..... KATY MCCOWN

 When You Can’t See What God is Doing, Remember This

KATY MCCOWN

“But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.” Exodus 6:13 (ESV)

I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. The nurse’s words rang in my ears: “The doctor wants you in the bed.” My doctor ordered me to park myself in my bed for the sake of my unborn child.

Moments earlier, I had packed up my four children, all under the age of 6, in a bit of a rush. Knowing something wasn’t right, I called my doctor, and she advised me to come to her office immediately. An ultrasound revealed a problem that threatened to harm both my baby and me.

As I gazed at the four smiling little faces nearby, the reality of the situation swirled through my thoughts. We lived thousands of miles from family. My husband’s work schedule was rigid and exhausting. And we didn’t have many close friends. I’m pretty sure my mouth was open, yet no words would form, and I definitely don’t remember blinking. In an out-of-body type moment, I looked at the nurse and declared, “God will provide.” I’m not positive I believed it, though.

Today’s key verse records a charge God gave Moses and Aaron at a time when they may have been wondering if God would provide: “But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 6:13).

This wasn’t the first time God told Moses to do this. Three chapters before, when God first called Moses, He said, “‘Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt’” (Exodus 3:10, ESV).

But between God’s instruction to Moses in Exodus 3 and His repeated instruction in Exodus 6, a lot had happened.

Moses had obeyed God. He went to Pharaoh and told him to let God’s people go. Some scholars believe Israel might have been so expectant of being set free from slavery in Egypt that they may have gathered as a nation in a designated place to await the good news from Moses and Aaron.

What followed, however, was not what they had hoped for. Instead of meeting Moses’ request with an agreeable “Yes! I’ll help you pack!”, Pharaoh retaliated. Not only did he refuse to let God’s people go, but Pharaoh also decreased their resources while demanding the same amount of production. Consequently, Israel became broken-spirited. (Exodus 6:9)

In the wake of this devastating development, God’s people abandoned hope that Moses would lead them out of captivity. They even turned against him, blaming him for their heightened plight. (Exodus 5:20-21) Between God’s first instruction to Moses and the repeated instruction in our key verse, everything got worse.

It seems the events that unfolded caused everyone to wonder if God’s plan had changed. (Exodus 5:20-23) But God’s response remained the same. In the midst of hard and unexpected circumstances, God’s plan never changed.

The eight chapters that follow detail how God delivered His people from Egypt, just as He said He would. Israel may not have always been able to see how their story would unfold, but even when they couldn’t see, God’s plans were still good.

When we can’t see how God’s will is being worked out, we can still trust that His plans are good. When our circumstances take us places we wouldn’t have chosen, we can choose to hope in God’s goodness and love.

During my days on bed rest, I questioned God’s plan many times. I didn’t fully understand His purposes and couldn’t see all that He was doing, and I wished He could have achieved it another way. Finally, after several months of bed rest, we welcomed our healthy and happy fifth child to the world.

While I don’t know everything God did during those bed rest days, I know He drew me nearer to Him. He showed me more of His love, truth and faithfulness than I had known before, and He brought me deeper into relationship with Him. And He’ll do the same for you. On days when you don’t understand what God is doing, choose to trust in Him anyway, and He’ll show you just how faithful He is.

Dear God, thank You for the gift of Your perfect love and faithfulness. The next time I face circumstances that don’t feel good, help me remember Your goodness and find comfort in Your plans. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 31:7, “I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.” (NLT)

Psalm 143:8, “Remind me each morning of your constant love, for I put my trust in you. My prayers go up to you; show me the way I should go.” (GNT) 

Abiding in Love in a Hurting World..... By Lia Martin

 Abiding in Love in a Hurting World (John 15:17)

By Lia Martin

Today’s Bible Verse: This is my command: Love each other. - John 15:17

The Bible is often referred to as a love letter or love story; an incomparable history of hearts laid bare, broken, and believing. Filled with songs of love, promises of love, and commands to love, God’s Word is clear. Love is the purpose and the mission.

I believe we embrace the Bible as a love story in no small part because the Bible shows us who we are—sins and all. It pulls us up from the dirt in Genesis through a cataclysm of warfare in Revelation. And yet, at the heart of it is the refrain that God so loves the world, anyway.

It’s interesting to note that although Jesus talks about loving God, your neighbor, enemies and more all throughout Scripture, he wraps his message of love in John 15 in that of abiding in him, even though the world may not love us.

He begins with the image of himself as the vine we draw sustenance from, yet ends with the reality that the world will hate those who love him. As he paints a picture of humanity stretching forth, bearing fruit only by the power of the vine, he says in John 15:12, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

To be sure the importance of his command is felt, he says it again in John 15:17, with greater clarity:

This is my command: Love each other.

Jesus is offering himself here, as he does for eternity, as our source when life requires us to choose love. He is assuring us that we draw our ability to love from Him—the only vine that makes our inept branches bear fruit. Without him, we wither as he describes in verse 6.

The one who loves us so much that he gives his very lifeblood to reconcile us to our Creator knows...that as his followers, we’re up against a world of hatred.

So, he commands us: love anyway.

How? Remain in him. Remember his words. And, as he says in John 15:10, “keep my commands.”

What does this look like for an imperfect human in a hurting world? It often takes surrendering your agenda. It definitely requires a willingness to claim utter dependence on a love supply that is far greater than any of us, and perfect in its plan.

Love involves seeking him in prayer when hatred prowls around, seeking to burn your branches. It means asking God for the wisdom to choose love, instead of hate. It means seeing even those who hate you as needing love, too.

Does Jesus say to set those haters straight? Does he say to bear angry, rotten fruit? Not at all. He says in John 15:27 that in presence of hate, we testify. By judging? By performing? Well, In this passage, there’s only way. By loving.

So, rather than get our branches in a twist, and risk breaking off from the One strong enough to grow us, let’s not respond to the reality of hate with further persecution.

Let’s abide, by asking what the vine would have us do to show His love instead.

Being Approachable..... By Debbie Holloway

 Being Approachable

By Debbie Holloway

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!” - Philippians 2:5

It is nigh impossible to be wholly truthful and also be universally liked. It is very difficult to believe strange things and be popular. It is unlikely that one who lives as a servant will draw fame and admiration from people in high places.

Thankfully, Jesus calls us neither to be universally liked, popular, famous, or admirable in the eyes of wealthy men.

But hold it – we can’t just stop there. Beware, lest we swagger with pride in the knowledge that being disliked, unpopular, and obscure will place us in high standing with our Lord. God has a distinct mission for us: to reach the world with the Gospel (that is, John 3:16). He has also set a distinct example for us to follow as we live and try to proclaim that gospel through our words and actions. All too often, however, we fall short of his example and become entirely unapproachable to the exact people we should be loving and reaching with God’s truth and love.

Was Jesus unapproachable? Did his firm stances on God’s truth leave others afraid to challenge him, ask questions, or be imperfect in his presence? Let’s look to Scripture.

1. People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Luke 18:15).

Not only does this infer that children were at ease in the presence of Christ, but that parents were comfortable handing their infants to this man to hold and bless! If you are a parent, you understand the implications of these verses. If not, then know: it’s a big deal to give someone your kid. Jesus lived in such a way that not only did children trust him, but parents trusted him with their children.

2. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:15).

In this passage Jesus attracts both the wicked and the righteous – neither group seems afraid to approach him. But while the Pharisees consistently attack Jesus with purposes of trapping or confounding him, the sinners and tax collectors love to walk with him, eat with him, drink with him, listen to his words. His sermons don’t scare them away; his words aren’t laced with shame and guilt-trips. Rather, he speaks of how to please God, how to love one another, and he fascinates them by turning old notions of righteousness upside down – all in a way that makes people want to listen to him and follow him. He patiently administers to sinners as a doctor gently aids a sick man.

3. Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth (Matthew 19:21).

It’s true, people did leave Jesus. People rejected him and turned away from what he had to say. But notice in this passage of the rich young ruler, Jesus did not reject him. Jesus did not turn him away – rather the man "sadly" left Jesus because his heart did not truly seek perfection by God’s standards.

Are you regarded with suspicion in the eyes of others? Do sinners keep their distance, knowing you are not a safe place for them to live imperfectly? Do you turn people away because of their reluctance to follow Kingdom standards? If so, you may need to revisit the Jesus of the Gospels.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Think of one area in your life that needs a good dose of humility and servitude, and inject some Jesus into it!

A Prayer for Hypocrites..... By Kelly Balarie

 A Prayer for Hypocrites

By Kelly Balarie

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. “ 1 John 4:20

I was livid at myself. Just livid.

Because, it seemed, I was on a rampage of "calling people out." You know what that is, right? It is when you: 1.) see another's faults on display 2.) you let them gnaw your heart and 3.) you blast the person.

I let my words fly out like a swarm of bees ready to attack! For those who didn't get stung, I kept my words inside and gave them a cold-shoulder sting that probably felt worse than any kind of physical one. I was on a rampage. I literally hated myself for it.

Maybe because I didn't want to be like this type: hyp·o·crite ˈhipəˌkrit/ noun

1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc

I was convicted. I was convicted as if a knife struck my heart. 

I thought, "Oh God, I don't want to be one of them, but I just may be. I just may be one who acts so above the law, I have put myself above the love of Christ. I have set myself so high, that I have removed myself from the humble and needy places where one let's him soak in."

I don't want to be one who professes to know God but denies him by their works. I don't want to be one that God calls "detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work." (Titus 1:6)

And I certainly don't want to think I am religious, only to deceive my own heart. For God says this kind of religion is worthless (James 1:26).

Lord, I am not above you. I am not above the world ruling. I am not the master of all things, nor the creator. But, I am your servant, your child, and your love. Help me reside in that place. Help me see my need and confess it to you. Help me be quick to look at myself when I am prone to look over to others. Thank you that you have wild and abundant grace for me. It will not cease. It will not end. It will not let me go. I ask you to restore me in fullness with you. Teach me your ways and help me be receptive to them, so I will not fall. Help me Lord. You rule and I surrender all my ways, thoughts, opinions, perceptions and decisions to you. Amen.

6 Prayers to Pray the Week After Easter..... Lysa TerKeurst

 6 Prayers to Pray the Week After Easter

Lysa TerKeurst

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him." Now I have told you.'" Matthew 28:5-7 (NIV)

I don't think Easter is quite done with me yet.

I know what glorious things this Holy Day says to the world at large.

But what does Jesus want me to know, to think about, to wrestle through at this time of year? This season of new beginnings.

So, I'm lingering here a bit longer.

I feel like the girl who wears the same outfit to school two days in a row. Easter is done now. Time to put it back in the closet. Only for me it isn't. I want to wear it again today, tomorrow and many more tomorrows.

After all, Easter is no longer a ritual to me. It's a revelation. A time where Jesus splits my soul along the fault line of a scar deep within: I was an unwanted child to my birth dad.

Unwanted.

But to Jesus ... I was wanted so much that He gave His life for me. It feels so personal. Even though I know God so loved the world, He gave His son, it becomes very individual if we let it.

Be personal.

With Jesus.

Yes.

So, in the midst of a world putting Easter away, might we let it sit with us for just a bit more?

I keep my Bible open to the place where the angel spoke to the women at the tomb. And I tangle my thoughts around His words from Matthew 28 as six prayers emerge ...

• "Do not be afraid," - God, I hand over to You those things that make me so afraid. Resurrect the parts of my faith squelched by fear.

• "I know that you are looking for Jesus," - God, when my soul is searching, help me know the answer to every longing can be found in You.

• "He has risen," - God, the fact that Jesus is risen should lift my head, my heart and my attitude. Help me to live today as if I really believe this with every part of my life.

• "just as he said," - Jesus, You keep Your promises. Help me live as though I believe that with every part of me. Help me trust You more, obey You more and resemble You more.

• "Come and see," - Jesus, You had the angels invite the women in to see for themselves that You had risen. You invite me into these personal revelations every day. Forgive me for sometimes rushing about and forgetting to come and see for myself ... You, Your Word, Your insights.

• "Then go quickly and tell his disciples," - Jesus, I don't want to be a secret keeper with my faith. I want to be a bold and gracious truth proclaimer. For You. With You. Because of You. Me, the unwanted girl whom You loved, redeemed and wanted.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Yes, let this miraculous Easter be personal. And prayerful. And linger a bit longer.

Dear Lord, I want to let Your Truth sink deep down into my heart and soul today. Help me stay focused on You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.