Following God's Schedule..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Following God's Schedule

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 11:33-36

Most of us enjoy feeling in control of our own schedule and grow frustrated when things don't go according to plan. Yet if we truly desire to walk in the center of God's perfect will, we must become willing to cooperate with His time frame.

Consider how you pray about situations in your life. Without realizing it, you may be demanding that God follow the schedule you've constructed according to your very limited human wisdom. Yet if we believe He is who He says He is, how can surrendering to His way not be to our benefit? Think about His unique, praiseworthy qualities:

• His all-encompassing knowledge. Unlike us, the Lord has complete awareness about our world and the details of every individual life--past, present, and future.
• His complete wisdom. God understands man's every motive, whereas none of us are able to accurately discern people's intentions. We make choices based on partial information, whereas He has the wisdom to take action based on truth.
• His unconditional love. Our Creator is always motivated by love and constantly has our best in mind. Unless we trust His heart, our view of reality will be distorted.
• His perfect sufficiency. At just the right time, God will provide us with everything we need to carry out His plan.

Submitting to God's timetable requires faith and courage. Believe in the goodness of His heart and His plans--and determine to wait until He gives the signal to move forward. Then, as you follow His schedule, you'll experience the joy of watching Him make all things beautiful in His timing.

God Wants to Use You..... Craig Denison

 God Wants to Use You

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

In response to knowing the heart of God we are called to share the wonders of his invisible nature with a world in desperate need of him. God has chosen to use us to reveal himself. He’s filled us with the Spirit and empowered us to proclaim the good news of salvation and restored relationship with our Creator. May you discover this week that you were made to share God’s heart. And may you find joy and passion in God’s longing to use you in powerful and unique ways.

Scripture:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Devotional:    

Ephesians 2:8-10 says:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

God’s grace is meant to be our catalyst to living passionate lives that bear fruit of eternal value. You aren’t meant to go through the motions. You weren’t created to live a normal life whose impact only lasts for this life. God in his grace and love has called you to more. You were made for a life of deep and lasting impact. You were made to share God’s heart with the world.

It can be difficult to understand God’s heart in wanting to use us. For some, we write ourselves off as too sinful, weak, selfish, or inept to be used by God. For others, we view God as a taskmaster who wants to use us solely for his motives. Still others of us believe that serving God is less fun, less fulfilling, and far stranger than anything we’d like to do. We’re fine with a God who would give us a “get out of hell free card,” but that’s about as far as we’d like him to go in relationship with him.

The truth is that your life will never be fulfilling until you allow God to use you. Ephesians 2:9 is clear that you were “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” You won’t find fulfillment in anything besides the work of God because it’s not what you were made for. Material possessions apart from the provision of God become more like weights tying us down to the cares and ways of the world than sources of satisfaction. Spending your life working to become successful, appreciated, and loved in the world’s eyes is more like a treadmill than a path to abundant life. If you want to live an abundant life you have to allow God to use you.

God longs to use you because he loves you. He’s not selfish. He doesn’t need your help. He wants to work with you. He wants your life to matter. He wants you to have eternal reward for the things you do here on earth because he’s a good Father who longs to give good gifts to his children. He wants you to stop segregating your life into “God time” and “me time” and start living in continual communion with him. He wants your time at work, with friends, at church, driving, resting, relaxing, and having fun to be filled with the fullness of life that comes from doing life with him. 

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire to use you. Find your true identity, not in the way you’ve lived up to this point, but in the unshakable truth of Scripture.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

“[Jesus] gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:14

2. How do you feel about being used by God? What in your heart needs to come into alignment with the truth that you were made for good works of eternal value? Lay down any hindrances at the feet of Jesus in confession.

3. Ask God how he wants to use you today. Ask him for a specific way you can reveal his heart to others. Journal his response. Take time to rest in his presence that you would find courage and faith in the reality of God’s nearness.

Learning to do good works is a lifelong pursuit. God has grace for you today. He has love and compassion for you in these moments. But he longs to meet you where you are that he might lead you to a more fruitful and abundant life. Allow God to transform your heart. Let him into every part of you that your life would be flooded with his grace and mercy. Allow him to discipline you, change you, and speak new identity into you. May you find joy and passion today as you allow God to use you in powerful, eternal ways.

Extended Reading: Ephesians 2

Self-Diagnosed With Fear and False Identities..... TRACIE BRAYLOCK

 Self-Diagnosed With Fear and False Identities 

TRACIE BRAYLOCK

“I sought the LORD [on the authority of His word], and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 (AMP)

Several years prior to the global pandemic, I paced back and forth in an airport terminal.

My fear of heights had a grip on me and was impacting an experience I truly wanted to enjoy.

As I sat across from my best friend waiting to board the plane, I felt it coming. It began rising from seemingly nowhere, ushering in a sense of panic and causing my body to react to this illusion of danger.

My heart raced. My breathing quickened, and I couldn’t sit still anymore. I told my travel partner I’d be back and started my fast-paced escape through the concourse, attempting to regain control over what I was feeling.

Previously, I wore this fear of heights as a badge of honor — something that, as a child, I decided to align myself with and carry with me because I heard a loved one say this was their greatest fear. In my naïveté, I thought bearing this burden along with them was an endearing gesture. My innocent desire to display how much I cared for them led me to believe I, too, could share in this fear.

But at this moment, I desperately wanted to be free, to no longer be gripped by what I was imagining and to experience the Truth found in the Word of God.

I had willingly adopted and clung to this fear of heights for so long that I needed help to let it go. And I only experienced freedom after doing what we find in Psalm 34:4, which says, “I sought the Lord [on the authority of His word], and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.”

As I walked, I repeated various verses. Second Timothy 1:7 (AMP) reminded me, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].”

Philippians 4:6-7 (AMP) flowed from my lips as well: “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].”

After a while, my pace and heart slowed. I embraced the Truth God prescribed to me instead of clinging to the self-diagnosis of fear that inhibited me from experiencing His joy and peace.

As we boarded the plane, I considered what life could be like if I consistently identified with God’s Truth instead of conforming to those around me. How much freer could I be?

Dear friend, pause for a moment to examine the false identities you have aligned yourself with. Do you recognize your old condition — the labels, diagnoses, fears and circumstances you’re clinging to that are standing between you and full deliverance?

By God’s mercy, you have been healed, set free and given a new nature. You no longer have to identify with anything other than God’s Truth — especially to the self-inflicted, wounded identities you have adopted.

You are not your hurt, fear, diagnosis or circumstance. And God is waiting for you to align your thoughts with His thoughts, your words with His words, and your identity with the identity He sacrificed His only begotten Son for you to have.

It’s time to seek the Lord for the Truth about who you are and begin to fully embrace your new identity.

Dear God, thank You for loving me and for sending Your Son to die on the cross to save me and restore our relationship. I want to live according to Your view of me, not the world’s view or my own. So I can fully experience my new identity in Christ, help me release any false identity that keeps me broken and in bondage. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].” (AMP)

Psalm 119:45, “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” (NIV)

Wait for the Glory (Romans 8:18)..... By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

 Wait for the Glory (Romans 8:18)

By: Betsy St. Amant Haddox

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. - Romans 8:18 (ESV)

Three years ago this month, my grandmother fell while walking outside in rubber boots. She hit her head and never woke back up. It was a very traumatic time for my family, as my grandmother was my grandfather’s caretaker during his last years of fragile health—complete with an oxygen tank and dementia. It was a confusing time for him, suddenly being without his wife of sixty-plus years. It was also an incredibly hard time for my father, who found them both outside when he came to their house for his routine evening meal delivery.

Over the next few months, as my family and extended family dealt with funeral arrangements for her and with my grandfather’s rapidly declining condition, I kept coming back to Romans 8:18. When the circumstances felt bleak, I looked to Romans 8:18. When it all seemed so “unfair”, I focused on Romans 8:18. When my heart broke watching my grandfather’s physical and emotional pain, I clung to Romans 8:18. The Holy Spirit used His living word to remind me that this life isn’t all there is. That as much as my grandfather suffered in the 4 months he lived after my grandmother’s passing, it would all be over in a blink and he would be so gloriously, fully, perfectly alive and happy. Redemption was coming.

If you’re in a hard season today, remember, this isn’t it. If you’re a follower of Christ and a born-again believer, this life isn’t all there is for you. The sufferings of this time aren’t even worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed. One day, as Christians, we’ll have perfect bodies. Perfect health. And even better than that, we’ll be in perfect communion with God. No more shame, guilt, or struggle over sin. No more failing health, painful memories, heartaches, or death. We will be as we were once meant to be. And when that time comes, all of this will fade like a shadow in the light of the glory of God.

I marked this verse in Romans in my Bible and pressed a rose petal from my grandmother’s funeral in the pages. Every time I come across it, I smile. Each year, the smile grows sweeter and less bittersweet, because it’s living proof and tangible evidence of the promises of God. We can trust His word, even when it’s hard, even when it hurts, and even when it feels like there is no end in sight.

My dear friend is currently grieving the loss of a family pet who was like a family member for them. Another friend is grieving the decisions of a wayward daughter. Yet another is dealing with major health battles. And still, another is walking through an unwanted divorce, much as I did some eight years ago. Yet in all these things, God’s word stands.

This world doesn’t have the final say, my friend. So, wait for it! Wait for the future glory. Wait with eager expectation. Wait with hope. Wait with endurance.

It will be worth it. God said so.

Jesus’ Encouragement to Our Troubled World..... By Debbie McDaniel

 Jesus’ Encouragement to Our Troubled World

By Debbie McDaniel

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

In John 16 we find Jesus speaking to his disciples of events that would soon unfold. They needed to hear His words of encouragement and Truth more than ever, for He knew the darkness of the hour still to come. He taught them about the power of praying in His name. He told them how they would soon be scattered, but that those who belong to Him would never be alone. For God is always there, close. He reminded them that they should not be surprised at the tension they would feel in an unbelieving world.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace (security, safety, undisturbed, blessed state). In the world you have tribulation (trouble, oppression, pressure, affliction), but take courage (be of good cheer, take heart), I have overcome (carried off the victory, conquered) the world.” John 16:33

Words that have such meaning, that hold such power still today. These were some of the last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before his journey to the cross.

Last words always contain rich meaning. These are important for us to hold onto today.

He reminds us that only in Him can true peace be found.

He reminds us that in spite of the struggles we will face in this life, we never walk alone, for He is with us. He will never abandon us in our trials or leave us to work it all out on our own.

He reminds us to take courage.

He reminds us He has overcome. He has won the victory, and through Christ, we too are more than conquerors.

Jesus never called us to embrace the world and all it offers. But He calls us to follow Him, to be salt and light, and to walk in love.

It’s a whole new day ahead. And He has plans for you, for me, to make a difference in these days, in the life of another soul, for His purposes.

To be a friend.

To encourage.

To offer care and show compassion in a world that is broken.

Praying that His huge grace, wisdom, and strength cover us today. And that in Him, we will find freedom from worry, letting go of the stress that clings too tightly, the pressing needs of tomorrow, and struggles we battle today, and fully embrace His peace.

Take courage my friends…

For He’s the Overcomer. And we are never alone.

Peace.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Do you sometimes struggle with feeling like you’ve been left all alone in your troubles? Choose to take courage today, reminding yourself of this truth: God promises peace in the midst of all we walk through. He will never leave us and is faithful to see us through.

Further Reading:
John 14:27
Romans 8:37-39
Philippians 4:6-7

A Prayer to Encounter the Power of God..... By: Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer to Encounter the Power of God

By: Emily Rose Massey

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, NASB).

Years ago, I believed that encountering the power of God was limited to a financial breakthrough or witnessing someone walk out of a wheelchair. It meant being moved so deeply in His presence while worshiping Him in song that I was moved to tears and fell to my knees or danced for joy before my King...

Yes, those were powerful moments in my life that impacted my faith in God in a very real way, but the more I have walked with the Lord and spent time in His Word getting to know who He is, I have come to realize the power of God extends far beyond those moments. God reveals His mighty power when He takes a rebellious sinner and purifies his wicked heart and conforms his life to look more and more like Christ day by day. Talk about witnessing the miraculous!

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, the Apostle Paul prays for the believers’ walk with the Lord to be strengthened and experience this kind of life-changing power from the God of peace:

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, NASB).

It is the Lord who will bring our sanctification to completion, as we learn to yield our lives over to His grace and strength to walk in obedience to His Holy Word. The same grace that saves us is that which empowers us to live holy and set apart as witnesses to glory in this fallen world.

To be sure, I still sense His nearness when I weep on my knees in prayer and sing of His goodness and faithfulness on Sunday mornings with my church family, but there is nothing quite like knowing the Holy Spirit is with me every day sanctifying this selfish heart to look more like Jesus. I look back on how much He has changed my sinful life and strengthened me to learn how to choose obedience when my flesh wants to reign...that, my friends, is powerful. What a mighty God we serve!

Father, many of us cry out for an encounter with You. Perhaps some tangible experience in which we would sense Your nearness or witness a miracle. But what if that powerful encounter with You is not something we see or feel, but it is the very work that You are doing in our heart? 

Lord, I pray that I would experience that kind of powerful encounter with You. I pray you take this hard heart, soften it, and mold it to look like Jesus. I pray You would give me a deeper hunger for Your Word that would help me renew my mind. Holy Spirit, give me the strength to not only walk in wisdom from what I learn in the Bible, but that You would empower me to continue to obey what I am learning so that my life would be a reflection of Your glorious Kingdom.

May my life bring You glory, Jesus. I thank You for the grace that has saved this rebellious sinner and the grace that continues to keep me and guide me in truth and in obedience, learning to walk in Your perfect ways.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.