The Source of Jealousy..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Source of Jealousy

Dr. Charles Stanley

Galatians 5:17-21

Most likely, you have been caught off guard by a wave of jealousy at some point in your life. Was it a spiritual attack? Did the Enemy make you covetous? Was someone or something working to make you resentful?

The answer—which may surprise you— is no. Jealousy actually springs from within us, even though we might try to deflect the blame. For example, we may say, "Well, they just shouldn't have that. They don't deserve it, so I'm perfectly justified in feeling this way."

Do you see what is actually going on here? We are not only feeling envious of someone, but we're also saying that our jealousy is the other person's fault! That's simply not true. We are each 100 percent responsible for our own feelings of envy.

Jealousy is a product of the flesh. In the Bible, it is listed among such sins as idolatry, immorality, drunkenness, and sorcery—sins which stand against our holy God and are described as "earthly, natural, demonic" (Gal. 5:17-21; James 3:15).

Envious feelings can lead to unhealthy comparison of one's own success to someone else's. That pattern can grow into a competition to out-perform others—and may result in full-blown fear and resentment. What a horrible way to live!

Though jealousy is a common emotion, it has no place in a believer's life. So each of us should try to look objectively at our heart motives. Are you plagued with an attitude of jealousy today? Lay your honest feelings out before the Lord, and ask Him to cleanse you of this sinful attitude.

God is a Fun Father..... Craig Denison

 God is a Fun Father

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

There is no better father than Creator God. He formed us and knows us. He provides for us, loves us unconditionally, and longs for real, life-giving relationship with us. He runs out to meet us in our sin, clothes us with new identity, and restores to us the abundant life he has always planned for us. As we spend time looking at the father heart of God, may a fresh revelation of his love for you guide you into greater depths of relationship with your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” Psalm 30:11-12

Devotional:

There is a terrible misconception in the church today that our Father is not a fun God. For most Christians, what they know of God comes through worship services rather than direct encounters with the living God. As the body of Christ, we have not cultivated a culture of restored relationship well. But regardless of faults in the church today, God longs to give you a revelation of how incredibly fun it is to have him as your Father. He longs to guide you into a lifestyle of abundant joy as you grow in your relationship with him.

While God’s fun may look different than the world’s, every form of fun apart from his is a cheap imitation. We see countless examples in Scripture of God’s children experiencing a depth of joy unattainable apart from God. David writes in Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The fullness of fun is found with God because he alone guides us to the path of true life. He alone frees us, heals us, loves us, rejoices over us, has grace for us, and longs to fully satisfy our desires. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” God longs to lead you to the fullness of life today. He longs to guide you to the riches of his love that you might experience how fun it is to be truly loved by your Creator, Sustainer, and Lord.

Our Father loves parties. He loves to celebrate and have fun with his children. Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 says, “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy.” Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine to keep a wedding feast going (John 2:1-11). The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 is the story Jesus told of an earthly father and son and a parallel to our relationship with the heavenly Father. When the prodigal son returns home, the father tells his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:22-24). While the older son was out in the field, he heard everyone celebrating with music and dancing. He couldn't help but go see what was going on. And Revelation 19 foretells the great marriage supper of the Lamb where we will celebrate our total and complete union with God, the party to end all parties.

Psalm 30:11-12 says, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” Your heavenly Father longs to lead you to the fullness of fun today. He longs to clothe you with gladness and turn your mourning into dancing. The God you serve is the inventor of fun. He loves to celebrate with his children. He longs to fill your days with that which will satisfy the deepest longings of your heart, including your need for fun. May you encounter the fun heart of your heavenly Father today as you enter into guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire to give you a fun life. Allow Scripture to reorient your understanding of what it’s like to live life with your heavenly Father.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” Psalm 30:11-12

“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy.” >Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

2. Where do you need more fun in your life? Where do you need God to clothe you with gladness? Where do you need to experience the abundant life Jesus died to give you?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to have the fullness of fun today. What is he providing for you that you might experience all the joy and celebration available to you? What is keeping you from living a more fun life? He wants to free you today. Spend timing resting in his presence and allow him to do a work in your heart today.

Sometimes we hold to an idea that advancing the kingdom and having fun don’t go together. We leave parties and fun to others as we are too busy with more important matters. But why would a nonbeliever want to get to know a boring God? Why would they want to spend time with a group of boring people? As children of God, we have the greatest source of joy available. We should be the happiest, most fun, and most loving people the lost will ever encounter. It’s in our joy, love, and fun that we will best advance the kingdom. It’s living the abundant life God longs to give us that will encourage others to want to know the God we serve. May you advance the kingdom of your heavenly Father by living today with the fullness of fun.

Extended Reading: Luke 15

Which Amazed Would You Be?..... NICKI KOZIARZ

 Which Amazed Would You Be? 

NICKI KOZIARZ

“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, ‘Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.’” Matthew 8:10 (NIV) 

I received a phone call a few weeks ago that drastically shifted my day. In response, I texted some friends for prayer over the stressful situation that phone call brought. Later, I was amazed by how much I felt God work in my life that day.

My friends’ faith carried me through.

Sometimes scrolling through social media leaves me feeling shocked and amazed at the things people are willing to say online but never in person. If we aren’t careful, our faith in others can be easily shaken by harsh words from strangers.

Other times, I’m delighted and amazed by something like a short, viral video of a man holding up traffic so a momma goose and her goslings can cross the road. And my faith in humanity feels like it is restored again.

Think about the last time you felt amazed, either positively or negatively. Were you left feeling hopeless or hopeful? What was the evidence that made you feel that way?

In English, the word amazed can have either positive or negative connotations. And there are two examples in Scripture of the way that Jesus was amazed by the faith of someone standing before Him.

One example is found in Mark 6:1-6. In this passage, Jesus is in His hometown of Nazareth, but Scripture says “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them,” because of the people’s lack of belief (Mark 6:5, NIV). It says in verse 6 that Jesus was “amazed” by their lack of faith.

And then we see the complete opposite in Matthew 8:5-13. Here we see a centurion pleading with Jesus to heal a servant in his home. The centurion is full of so much faith and belief in what he knows Jesus can do. The text tells us that the servant is instantly healed. And it says in verse 10 that Jesus was “amazed” by this man’s faith.

Two very different stories of Jesus being amazed by faith. One brought on by doubt, the other by desperation.

Here’s the hard question.

As Jesus looks at us today, which amazed is He?

If we’re honest, I think a lot of us, myself included, couldn’t say that our faith looks similar to the centurion’s.

Often, our own circumstances leave us feeling skeptical about faith. When we believe and yet don’t see, doubt tries to convince us faith isn’t real, at least not for us.

But today is a really good day to make a decision not to be like the Nazarenes in Mark 6. That day in Nazareth, many missed out on experiencing a miracle because of their lack of faith in Jesus. I don’t want to be so full of unbelief that God is unable to work in my life.

Sometimes when my faith is feeling skeptical, I go back to the last time I saw God do something that revealed His faithfulness to me or even someone else. I replay that evidence of faith again and again.

And if we can’t see the evidence in our own lives, we can always see the evidence in the Bible. Hebrews 11 is a chapter full of evidence of faith from people who have gone before us.

Friend, God does not ask for perfect faith.
He asks us to stay in process with our faith.

Sometimes we’ll be the centurion, and sometimes we’ll be the Nazarenes of Mark 6. But no matter where we are today, God is eager for us to extend our mustard-seed faith toward Him.

God, thank You that faith isn’t about perfection. Help me to see the evidence of You all around me today, in Your Word and in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Jehovah Rohi – God is Our Good Shepherd..... By Jennifer Kostick

 Jehovah Rohi – God is Our Good Shepherd

By Jennifer Kostick

Today's Bible Verse: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. - Psalm 23:1

When I was a little girl, age ten, my grandfather passed away. The paternal side of my family was not active in church and to my knowledge knew nothing about the Jesus my next door neighbors introduced me to so intimately. I have a vivid memory of sitting in the living room at my grandparent’s home when the pastor, who would be conducting the funeral asked, “Is there a specific passage of scripture you would like mentioned at the service?” I was shocked as I heard my great uncle say, “Yes, Psalm 23.” A family who never spoke of the Word of God seemed to actually be familiar with something in the Bible. I remember that moment as if it happened yesterday.

Throughout adulthood, as I’ve thought back to that grief-filled living room and the faces inside it, I’m forever grateful to realize Psalm 23 is so much more than a familiarly recited passage read graveside. After all, the Bible is a book about giving life while abolishing death. It provides instruction for abundant living while actively giving spiritual CPR to the weary.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.- Psalm 23:1

When I read Psalm 23:1 I make it personal and speak, “My Jehovah is my Good Shepherd. He watches over, protecting me from all things. I want for nothing, because He is all I need.”

I’ll tell you why:

One of the names of God is Jehovah Rohi. It speaks of a Good Shepherd. When doing research into the occupation of shepherds, we learn that a shepherd’s position is one of authority and protection. It is a dangerous job requiring much sacrifice. King David himself in 1 Samuel 17 spoke of rescuing lambs from mouths of lions and bears.

King David authored Psalm 23, and because he began his life as a shepherd, he was obviously familiar with the role. A true shepherd puts his flock at ease by giving everything it needs. Psalm 23 is actually quite prophetic, especially now that we have a clear view of Jesus’ work on the cross.

In John 10:11, Jesus said, “I am the good Shepherd, the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” In the New Living Translation, it uses the word sacrifices. “The good Shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep.” It is Jesus who sacrificed Himself to protect us. When we read this small section of scripture with this in mind, we can be confident that we will never want for anything. Our Jesus sacrificed His life for us, the work is done and we can find confidence and contentment in light of the cross.

Living with Need..... by Ryan Duncan

 Living with Need

by Ryan Duncan

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. – Matthew 6:34

It all began with an enormous doctor’s bill. Over the past few months I had been trying to do a better job at budgeting my finances. This had never been one of my strong points, but slowly, surely, I felt like I was starting to make progress toward becoming a true, independent adult. Then the doctor’s bill came. Aside from putting a huge dent in my finances, what made things even more frustrating was that I began to recall the appointment in question.

The doctor had been almost two hours late and had left me waiting in one of those small service rooms, convinced I’d die of old age before he arrived. After that, there had been the tetanus shot that left my arm feeling stiff and sore for the rest of the day. Now I was looking down at a small piece of paper that told me I was expected to pay a ridiculous sum of money for the inconvenience of both. I decided the first thing to do was pray and ask God to help me with my finances. Once I had finished, I began flipping through my Bible for some sense of assurance.

I finally landed on this verse in Philippians:

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. – Philippians 4:10-14

This was not the answer I had hoped for. No one likes being told to tighten their belt, and as I began cleaning up my apartment I couldn't help feeling a little annoyed at God. Midway through my work, I realized I had just enough food in my pantry, my rent was paid, and my car hadn't died on me yet. So maybe I'd have to eat leftovers for a few meals or spend an evening reading instead of going out, so maybe I was living with a little bit of need; I had a lot more than many.

Sometimes it's easy to overlook the ways God has blessed our lives. We worry about what we don’t have, instead of looking around and acknowledging what God has already provided. So when times of need start to make you worry, remember that God will always provide, though not always in the way you might expect.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Count your blessings. There's almost surely more of them than it may seem at first.

Further Reading: Philippians 4:4-7

A Cry for Help Prayer..... By: Kristine Brown

 A Cry for Help Prayer

By: Kristine Brown

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”- Hebrews 13:5b

There are seasons in our lives when suffering seems like it will never end. When we finish each day by laying our head down in exhaustion, hoping to see a reprieve with the coming of a new dawn. These prolonged trials in our lives can cause hopes to fade. Without getting an answer for our troubles, we can be tempted to give up hope that things will ever change.

The Israelites knew this feeling all too well. For years they suffered in cruel slavery under the hands of tyrant leaders. But in their darkest days, they did something different. Instead of continuing on the same path of hopelessness, they made a decision to cry to God for help.

“During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.” (Exodus 2:23 NIV)

In this dark time in Israel’s history, God had already set a plan for rescue in motion. God prepared a man named Moses, orchestrating the events of his life to answer the call. God chose Moses to lead His people out of slavery; and when voices of desperation rose from the Israelites, Moses was ready to respond.

The Matthew Henry Commentary shares this insight about the Israelites’ turning point, “Now, at last, they began to think of God under their troubles and to return to him from the idols they had served...But before God unbound them he put it into their hearts to cry unto him.”

The thing that ushered in the beginning of deliverance for God’s chosen people was their choice to cry for help.

Exodus 2:25 says, “So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.” When we cry out to our Heavenly Father for help, we have the assurance of His concern for our needs.

God sent Moses to guide the Israelites to freedom. Just as He heard and responded to their cry for help, our Lord will also hear us in our most desperate times. He is waiting for us to cry out to Him today. Let’s pray this cry for help prayer together.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to you today in desperate need. I’ve been suffering, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know what to say, but I know you are my only hope. This is my cry for help. Hear my cries, Lord.

I’ve felt far away from you, although I know your Word says you will “never leave me or forsake me.” (Hebrews 13:5) I invited your son Jesus to live in my heart, but I’ve let the sufferings of this world discourage me. I want to feel your presence with me. To trust in you to provide the answer to my problems and the antidote to my hurt. Lord, please help!

When the Israelites cried out to you, you sent a messenger of hope. You freed them from the slavery that kept them bound for so long. In the same way, I am trusting in you to rescue me from my troubles. I renew my trust in you as you guide the pathways of my life. Thank you, Lord, for hearing my cry for help and for being concerned about me.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.