How to End Well..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 How to End Well

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Many people think about the last years of life as an opportunity to just relax. But this does not align with God's purpose for us; He wants us to serve Him all the days of our lives.

Let's look at the apostle Paul's journey and explore what it means to finish well. He spent time pouring into others until the very end of his life. Consider the letters he wrote to Timothy from a prison cell prior to being executed. In every season of life, God calls us to serve others.

And notice how, when writing about his life, the apostle chose words descriptive of a battle. He understood the human struggle against sin as well as the challenges of pain and persecution in the trials we all face--even in doing kingdom work like preaching Christ to a fiercely resistant society.

This godly servant's life was also marked by surrender. His mindset is obvious in these words: "present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Rom. 12:1). He was not afraid of Nero, nor was he struggling to stay alive. Paul trusted God to determine everything about his life, including where he would go, what he would do, and when he would die. Death did not scare him, because he knew he would dwell with Jesus forever.

God doesn't require our lives to be perfect in order to finish strong. We can live life fully and be ready to meet our Maker by surrendering, walking victoriously with Christ, and serving others. If Jesus called you home today, would you--like Paul--be confident that you lived well until the end?

God’s Heart to Meet with David..... Craig Denison

 God’s Heart to Meet with David

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Throughout Scripture we see countless examples of God meeting with man and countless lives being transformed as the result. These examples are in Scripture to stir our faith and fill us with a desire to meet with our Creator. When we read about the life of David, we should be filled with a longing to live as he did, centered around meeting with our heavenly Father. When we read about Gideon or Moses, we should long to know our God as they did. When we read about Jesus coming down to us or his heart for the woman caught in adultery, we should respond by pursuing encounters with our Savior. And when we read of Pentecost and Jesus’ second coming, we should seek out the fullness of God’s presence available to us on this earth in preparation for the age that is to come. May your heart be filled with a wholehearted desire to pursue meeting with God this week.

Scripture:“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” Psalm 84:1-2

Devotional:

The meetings between God and David shaped human history forever. David knew what it was to be in the presence of God. In fact, being in God’s presence was his fuel, greatest joy, and source of courage. In Psalm 16:11 David writes, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” And in verse 5 he writes, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” David was a man who consistently chose to meet with God over filling his days with the fleeting and unsatisfying things of the world. He centered his life around meeting with God, and it changed the history of not only his nation, but nations to come.

In 1 Samuel 17:34-37, we see a glimpse into the impact of David meeting with God early in his life. Scripture says,

But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

Out on the fields, David learned of God’s power and desire for deliverance. He learned what it was to meet with God in the daily work of life. And he carried that knowledge with him into every battle, trial, and failure. We see it in Psalm 16:1-2 where David prays, “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.’” King David, the greatest king that ever sat on the throne of Israel, claimed, “I have no good apart from you.” David, about whom 1 Chronicles 29:28 says, “Then he died at a good age, full of days, riches, and honor,” claimed he had no good apart from the Lord. David knew that God’s presence was the best part of life. He knew that meeting with his heavenly Father was far greater than any victory, possession, status, or honor. And it was for that reason that he lived a life full of the very thing he sought: the presence of the living God.

Your heavenly Father longs to meet with you as he did David. He loves you the same as he loved David. And through the powerful sacrifice of Jesus, you have even greater access to the heart of God. You have God, the Holy Spirit dwelling within you. Choose today to seek meeting with God above all else. Center your life around the presence of your heavenly Father the way David did. Live for transformational encounters with God and watch as the things of this world fall into proper place,  providing you with transcendent peace, joy, and purpose in the midst of any circumstance.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on David’s longing for the presence of God. Allow Scripture to fill you with a desire to meet with your heavenly Father as David did.

“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” Psalm 16:5

“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

“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.’” Psalm 16:1-2

2. Allow these other Scriptures to fill you with faith to encounter the presence of God. The Holy Spirit is dwelling within you, ready to lead you into a transformational encounter with your heavenly Father.

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:13

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” Psalm 139:7

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

3. Take time to meet with God. Ask him to reveal his nearness to you. Ask him to give you a passion for his presence like David had. Choose to center your life around the goodness of his nearness today.

“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10

How much better would our lives be if we simply chose to center them around meeting with the eternal, living, and active God of love? What would it be like to seek his counsel throughout our days? What would it be like to live wholly loved, liked, set free, and filled with his presence? Through Jesus,  more has been made available to us than we know. We’ve been granted access to the fullness of life, love, and freedom. All that is required of us is to make space in our days and seek meeting with God above all else. May we as the bride of Christ choose to love our bridegroom above all else.

Extended Reading: Psalm 16

The God of Difficult Places..... KIA STEPHENS

 The God of Difficult Places

KIA STEPHENS

“She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’” Genesis 16:13 (NIV)

I thought it was going to be a normal phone call.

The tone in her voice let me know this conversation was going to be anything but normal. We bypassed small talk about the weather and current events and took a deep dive into the primary reason for the conversation. “I have cancer,” my mom said.

Those were three words I did not expect her to say ever again. She was an eight-year breast cancer survivor and had been declared cancer-free. “This is not supposed to be happening,” I thought to myself.

It felt shocking and unreal to hear those words come from her mouth. My initial response was anger with God. How could You allow this? I said in my head. Then I reviewed the facts.

My mom needed support, but I am an only child.

My mom needed me to be close to her, but I lived in a different state.

And my mom was in her late 70s and still had a lot of life ahead of her.

The situation seemed so unfair. I felt alone, abandoned and betrayed as I grappled with the news of her diagnosis.

Everything in me wanted God to just make it go away.

In the Bible, there is another woman whose situation seemed unfair.

In Genesis Chapter 16, we are introduced to Hagar. She was the Egyptian maidservant of Sarai (Sarah), wife of Abram (Abraham). Sarai was battling infertility, and as a result, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her” (Genesis 16:2a-b, NIV).

Abram agreed to go along with Sarai’s plan, and Hagar conceived a son named Ishmael. Scripture says when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she despised her mistress. Some translations say that Hagar treated Sarai with contempt.

Then Sarai blamed Abram: “I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me” (Genesis 16:5b, NIV). Sarai then mistreated Hagar, and Hagar fled, attempting to escape the difficult circumstances in her life. As I faced my mother’s diagnosis, I could relate.

At this point, I imagine Hagar felt used, betrayed, isolated and mistreated. She must have felt that her situation was so unfair. Then in Genesis 16:7, “The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert …” (NIV).

Many theologians believe that the angel of the Lord was the Lord in angelic form. Hagar was so valued by God that He came and spent time with her. God did not have to look for her because we know that He is omniscient. I believe the pursuit was for Hagar’s benefit. He wanted her to know she was worth looking for.

He wanted her to know that she was seen and loved by God.

The angel of the Lord pursued, engaged and listened to Hagar. He then instructed her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her” (Genesis 16:9, NIV).

God did not rescue Hagar from her plight. He did not swoop down and remove her from the situation. This is an expectation I have had in my difficult places. I have longed for God to step in and save me from everything hard in my life, instantaneously making all things wonderful and new. Here we see that this was not God’s plan.

Sometimes God will rescue us from difficult places and sometimes He will sustain us in the midst of them. He is still a loving God in both scenarios.

In verses 9-10, the angel of the Lord says, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her … I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count” (NIV).

He is saying, “In the midst of the place where you feel broken, isolated, abandoned and afraid, that is where I am going to bless you.” As a result, Hagar says, “‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me’” (Genesis 16:13).

Hagar reminds us all of God’s tangible love when we are suffering, alone, broken or afraid. She reminds us to see God seeing us in our difficult places. I imagine her saying:

“Even though life is hard, I see God seeing me.”
“Even though I feel alone, I see God seeing me.”
“Even though I’m scared and broken, I see God seeing me.”

She knew God was El Roi, the God who sees.

He remains the same God today. He sees you and me as we walk through our difficult places. He is God enough to sustain us in the midst of them.

My mom continues to undergo cancer treatment. God did not swoop down and save her from her illness. He is, however, sustaining and blessing us both in the midst of this difficult place.

Dear God, I know that I am not invisible to You. You see me and the challenges that I face. You are intimately concerned about every detail in my life. Help me to trust and believe that You will bless and sustain me in the midst of my difficult places. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

When You Feel Completely Empty..... By: Anne Peterson

 When You Feel Completely Empty (2 Kings 4:7)

By: Anne Peterson

She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder.” – 2 Kings 4:7 

I’ll always remember the story of the widow who cried out to Elisha for help. Her husband who had loved the Lord was gone and creditors were coming to take what she had left, her two sons. When Elisha said to her, “How can I help you? His next words to her where important.

 He asked her, “What do you have in the house?”

The widow could have responded, I have nothing left. I’m sure she felt like it. Totally empty. But she remembered she had a small pot of oil. Elisha told her to go to all her neighbors and ask them for empty jars. As many as they had, not just a few. And he told her to pour oil into all the jars from the pot, and as each jar was filled, to put it aside.

The woman did as Elisha instructed. And one by one she filled each jar. She asked for another jar and her son told her it was the last one and at that moment the oil stopped flowing.

Elisha told her to sell the oil to pay her debts and live off of what remained ( 2 Kings 4:1-7). I’ve always wondered about what would have happened if she brought less jars?

We have a God who has promised He would provide for our needs. One of God’s names is Jehovah Jireh which means the Lord will provide, not the Lord might provide.

The widow did exactly the right thing. She was in need and she called on the Lord. Had she kept this need to herself, she would have missed out on one of the miracles God had in store for her. And it was a miracle that was for us as well.

We are finite beings. We hurt and suffer because we live in this fallen world. As this widow obeyed the Elisha, she saw God’s hand. And as the jars were filled, she witnessed that Gods ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

When we feel empty, we need to remember God can fill us up. And God never does things halfway. He fills us completely. What are your needs today? Have the circumstances of your life left you feeling spent, and empty? Then call out to God. The one who never grows tired or weary (Isaiah 40:28).

God knows how we are frail and that we get weary. Trust him, and he will answer your weary heart, maybe like this:

My child, I see you’re weary

as you move from day to day.

You try to comprehend my thoughts

and understand my ways.

Just trust that I am faithful,

that I will be your strength,

regardless of how hard your trial,

regardless of its length.

- Anne Peterson

Do You Pray?..... Kelly Givens

 Do You Pray?

Kelly Givens

Editor’s Note: The following devotional is based on J.C. Ryle’s A Call to Prayer (Banner of Truth, 2002).

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”  Luke 11:9, NIV

Do you pray? In J.C. Ryle’s small but important book, A Call to Prayer, he challenges readers with this simple question. Ryle asserts “there is no duty in religion so neglected as private prayer.” I’m sure many of us would agree; of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer is often the hardest habit to form and one that is most quickly broken. However, we should strive to pray often, because prayer is an incredibly important element of our faith.

Here are a few reasons Ryle gives for why prayer is so important:

1. A habit of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian. The greatest heroes and heroines of the Bible often shared a similar attribute- they were men and women of prayer. To take your frustrations, challenges, joys, hopes and dreams to God on a regular basis requires a great deal of faith - you are essentially relinquishing control and telling God, “I trust you will work on my behalf in this situation.” Do you have this kind of faith? Do you pray?

2. A habit of prayer brings great encouragement to the one who prays. In the Bible, we see that prayer moved God to raise the dead, heal the sick, save souls, draw water from a rock and send bread from heaven. Prayer even made the sun stand still! The fact that prayer moves God to action should be a great encouragement to us. Are you encouraged by God’s provision and power? Do you pray?

3. A habit of prayer creates holy men and women. The more we seek God out in prayer, the more our hearts are aligned with what God desires for us and we become holier men and women in the process. Are you growing closer to God? Do you pray?

4. If we do not pray, we run the risk of backsliding in our faith. Let’s be clear - Ryle doesn’t mean we should fear losing our salvation. However, without prayer we run the risk of becoming stagnate in our faith, if not falling back into sinful habits and temptations we had once overcome through prayer. When a relationship turns sour, often a main cause is poor communication. So too with us and God. Do you feel stagnate in your faith or distant from God? Do you pray?

5. A habit of prayer brings peace and contentment. We live in a sin-filled world. Sorrows and troubles abound. So how do we combat sadness, disappointments, fears, slanders, and hurt? When we cry out to our Father, he offers us peace that transcends our understanding. This is one of the richest blessings of our faith. Are you experiencing this blessing? Do you pray?

Intersecting Faith and Life:  Ryle says, “In every journey, there must be a first step.” If you desire to become a more prayerful person, take time today and go somewhere quiet, shut the door and pray aloud that God would give you the grace and strength you need to develop a habit of prayer. Then be encouraged- God greatly desires you to be in regular prayer with him- if we ask, seek and knock, he will open the door for us to a richer prayer life.

Further Reading:

Hebrews 5:7
Matthew 6:5-6
Romans 8:26

A Prayer for God’s Strength When You’re Running on Empty..... By: Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer for God’s Strength When You’re Running on Empty

By: Emily Rose Massey

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

In my current season of life, raising little ones, I am running on empty. My flesh feels so limited most days. I often use the phrase “swimming through mud” when I am trying to accomplish my tasks for the day and met with resistance, distractions, and interruptions. I find my frequent prayer to be “Help me, Jesus.”

In a culture (yes, even within the visible church) where positive affirmations and self-empowered declarations are the norm, admitting your weakness, limitedness, and failures is seen as negative and perhaps even harmful to your soul. You can purchase T-shirts and find graphics all over the internet that proclaim: “You are enough.”

Yet, the Bible reveals that we are not enough in an of ourselves or in our own abilities; we are but dust (Psalm 103:14-16). The Lord is the one who gives us the breath and talents to accomplish anything. Admitting our “not enough-ness” provides an opportunity to look to God because He is in fact more than enough and His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12). Ultimately, the Lord is glorified in my weakness and in my feeling of emptiness and “not enough-ness.”

The Psalmist Asaph boldly admits his frail humanity in Psalm 73:

“My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (26, NASB).

When I am emptied of myself and my grit and pride when I think I can ‘slay all day’ and spin all the plates without them crashing to the floor, it is then that I can be filled with His strength and grace to walk out my calling as a wife, mother, writer, teacher, and homemaker.

When empowerment culture shouts “You cannot pour from an empty cup!” I remind my heart that I can pour from an empty cup, for the Lord is my portion! It’s when my “cup” is empty that I can be filled up with God’s strength.  And that’s the best place for me to be. When I cannot rely on myself at all, I can rely on Him and lean upon the Lord, my Rock. This also means we must take time to be filled up with Him by staying in His Word. If we are looking for “self-care” to be “filled up,” the best care for our soul is to set aside a part of our day to commune with the Lord. God uses “empty cups” to reveal that He is enough!

Father, 

I am feeling so exhausted, stressed, and empty…like I have nothing left to give. But I trust that is exactly where You want me to be so that I can rely on You alone. You give me the strength and grace to continue to pour because Your grace and mercy are fresh for me every day. Instead of trying to muster up the strength in myself, I lift my eyes to You and call out to You for help.

When I am feeling weary, I run to You. Help me find moments throughout my day to spend time with You as You continue to teach me that You are enough for me.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.