Our Heart's Desires..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Our Heart's Desires

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 145:17-21

If you could have anything in the world, what would it be? Your answer reveals a lot about who you are. The psalmist writes, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4). There is nothing wrong with desires--they motivate us to achieve great things. But not all of our yearnings come from God.

Consider your aspirations and what they say about who you are:

Do you hope for a position of authority in order to be in control? Longing for personal advancement in order to manipulate others reveals a lack of integrity, whereas a godly person craves righteousness.

Do you dream about wealth and fame? Perhaps there's a void in your spirit that you're trying to fill. But only God can meet the insatiable needs of the human heart.

Are you afraid to ask the Lord for what you want? Maybe you think He won't listen, but God tells us to approach His throne with boldness and confidence (Heb. 4:16).

If the Lord doesn't respond affirmatively to your prayers, ask Him to make your desires conform to His will. Whatever you do, don't take matters into your own hands and go after what you want. There is always a high price to pay for rebelling against God.

God cares for us bountifully, but that doesn't mean we can expect Him to deliver whatever we want, whenever we want it. Only when our dreams align with His plan for our lives does He fulfill them. The thoughts that preoccupy us are an accurate barometer of the state of our relationship with Christ.

Love-based Obedience..... Craig Denison

 

Love-based Obedience

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” The greatest of all aspects of the Christian life is love. Love is to be at the foundation of all we do, all we are, and all we hold on to. If we focus on love and allow the Holy Spirit to strip everything else away, what will be left is a life of blessed simplicity rooted in face-to-face relationship with our heavenly Father. As we spend time this week looking at the simplicity of love, I pray that all the weighty, frivolous things of the world that rob you of an abundant life fall away in light of the glorious goodness of God’s unconditional and wholly available love for you.

Scripture:“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” John 14:21

Devotional:           

For much of my life I feared the thought of obedience, especially to the almighty, all-knowing, and all-powerful Creator of the universe. I couldn’t seem to find a way to consistently choose him over myself. I couldn’t seem to be able to live for his affections over those of the world. As hard as I would try in various seasons, I just couldn’t be obedient.

What I didn’t realize about God’s command to be obedient was the process by which I could grow in obedience. God will take our obedience however he can get it because he wants us to enjoy the incredible fruits of his perfect will, but his desire is always to love us to a place that our obedience would be a natural overflow of our love for him. He longs for us to live a lifestyle of love-based obedience.

John 14:15 says very simply, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jesus’ words here are a promise. If we truly love him, we will keep his commandments. If we truly have love in our hearts, we can’t help but be obedient to him. I long to grow to the place where I am so in love with Jesus that I long to choose him in every situation. I long to be a servant so in love with my King that I would die for him or anyone else he asked me to.

The love of God is so real, so powerful, and so transformational that it can mold and shape us into people who no longer live for this temporal world but seek first an everlasting, invisible kingdom. If we will simply be people who let God love us in every moment, we will naturally be people who are obedient to God’s perfect will for us.

Romans 6:17-18 says, “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” Through the powerful sacrifice of Jesus, you have been transformed into a person who has gained freedom from the law of sin. You are now enslaved to a lifestyle of right living whereby you obey your King out of devotion to him.

Take time in guided prayer today to receive the transformational love of your heavenly Father. Allow his love to lay a foundation on which you pursue wholehearted obedience. May you be filled with affection for your King today as you receive the wealth of unconditional love he has for you.

Guided Prayer:

1. Open your heart to God to allow him to come in and love you. Ask him to guide you into a powerful encounter with his love today. Ask him to make you aware of his nearness and heart for you.

“And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:19

2. Meditate on verses about obedience. Ask the Holy Spirit to transform you into a person who obeys God’s commands out of love for him.

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” John 14:21

“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” John 14:23

3. Commit yourself to obey God’s commands out of trust and affection for him. Choose to serve him and those he’s placed in your life. Ask him to fill you with a desire to do his will that your obedience wouldn’t take debate but rather be a seamless action flowing from the love he’s placed within you.

“But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.” Deuteronomy 30:14

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

Imagine how blessed our lives would be if we lived in total obedience to the will of God. Imagine the impact we would leave on this world. Imagine the wealth of heavenly reward we would have for all eternity. How wonderful is the heart of our heavenly Father that he would love us into a place of obedience to him, and then reward us and others for it! Our obedience is solely based on accepting his grace, and yet he loves to bless us through it. Praise be to our loving heavenly Father for the incredible life he’s given us at such a great cost. May we love him in all we do.

Extended Reading: John 14-15

When Words Fail..... ALICIA BRUXVOORT

 When Words Fail

ALICIA BRUXVOORT

“All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right …” 2 Timothy 3:16 (VOICE)

“I don’t know what to say anymore,” my daughter whispered as she stared at the text message she’d just received.

The phone in her hand trembled, and the tears brimming in her eyes spilled down her cheeks. She exhaled a jagged sigh, sank onto the couch and surrendered to sadness.

My heart ached for my teen and for her hurting friend on the other side of the difficult text. She was navigating a situation that was perplexing and complicated. There were no swift answers to fix it, no formula to make it disappear.

The text necessitated a response, but my girl had nothing left to say. She was depleted. Discouraged. And so very, very tired.

We sat in silence together until her steady streams of sorrow slowed to a quiet drizzle. Then I pointed to the phone in my daughter’s hand and said, “May I help you find the words?”

I paused. Prayed. And leaned a little closer to my sniffling girl. Then, one letter at a time, I helped her string together sentences into a thoughtful reply.

I don’t help my teen write every text she sends. She’s an expressive young woman and an astute communicator. But sometimes when we’re standing in the middle of painful places and difficult spaces, we need a voice to help express what our overwhelmed hearts cannot.

Of course, texting teens aren’t the only ones who find themselves short on words and long on heartache. I know that tension, too.

And I’ve discovered that, in those unscripted moments of anguish, prayer can feel hollow and hard. Though I desire to connect with God in the midst of my struggles, I can’t always find the words to verbalize my longings or articulate my needs.

But that’s when I recall the way I offered my daughter words when she had none. And I remind myself that God wants to do the same for His children, too.

I don’t need to fabricate fancy prayers when I don’t know what to say; I simply need a voice that can shape my words when I’m depleted and dry.

That’s why I’m glad the Bible isn’t just a list of rules or an assembly of sage suggestions. It’s not a collection of static discourse or a volume of ancient history lessons. The Bible is the vibrant voice of God. It’s His wisdom parceled on the page for our taking, His heart revealed through language and lyrics, stories and symbols.

According to 2 Timothy 3:16, “All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right …”

When I recognize this astounding truth, I am quick to borrow God’s words instead of trying to contrive my own.

When my wails of fatigue are louder than the whimpers of my faith, I turn God’s promises into my personal petitions. When confusion clutters my clarity, I speak God’s Truth into my circumstances and declare His assurances over my qualms. When anger clouds my perception, I rehearse God’s wisdom instead of rehashing my offense; I declare His glory instead of seeking mine.

And, friend, as a child of God, you can do the same.

Next time prayer feels difficult, grab your Bible and sidle up beside the One who loves you and will never leave you. Then read as if you’re listening to His voice. (Because you are!)

As you encounter God’s sweeping words on the page, ask the Holy Spirit to highlight a specific word in your heart. Pay attention to the way a particular verse, phrase, idea or concept in Scripture speaks into your current circumstance. Ask God to help you understand what He’s saying. Then turn those timely truths into your personal petitions.

Scribble them in a notebook.
Sing them in a song.
Post them on your mirror.
Text them to yourself (and maybe to a friend, too!)

Let God’s voice bridge the gap between the circumstances that have swallowed your words and the longing that drives you to prayer.

And as you make room for your heavenly Father to speak, remember this wondrous truth — though our words may falter or fail, God’s Word never will.

Dear Jesus, thank You for being a speaking Savior. Teach me to pray Your words and trust Your promises. I want to anchor my hope in Your timeless Truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Time for Everything..... By Greg Laurie

 A Time for Everything

By Greg Laurie

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” - Ecclesiastes 3:1

Has it ever seemed as though God has let you down? Perhaps it appeared that He didn’t come through for you in your hour of need or that He somehow forgot about you. Maybe you asked Him to do a certain thing, and He didn’t do it as quickly as you wanted Him to. He just seemed to be too late.

One reason we sometimes we feel that way is because we live on a human schedule. There is a time when we wake up. There is a time when we eat lunch. There is a time when we go to sleep. Our lives are governed by schedules.

We can waste a lot of time, however. In an average lifetime, Americans will spend six months sitting at traffic lights waiting for them to change, spend one year searching through desk clutter looking for misplaced objects, spend eight months opening junk mail, spend two years trying to call people who aren’t in, spend five years waiting in lines, and spend three years in meetings. (I guarantee that I’ve spent more than that.) And in one year, the average American will spend 1,700 hours watching television.

Somehow God doesn’t seem to be bound by the same schedules we live by, because He lives in the eternal realm. We live in the physical and temporal realm. Therefore, it’s hard for us to understand how God can work outside of our schedules. He keeps a different schedule than we do. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in His time.”

God is above time. And when it seems as though He is late, this is what we need to remember: God is never late. He is always on time. We may lose sight of God, but He never loses sight of us.

Heavenly Father, help us to trust in your timing. You promise that you will never abandon us, and that all things will work for your promise. Amen.

Down-size Me..... By: John UpChurch

 Down-size Me

By: John UpChurch

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.- Matthew 5:3, ESV

You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. - Matthew 5:3, MSG

Let's try to regain the shock value in the way Jesus opened His Sermon on the Mount. We're too familiar with the statements and too far removed from the time to hear it like the original listeners. Imagine going to a fast food restaurant, ordering an enormous value meal, and the cashier hitting you with this question: "Would you like to down-size your meal for a dollar less?" Or imagine a car salesperson pausing before you sign the papers and saying, "You know what? That extended warranty is overpriced. Let's get rid of it."

Now you have an idea how much impact Jesus had and why the audience was so astounded. Just like we expect people to push us to buy more, the Jews at the time expected their rabbis to tell them the things they needed to do, the rules they needed to abide by. They came expecting to learn the ten steps required to earn God's favor, but Jesus crumpled up that idea and threw it out. Instead, He revealed that God's favor and blessings come to those who are poor in spirit.

There's more to it, however, than simply feeling beaten down or contrite. The poor in spirit—the ones at the end of their ropes—are those who realize they've gone as far as human effort can get them. In terms of salvation, that's not very far. Here's how John Gill puts it:

The greater part of mankind are insensible of this their condition; but think themselves rich, and increased with goods: there are some who are sensible of it, who see their poverty and want, freely acknowledge it, bewail it, and mourn over it; are humbled for it, and are broken under a sense of it; entertain low and mean thoughts of themselves; seek after the true riches, both of grace and glory; and frankly acknowledge, that all they have, or hope to have, is owing to the free grace of God. (John Gill, commentary on Matthew 5:3)

The poor in spirit don't just feel bad; they feel bad because they realize how destitute their condition. When we truly understand that "karma points" and charitable acts amount to nothing more than drops of food coloring in the ocean, then we've gotten the point: We can't even approach the kingdom of God, let alone enter it, through our own efforts.

But those who look down and see the filth (and pre-salvation, our spiritual appearance is just that) are those who realize the need for God. And with that realization comes the increase of God in our lives and the decrease of self.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  The beatitudes are much more than good ideas or suggestions. They crush preconceptions and expose us as we truly are. Each one reveals our need for God, our need for the work only He could do. When we're poor in spirit (that is, realizing our condition), we're rich in Him.

Further Reading

Matthew 5

Luke 6

A Prayer for Trust to Step Out in Faith..... By Debbie Przybylski

 A Prayer for Trust to Step Out in Faith

By Debbie Przybylski

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

We all want God to answer our prayers. We believe in the power of prayer, but when it comes down to our own individual lives and problems, we often don’t have the faith to believe that God will answer. Unbelief and independence trap us. But God wants to enlarge our territory and bless us with increase, because His nature is to bless. Our lack of faith and our fear of stepping out in dependence on Him are what get in the way. The truth is that the things we do for God should be outside of our own abilities; they should be evidence that we are trusting in His supernatural ability.

When we back away from dependence, we are not living by faith. We need to be willing to attempt things big enough that unless God steps in, we are sure to fail. Faith is like jumping out of an airplane at fifteen thousand feet. If God doesn’t catch you, you will fall and crash. But how do you know unless you jump? This is the kind of faith and dependence He is looking for in our lives. Remember the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10:

"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.”

Jabez cried out to God to enlarge his territory and bless him. He cried out for God’s hand to be with him. Jabez was greatly blessed by God because he didn’t let obstacles become larger than his faith. He knew the character of God and that He loved to bless. We, too, are made for destiny. We have a God-inspired desire to impact our world. Created for something bigger than ourselves, we are designed to touch a lost world. We long to make an impact on our land for eternity, whether it is where we work, live or minister.

But in reality most of us are afraid to step out by faith.

What step of faith is God asking you to take today? Will you put everything into His almighty hands, adjust your life to what you are praying for, and step out by faith in whatever way He leads? When you do this, you become dependent in His dependable hands. He is waiting for your invitation to enlarge your faith.

Gracious Father, as we begin a new day, help us to engage your will with a reckless faith. Teach us to trust in you, and help us grow in righteousness. Heavenly Lord, give us the courage to step out in faith this day. Fill our hearts with your spirit, and let us speak your words with pride.