When God Looks on Us with Favor..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 When God Looks on Us with Favor

Dr. Charles Stanley

Isaiah 66:1-2

Believers are always under the canopy of God’s grace and love. Nothing we do can change that. At the same time, our behavior and heart condition do determine whether we receive the fullness of His blessings. Today’s passage teaches us how to experience the Father’s favor.

First, He desires that we have a contrite heart and a humble spirit (Ps. 51:17). For that to be the case, all aspects of our lives must be surrendered to Jesus. Yet some dreams, desires, and people are difficult to release into His hands.

Anything we do not give over to His authority is evidence of pride, the exact opposite of what our Father wants in His children. Remember that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Lack of submission proves that we think our way is better than His plan.

Second, God tells us to tremble at His Word (Isa. 66:2). Scripture—the unfolding revelation of Jesus Himself—is living and powerful to teach and transform us. Consider how we treat this treasure. Do we devote time each day to know what the Bible says and how to apply its principles? Do we hunger for more of the Word in our lives so we can know its Author better? One measure of our reverence is obedience: to honor the Lord, we must obey Him.

We all desire God’s favor. Are you living in a manner that positions you to receive His full blessings? Prayerfully consider whether you have submitted all areas of your life—from finances and health to relationships and work habits—to Jesus Christ. Recognize His authority in all things, and revere His Word.

Living Fully Known..... Craig Denison

 

Living Fully Known

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

We live in the reality that there is both light and darkness around us at all times. This world has both good and evil, right and wrong. As believers we must grow in both our acceptance of this reality and our pursuit of the light. We must allow God to mold and shape us into those who rid ourselves of any darkness, become fully known to God, and allow his light to transform us into reflections of his Son. May the Lord open our eyes to see the glorious light before us this week.

Scripture:“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” Luke 8:17

Devotional:

To live in secrecy before God, man, and yourself is to live in darkness. We are made to be fully known. We are made to be open and vulnerable. It’s only in the place of living fully known that we can truly receive the depths of God’s love for us. It’s only in being fully known that we discover who we really are and the immensity of our need for God.

Our culture values perception above reality. We work tirelessly to create an image of perfection in the minds of others that requires a constant covering-up of who we truly are. We work to build up a facade, a false outer shell, in attempts to keep in darkness that which we fear will cause rejection. But the greater our facade the less we are truly loved. When someone loves an image we’ve created that we know isn’t truly us, we can’t receive that love. When someone compliments the image of perfection we’ve worked to create, we are all the time thinking, “If you only knew who I really was, you wouldn’t be saying those things.” To be fully loved is to be fully known.

The sobering truth of Scripture is that God already knows the secrets of our heart and will one day bring them out into the light whether we desire it or not. Hebrews 4:13 says, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Luke 8:17 says, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” God knows the importance of everything being brought to the light. His chief desire is full relationship with us, and he knows full relationship only occurs without secrets.

While God knows the secrets of our heart already, we will not receive the fullness of his love here on earth until we willingly open them up to him. God patiently waits for us to make ourselves fully known to him, all the while beckoning us with his loving-kindness. He declares his good nature to us through Scripture, circumstances, and his Spirit, knocking on the door of our hearts that we might let him in to love us, heal us, and set us free.

Take time today to open your life to God, and with his help, tear down whatever facade you’ve built up. Engage in the process of living fully known by offering up the parts of your heart you’ve never wanted to bring to the light. Tell him of your secrets. Make some space to reflect on your life. What do you work tirelessly to keep in the dark? What thoughts, motives, or wounds do you constantly try and hide? Trust that your God is a good Father. He already knows the secrets of your life. He will not reject you. He is not disgusted with or ashamed of you. He simply wants to fully love you. May you experience the love of your heavenly Father to greater measures today as you seek to live fully known.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of being fully known. Take time to reflect on your life and what living with a facade does to your heart. Think about the wonders of being both fully known and fully loved.

“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” Luke 8:17

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13

2. What secrets, wounds, motives, or thoughts are in darkness? What do you work tirelessly to conceal from others? What are you even working to hide from yourself?

3. Tell God about what you’ve hidden in darkness. Journal, pray, or reflect with him about that which you’ve tried to hide. Open up to him and ask him how he feels about you. Ask him how he feels about what you’ve kept hidden. Take time and simply let him love and enjoy you.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

There is something so powerful about simply being enjoyed by God. When we find that he delights in us, everything changes. In the fifth century, St. Augustine said, “Quia amasti me, fecisti me amabilem,” which means, “In loving me, you made me lovable.” To experience the love of God is to learn that apart from anything we could ever do, we are lovable. You are lovable just as you are, and you can never become unlovable. The God who alone sees every part of you and who alone is true loves you just as you are. May you find security, joy, and peace in the relentless love of your heavenly Father.

Extended Reading: Psalm 36

A Legacy That Points to Christ..... LAURA BAILEY

 A Legacy That Points to Christ

LAURA BAILEY

“And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” Romans 10:15 (NIV)

Have you ever wondered how your friends and family would describe you?

Perhaps they would say that you are kind and compassionate, caring and selfless. Or maybe they would describe you as confident and bold, driven and purposeful. Such traits are both admirable and desirable.

Recently, an acquaintance of mine who embodied all of the above traits went to be with the Lord. Yet when her family chose to remember her, they described her as a “champion of the gospel.”

Wow, what a way to be remembered! I began to ponder: Would people say that about me? More importantly, Does my life demonstrate a desire to champion the gospel?

The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans served two purposes: 1) to present the gospel with clarity and 2) to encourage new Christians. Romans 10:1 and 10:9-10 express his heart’s desire for all to be saved and clearly outline how to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10, NIV).

Throughout his epistles, Paul repeatedly presented the Good News and admonished Christians to share the Good News with others. In Romans 10:14-15, he says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (NIV).

Paul’s passion pulsed through these texts, and his deep concern for the lost stirred his brothers and sisters in Christ to go out with excitement to declare the Good News. I imagine that if Paul preached those words today, high-fives and fist-bumps would ripple across the audience, along with "amens" and “hallelujahs” shouted from energized saints.

Nonetheless, despite my shared enthusiasm after reading Paul’s zealous exhortations, my passion soon wanes, usually before I lay my head to rest. With Bible closed, I try to silence the inner conviction of the Holy Spirit with reasons why I don’t share the gospel:

What if they think I’m a hypocrite?
What if I stumble or say the wrong thing?
What if I offend someone?

Friend, stop making excuses and hiding behind the lies that keep you from sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul plainly wrote that people can’t call on the name of the Lord to be saved if they haven't heard the Good News.

God uses ordinary people to share His extraordinary story of redemption. It’s not about how eloquently we present the gospel; we aren’t the heroes of the story, after all — Christ is. By casting aside our “what-ifs” and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us to proclaim Jesus crucified, dead, buried and resurrected on the third day, we become champions of the gospel.

Neither do we need to hold seminary degrees or serve as professionally trained evangelists or missionaries. Of course, God uses trained evangelists — but the mission field is all around us. Our family, friends, coworkers and neighbors need to hear that God loves them and sent His Son, Jesus, to die for their sins so they can have eternal life by believing in Him.

Has a colleague confided that she feels overwhelmed and grieved by her current circumstances? Invite her for coffee and share where you find hope when life is hard.

Do you have a friend who is wrestling with her faith? Be a safe space for her to talk through her struggles, gently guiding her to seek out our heavenly Father.

Maybe a family member decided that church and God “just isn’t for them.” Prayerfully consider writing them a note of encouragement, letting them know they are always welcome in the Lord’s house.

We champion the gospel of Christ every time we declare the Good News to one who doesn’t know Him as Lord and Savior. As Paul said, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13, NIV).

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to save us from our sins and for giving us eternal life. Be with us as we proclaim the gospel. Put Your Word in our hearts, minds and mouths, and give us wisdom and courage from the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Go and Preach the Good News ..... By: Amanda Idleman

 Go and Preach the Good News 

By: Amanda Idleman

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” - Mark 16:15

Our lives can get so filled up with busyness, entertainment, family life, responsibilities, and on the list goes. We get so distracted that we forget to pursue one of the most central commands of our faith: to share the Good News of Jesus with everyone! The world is lost, hurt, broken, confused, and searching. Believers hold the truth, the answer, and only hope for our dying world.

This passage in Mark is known as the “great commission” from Jesus. Jesus speaks to his disciples from his resurrected body, offering them a parting charge to share God’s story of love with the world. Jesus’ work was complete and now it was up to his followers to share the events they had witnessed with the world.

God has always desired to partner with humanity to complete His good work. But the commission from Jesus greatly expanded who this message was for. The disciples and subsequent Jesus-followers were now authorized to go into all the world to preach the gospel to all of humanity.

The message the disciples were commissioned to share was the history of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Telling others the meaning of these events and inviting whoever would listen to accept Jesus into their hearts so they can enjoy the benefits of being a part of God’s family. As the disciples shared with others, they made more disciples who could reach more and more people with the story of Jesus. Today that same mission endures. Believers are charged by Christ to share his story, heart, love, and the message of his generous offer of salvation with the world.

How can you be intentional about sharing the “Good News” of Jesus?

Tiny actions done with purpose can make a big impact on the lives of those around us. When we are tuned into the Holy Spirit, He will guide us towards interactions that allow us to share our faith with others. God’s Spirit will give you the words to say and the boldness you need to step out in faith and share the message of His love with others!

These moments may be simply being obedient to the nudge in your heart to text someone you love a verse that speaks to their situation. It could be realizing the pain of a neighbor and making a card for them or writing them a letter telling them that God sees them and loves them. Sometimes it’s making time to have coffee with a friend that you know could use a listening ear and offer to pray with them. Most people are open to an invitation to pray together, even if they are not a believer.

It can be telling the story of Jesus to someone who has never heard it before. It could be joyfully supporting missionaries willing to travel to unreached people groups on our planet. You could even be the one who steps up to a pulpit to share a message of hope or travels the globe to spread God’s news to those who haven’t heard it.

Whatever the action, no step of faith is too small for God to use to make an eternal difference in the life of another human. His Word declares that all it takes is the faith of a mustard seed to move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Let’s prioritize sharing the Good News as our hurting world needs to hear this message more than ever before!

Scripture to Comfort..... by Meghan Kleppinger

 Scripture to Comfort

by Meghan Kleppinger

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. - Matthew 5:4, NAS

If you have ever suffered a broken relationship and/or heart, the loss of a loved one, or any number of other devastations, than you know about "that" pain.

It's that pain that originates in the bottom of your stomach and initially feels like a big numb ball. Later it develops into a raw gnawing that can only be equated to burning stabs of fire. It makes it way up through the intestines and finally settles in the throat, choking out all attempted spoken words and creating such an excruciating sensation that tears are sure to follow.

Like any other person who has spent more than a few days on this planet, I know "that" pain well. It comes quickly and when it does, it's difficult to believe that it will ever go away. It brings about sorrow, grief, and as it eventually begins to fade away, it brings guilt.

This has been a tough year for my family. We've lost friends and recently, just a few short weeks ago, my grandfather. I know I'm not an anomaly and that people all over the world are suffering a similar pain, so as I began to pray about what I should write about for this week, I started thinking about what has really been helpful for me during these times.

Friends and family have been great, but most of all, scripture has been comforting me. My hope is that the scripture I share with you will be beneficial to you as you grieve or that you can use it to minister to others who are suffering.

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." (John 14:27)

"And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed n spirit." (Psalm 34:18)

"The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:17)

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3)

"And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."  (Revelation 21:4)

And finally…

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Intersecting Faith & Life: Go to the Word of God for comfort. In the words of Matthew Henry, ""The Word of God gives us great help in attaining the peace we need. It is living, very lively and active in seizing the conscience of the sinner, in cutting him to the heart, and in comforting him and binding up the wounds of the soul. It is powerful. It convinces powerfully, converts powerfully, and comforts powerfully.""

Further Reading

Revelation 21:3-5

A Prayer for When You Want to Quit..... By: Alisha Headley

 A Prayer for When You Want to Quit

By: Alisha Headley

“Not only that, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint…” - Romans 5:3-5

I tend to be a quitter. If you’re anything like me, it comes easy to walk away from something that feels difficult. Whether it’s a fitness class, a friendship, a home project, or diet.

When it comes to being a writer, I’ve wanted to walk away a lot. It gets fearful and lonely at times. It’s easy to believe that although I feel I am being faithful to the task God has assigned me, I’m somehow discouraged and think about quitting. I sometimes feel it’s easier to give up than it is to persevere.

However, today’s verse encourages me. That whatever it is that you are suffering in, the thing that makes you feel like you want to give up, to hang on, and keep persevering. It is that perseverance that builds your character. And although you may suffer through discouragement or doubt, there is hope as the reward. And this reward does not disappoint.

If God has called you to it, hang on. Persevere.

Are you wanting to walk away from your marriage because it doesn’t look the way it’s supposed to look? Hang on. Persevere.

Have you applied for that dream job and no doors are opening? Hang on. Persevere.

Are you tired of fighting for that prayer that never seems to be answered? Hang on. Persevere.

Are you weary of waiting around for a husband to find you? Hang on. Persevere.

As believers, let us rejoice in our sufferings because it leads to perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and ultimately, it brings us to the hope we have in the Lord. Hope is worth hanging on and fighting for.

Dear Lord,

Thank you that you sent your Son to this earth as our greatest example of what it means to persevere. Thank you that we can look at His life and see that although His present sufferings were hard and one may have easily given up, He persevered. He did not give up, and His reward was the hope he had in you.

Thank you that you are with us every step of the way, and even though we feel like giving up because what we see with our eyes is different than what we expect, we know that you are working on our behalf.

We ask that you give us the strength to persevere. We ask that you uplift us in times of discouragement. For when I am weak, you are strong.

We pray that you would make our way purposeful and our steps firm in you when we are tired and weary. May we honor you by staying obedient and faithful on this journey. For we know that you have promised us that we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Thank you for this truth. Give us a heart to keep persevering.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Being Thankful in “All” Things..... by Debbie McDaniel

 Being Thankful in “All” Things

by Debbie McDaniel

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I must be honest, sometimes it's the "all" in that verse that gets me. Most of us can be thankful, for lots of things, at lots of times, but in "all" circumstances? That can be tough.

What about when you find yourself suffering illness, or defeat, or you're walking through huge loss...what about when a loved one leaves this world too soon and you still can't see past your tears...or when you've been praying for your prodigal loved one to come home and it seems like the prayers are unanswered...what about when you're discouraged, disillusioned, and struggling with disbelief...or when you're overwhelmed, overextended, and just fighting being over-stressed...what about when the needs mount high and the way doesn't look clear...or when people are cruel, life seems unfair, and the enemy's breathing down your back...what about when the storms come, and the car breaks down, or the air conditioner stops working on a holiday weekend (true story)...

Yes, these are the "all" things that can be hard to find gratitude in, whether it's huge losses or just life irritations. But God's word never changes to fit our circumstances. His Truth rises above our circumstance, so that we can too. He doesn't say give thanks "for it", but "in it all," for He knows He's building more deeply into our lives and character than He could ever build without the hard times.

We're gaining strength. We're gaining perseverance. We're being reminded that true joy is never based on how we feel or our outside situations. We're understanding that God's ways are bigger, His thoughts are higher, and we can be assured that He holds us in His hands.

And He is with us.

Always.

No matter what you might be facing, the good news is this, you woke up. He's given us today. And if we're still here, living and breathing, may our every breath bring honor to Him.

Be assured my friend, you never fight the battles alone. Stay strong. Choose joy. Choose to be grateful in it "all." For He is building greatness. He's working things out for good. He hears our prayers, He sees all, and knows all. He has purpose for our pain, and brings hope for our tomorrows...

Grace to you this day.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Recognize today, that the most difficult challenge you’re facing right now, may actually be a greater blessing, as God is working in and through your life in powerful ways. No matter how hard, choose to give Him thanks, in “all” things.

Further Reading: Psalm 118:24, Ephesians 5:20, Psalm 100:1-5