God Longs for Us to Know His Voice.. Craig Denison Ministries

 

God Longs for Us to Know His Voice

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

One of the most scandalous truths of the gospel is that our Creator longs to be encountered by his creation. God longs to meet with us. His greatest desire is for relationship with us. I can’t fathom why God in all his holiness and goodness makes himself available to us, but it is the powerful truth of Scripture. God is pursuing each of us with his relentless love, seeking out those who might respond to his open invitation by opening the door of their hearts to him. My prayer is that in response to God’s desire to meet with his people we would be those who say yes to centering our lives around his nearness. May your week be marked by the reality of God’s presence and love.

Scripture:“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3

Devotional:           

I’ve spent so much of my life as a believer thinking that God was silent, or at least only spoke through the Bible, others, and situations. While God most definitely does speak in those ways, he also longs to speak directly to his children. Scripture is laden with story after story of God’s people hearing his voice and responding in obedience. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, God clearly speaks to his people. The question before us today is, will we make space to listen?

John 8:47 says, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God.” And John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” We serve a God who desires his voice to be known. God is not silent. He is not quiet. Our heavenly Father longs to guide us, tell us his heart for us, and do life with us. He’s longing for a relationship with you filled with continual conversation.

Hearing God’s voice is not only for a select few. It isn’t only for the Christian elite or those who spend all day, every day meditating and praying. We as believers hear God’s voice first and foremost because he wants to speak to us. We can hear God’s voice by grace alone.

So what does it sound like to hear God’s voice? Through the Holy Spirit God is able to speak in clearer and more profound ways than a conversation between you and me. 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” The Holy Spirit is with you right now. And because he dwells within us he has the ability to speak to our heart. He can speak with words or give an intuition or knowledge about something. He can fill us with peace about a decision and give us a feeling of unrest when we’re doing something that isn’t his will. God can speak to us in ways more intimate and clear than any other conversation because there is nothing in the way of us and him.

But God will never force his voice on us. He is not a God who yells into the chaos and attempts to drown out all the other voices. He is a God of peace and patience who waits for us to open our heart to him and listen. Take time today to open your heart and acknowledge the voice of your Father. Make space in all the busyness to simply listen to whatever he would say. Ask him any questions you have of him and trust that he will speak perfectly whatever it is he wants to say to you.

May your day be filled with continual conversation with your loving, present heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the availability of hearing God speak. Reflect on all the ways he speaks and allow Scripture to fill your heart with faith to have a conversation with your heavenly Father.

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

2. Take time to quiet your soul and receive God’s presence. Ask him to reveal his nearness to you. Have faith that the Holy Spirit is with you right now.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

3. Ask God to tell you how he feels about you in this moment. Ask him to speak to you anything he wants you to know. Have patience and pay attention to any changes in your feelings or anything you hear in your spirit.

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3

“O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” Psalm 5:3

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:28

While hearing the voice of God can sound a little “out there,” it is wholly biblical. Our God is alive and active. He is not distant, and he longs for us to truly know him. Allow Scripture to define your reality rather than past experiences or worldly perceptions. The spiritual is wholly real. God’s presence is real. The fact that he dwells within us, speaks, guides, gives revelation, heals, and saves is the reality all of us live in whether we acknowledge it or not. Open your heart to God today and allow him to guide you into a lifestyle of greater communion with him. Live today in the fullness of relationship available to you in the Holy Spirit. May you hear the loving, close voice of the Holy Spirit throughout your day today as you open your heart to him.

Extended Reading: John 10

The World’s Best Teacher..MAX LUCADO

 The World’s Best Teacher

MAX LUCADO 

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26 (NIV)

One afternoon early in my ministry, when I was supposed to be studying, I could not concentrate. I was in the throes of weariness, battling insomnia, a dozen insecurities and deadlines.

I was under the impression that I had to fix everyone’s problems, shoulder everyone’s burdens and never grow weary in doing so. After some moments, I moved from my office chair into the chair I used for guests. I bowed my head and sighed.

When I did, this scripture came to mind: “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, NASB).

I’d read the verse hundreds of times, but this particular time, it was the pronoun “Me” that struck me. I realized that I had been turning to everyone and everything but Him. The words of Jesus went from ink on a page to balm for my soul.

Why did that verse come to mind? Simple. The Holy Spirit, my Teacher, reminded me.

The Spirit has a specific, overarching mission. His task is to teach us about Jesus. Jesus tells us in John 14:26, “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Is this not great news? The Spirit who was present at creation, who was moving and active in Christ’s incarnation and resurrection, and who will be present at the final return of Christ, the mighty hand at the final revelation — He is your Tutor. The invisible presence of God on earth invites you to enter His classroom and learn from Him. He will reveal new and wondrous things to you and remind you of Jesus!

We are not left alone with our questions. It is not up to us to solve the riddles of our existence. We have a Helper, a divine Instructor. He will save us from our confusion and doubt. He does this by enrolling us in the primary course of His university: Jesus Christ.

So let’s invite the Holy Spirit into our world. Let’s begin our days with the words “Welcome, Holy Spirit!” and aim to walk in the Spirit by inviting Him into the details of our lives. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25, NIV)

Let’s allow these prayers to come quickly to our minds: In this moment, what are You teaching me? Or, How am I to respond to this challenge, Lord? Or, Direct me, please. Which way should I go? 

Today, let’s pause and listen and keep an ear inclined toward the Spirit.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Spirit. Thank You for whispering truth when I need it and for teaching me how to love and live like Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Promises of God..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Promises of God

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Corinthians 1:18-22

The Christian life rests on a foundation of God's promises for today and for the future. We can trust everything that our heavenly Father has said because His Word shows Him to be...

Truthful. The Lord knows what is true and speaks honestly in all matters. We can be assured of this because He is holy; there is no sin in Him. He is also omniscient and understands everything (Heb. 4:12-13). His promises are based on His infinite knowledge and truthfulness.

Faithful. Scripture compares the Lord to a shepherd who "gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart" (Isa. 40:11 niv). What He has planned for us, He will bring to fruition (Rom. 8:28). Our heavenly Father does not waver in His intentions or will.

Loving. God's love for us was demonstrated at the cross. He sent His Son Jesus to die by crucifixion and thereby take the punishment for our sins. The Savior experienced God's wrath against iniquity so we might know only His love. This is the ultimate proof of His devotion to us.

All-powerful. Divine power created the world and raised the Savior back to life, so we know God has the ability to carry out all His plans. Our omnipotent Father can keep every one of His promises.

A promise is valuable only if the one making it has trustworthy character and the ability to carry through. Our heavenly Father is truthful, faithful, loving, and all-powerful. We can base our entire life on His promises, secure in the knowledge that He will do just as He has said.

Do What It Says..Matt Brown

 Do What It Says

by Matt Brown

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it--not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it--they will be blessed in what they do." [emphasis added] - James 1:21-25

The Jesus Bible explains,

“The book of James is filled with practical commands for authentic Christian living. In his letter, James, the brother of Jesus, instructed Christians to control their tongues, be slow to anger and fight selfish ambition. But James was not interested in simply sharing a list of things Christians should not do — he also included a number of positive commands for believers.

Just as Jesus spent much of his ministry among those neglected by society, followers of Jesus are commanded to care for and show concern for people who are orphans and widows, the underprivileged, and for sinning brothers and sisters. James placed a specific emphasis on believers emulating the everyday ministry of Jesus within their own lives by showing compassion toward the broken-hearted and poor and by avoiding sin.

The disciples of Jesus should not merely listen to the words of Jesus; they should actively seek opportunities to engage the world with his life-changing message. Just as with Jesus, a believer’s relationships with others—be it family, friends, co-workers or a person who is begging on the street—should be defined by love, mercy, patience and grace.”

There’s no excuse for believers—who have God’s Word—not to carry out God’s commands. The Bible is not something we should read or listen to and then go on our way as if nothing applies to how we should be living and acting. The Bible is God’s story for us, it contains amazing truth, and it helps us know how to live our earthly lives. If we only read God’s Word and don’t live it out, we are truly missing out on God’s best for us. 

"Is there an area of your life that doesn't line up with what the Bible says, and you know it? Don't keep looking for another solution, when you know what you need to do. Repent, turn from ways you know are wrong, and obey what God has spoken to you through His Word. This is the real power of the Word of God, when we allow it to transform the way we think, speak, act and live. Continue in the Word. Don't forget what you've heard. Do it. You will be blessed in ways you cannot begin to imagine.”

 

A Prayer for the Holiday Season..Molly Law

 A Prayer for the Holiday Season

By Molly Law

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” - Luke 2:10

When the calendar hit October 1, my soul filled with glee as I realized the sweep of holidays was in full effect: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. I love this time of year! Everything feels so festive, people come together more easily, and as the crisp autumn breeze blows the varying color of the leaves that turn into a winter wonderland, it feels almost magical — like anything could happen.

But on that first day of October, other feelings were intermingling with my joy. A sliver of stress shot through my body at the mere thought of all that needs to be done: make sure to have candy at the ready for trick-or-treaters, make a list and prepare all that food for Thanksgiving, and set aside money for all of the Christmas gifts I will need to buy for my friends and family. 

As I move through these two emotions in quick succession, I remember what or, more accurately, who will be missing. I know this is a very common feeling that comes with the holidays. For my family, we lost our beloved grandfather on December 8, 2011. As Christmas Day was also his birthday, we did not celebrate Christmas that year in the same way. In the years following, Christmas has felt like a piece of it was missing. 

Time passes, and the pain eases slightly; new family members are born, new ones are added through marriage, and joy slowly infiltrates the celebrations that were once so painful to endure. Even though their memory and the pain of not having them during the holidays never goes away, there is One who comforts us no matter the time of year.

How beautiful it is that at Thanksgiving we can sing praises to our Lord for all the many blessings we have received and for His grace and mercy. And at Christmas, we can celebrate the birth of our Savior, who humbled himself and came as a vulnerable baby to grow as fully human and fully God to suffer and die on a cross and be raised to life, all so that we can have salvation and be united with Him in heaven. 

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord,
Thank you for this time of year, full of laughter, fun, and celebration. Thank you for the time to reflect on you and your many blessings and celebrate the birth of your only Son as your long-fulfilled promise of love for us. Although the world depicts a time of year full of laughter and joy, I pray for those who feel alone, for those who are grieving. I pray as they look around and see nothing but happiness that they do not feel like something is wrong with them. Why they cannot seem to just choose happiness in the most wonderful time of the year, as the Christmas song depicts.

My Father, I pray for those who have lost a loved one or several loved ones and feel nothing but pain and sadness during the holidays. I pray that we do not forget them — I pray we show them kindness and understanding. I pray we can let them know that any and all feelings can be felt during the holidays, and that is okay. I pray that this year, we enjoy the family we do have around us. I pray we remember the good times we had with a loved one now lost and that only good memories abound in our minds. I pray that the holidays bring love, joy, and kindness to us all and that we show it to a world that is broken and hurting. 

Thank you for coming to earth and living among us until it was time for you to die and rise again for us. Thank you for taking away our sins and offering us the gift of salvation. I pray that the focus of the holidays this year be about you and your love for us — that we keep Jesus at the heart of our celebrations.

We love and trust you with all of our hearts, our Lord and Savior.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Delightful Obedience..Laura Bailey

 Delightful Obedience

By Laura Bailey

“Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! It was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” Romans 7:7 NLT

Like most teenagers, the last thing I wanted to do was clean my room before I could go out with my friends. Within minutes of rolling out of bed, a chore list was promptly placed in my hands. But, what annoyed me most about my mother’s lists was the smiley face she always put on the end. I routinely ripped the smiley face off the bottom of the page and proceeded to tear the paper into itty bitty shreds. Yes, I embodied the example of obligatory, unjoyful, self-seeking obedience.

Fortunately, when I am greeted with a task at work, asked to volunteer in the nursery, or simply clean the house, I can outwardly control my dissatisfaction. But inwardly, my eyes roll, my feet stomp, and I begrudgingly complete the chore. I recently finished a Bible study on the ten commandments; the author encouraged us to obey God's Word joyfully. As we moved through the various laws, each one convicting and challenging, I realized I often obey out of obligation instead of delight.

My Christian walk had become a task list, just another thing, a benchmark of validation that at least I am better than ( or not as bad as) her. I began to wonder, am I capable of delightfully obeying God’s Word? I'm wondering if you can relate.

Has your Christian walk become a task list or benchmark you use to seek validation? Do you find yourself excusing a lousy attitude by comparing yourself to others who seem worse off than you? And when the Spirit finally convicts your forced obedience do you wonder if you are even capable of serving with joy?

While God's holiness does elicit our obedience, we miss the mark when we obey outwardly but inwardly rebel. God's intention when giving us the law is essential to consider before forcing ourselves to comply when we lack the understanding to do so with joy. As Paul points out in Romans 7:7, the law is meant to expose our sins and highlight our desperate need for a Savior. Paul reminds readers that the law is holy and pleasing and intended for our benefit, and its intention was for our benefit.

It is through understanding what God requires of us and the knowledge that, on our own, we are not capable of perfectly keeping the law. God’s law helps reveal to us all the ways we sin against a holy God. We all enter the world as sinners, yet, the law shows us our continued desire to sin and rebel against God’s commandments.

Now that we've discussed the bad news, let's get to the good news! Humans can’t perfectly keep the law, but we still have an opportunity for redemption. The realization of our depravity has paved the way for our redemption! Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can receive salvation through faith. And that's not all; this salvation also provides those who believe with the gift of the Holy Spirit, who helps them in their weakness (Romans 8:25-27).

I’d lost my delight in keeping God’s laws because I neglected to remember the message of the gospel. Our commitment to God’s authority is an outward expression of faith resulting from our response to His mercy and grace. Mercy means He didn't give us what we deserved, and grace means He has given us much more than we could ever merit. We can joyfully submit to the will of the Father, not out of duty or obligation, but out of gratitude and love for His gracious gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Even with the power of the Holy Spirit, delightful obedience is a daily struggle. Paul shares with us the internal conflict we face as Christians, doing what we know we shouldn’t and not doing what we know we should ( Romans 7:15-20). But, through sanctification each day, we can choose delightful obedience as we fill our minds with the Scriptures, live in the Christian community, and prayerfully ask God to conform our will to His.

Intersecting Faith and Life:

The Scriptures tell us the importance of our heart’s motives. We can do all the “right things” for the wrong reasons. Take some time today and examine your motivations for serving the Lord. Ask God to help you delight in keeping His commands.

For Further Reading:

• Psalm 19:7-12
• Romans 7

God Longs for Us to Know His Love.. Craig Denison Ministries

 

God Longs for Us to Know His Love

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

One of the most scandalous truths of the gospel is that our Creator longs to be encountered by his creation. God longs to meet with us. His greatest desire is for relationship with us. I can’t fathom why God in all his holiness and goodness makes himself available to us, but it is the powerful truth of Scripture. God is pursuing each of us with his relentless love, seeking out those who might respond to his open invitation by opening the door of their hearts to him. My prayer is that in response to God’s desire to meet with his people we would be those who say yes to centering our lives around his nearness. May your week be marked by the reality of God’s presence and love.

Scripture:“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

Devotional:           

I’ve spent so much of my life striving to be loved. The overwhelming need to be loved by somebody, anybody, is at the heart of most every decision, thought, perspective, and action I make. We are created with a longing to be loved. God formed us with an insatiable need for love because he desires to satisfy that longing. You see, we no longer have to go through life wondering if we’re loved. Our God doesn’t hide his heart from us. He never holds back his love.

Romans 5:8 says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God demonstrated his love for us on the cross. But the cross also serves as a reminder that God will, now and forever, continually pour out his love. Not only did he commit a powerful act of love then, but he also makes his love available to us now.

Psalm 26:3 says, “For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness.” And Psalm 36:5 says, “Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” The love of God is continually available to us. His steadfast love is here, ready to be experienced. God longs to so satisfy our great need for love that we stop seeking it from the world. He longs to so fill us up with his unconditional affections that we would no longer strive to be loved, but simply find rest in him.

Romans 8:37-39 says,

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.

There is nothing we could ever do to separate ourselves from the love of God. As soon as we feel the need to be loved we can always turn our hearts toward our heavenly Father and simply receive a fresh awareness of his powerful, unconditional love. Stop working to be loved. Stop striving for that which is already yours. What are the affections of man in comparison to the love of your Creator? What is the fleeting, fickle praise of man in comparison to the all-consuming, powerful, and truthful love of God? May your life be marked by a peace that comes from resting in the love of your heavenly Father alone.

Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on your need for love. In what ways do you strive to be loved every day? Who have you been seeking out love from to fill a need in your life? Where have you been striving for the opinion of man?

2. Meditate on the unconditional nature of God’s love. Meditate on the availability of his presence.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“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

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you encounter to love of God today. Ask God how he feels about you and wait for a sense of his love. Rest in the truth of Scripture and receive the love of your heavenly Father.

“For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness.” Psalm 26:3

“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” Psalm 36:5

One of the most powerful truths about God’s love can be found in 1 John 4:18. Scripture says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” God’s love makes us fearless. Who or what is there to fear when the God of the universe truly loves us? What cause is there for fear when God would send his only Son to die that we might simply have relationship with him? Rest in the love of God today and allow the truth of his affections for you to cast out any fear you have. There is no reason to fear. God has you and loves you. May you find peace and joy today in response to the steadfast love of your heavenly Father.

Extended Reading: 1 John 4