When It Seems Like the Bottom Dropped Out..... By Greg Laurie

 When It Seems Like the Bottom Dropped Out

By Greg Laurie

Have you ever been extremely lonely, maybe even when you were surrounded by people? Have you ever felt cut off? Have you ever felt as though your friends abandoned you or that you were completely misunderstood?

If so, then you have a faint idea of what Jesus Christ went through as he agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane. In a way, we all face personal Gethsemanes in life, times when it seems as though the world is closing in on us, times of ultimate stress when the cup that we are supposed to drink seems too much to bear, times when we feel like we can’t go on another day.

We cannot always know the will of God in every given situation. But there are times when we know the will of God, and, frankly, we don’t like it. There are other times when we know the will of God, and it doesn’t make any sense. My friend Randy Alcorn uses the term “Father filtered,” which means that either God did it, or God allowed it.

Jesus, being God in human form, knew the future. He knew what was coming down. In John’s account of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus literally suffering – suffering so badly that he was effectively sweating blood. This, next to the cross, was most likely the lowest and loneliest moment in the life of Jesus.

In the Bible some significant things happen in gardens. In the Garden of Eden, people sinned. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus conquered sin. In the Garden of Eden, Adam hid himself. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Lord boldly presented himself. In the Garden of Eden, the sword was drawn. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the sword was sheathed.

At this point, Jesus had preached his last sermon. He had his last meal. And He also had prayed a beautiful prayer in which he prayed for us (see John 17). Matthew’s gospel tells us that Jesus said to Peter, James and John, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me” (26:38 NKJV).

Peter, James and John spent a lot of time with Jesus apart from the other disciples. When Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, he took Peter, James and John with him. When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, he had taken Peter, James and John with him. And in the Garden of Gethsemane, again it was Peter, James and John. Were they the Lord’s favorites? Maybe. Or perhaps there was another reason. Maybe Jesus wanted these guys close by so he could keep an eye on them. Whatever the reason, what an honor to be asked by Jesus to be with him at this crucial moment of his life.

Notice that Jesus did not say, “Explain this to me,” because Jesus didn’t need an explanation. He didn’t say, “Preach to me,” because Jesus didn’t need to hear a sermon. He simply said “Stay here with me.” Because he was lonely, because he was in agony, because he was in pain, he just wanted someone there with them. That’s really all Jesus was asking for.

Matthew tells us that Jesus “went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine’” (verse 39 NLT). Evidently, Jesus was in such agony that He cast himself to the ground in prayer.

Jesus, being God, knew the future in vivid detail. He knew he would be denied by the one he had perhaps invested the most in, Simon Peter. He knew that he would be rejected by his own people, Israel, whom he came to save. He knew that his disciple Judas Iscariot was about to betray him with a kiss. He knew he would be tried in a kangaroo court of injustice and subjected to unfair treatment – ironically, all in the name of God.

And worst of all, Jesus, who had been in constant communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, would have to bear all the sin of the world, past, present and future. We know that for a time, Jesus would be separated from God the Father as he bore the sin of the world, causing him to cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34 NKJV)

That is why Jesus said, “If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me.” In other words, “If there’s another way, please find it.” But of course, there was no other way.

D.L. Moody, one of the great preachers from days gone by, made this statement: “Spread out your petition before God, and then say, ‘Thy will, not mine, be done.’ The sweetest lesson I have learned in God’s school is to let the Lord choose for me.”

Let the Lord choose. He will make a better choice than you will, because he has all the background information. If you’re facing a closed door, a broken relationship, or a disappointment in life, God is still in control. He loves you, and he has a plan.

Waiting on the Lord..... Denison Ministries

 Waiting on the Lord

Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview

Our heavenly Father has made incredible promises to us, his children. And while our God is completely faithful to deliver on his promises, he does not force them on us. He’s promised his nearness, his affections, and an eternal life spent with him. But we have the power to choose our own way. He doesn’t force himself where there’s no space. God’s word won’t have power in our lives if we don’t read it. We won’t hear God effectively if we’re not listening. And we can’t experience his nearness if we constantly fill our lives with other things. So, this week we’re going to talk about different ways we can experience the promises of God so that they might come to full fruition in our lives. May you encounter God powerfully as you grow in fully experiencing the incredible promises of your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Devotional:

Throughout Scripture, God gave his people the strength they needed to both sustain them through circumstances and achieve victory over their enemies. We read examples like David defeating Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, Samson defeating the Philistines in Judges 15, and Jesus crushing the power of sin and death on the cross in Matthew 27. Truly, God has promised his people his strength. But the Bible also tells us of a principle for receiving and experiencing God’s strength. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Let’s look today at the practice of waiting on God for the purpose of experiencing the strength and endurance God has promised us.

Waiting is a practice that seems counterproductive to most of us. In a world where those who act sooner and faster seem to be more successful, the ideas of patience and waiting don’t seem to have a place. But the wisdom of the world is not the wisdom of God. David was a man who was wise in the ways of experiencing God’s promises. He shares with us his insight into receiving God’s strength in Psalm 33:20-22: “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” God longs to shield you from the attacks of your enemy. He longs to protect you from what would tear you down. But like a shield, he can only protect you if you are willing to stay behind him. He can only help you if you are willing to be helped. You must wait on him. You must allow him to go before you and guide you.

David also gives us insight in Psalm 33 on how he was able to so effectively wait on God. He says, “For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.” You will only be able to wait on God to the level that you trust him. Look at your own life today. Where do you struggle with running out in front of God? Where do you have a hard time waiting? Where do you lack patience? Trust isn’t simply a matter of the head, but of the heart. To be able to actively trust God, you have to believe he truly has your best interests in mind. You have to believe in your heart that he isn’t asking you to wait just to stress you out, but because he has something better for you in store.

To fully experience God’s promises of strength and guidance, you must learn to trust God. You have to be willing to wait on him. God’s guidance and timing are perfect. He knows how to lead you, protect you, and empower you. Trust in your heavenly Father today. Take the example David set and choose to wait on God. It’s in doing so that you will experience victory. It’s in waiting on the Lord that you will “mount up with wings like eagles.” Take time today to place your trust in God. Take time to encounter his love. Let his presence fill you with the longing and ability to wait on him. And live today in response to God’s word by asking for and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your life. He has an incredible day in store for you. Simply wait and follow wherever the Spirit leads. 

Guided Prayer:           

1. Take time to receive God’s presence. Let his presence lay a foundation for you to trust him. As you experience his presence, let his goodness remind you of his character as a good Father.

2. Now think about areas of your own life where you have a hard time waiting on God. Where do you lack patience? Where do you feel scared or lacking in trust?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you wait on him today. Ask him to help you trust and follow him wherever he would lead you.

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Following the leading of the Spirit is about your willingness to wait and listen. And waiting and listening starts with encountering the nearness and goodness of your heavenly Father. You aren’t meant to trust in a distant God. You are created to know personally the reality of your God and his love for you, and place your trust in him as a response. Wait on God today. Grow in your willingness to follow him wherever he would lead you. The Holy Spirit has the perfect way to guide you. Simply open your heart to him and listen. So great is God’s love for you that he promises to go before you in every situation. He promises to be your help and shield. Stay behind your God and experience renewed strength for every circumstance you come to today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 33

God's Choice Shaping Tools..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 God's Choice Shaping Tools

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 12:1-5

God's kindness to us is demonstrated by the fact that He doesn't leave us in the condition we were in before coming to faith. How tragic it would be if we still thought, felt, and acted the same way we did before receiving Christ as our Savior. Throughout our lives, the Lord uses His choice tools to shape us into the image of His Son.

Prayer. By talking to the Lord in open dialogue, we develop a relationship with Him. He becomes not just our Savior, but our friend, and as the intimacy grows, so will our passion to be with Him. Setting aside time for prayer each day will become a delight, not a duty.

God's Word. You can't grow in your Christian life if you keep the Bible closed all week long. No one lives on one meal a week, yet many Christians try to get by with just a Sunday dinner of the Word served up by their pastor. How can we expect God's truth to do its transforming work if we never let it into our minds and hearts?

The Church. Christ uses His body of believers as a place for transformation. That's where we rub against each other and have the rough edges of our character smoothed. It is a place of instruction, accountability, and encouragement.

Are you letting the Lord use His character-shaping tools in your life? Our culture has no shortage of worldly voices and pressures that fill minds and influence behavior. Only when we intentionally schedule time for God, His Word, and His people can Christ do His transforming work in our lives.

How Can I Hear From God?..... by Adam Weber

 How Can I Hear From God?

by Adam Weber

My wife says sometimes I talk too much.

It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I know it’s true. If you have a pulse, I can and will talk with you. A lot.

“You need to give others a chance to talk and just listen,” she’ll tell me.

Just listen.

This is good advice for having a conversation with a friend, coworker, or stranger. I mean, it’s a basic social norm and a common courtesy that one acquires by the age of 5. It’s important to listen to others. To give others a chance to speak and share. To give each other a turn to talk.

But it’s also good advice when it comes to prayer and talking with God.

To give Him a turn.
To give God a chance to speak.
To listen to Him.

While many of us, especially us extroverts, are good at talking with people, we often struggle when it comes to speaking with God. Prayer can be overwhelming for many because we don’t know the words to speak. That said, when it comes to prayer, the most important part isn’t speaking. It’s listening!

Listening and giving God a chance to speak isn’t just good advice, it’s necessary and vital to having a true conversation with God.

Now, we can hear from and listen to God at any place and at any time, but we must know what the voice of God sounds like.

The best place to start knowing His voice is by opening up the B-i-b-l-e. #SundaySchool. By seeing His words come alive. As we read, we come to understand the character and heart of God. We come to know His promises and truths. His ways. We see what God has said in the past, which gives us a good idea of what He’ll say to us today. And what He won’t say to us. We come to know what His voice sounds like.

Unlike we naturally assume, when God speaks in the Bible, it’s often not in a loud booming voice from heaven that stops traffic. Instead when God speaks, He does so using a still small voice.

Instead of brashly breaking into our lives, He stands at our front door and gently knocks.
Instead of shouting when we don’t listen, we’re told that He draws us to Himself with His kindness, not His anger.

When it comes to hearing from God, often the main question that we need to answer is the most basic one: Do we want to hear from Him?

If we do, we need to give God the space and room to speak.

More practically, invite God to speak and then be quiet.
Turn off the noise. Instead of checking Twitter between meetings, be still for three minutes and listen.
Get into the Bible. Again, we have to be able to recognize God’s voice if we want to hear it.
Declutter your life. Is every ounce of your day full (including every evening and weekend)? Good luck hearing from a God who whispers and quietly knocks.

If we want to hear from God, we need to give Him time.

Time to share.
Time listening.
Time and availability to speak into our lives.

We need to.

Just listen.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Give God the space and room to speak to you today. Put away the distractions and open up His Word — because He has things He wants to say to you.

For Further Reading:

Jeremiah 29:12
Jeremiah 33:3
James 1:22

A Prayer for When You’re Worn Out..... By Betsy de Cruz

 A Prayer for When You’re Worn Out

By Betsy de Cruz

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

“If I can just make it to the weekend, I’ll finally get to rest,” I tell myself. I look forward to sleeping in and watching Netflix, but that kind of weekend rest only offers a temporary respite from the challenges I’ll face all over again on Monday morning.

While God offers us a deep soul rest that comes from a close walk with Jesus, we’re often dreaming about our next break or vacation. We don’t realize we can experience spiritual rest even on a busy day.

Jesus offers us an invitation and a promise when all our endeavors have worn us out: “Come to me…I will give you rest.”

All we have to do is draw near to Jesus and turn our hearts toward Him. When we ask Jesus to fill us with His life-giving Spirit and give us the strength and energy we need for our daily tasks, He gives generously. Better yet, He offers to walk with us.

When we keep company with Jesus, we learn His gentle nature and humble heart. As we take His yoke upon us, He guides our efforts, showing us what to make our priority and what to leave undone.

Personally, my worries tire me out even faster than my work. It’s my worries that wake me up at 3:00 in the morning, robbing me of a good night’s sleep. Sometimes I tire myself out carrying burdens my Savior never meant for me to shoulder alone.

When we make the choice to entrust our concerns to Jesus, He carries them for us. We can walk freely and lightly, resting and trusting in His Sovereign, loving care.

Friend, if you feel physically tired today, come to Jesus. Ask Him to walk with you. Make abiding in Jesus your first priority, and He will give you spiritual rest as He directs your work. If you feel wearied by worry, how about handing your burden over to Jesus to carry for you?

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus, I come to you today. You know what makes me tired better than I know myself. Would you fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me the physical and spiritual rest I need?

Lord, forgive me for trying to power through life in my own strength. Forgive me for not trusting you with my concerns and for carrying burdens you never meant for me to carry.

Help me walk closely with you and teach me how to abide in you. Empower me for the work you are calling me to do. Teach me to be gentle and humble in spirit. Lord, give me the grace I need to trust you with my worries and cares. I lay them at your feet. I don’t want to carry anything today except for your yoke, which helps me walk more closely with you.

Lord Jesus, you are my resting place. Help me find my rest in you.

In Your Name I pray, Amen.

God’s Easter Promise for You..... By Rick Warren

 God’s Easter Promise for You

By Rick Warren

“By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (1 Corinthians 6:14 NIV).

Millions and millions of Christians around the world celebrate Easter every year. But for far too many of us the story has become boring and rote. We have the basic facts down. Jesus was arrested. He was crucified. And three days later, God raised him from the dead.

Yet we miss something very important. We miss what turns Easter from a one-dimensional holiday to a multi-dimensional, life-transforming way of life.

We miss that the story of the Resurrection isn’t just Jesus’ story — it’s our story as well.

You see, you are a part of the Resurrection. Jesus’ death and Resurrection didn’t just prove there was life after death. The Resurrection proves you can have life after death, that there’s life beyond your grave.

Jesus says, if you trust in him, death becomes a transition, not an ending point.

One day your heart will stop. That will be the end of your body. But it will not be the end of you. God made you to last forever. That’s why you often have a feeling there’s more to life than this. Jesus made this amazing promise in John 11: 25-26: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (NIV).

That’s quite a promise! Jesus proved he could do it by resurrecting himself. Otherwise, we would have no reason to believe it. If Jesus hadn’t died on the cross and been resurrected more than 2,000 years ago, you would have zero chance of getting to Heaven — no hope of the afterlife and no eternal life.

The Bible says, “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (1 Corinthians 6:14).

As Easter comes our way this year, that’s a truth to hang our lives upon. It’s great news that Jesus rose from the dead. But what turns that truth from black and white to living color is that one day — if you trust in him — he will raise you from the grave, too.

That’s the promise of Easter.