Someone of Value.....By Greg Laurie

 Someone of Value

By Greg Laurie

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. – Jeremiah 31:3

When we think of the apostles, we think of holy men of God. And though they were gifted and dedicated, they also were ordinary. Jesus did not call these men because they were great; their greatness was the result of the call of Jesus.

A great writer can take an ordinary piece of paper, and with the addition of his or her words, it suddenly becomes extremely valuable. It wasn’t the paper that was valuable; it was what the writer put down on that paper. A great artist can take a canvas and paint, and suddenly it becomes a costly work of art because of what the artist did. It wasn’t the canvas that was valuable; it is what the artist painted on the canvas.

As believers, we recognize in ourselves that we are sinners separated from God. But let’s also recognize that when Christ came into our lives, He gave us value. He put His treasure in earthen vessels, or in jars of clay, which are our lives. As 2 Corinthians 4:7 tells us, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”

With a new confidence and boldness, we have something to offer. It is not self-confidence; it is God-confidence. It is not self-esteem; it’s God-esteem. God graciously forgave us and took us into His kingdom, and now He has made us someone of value. In the same way, the apostles were valuable because of what Jesus did in their lives.

God wrote His name on you when you gave your life to Jesus Christ. He has given you gifts and abilities. He has invested himself in you. That is where your value comes from. And that’s why you can make a difference.

A Foundation of Affection.....Craig Denison Ministries

 A Foundation of Affection

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

One of the greatest privileges as a child of God is that we can have the heart of our heavenly Father. We don’t have to wonder how he feels about us. We don’t have to wonder if he will guide us. We don’t have to question whether he loves us or cares about us. Through the Holy Spirit we have continual, free access to the heart of God. May your relationship with God go deeper and become freer as we learn how to have God’s heart this week.

Scripture:

“So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

Devotional:    

One of the most wonderful results of knowing the heart of God is living with a foundation of affection. Often we spend too much of our daily time and energy working for the affections of others. From trying to earn the respect and admiration of friends and family to vying for approval from a complete stranger, we are in constant need of affection.

But as believers we’ve been given a wellspring of love and affection in communion with our heavenly Father. There’s nothing we have to do or could ever do to earn the love of God. His love is the beginning. His affection is meant to be the catalyst for our emotions, thoughts, and actions rather than the result. It’s for this reason God calls us to be rooted and grounded in his love in Ephesians 3:17-19. Scripture says:

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

When we seek a fresh revelation of God’s unconditional love we naturally become secure and unshakable. When we discover the unfathomable depths of God’s affection for us we naturally stop vying for love from others. And as we daily access the heart of God we become filled with all his fullness, richly satisfied with a love far greater than we could ever earn.

1 John 4:16 says, “Whoever abides in love abides in God.” Take time in guided prayer to abide in the love of your heavenly Father. Let him surround you with his transcendent peace. Let him reveal his vast and overwhelming affection for you. And live today in light of God’s glorious grace that you might devote your time and energy to responding to love rather than earning it. May God’s affection be your foundation today.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the unconditional love of God available to you. Allow Scripture to fill you with a longing to be rooted in God’s love.

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10

2. Are you devoting time and energy to earning affection in any way? Are you seeking to earn love rather than living in response to the love you’ve already been given?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of God’s love. Open your heart to encounter and receive the unconditional love of your heavenly Father.

“So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

Ephesians 5:2 says, “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Live today as an act of worship to a God who’s loved you to greater depths than you could ever repay. Seek to love God in all you do, think, feel, and say. Whether interacting with a stranger, eating a meal with a friend, working, walking, or breathing, do it all for the glory of your loving Father. Allow God’s affection to be the foundation for your own. May your life satisfy the heart of God and stir up others around you to greater levels of devotion to our worthy King.

Extended Reading: Ephesians 3

When You Aren’t Sure What the Next Step Looks Like...RUTH SCHWENK

 When You Aren’t Sure What the Next Step Looks Like

RUTH SCHWENK

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) 

Several years ago, when my husband and I were newly married, we found ourselves in the middle of a difficult season. My husband had resigned his position at a local church, and what we thought would be next fell through at the last minute.

We were immediately thrust into uncertainty, struggling to pay our bills. As he worked late nights at a factory to bring in some income, I agonized over our situation, praying fervently for the Lord to show us what was next.

After what felt like an eternity, God opened the door to a new position at a wonderful church. And as we would learn over the next years of marriage, this was just the beginning of what is a lifetime of discerning what God wants and trusting Him for what is just out of our sight.

It is easy for us to feel overwhelmed no matter how old we are. We agonize whether this step or that decision is right. We wonder if we are following the path God wants for us.

But I think that sometimes we make it too complicated or harder than it needs to be. Maybe we need to pursue trust more than clarity.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

So often, I lean on my own understanding. I calculate in order to get clarity. I try to figure out my way through the fog! But the writer of most of Proverbs, King Solomon, invites us not to lean on our own understanding, resources or connections but rather on God Himself.

To “lean” (Hebrew: Shaw-an) on God literally means “to put all of your weight on” the wisdom and love of the Lord. It is to completely rely on, and completely rest in, the One who knows all and supplies all. He is the One who can make our paths straight. That’s not a promise that we will always make the right choice. Rather, it is a promise that, no matter what, He will be with us, and His purposes will not fail. (Proverbs 19:21)

Truthfully, when I have a choice to make, I run through every possible scenario in my mind. And if the waiting is too long, I find myself obsessing about what the future holds. This definitely doesn’t look like me putting all of my weight on Him. But putting our weight on Him is what we can do. The weight isn’t for us to carry. We are to lean on Him completely.

Furthermore, when Proverbs 3:6 says “acknowledge him,” it means more than just a recognition, like when you see someone walking down the street. It means a deep and intimate knowledge of who God is and confidence in His character. An assurance that He sees all and is working for our good and His glory. When we truly know God, we can’t help but trust Him.

Friend, peace is found in walking by faith, not in figuring out the future. No matter what choices we make, we can trust God will be with us, loving us and leading us. We can put all of our concerns completely on our loving Father. Will you give back the gift of your trust to Him today, no matter what you are facing?

Lord, help me to seek You first in all I do. My life is in Your hands, and I want to rely completely on You. Give me a heart that desires to know You and live completely for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Learning from Failure.....Dr. Charles Stanley

 Learning from Failure

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 22:31-34

The disciple Peter was a man of great faith and bold action. But as readers of the New Testament know, his brash style sometimes led him to make humiliating mistakes. More than once, this disciple had to wear the label of "miserable failure" rather than that of "obedient servant."

We can all relate when it comes to falling short of expectations. Obedience to God is a learning process, and failure is a part of our development as humble servants. When we yield to temptation or rebel against God's authority, we realize that sin has few rewards, and even those are fleeting.

Failure is an excellent learning tool, as Peter could certainly attest. Through trial and error, he discovered that humility is required of believers (John 13:5-14); that God's ways are higher than the world's ways (Mark 8:33); and that one should never take his eyes off Jesus (Matt. 14:30). He took each of those lessons to heart and thereby grew stronger in his faith. Isn't that Romans 8:28 in action? God caused Peter's failures to be put to good use as training material because the disciple was eager to mature and serve.

God doesn't reward rebellion or wrongdoing. However, by His grace, He blesses those who choose repentance and embrace chastisement as a tool for growth.

We would probably all prefer to grow in our faith without ever making a mistake before God's eyes, but we cannot deny that missteps are instructive. Failure teaches believers that it is much wiser and more profitable to be obedient to the Lord. That's a lesson we all should take to heart.

High Infidelity.....by Alex Crain

 High Infidelity

by Alex Crain

"…you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."
Romans 7:4 NASB

Usually, we think of "having faith" as simply "trusting, believing." And while that is true, it can be incomplete if we forget that, as Christians, we are also joined to Christ as our Bridegroom. In other words, there is a real relationship with Him—the living Christ—that is at stake. It is not just a matter of possessing correct content of what we believe about the person and work of Christ. And although we never have a legitimate cause to do so, we often break faith with and betray our faithful Bridegroom.

Francis Schaeffer talks about this in chapter seven of True Spirituality where we continue our journey with him this week. Citing the passage above, he notes that since we have been rescued from the tyranny of the devil and placed safely in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ—we are now positioned to bring forth His fruit.

Schaeffer expands upon the simple, yet remarkably powerful word picture in Romans 7:1-4 to make the point plain:

"Imagine a married couple both of the one color of skin. Suddenly the wife brings forth a child clearly of another race [sic]. All the world would know that she has been unfaithful to her proper mate. So it is with us."

When we do not bring forth His fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (per Galatians 5:19)—but bring forth immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these (Galatians 5:19), it is because we have broken faith with Him and are in the state of infidelity of the highest order.

What generally causes us to distrust Christ and leads us to break faith with Him and run to the arms of another is the fact that we often think that we have a better way. We think that, somehow, God really doesn't have our best interests at heart. I know for me, personally, this happens mostly when I am "Law-minded" in a way that discounts or obscures the gospel. One writer, Milton Vincent, in his a gospel primer for christians provides a helpful counter to this erroneous and sinful way of thinking (p. 18):

"…when I begin my train of thought with the gospel, I realize that if God loved me enough to sacrifice His Son's life for me, then He must be guided by that same love when He speaks His commandments to me. Viewing God's commands and prohibitions in this light, I can see them for what they really are: friendly signposts from a heavenly Father who is seeking to love me through each directive, so that I might experience His very fullness forever." (see Deut. 5:29)

Not only are they friendly signposts, they are friendly love letters from our faithful Bridegroom who has done nothing to warrant our distrust. By His life-giving Spirit, He is actively seeking to love us and bring forth His fruit in us today. What is the state of your union with Him?

Intersecting Faith & Life: In light of today's devotional, contemplate afresh Schaeffer's summary of the life of faith: "The how of the Christian life is the power of the crucified and risen Lord, through the agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit, by faith moment by moment."

For Further Prayer & Study:
If repentance for spiritual infidelity is in order, reflect on Isaiah 30:15 "Thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.'" For further study, read Romans 6:1.

A Prayer to Keep from Stumbling.... By: Victoria Riollano

 A Prayer to Keep from Stumbling

By: Victoria Riollano

For You have delivered my soul from death, Indeed my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk before God In the light of the living. Psalm 56:13

As a child, I was prone to falling. In fact, if there was an opportunity to stumble, you would find me flat-faced on the ground. I tripped over rocks, my own pant legs, up flights of stairs, and simply by stepping onto grass. Throughout my childhood, I would come home with torn muddy jeans. I wish I could say that my clumsy ways ended as a child.

But no, my most epic fall happened at church about ten years ago. After attending my second service at the church, I stumbled down a flight of stairs in front of the entire congregation. As everyone gathered around me and prayed for a miracle and that I would be able to walk out of the church unscathed, I laid there writhing in pain. Days later, I was informed that the fall was so severe I would need metal rods placed in my legs to walk in a stable matter. Needless to say, this fall was one that was going to cost me more than embarrassment. It was costing me my ability to function. 

The truth is the accident with the stairs was preventable. In fact, I hadn’t even noticed the stairs. While I should have been focused on walking, my head was completely buried in my phone. Instead of being aware of the obstacles ahead, I was distracted. 

I firmly believe that many believers find themselves in a similar predicament spiritually. When they least expect it, their choice to give into distraction becomes their biggest enemy. Our tendency to focus on the lives of others, be caught up in social media, overly worry about life’s issues, or even our choice to participate in sinful behavior, causes us to stumble. Instead of being focused on God’s Word and allowing Him to chart our path, we allow our poor choices to dictate the world around us. 

I love the verse that says,

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 NIV

This verse reminds us of the truth that we need the Lord to illuminate our steps. We need Him for every action, interaction, and reaction. Without Him, we are certain to make careless mistakes, and fleshly choices that will lead to our own destruction. As Christians, it should be our desire to not just be Christians by name but also through our lifestyle. We can do this by allowing Him to take the lead and show us how to live each day. When we fail to do so, we will find ourselves much like the childhood version of myself; when there is an opportunity to stumble, we will.

The Bible says it like this, 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 ESV

If we aren’t sure what to do or what decision to make, we can call on God, our very present help. He is the One who will keep our feet from stumbling. He is the One who knows all and is gracious to give us wisdom, if we only ask. 

Let’s pray.

Lord, 

I thank you that you keep my feet from stumbling. You keep me safe and are a very present help. I’m never out of your reach and you guide me along straight paths. Lord, teach me how to walk in your word. Show me how to trust you in the small decisions and in the big ones. Father, if there are any actions or secret sins that are causing me to fall, will you highlight them for me? Lord, give me an open heart to receive your correction. Show me how to walk in the light of your love and be a shining example of what it means to live for you.

In Jesus' name, Amen.