Set Apart for His Glory.....By: Jennifer Waddle

 Set Apart for His Glory

By: Jennifer Waddle

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. - Genesis 1:3-5

You’ve probably heard the old phrase, “a place for everything and everything in its place.” It’s a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin, but some believe it existed long before his time. Whatever the case, it’s a quote that parents often use when trying to get their kids to tidy their rooms and put everything back where it belongs.

Of course, the original example of putting things in order comes from God. The instant He spoke the words “Let there be light,” He saw that the light could not reside with darkness. He separated them and gave them each a name. There was no meshing of the two—no blending them together. Instead, God saw that the light was good, and He separated it from the darkness.

What a beautiful word picture for us, as Christians, to live separately from the darkness of the world. While we are required to live in the world, we are not required to mix with the ideas and beliefs that call “good evil and evil good.” There are no gray areas for believers in Christ. For in Him, there is a perfect standard of right and wrong, darkness and light.

Sadly, many well-meaning people have decided to blend their beliefs into a broad, gray area that is neither light nor dark. Compromise has taken the place of standing resolutely on God’s unchanging Word. Blending in with the culture has replaced being set apart for His glory.

I get it. Living in peace with each other is a noble thing. As a peacemaker myself, (sometimes to a fault), it’s sometimes difficult for me to take a firm stand on what is true. But as I re-read Genesis chapter one, I’m reminded of God’s perfect order and His way of separating what needs to be separated.

The thing is, living separately for God shouldn’t be done in an unloving or self-righteous way. In contrast, being set apart for the Lord should be displayed as great love for God and for others—without compromise. We are lights in a dark world, and we should be drawing people to the light of Jesus by the way we live, not repelling them because of a spirit of hatefulness or judgment. This doesn’t mean we accept every belief or opinion. Instead, it means we unapologetically cling to the absolute truths of God’s Word in the most gentle and loving way possible.

Ultimately, our Creator is the Master organizer, who spoke everything into existence and separated the light from the darkness. He was the first example of “a place for everything and everything in its place.” And when we choose to live separately for Him, we’ll find ourselves exactly where we need to be.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.....Craig Denison Ministries

 The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Jesus loved to use stories to illustrate profound, life-transforming concepts. He loved to use real and genuine settings, characters, and ideas that apply to all of us to reveal God’s heart of pursuit and love. This week we’re going to spend time allowing the parables of Jesus to speak directly to our situations, mindsets, and core beliefs about who God is. Open your heart and mind to be transformed by the powerful and captivating stories of Jesus.

Scripture:“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14

Devotional: 

The ministry of Jesus was one of life-giving transformation. His life, death, and resurrection ushered in a completely new way of relating to God: the way of grace. One of the best examples of Jesus shifting paradigms comes in his parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Luke 18:10-14 says,

Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

Let’s open our hearts and allow the Spirit to guide us to live life more like the tax collector than the Pharisee. Let’s allow him to lead us to a life lived in the new covenant of grace.

In the time of Jesus, God’s people were completely starved for relationship with him. Judaism had become a religion of regulations rather than relationship. God’s people believed that their lives were totally based on their works, placing the religious Pharisees at the top of the totem pole stretching up to God. The Pharisees believed they were justified before God because of their works, as if they could earn their way into right standing with God. So, imagine the shock of Jesus’ listeners when he says that the tax collector, the most hated of all Jews, went home justified before the Lord as the result of his humility. Imagine the shock and anger of the Pharisees in learning that all they had worked for, all the rules and regulations they had lived by, actually placed them lower in stature than any other Jew in the sight of God.

The parable of the Pharisee and tax collector offers amazing news for each of us. The principle Jesus teaches here in Luke 18 is that the greatest posture of our heart is one of humility, not perfection. The way to God is not one of works, but of grace. Jesus teaches that whatever weakness you have, whatever sin you struggle with, all God asks of you is that you come before him and ask for his mercy. All he requires of you is a repentant heart.

You see, the Lord is always after your heart. All the works of the Pharisees were birthed out of their own pride. In their egotism they thought they could earn relationship with the one, true, and holy God. All of their religious deeds were done not out of their love for God, but out of their love for their own reputation. However, the tax collector had nothing to boast about. He lived his life robbing his own people to fill the pockets of the Romans who enslaved them. He was made wealthy by stealing from his own people. But in his desperation he cried out to God for help, and God heard his cry.

Know that God hears your cry today when it comes out of the reality of your need for him. He answers your need for forgiveness and relationship with the overwhelming power of his presence. So, ask yourself today, what do you value most? Do you value your own reputation or God’s opinion? Are you living in light of God’s grace or trying earn it? Are you going through the motions of religion in order to earn your way into relationship with God, or are you living in response to the wealth of love you’ve freely received in Christ?

Wherever you are, know that it is never too late to come before your heavenly Father in humility. It is never too late to repent of any area in which pride has been your motivation and decide to live your life on the foundation of grace. It is never too late to posture your heart to receive the depths of love and mercy your heavenly Father longs to give you. Christ came to usher in the path of grace, not of works. He came so that you might live in his strength, not your own. The price of his mercy is a humble heart because humility is the key that unlocks the depths of your soul to receive the free gift of his grace. God won’t fill what you believe is already full. He won’t help where you don’t truly believe you need him. But if you’ll cry out to him and ask him for his mercy for your sin and his love to satisfy your need, he will fill your life with the gift of his unending presence.

Posture your heart like that of the tax collector as you pray. Follow his model of humility and find satisfaction for the places of your heart that are in need of God’s love.           

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and tax collector. Allow the Spirit to reveal areas in which you need the help that can only be received in humility.

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14

2. Reflect on your own life. Where are you living with the burden of pride? Where are you living in your own strength? In what ways are you building up your own reputation rather than the only one worthy of glory, Jesus? Know that any area of your life rooted in pride will be without the mercy and help of your heavenly Father. The only way to live entirely in the grace of God is in constant and true humility.

“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4

“Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 18:12

“As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” Proverbs 27:19

3. Confess your sin and receive the free gift of God’s presence. Cry out to God for his help in your life. Confess your need for his mercy, and take time resting in the incredible and satisfying gift of his presence. There is no greater gift in this life than spending time being with our heavenly Father. He longs to fuel you with the inexhaustible power of his nearness.

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

Philippians 2:3-7 says, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” If God himself lived his life in total humility, then we must follow his example in order to walk in the favor and abundance God longs to bestow on us. Look to Christ as your example, and discover God’s desire to exalt you as you bow yourself before him as your Lord and King. 

Extended Reading: 1 Peter 5

My Yes Is on the Table: From Fear to Faith.....JENNIFER HAND

 My Yes Is on the Table: From Fear to Faith

JENNIFER HAND 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

I remember when I first had the thought I want to say yes to God, but I am afraid of __________________. I had my journal, my favorite pen and a cup of coffee, of course, and was determined to write whatever answer came to mind. I didn’t want to edit the fears of my heart but rather acknowledge them.

What shocked me was there were so many answers for that fill-in-the-blank — and I had thought I didn’t struggle with fear.

Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of hearing God wrong.

I wondered if I was alone, so I asked other women on social media, and the responses came pouring in: Fear of hoping in the goodness of God and the outcomes of God. Fear of not being equipped. The list could go on and on.

That’s why I love that when Joshua was about to step into the leadership journey of his lifetime, God spoke to him about fear: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

I don’t believe God was pointing His finger and condemning the fear in Joshua. God knew Joshua would be afraid, so He encouraged him with this truth: The God who created him was with him.

During that prayer time, I sensed the Lord asking me to place my yes before Him — to move from “fear stops” to “faith steps.”

I pictured myself writing the word “yes” and placing it before Him. Putting my yes on the table.

Yes is a surrender, a faith step. And it takes us into the promised land God has planned for us.

Promised-land living is a life of following Him. It is obedience to Him and following the path marked out by Him.

One week, while serving as a camp counselor, I once had to sleep in the chapel’s basement due to an overcrowded camp. The seventh-grade girls and I settled into our sleeping bags and quickly realized camel crickets surrounded us.

The more of them we saw, the more the beady-eyed crickets started to look like giants. Because they began to look like giants, we forgot we were bigger than them.

When the Israelites went to spy on the promised land in Numbers 13, they saw giants in the land. Because they saw giants, they began to see themselves as grasshoppers. (Numbers 13:33) Those who had gone to spy out the land quickly forgot who had promised to give them the land.

What are the giants in your land that can make you afraid to say “yes” to God?

My fear of failure can feel like a giant. It can make me want to shrink back and hide. But as God was with Joshua, He is with me. He is with you.

The people-pleaser in me hates to go to the eye doctor. When the doctor places the gadget up to my eyes and asks me to look at the different lenses and say which is better or best, I feel he or she has an answer of which lens is supposed to make me see better.

What if I imagine God sitting in the eye doctor’s chair and asking me what I see through my lens of fear? Then what if He switched it to a lens of faith?

What if I look into His eyes and let Him see mine?

Psalm 34:5 tells me that when I look to Him I am radiant, and my face will never be put to shame. The verse right before tells me He can deliver me from all of my fears.

Today, let’s find courage by looking at Jesus and by allowing Him to switch our gaze from the lens of fear to the lens of faith.

We can say “yes” to God because we can trust God.

God, thank You that I can say “yes” to You because I can trust You. I admit I have some fears of saying yes. Change my lens of fear to a lens of faith so that I can walk in obedience to the plans You have for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Selfish Christianity.....Dr. Charles Stanley

 Selfish Christianity

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 6:22-27

Which interests you more—who Jesus is or what He can do for you? I’m afraid that too many of us are more concerned about what He can give us than we are about getting to know who He is.

But this is nothing new—Jesus had this problem when He walked on earth. The crowds often sought Him out for what He could do for them. Even though their needs were quite often legitimate, Christ knew their motives.

There is a fine line between selfishly trying to use the Lord to get what we want and humbly coming to Him with our needs and struggles. Some of the issues we bring to Him are so pressing and urgent in our minds that our desire for Him to take action in the way we want becomes greater than our willingness to submit to His will. At times, what we call “faith” is really a demanding spirit.

We must remember that our needs will come to an end, but Jesus Christ will remain forever. If our prayers have dealt only with presenting our requests to the Lord, we’ve missed a great opportunity to get to know the One with whom we’ll spend eternity. Let’s invest time in pursuing intimacy with Christ. Then we can enjoy the benefits of that relationship forever.

How much of your communion with God is devoted to your needs—even legitimate ones? Are you spending any time getting to know the Lord? Although God delights in our prayers and tells us to pray about everything, He also wants us to come to Him just because we enjoy being with Him.

A Message for the Fearful Hearted.....By Kyle Norman

 A Message for the Fearful Hearted

By Kyle Norman

“Say to those with fearful hearts, “be strong, do not fear, your God will come. He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” (Isaiah 35:4)

“Little pig, little pig, let me in!” “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!”

We know the story. We’ve all heard the tale about how the big-bad wolf pursues the three innocent pigs, attempting to blow their houses down. Two of the pigs find their residences blown to shambles, while the final pig, the smart pig, the faithful pig, withstands the huffs and puffs of the wolf. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our lives were like that? Wouldn’t it be great if the gusts of problems and struggles never affected us? Sadly, we know the truth. There are times where we feel that life is against us. It could be a result of a job loss, a tornado, a war, a death, or a diagnosis, but in those moments, we feel our footing is unsure, and our spiritual houses shake more than we would like.

Scripture often uses the term “fearful hearted” to describe such a state. Being fearful-hearted is not the same thing as being merely disappointed or dismayed. We are fearful in heart when we face a threat or an obstacle which appears too big for us to manage. Like Israel feeling trapped in the exile, we feel alone and abandoned. We may even question whether God has forsaken us. 

But God hasn’t forsaken us. God has not forgotten us. In fact, scripture holds before us the glorious truth that when we feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or fearful, God comes to us. In the places of our fear and discouragement, God acts in healing and restoration. 

The Lord speaks a word of hope, not condemnation, to those who are fearful in heart. Isaiah cries out “Say to those with fearful hearts, “be strong, do not fear, your God will come.” We are called to recognize that the struggles we face are never the full story. The divine promise is that God comes to us. God calls us to keep our eyes turned heavenward, to boldly stand in faith, and to audaciously hold onto hope. 

Is your heart fearful today? If so, listen to Isaiah, and dare to believe that there will be an end to what you face. This reality is assured because it is a reality rooted in God’s presence, not your own ability. We can be strong despite our struggles, and faith-filled amid our fears because we do not stand alone. Isaiah speaks confidently, God will come! God will come with vengeance and retribution. God will come to save. Despite the huffing and puffing blowing against you, the Lord promises to come in power. God never enters our life as a passive observer. God never sits on the sidelines. This is the promise of God.

These are not just empty words. These are not saccharin niceties the faithful say to make themselves feel better. If we ever need proof of this in our lives, all we need to do is look to Jesus. These affirmations are written in history and proven in blood. Jesus is the proof that God’s love and power flow into our life. The very thing that Israel looked forward to, the very future to which they hoped, is the truth we grasp; Jesus stands with us in the messiness of life and brings redemption out of the darkest of places. For anyone who is fearful hearted, hear the good news: Jesus has stepped into your world.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
To those feeling fearful-hearted, embrace the presence of the Lord. Allow his spirit to flow within you, and to carry you. The one who made the lame to leap, the deaf to hear, the mute to sing, and the dead to walk, has promised to breathe life, peace, and restoration upon you. And because God has come, as God has promised, the declarations of God’s power can be trusted and held. And while it might be hard to recognize them at times, that doesn’t discount their reality. So be encouraged. Be strong and stubbornly faithful. Dare to believe. Your savior has come.

Almighty God,
Thank you for your presence in my life. In those times where I am fearful and afraid, open my eyes to the movement of your Spirit as you empower me, sustain me, and guide me. I pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Further Reading:

• Hebrews 4:14-16
• Matthew 14:22-33

 

A Prayer for Growth During Trials.....By Meg Bucher

 A Prayer for Growth During Trials

By Meg Bucher

“You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your name is on their lips, but you are far from their hearts.” Jeremiah 12:2 NLT

Nothing grows us like hardship. Scripture says the Lord disciplines those He loves, like a good parent disciples their children. But sometimes, the hard things we walk through have nothing to do with our moral failures. Life on earth just hurts sometimes, even when we are following the Lord wholeheartedly and purely.

In this section of Scripture, Jeremiah is being plotted against, and his own family is even in on it. The verse above is part of his plea to the Lord for justice on his behalf. Similar to the story of Job, we are reminded of the difficult reality of watching those who operate in wickedness prosper in this world, and the call for forgiving those who are plotting against us. The Moody Bible Commentary says, “If Jeremiah could trust in God only in a time of peace, how would he manage in the midst of difficulties?”

For the last five months, I have watched my daughter walk through her diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes. She has clung to the Lord, from the emergency room at the beginning to the current effect on her daily life. It’s been hard. It’s unfair. It’s painful. Somedays, no matter what she does, her condition sidelines her. But the Lord never fails. He is growing her at the speed of light through the hardest thing she’s ever had to walk through.

Today, let’s pray that the difficult seasons of our lives will draw us closer to the Lord, allowing Him to grow us at the speed of light.

Father,

We praise You when life is easy, and we praise You when life is hard. Through the difficult seasons of our lives, we know You are the same loving God You have always been. Father, You see us in our struggles and our anguish when we suffer. God, this world is full of pain and heartache, but you will make all things right again one day. We hang our hope in Christ Jesus, who died to save us, to wash us with forgiveness and restore us to righteousness. May our daily pursuit of holiness grow us at the speed of light, Father. Though hardships naturally draw us to Your feet in urgency, Father, let us come before You always and every day, no matter what we face.

Father, today I pray for my daughter, and every Type 1 diabetic in the world, suffering from a disease they did nothing to contract, but now affects every page of their lives. Father, I pray for everyone undergoing diseases that unfairly uproot everyday life as we know it. Hardship is a part of enduring this life on earth. Father, we know this, but we can’t stand on our own two feet without you when hard days still seem like tidal waves. We don’t have the strength apart from you to stand up under the weight of the world which presses up against us.

Lord, bless our lives with growth and gains in our walk with You. Let us come closer to Christ each day we live, so even in the direst of straight we do not forget Your goodness. You are worthy, God, of our praise. You are worthy of our whole hearts. Remove any distractions from our lives, and help us to focus on You and Your Truth.

Father, we know not everyone You created is walking in Your Light at all times. Help us to forgive forward, God. Let us forgive those who come against us, and unfairly plot against us. Father give us the strength to forgive those who don’t know the bite of their words, and the insensitive of their questions. Help us choose not to be offended, and instead look to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. We were once a mess, too, Father, before we turned our lives over to You completely. Help us to remember when we were lost, so we can have compassion for those who do not know You. Let our everyday lives and all the hardship we endure bring honor and glory to Your name.

In Jesus’ Name, 

Amen.