God Wants to be Known...Craig Denison Ministries

 God Wants to be Known

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

To know God is to experience God. Just as we experience aspects of one another as we grow in friendship, we experience the wonders of God as we seek to simply know him. God is calling us to a life of seeking him with all we are. He is calling us to value relationship with him above all else that we would love no other but him. May you encounter wonderful aspects of relationship with your heavenly Father this week as we wholeheartedly seek to know him with all we are.

Scripture:“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

Devotional:

The single greatest privilege in life is to know God. The God who formed you, provides for you and sent his Son to die for you longs to have real relationship with you. He longs to be known by you. And through the powerful sacrifice of Jesus, we truly can know him like any other person. And in fact, in some respects he is infinitely more knowable than any other person. Jeremiah 31:33-34 says,

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

“From the least of them to the greatest,” says the living God. No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, you can know the God of love. Knowing God is no longer reserved for those individually appointed as his leaders. Knowing God is no longer reserved for those like David, Isaiah, Peter, or the clergy. All of us have equal access to the living God.

And from the place of knowing God, we are granted the ability to experience his incredible attributes and be blessed by a greater awareness of our union with him. When we seek to know God, the Bible is clear that we begin to experience his love (Romans 5:5), hear his voice (John 10:27), and feel his peace (2 Thessalonians 3:16). We can partner in his purposes (1 Peter 2:9), experience his freedom (Romans 6:4), and rest in his presence (Psalm 16:11).

When we center our lives around knowing God, we gain experience with him like we do any other person. I don’t seek to hear my wife’s voice, rather I seek to know her and have conversation with her as a byproduct of that. I don’t seek just the emotion of love from my wife; rather, in getting to know her and walking in relationship with her, I experience her affections for me. So it is with God. When we simply seek to know him we gain experience in return.

I pray that as we look at the individual aspects of experiencing God this week your heart is stirred to simply seek deeper relationship with your heavenly Father, whatever may come as the result. Your Father loves you enough to pay the ultimate price to have relationship with you. Seek him and discover the wealth of his affections for you.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the availability of knowing the living God. Allow Scripture to stir up your desire to seek him with all your heart.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’” Psalm 27:8

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:33-34

2. Is your life centered around the pursuit of knowing God? Check the posture of your heart today. Look at the way you spend your time, your emotions, your thoughts, and your actions. What seems to be your greatest pursuit?

3. Spend some time centering your heart around true relationship with a knowable God. Ask him to help guide your heart through your day toward this pursuit. Ask him to give you a check in your heart when something takes his place as the greatest desire in your life. Live today with him as your highest priority.

“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!” Psalm 119:10

Jeremiah 9:23-24 says,

Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.

May we be those who boast solely in our relationship with God. May his love and nearness be our highest joy. And may it be said of us at the end of our days that we sought the Lord above all else.

Extended Reading: Psalm 46

Grace for Mean Girls...SARAH GERINGER

 Grace for Mean Girls

SARAH GERINGER

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” James 4:1 (NIV)

I’ve been hurt by mean girls. I’ve also been a mean girl myself.

Ironically, my season of meanness overlapped with a season of being treated with meanness — and all this happened at church, no less. You would think I would have known better after enduring the deep hurt of being criticized and rejected by a fellow church member. But the unholy desire to judge and condemn other sisters resided in me, too.

When I was hurt by a woman in my church small group, I handled my feelings the wrong way. Foolishly, I emailed the entire group Matthew 18:15-17 as instruction on how to share opinions without gossiping, though I was doing the opposite of verse 15 when I sent it: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you” (Matthew 18:15a, NIV). I sought forgiveness for my wrongs, but I had hurt others’ feelings. The relationship never fully recovered.

Shortly after that painful experience, I was serving at vacation Bible school. Due to my own closed-mindedness, I shared careless and critical words with a fellow team member. Though I tried to apologize to her through words and actions, that relationship never fully recovered.

After these two situations, I had some choices to make. On one hand, I could condemn myself for acting like a mean girl and hold a grudge against the person who had been a mean girl to me. On the other hand, I could seek God’s grace while I showed my past offender the same kind of grace.

The principle that helped me receive God’s grace for myself and others is in this verse:

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1)

We all have the potential to act like mean girls because sinful desires battle within us. It’s so tempting for us to get caught up in fights and quarrels, even in church, because our sinful natures don’t get turned off when we open the sanctuary doors.

When I admitted I had harbored a desire to quarrel with other women because I thought I was right in my own eyes, my denial was broken, and healing began. I needed to open my heart to receive God’s grace after confessing my sin.

By receiving His grace for myself, I had a fresh batch of grace to pour over the hurts other mean girls caused in me. I saw that I was no different from them as they desired to quarrel because they felt right in their own eyes. Though reconciliation was sometimes not possible, I could forgive and be forgiven by others and wish them well thanks to God’s grace at work in my heart. (Romans 12:18)

Have you been hurt by a mean girl? Have you possibly been a mean girl yourself? I pray today that you’ll accept the perfect grace only God can give and pour it over your situation. I pray that if you’ve experienced church hurt, God will heal you, and your hurt will not keep you from going to church again. Also, I pray that if you have been convicted by today’s devotion, you will seek grace from God and choose a new path forward.

Dear Jesus, when people are mean to one another, it is so painful. Whether I’ve received it or dished it out, I know how much hurt it causes. May I not fight and quarrel with others due to my sinful desires. May I show Your grace to those who have hurt me. Help me be grace-filled in all my relationships. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Responding to Accusation...Dr. Charles Stanley

 Responding to Accusation

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 12:11-12

When conflict occurs, the natural reaction is to blame someone else and defend yourself. But believers must respond differently. Once, I was publicly chastised for a wrong I had not committed. Thankfully, the Lord enabled me to remain calm rather than react angrily. Praying first is always the best response in a crisis. When we do, God supernaturally provides that which we can't muster up ourselves.

• Spiritual discernment. The Lord, who perfectly understands the source of every problem, can give us insight beyond our limited perspective. Perhaps there's been a communication breakdown, a feeling of jealousy on the other person's part, or a mistake we unknowingly made. The Holy Spirit can show us how to approach our accuser and see beyond hurtful words or actions.
• A quiet spirit. Our human nature wants to react quickly so that we can defend ourselves. That's why we must first deliberately focus our attention on the Lord and experience the inward peace He alone makes available to us (John 14:27).
• Wisdom. Jesus told His disciples the Holy Spirit would give them wise words to say when they faced hostile authorities. He'll do the same for you. Ask Him to put a seal on your lips until He shows you what to say and when (Ps. 141:3).

We don't have to react to criticism with anger and self-protection the way the world does. Instead, we are called to represent Christ in every situation by depending on Him. In responding as He directs, we bring Him glory and cause unbelievers to want to know the source of our strength.

Believing God for the Impossible...By Lynette Kittle

 Believing God for the Impossible (Luke 18:27)

By Lynette Kittle

“All things are possible for those who believe. “Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God’” - Luke 18:27

Do you have a desire to go beyond praying prayers that ask God to answer only the things you think He can answer? Are you tired of feeling limited in your petitions, requesting God to move only in the ways you’ve decided he can move?

Many of us pray only when we can see a plausible path forward.

But what if you stepped out and began praying and asking God to accomplish things that seemed impossible, requests where it seems like there was no way it could ever happen except through God?

God tells us in Isaiah 43:19, that he can do impossible things, like making a path through the wilderness or creating streams in the desert.

Rather than pacing back and forth, waiting and hoping God will do something spectacular in our lives, are we ready step out and ask God for the impossible? To move in situations and lives where we can’t see how He could possibly move? To ask Him to answer in ways we can’t even imagine or possibly believe could even ever come about?

What’s Holding Us Back from Seeing the Impossible?

As James 4:2 explains, we have not because we do not ask God.

Some might wonder if it’s testing God to ask in such big ways? But after all, God tells us He is the God of the impossible.

And He is the One who says, “nothing is too difficult” for Him. As recorded in Jeremiah 32:17, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”

Are We Underestimating What God Can Do?

How many times do we forget what God is able to accomplish? Are we so accustomed to how the world works that we have come to underestimate what God can do? Have we been limiting how He is able to move on our behalf?

Yet, isn’t He the One who gives life to the dead and calls those things, which are not, into existence? (Romans 4:17)

Are We Forgetting to Approach and Ask with Boldness?

Have we forgotten what Hebrews 4:16 urges us to do?

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Like 1 John 5:14,15 explains, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.”

Our Asking Reveals Our Faith and Pleases God

It pleases God when we step out in faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

It also glorifies God to answer us. “And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).

A Prayer for a God-Loving Friend...By Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer for a God-Loving Friend

By Tiffany Thibault

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. - Psalm 34:3

I consider it a great blessing to have grown up in a Christian home. My parents were intent on making God and the Bible an intricate part of our lives. My parents were real about their faith and their need for God. Life was hard at times, but I always knew that together, as a family, we would get through anything because their dependence on God was real.

I also consider it a great blessing to have grown up attending church. I have memories of our family being the last to leave as my mom was praying for someone in the hallway at church. I remember seeing people go forward to the altar to have the pastors pray over them. I remember hearing the words “I will pray for you,” and I took in that spiritual strength, knowing that at some point in their own busy day, they would pray for my situation.

Through the years, as I have taken responsibility for my own faith walk, I have seen the great necessity to surround myself with the friendships of other women who will point me to Jesus. This is so important to me, because life is hard. Struggles drain my emotions and my energy. I always make sure that am I attending a church and reading the Bible. Those are two things I cannot live without.

However, the biggest blessing of my life is having a few ladies whom I trust, who I can ask to pray for me. They will drop everything and pray right then and there.

These friends have been so essential to me for several reasons:

They always talk about trusting the Lord for their hard things.

They always bring up a verse from the Bible in conversation.

They never talk smack about anyone, not their husbands, kids, parents or other people.

They freely give to others who are hurting.

They are quick to ask: “Can we pray right now about this?”

The more I spend time with these ladies, the more I want to be like them in this way. This Bible verse talks about worshipping God together with others. “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” Christians were never meant to do this life alone.

Our lives should be lived as a reflection of who we believe, showing our trust in our God. Our lives should be spent with others who love God as much as we do. Our lives would be spent with other believers, worshipping Him together.

Do you have a friend who prays with you? Do you have friends who point you to Jesus when you are struggling?

Are you a friend who prays for others right then and there? Are you a friend who encourages others to live more for Jesus?

Let’s pray that the Lord blesses us with such kind of friends. Let’s pray that we can be that kind of friend to others,

Dear Lord,

You are Holy. You are good. I praise you for who You are. I praise You for how You move in my life, in both the good times and the hard times. I pray, Lord that you bring into my life someone who will walk with me through this life, someone who will encourage me through Scripture and prayer. I pray for someone who will keep pointing me to Jesus in all of life’s ups and downs.

Lord, I also pray that you work in my heart and my thoughts, that I would become that person for someone else. Help me to overcome my fears and insecurities so that I can magnify you to the world and encourage others in their own personal walk with the Lord. Work through me today Lord to point others to you through my words and my actions.

Amen.

I Am the Door...By Emma Danzey

 I Am the Door

By Emma Danzey

John 10:9-10 says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Why Does Jesus Call Himself the Door?
In claiming that He is the door, Jesus is saying that He is the only way to heaven. He is the only way to receive forgiveness for sins. He is the only way in. The context of this verse is found just before Jesus makes that statement that He is the Good Shepherd. The original Greek word in Strong’s concordance is thyra, meaning “a door.” Jesus is referencing a gate to the sheep to enter through. Believers in Christ are the sheep in HIs pasture. He is our Good Shepherd who welcomes us in.

A door indicates that not everyone can come inside. When we think about our modern-day homes, most of us have front doors with locks on them. Those who we know who know us are welcome to come in, but we would never allow a stranger to come inside our house uninvited. Jesus is saying that He is inviting all people to Himself. He is welcoming all people to come and knock on the door of salvation and receive His free gift. However, not everyone chooses to accept His invitation. Those who remain on the outside might see the door as offensive or exclusive, but in reality, the door is open for them if they knock.

Luke 12:24-26 says, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

How Do We Find Hope in the Door?
We as Christ-followers can find great joy in the fact that Jesus is our Door. Luke 11:9-10 says, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”

We will not be turned away from God when we ask Jesus to be our Savior. We have a guarantee that we will be accepted into the family of God not because of anything we have done, but through His great grace. This brings great hope that we are received and loved. The door is opened to us. We don’t have to fear if we will be shut out when we make a mistake, God’s grace is sufficient for us and the door is always open for those who believe in Christ. This is true freedom.

The Empty Tomb
There is an incredible connection in Jesus’ resurrection to Him claiming to be the Door.

Matthew 27:60 says, “and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.”

Jesus declared Himself as the door and the door of the tomb was later rolled away (Matthew 28:2). Sin had no place to prevent the new life. We are welcome to come and see the evidence of the risen Savior. We are not closed out but invited in. Not only that, we are instructed just as the women at the empty tomb to share that good news with others (Matthew 28:7).

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Have you accepted Jesus’ open door for you to enter His kingdom? If not, ask Him to be your personal Savior today. Knock on the door of salvation and receive His gift to you. If you have made this decision, spend time thanking Jesus for making a way for you to be welcomed into the family of God.

Further Reading:

• Matthew 7:7-8
• John 14:6
• Revelation 3:20