The Lord Gives Direction..Craig Denison Ministries

 The Lord Gives Direction

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Our heavenly Father is the giver of every good gift. His mercies are vast, powerful, and real. His love has the ability to completely overwhelm and satisfy every one of our needs. Everything he gives us satisfies, transforms, and leads us to abundant life. As we spend this week stirring up our affections toward God, allow your heart to become soft and open. Allow his loving character to draw you close and provide life to every dry and weary place in your soul.

Scripture:“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.”Psalm 37:23

Devotional:   

Isaiah 48:17-18 offers a hopeful yet heart-wrenching promise of God. Scripture says, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” What would it be like to experience peace like a river? What would it feel like to float on a continual stream of rest and contentment? How would past circumstances have turned out differently if only we would have listened to the commandments of God? Isaiah makes it clear that a lifestyle of peace and righteousness is readily available to us if we will simply follow the Lord our God “who leads [us] in the way [we] should go.” Let’s open our hearts and minds to the Spirit of the living God today and ask him to mold and shape us into followers of his direction.

Psalm 32:8-9 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.” The Lord is faithful to give direction. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s word illuminates the ways in which we should go physically, emotionally, and mentally. His word is designed to influence the ways we think, feel, and act. If we will choose to follow the direction offered to us in Scripture, we will discover a wellspring of peace and righteousness that completely drenches every part of our hearts with passion and purpose.

Scripture is also clear that God continues to speak to us and offer us direction straight from his voice. John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” All throughout the New Testament we see God’s people living and working by the direct word of the Lord. The Holy Spirit loves to speak to us and give us knowledge of his plans for us. Our job is to keep our ears open to him and to respond anytime he offers us direction. He longs to lead us daily into the incredible plans he has for us. He longs to direct us into abundant peace, joy, and purpose. As his sheep we must acknowledge the leadership of our Shepherd and trust in his guidance.

What situation lies before you today in which you need the direction of your all-knowing, loving heavenly Father? Where do you need peace and righteousness today? Where do you need your path illuminated? Dive into the word and God’s heart under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and search out his commandment for your life. Tune your ears to the frequency of God’s Spirit and listen to whatever he would say to you. May you discover the direction you need today as you pray.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire and ability to offer you direction through his word and voice.

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

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.”Psalm 37:23

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

2. Where do you need God’s direction today? Where do you need the peace that comes from knowing God’s will and desire for you?

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.’” >Isaiah 48:17-18

3. Ask the Spirit to direct you right now, and dive into what God’s word says about your circumstances. Trust that God will speak to you perfectly because he loves you. He will make his will known to you if you ask him.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.”Psalm 32:8-9

God never desires to send you out into this world on your own. He longs to establish you as a good follower of his direction. He longs to teach you how to live your life under the guidance of the Spirit and the word. Spend time receiving fresh revelation on what it looks like to follow your heavenly Father and receive his will. Ask him to guide you throughout your day today and teach you how to be a good follower.

Extended Reading: Psalm 37

Facing Difficult Facts With Faith..ELIZABETH LAING THOMPSON

 Facing Difficult Facts With Faith

ELIZABETH LAING THOMPSON

“Without weakening in his faith, [Abraham] faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God …” Romans 4:19-20 (NIV)

A sad voice pipes up from the back of my minivan: “Mommy, we are villagers.”

“Villagers? What do you mean?” My eyes dart to the rearview mirror, finding my 5-year-old’s reflection blinking back at me. Her silver princess dress and bejeweled tiara glint in the sun, but her somber brown eyes lack their usual gleam.

“We are villagers because we are normal persons, not princesses.” She heaves a heart-weary sigh, a sigh that suggests her five years of life have begun to feel like 95.

“Oh, sweetie,” I say, with a pang of understanding. It seems my daughter has finally pieced together some disappointing big-girl facts: Wait a second — Mommy’s not a queen, and we don’t live in a castle. This I’m-a-princess thing is just pretend.

My inner mama bear roars to life, fearing this realization could be soul-crushing for my would-be princess. I plumb the depths of my maternal wisdom, spouting a frantic stream of optimistic, even godly, ways to view this truth: “We are all special to God! It’s fun to dress fancy, but it’s what inside that matters …” But my daughter’s woeful expression tells me she’s still bummed.

Honestly, I feel her pain. I’ve faced plenty of unpleasant revelations that have knocked me off my own royal throne:

My bank account balance is what? Uhhh …
That friendship may never be the same.
This diagnosis isn’t what we prayed for. 

We all have to acknowledge painful truths sometimes. And we’re not alone — many of our Bible heroes had to do the same.

I love the way Scripture describes Abraham’s attitude after decades of childlessness: “Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God …” (Romans 4:19-20).

Abraham faced the facts, but he faced them with faith. Abraham wasn’t naive — even in the days of all-organic food and zero air pollution, people weren’t usually throwing baby showers for 100-year-old parents-to-be. But Abraham was confident in God’s plan and promise.

Abraham’s situation was unique in that he had received a personal promise directly from God. (Genesis 15:4) Unlike Abraham, you and I may not get a sneak peek into God’s specific plans for our futures, but even so, we have a loving Father in whom we can place full trust. Like Abraham, we have reasons to face even the bleakest facts with faith.

This doesn’t mean we are guaranteed deliverance from every hard thing. Facing facts with faith means we are confident that, no matter the outcome, God loves us and He is working. It means we bring two transformative words to every situation: But God.

It might sound something like this:

Money is tight, but God cares about my needs. He can provide, and He doesn’t want me to worry. (Matthew 6:25-34)

The diagnosis is scary, but God sees me. He is able to heal — but even if He does not, He is near, comforting and strengthening me. (Psalm 34:17-18)

This situation seems devastating, but God can redeem anything. (Psalm 30:1-5)

But God cares. But God sees. But God can. Now those are three facts worth pondering! Facts that help us face difficult situations with a faith like Abraham’s — a faith that honors God, daring to hope, and believes that no matter what the outcome is, God is still good.

Father, thank You for loving me. Please help me to see Your hand at work even in difficult situations so I can face them with courage and faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Clean Heart..Dr. Charles Stanley

 A Clean Heart

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 119:9-11

Reaching our full potential begins with a clean heart—one that loves the Lord and desires to obey Him. However, each of us was born with a nature bent away from God. Jeremiah 17:9 describes the heart as deceitful and inclined towards wickedness. Pleasing self is man’s normal state.

Salvation changed our hearts and lives. Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty for our sin and broke its power over us. By receiving Christ as Savior, we each became a new creation—with a heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and a mind that strongly desires to know the Father better. We also received the Spirit’s power to deny our selfish desires and obey God. With clean hearts, we can begin to realize the capabilities our loving Lord has given us.

The best way to maintain a clean heart is by meditating on Scripture. It acts like a mirror in which we see ourselves as God does. Through it, we discover the areas where we have been faithful and also the places where we’ve veered from His path. Expressing genuine repentance brings God’s forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9).

The heart represents the seat of our mind, will, and emotions. When we strive to keep it pure, we will more easily discern the Lord’s plan, submit our will to His, and follow Him obediently.

Becoming the person God planned for each of us to be requires an intimate relationship with Him and a desire to obey His Word. Apart from Jesus, we can’t achieve anything of lasting value (John 15:5). Cooperating with the Holy Spirit’s transforming work will help us keep our hearts clean.

Will We Remember Our Sin in Heaven?..Matt Fuller

 Will We Remember Our Sin in Heaven?

By Matt Fuller

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. - Isaiah 43:25

What is it you most look forward to about heaven? Freedom from suffering, perhaps, or being reunited with loved ones you’ve lost. Certainly, we look forward to meeting Jesus face to face. But here’s a wonderful truth about heaven that I’m sure I don’t dwell enough: there will be no more sin in us.

We currently live our lives as “perfect sinners”. We are already perfectly justified and loved by God as our Father. That will never end. But sin will end. In the new creation we will be “simply” perfect. When Christ returns, our justification will be declared before all creation and we’ll be perfected.

The Bible happily gives us a variety of pictures of our future in glory and yet, the things we are shown about the new creation are only seen in comparison with this sinful earth. It’s surely going to be far greater than all we can ask or imagine!

Here are some of the things we know will be true:

1. We’ll not battle against sin

Nothing impure will ever enter it … but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:27) There is no sin in heaven and there can be no sin in us. We’ll all be given a white robe (Revelation 6:11) to show we’re without sin. Won’t that be wonderful?! No longer will we know the temptation to do wrong. No longer the frustration of falling into sin. No longer the misery of causing hurt. No longer times of losing in our battle. We will sin no more.

2. We’ll cherish Christ rightly

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2) How wonderful that I’ll never again have a devotional time that’s dry and leaves me unaffected. We will see Christ, hear his voice and respond passionately. It will be impossible to “go through the motions” of the Christian faith. Impossible to be half-hearted. Impossible to doubt.

3. We’ll delight in others truly

It’s frustrating that here on earth, there are Christians we don’t always see eye to eye with. They’re our brothers and sisters, yet we disagree on some issues and ideas. We’re a little nervous in their company; we’re careful with what we say in case we cause offence or irritate them. I’m so looking forward to being perfectly one in heart and mind. We’ll also fully enjoy the gifts others have without any hint of jealousy. The green-eyed monster is locked out of heaven.

So, will we remember our sins?

I’m not sure the Bible addresses this question directly, yet it’s one I’ve been asked plenty of times. How can we rejoice in being forgiven but not look back in pain at our sin? In the end, we trust the Lord with this question, yet I think we are pointed towards the answer.

There are many wonderful descriptions of how the Lord views our sin. It is blotted out, wiped out, not remembered and cast into the depths of the sea (Isaiah 43:25; Acts 3:19; Hebrews 8:12; Micah 7:19). But these are descriptions of the guilt and consequences of our sin. It’s not that the Lord has selective amnesia. He chooses to not remember sin. The point is that our sin and its consequences cannot be found because they have been dealt with.

A Prayer to Follow Jesus into the Unknown..Tiffany Curtis

 A Prayer to Follow Jesus into the Unknown

By Tiffany Curtis

“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” - Matthew 14:13-16

You are most likely familiar with the classic Sunday School story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with just five loaves of bread and two fish. When we think about this story, we often emphasize the incredible miracle that Jesus performed to provide sustenance for the following crowd. But there are also important details to be found in the moments leading up to Jesus’ provision. 

Let’s set the scene: Jesus had just learned that His close friend and family member, John the Baptist, had died. And not only had he died, he had been beheaded while in prison. Imagine the emotional turmoil this would cause. Upon learning this, Jesus knew it was time for Him to withdraw for a moment; to take time to sit in peace and mourn His loved one before continuing with His ministry. He went to a solitary place; however, as we see in verse 13, “the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.”

Imagine trying to escape, to have privacy for just a moment during such a hard time, yet you are followed by a mass of people who, most likely, aren’t aware of what you’re going through. 

The following crowd might sound like a nuisance in this story, but I think we can learn so much from those persistent people. They knew there was something special about Jesus, and they didn’t want to miss out on it; even if that meant literally dropping everything to follow Him out of town as He left. Think about it: Jesus left the city and went to a “remote place,” which means the crowd also journeyed to this remote place. They left their homes and their jobs. As we know from the story, many did not come prepared with enough food. They just followed. 

This would be really hard for some of us – trust me, I know. I’m a planner. I would not classify myself as spontaneous and I don’t like surprises. I like to know exactly what’s happening today, and how I can best be prepared for it. Would I have dropped everything to follow Jesus, not knowing where, or how long, I would be gone? Would I have that kind of faith?

Is there anything in your life that would be hard to give up in order to follow Jesus? Maybe it’s a feeling of security that you don’t want to give up. Maybe you’re happy where you live right now and you’re afraid of where He will call you to go. Let’s examine our own lives today and figure out if there’s anything holding us back from following Jesus into the unknown like the crowd did that day.

It can be scary, but we are called to have this kind of faith. The best part is, where Jesus leads He provides. Let’s recall again the turmoil Jesus was going through. He could have chosen to ignore the crowd – to hop back on the boat and find another location or have the disciples shoo them away. But He didn’t. He actually did the opposite: He had compassion on them.

When we follow Christ into the unknown, He sees us. He won’t turn us away; He will welcome us with open arms. And if we failed to prepare – if we didn’t bring any food with us like the crowd that followed Him – He will provide.

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus,
Thank you for showering your compassion on us. We know that in any circumstance we can come to you, and we will not be turned away or ignored. Thank you for caring about us deeply and understanding our needs.

Help us to have faith like the crowd that followed you. No matter what we have going on, give us the courage to drop what we think is important, and instead give our whole selves to you. Help us to identify what is holding us back from fully committing our lives to you today. You call us to love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Allow us to trust you fully with all four of those and to follow you, even if the destination is unknown. We know that wherever you lead us, you will provide.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Hubris and Humility..Rev. Kyle Norman

 Hubris and Humility

By Rev. Kyle Norman

“Go and tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord says, Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?” (2 Samuel 7:5)

We know David to be a hero of the Old Testament. He is the man noted to be “after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14); he slew Goliath when everyone else was too scared to enter the battlefield (1 Samuel 17); he grew to be a mighty warrior, a successful king, a consummate leader. To top it all off, it is out of David’s own line through which the Messiah was to come. You can’t get much more of a compliment than that!

David, however, is also a man with flaws. His self-confidence turns easily to pride. David often lives from a sense of entitlement, believing he can have, and achieve, whatever he desires. One of the most intriguing examples of this is his desire to build the Lord’s Temple. We read about this in 2nd Samuel 7.  Having been named King, David now resides in the palace. As David reflects on the lack of a “house” for God, he resolves to rectify the situation.  In a matter-of-fact manner, which only a king can muster, he declares to the prophet Nathan that he will build the Lord’s house.

To be fair to David, I am sure this desire was born initially out of faith. Yet part of me wonders if something more is going on. Is David’s desire to build the temple entirely altruistic? I wonder if this is an instance of David being too big for his britches. Did David believe that the Lord needed him to manage the Lord’s affairs?  After all, he was the one who slew Goliath; he was the one who brought the ark back to Jerusalem; he was the one who continually saved the nation, he was the glorious king of Israel. Building the temple would establish David as the head of the political and religious life of the nation. The action would strengthen David’s authority and garner allegiance from all of Israel. As smart and savvy as he was, I can’t believe that this escaped his notice. The point is, instead of humility and humbleness, David acted out of a misplaced attempt to manage God. David wanted to have a say over where God was found, and how God was interacted with.

Do I ever fall into a mistaken belief that Jesus needs me to micromanage his affairs in this world?  Instead of humility and acceptance, do I ever believe that I am the one who gets to call the shots, with the Lord dutifully falling in line behind me? Honestly, there are probably times when I do this. I do this whenever I believe I have earned God’s love or grace. I act like David whenever I assume that Jesus thinks about everything, and everyone, exactly as I do; whenever I assume that the Head of the Church needs me to save His Church, am I not getting a little too big for my own britches?

David does not build the Temple; he is told to cease and desist. Nathan comes to him with this divine word. Yet, God’s response to David in this is beautifully instructive. David isn’t just told “no;” he is reminded of the LORD’s power and guidance over the nation, and his own family. David is reminded that God has moved with the Israelites each day and that no ruler was ever tasked to build a house for the Lord. In effect, God reprimands David (gently), saying “Who do you think you are to assume that you are the one to do this?” With all the hubris flowing through him, David is called to humility. He is reminded of his rightful place before the true and rightful King.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
It can be hard to be taken down a peg, to have God address our prideful hubris. But this is necessary if we want to live our lives faithfully before God. In love, God reminds us of our place as part of His creation. We are people formed of the earth, crafted in God’s image, and redeemed by His love. As such, God calls us to the place of submission. We are called to receive, not create, the will of the Lord. Furthermore, in those times where we may not know what the next phase of our journey is, we are called to wait for the Lord. God does not need our management strategies or our directions. God does not need us to create a path, construct a legacy, or build a future. Instead of attempting to manage divine things, therefore, we should use our energy to be diligent in prayer and humble in spirit. As David’s future son once put it, “Unless the Lord builds the house, we but labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Our future is in God’s hands, and despite our knowledge, management, or insight, God’s plan will prevail.  

Further reading:

• Proverbs 11:2
• Luke 14: 1-11
• 1 Peter 5:5