God is Patient..Craig Denison Ministries

 God is Patient

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

There is no better father than Creator God. He formed us and knows us. He provides for us, loves us unconditionally, and longs for real, life-giving relationship with us. He runs out to meet us in our sin, clothes us with new identity, and restores to us the abundant life he has always planned for us. As we spend time looking at the father heart of God, may a fresh revelation of his love for you guide you into greater depths of relationship with your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” >2 Peter 3:9

Devotional:

There is no virtue more calming than patience. A peaceful lifestyle begins with patience. When birthed by a heavenly perspective, patience can transform even the most stressful places of one’s heart into calm streams of joy and abundant life.

Our heavenly Father perfectly models a patient heart. 2 Peter 3:8-9 says, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” God’s perspective and overwhelming love for us fill his heart with incredible patience.

Think for a second about all the atrocities, perversions, sin, and depravity God witnesses on a continual basis. He watches in pain as humanity kills, steals, lies, and cheats. He watches as those he most cares for throw away his perfect plans for cheap imitations that only cause heartache and pain. But God in his patient mercy waits to return and bring about the complete restoration of creation that all might reach repentance. God is patient because he is love.

God is not only patient in regard to the second coming of Jesus. He is wholly patient with you in regards to your sanctification and relationship with him and others. He beckons you moment by moment, whispering to your heart about the great plans he has for your life. He waits patiently as he  transforms you into a reflection of Jesus by filling you with his abundant love. He knows your frame. He knows the wounds the world has caused. And he is patient with you.

Take time this morning to slow down and take a deep breath. Carve out some space in the busyness of your life and rest in response to God’s patience. God isn’t in a rush with his plans for you. He isn’t in a rush to fix you. He simply longs for you to take some time and be with him. He wants to overwhelm you with his patient love that you might live free from the burdens and cares of this rushed, stressed world.

Psalm 103:8 says, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” May you encounter the patient, merciful, gracious, peaceful, and loving presence of your heavenly Father as you enter into guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the patient heart of your heavenly Father. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a revelation of how patient God is with you as you mull over his words.

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” >2 Peter 3:9

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” >Isaiah 40:28

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Psalm 103:8

2. Where do you need an increase of patience today? What burden or care doesn’t line up with the heavenly perspective of patience?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be patient like your heavenly Father. Ask him to give you a heavenly perspective about your life so that you can cast off stress and burden. Pursue patience and passion for all God has given you.

Oftentimes we believe patience and passion can’t be connected. We see examples of those who achieved so much seemingly out of a lack of patience and believe that we need to be as rushed and stressed as they were in order to have a meaningful life. That is not the case with God. God’s timing is perfect. His will can be known. If you will trust the patient heart of your heavenly Father and live as he directs, you will achieve the purpose for which you have been called. Seek the face of your heavenly Father today for wisdom and direction. Pursue passion with patience. And discover the wealth of joy and peace that comes from having patience for yourself and others as your heavenly Father does.

Extended Reading: Psalm 103

The Corinthian Man-Creed..Shawn McEvoy

 The Corinthian Man-Creed

by Shawn McEvoy+

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: Be on your guard, stand firm in faith, be men of courage, be strong; do everything in love.- 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Today's verse hangs on a board on the wall of my son. But years ago, long before my son was even an inkling, I came across that verse as I was sending my own father one of many letters I composed over the years to share with him the importance of salvation, and the value of life in Christ. My sister, mother, and I came to know the Lord in 1980, but it took another 17 years, seven months, and 26 days worth of praying, heart softening, and brokenness for Dan McEvoy to surrender.

And it wasn’t this letter or the above verse that pushed him into it. No, this letter I was writing simply to tell him how blessed I was to have begun dating a woman (who eventually became my wife) for whom faith came first, and I was giving God all the glory and credit and all that good stuff, and probably telling him how God delights in blessing those who trust in Him.

With the letter I enclosed a quick-and-dirty page of graphic art involving the aforementioned verse from Corinthians in some fancy font, with a clip-art picture of a sailboat, kind of as a visual aid to my letter, indicating, I suppose, what it was like for the man of God to live in this world under the Captaincy of Christ.

Well, so. After he died in 2001, I found that letter and piece of "art" in my father’s desk, looking as if it had been read and glanced at often. Something in me knew then that if I were ever to have a son, I’d commit to raising him to manhood under these same five principles:

Be on your guard. Be ready, be alert. Expect God to be involved, expect Satan to attack. Let the wonder of creation still catch your eye.

Stand firm in faith. Be unmoved because you know intimately that of which you believe. Become biblically literate.

Be a man of courage. Fear is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7), so go your way boldly. The worst that can happen – even death – still ends in victory and glory for the Christian.

Be strong. Physically, yes, let's take care of ourselves, and present our bodies as holy. But remember that the Lord is the strength of the strong (Ephesians 6:10), and that “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Do everything in love. Here's your motivation, because he that doesn't love doesn't know God (1 John 4:8), and the world shall know you by your love (John 13:35).

So when Jordan was born, and we had the dedication service at our church, that's the verse we selected to have read. When he was about two-and-a-half, he started reciting it by memory and making up arm/hand motions to go with it. We call it our "Man-Creed."

But here's the secret: these couple verses from the closing of Paul’s first letter to Corinth aren’t first-and-foremost for Jordan… they’re for me.

When I first realized that, it caught me, ironically enough, "off my guard." I had been more than happy to tell my own father how to "be a man," and was perfectly willing to raise my son to be one according to the Word. How, I wonder, did I intend to do so without living out the credo, making it my own?

The Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible comments upon the 1 Corinthians passage thusly: "[Paul] shows that they ought to make their hopes of salvation to depend not on Apollos or any other teacher; that it rests with themselves." Yes, and on how I am willing to live, or better, whether I am willing to let my life be of greater worth than my words.

I don’t know about the other guys out there, but it definitely helps me to have something to live by, to recite, to write on my heart, ponder the meaning of, and connect to other scriptures as I strive to be a man after God’s own heart. And it doesn’t hurt that this creed I now try to follow is affecting its third generation in my family.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Allow me to recommend teaching your child – no matter how young – to recite Bible verses that reflect who they are and can be in Christ, and make it real in their lives. But while you’re doing it, "be on your guard." One of them may just become your own credo.

A Prayer for Wisdom..Emma Danzey

 A Prayer for Wisdom

By Emma Danzey

James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

There is an entire book of the Bible dedicated to wisdom. The book of Proverbs is a compilation of Christian wisdom. It provides advice and guidance, but not promises. Solomon was given the opportunity to ask God for whatever he wanted and Solomon requested wisdom. The Lord happily gave him his request and more. God was delighted to give wisdom to King Solomon because he asked for it and He delights to give us His wisdom today. 

God, tells us that if we lack wisdom that we should ask Him for it. Praise the Lord that He generously gives us wisdom. We do not earn wisdom or achieve wisdom, the Holy Spirt reveals His wisdom to us. Wisdom is a spiritual gift and even if this is not our strongest gift, we all have the invitation in James to ask for wisdom. This is a good and perfect gift that God desires to give to us because He loves us and wants the best for us. 

Let's Pray:

Dear Lord,
We confess that we have many times gone our own ways and done what we thought was wise in our own eyes, however we have lived foolishly like the world. Please help us to be humble and receive Your wisdom today. Forgive us for relying on our on strength and not seeking You for answers. You hold perfect wisdom and are readily willing to share it with us, but we need to ask. Today, we are asking for Your wisdom to be revealed in our particular life circumstances. Help us to navigate what You have put in front of us with focus and understanding. Lead us to a greater love of Your Scriptures and help us to hide Your word in our hearts.

Proverbs 19:8 says, "The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.” Help us to love life and to cherish understanding by seeking Your wisdom. You have entrusted us to our life circumstances and we ask for Your guidance in what we say yes and no to. We pray that You would guide our mouths and our minds in all ways. Help us to know that any ways that we experience blessings from wise choices is a gift from You and not our own doing. Thank You for giving us grace as we learn to walk with You. 

Matthew 7:24 says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” God You tell us that placing our faith and our hope in You is like building our house on a sturdy rock. The greatest wisdom that we could ever have is to accept Your gift of salvation. Help us to remember that we are always steady because of You. Even when winds blow and challenges arise, thank You for being the Rock who does not move. Forgive us for our foolishness to desire and choose sin. Help us to turn from the areas of folly in our lives. Give us a renewed sense of desire to live lives for Your glory. Guide us with Your Word to teach us Your ways and Your truths. Help us to share this wisdom with others so that they too can be saved. We pray for a heart to tell Your gospel to others. Give us Your wisdom in how we can share of the hope that we have in You with others. 

God You are our Rock and our Wisdom. We thank You for not leaving us in our sin, but coming down to us and making a way back to You. We need Your help to have Biblical and spiritual understanding in this dark world. Help us to have confidence in Your Words as we apply them to our daily lives. Give us wisdom to follow You and to make decisions that will honor You and bless others. Amen.

Are You Still Sleeping?..Annie Yorty

 Are You Still Sleeping?

By Annie Yorty

"And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, 'So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.'” - Matthew 26:40-41 NASB

My ten-year-old son stared wide-eyed around the theater. Hushed, incomprehensible words filtered through the air as Russians settled into the seats around our American group. The Bolshoi! I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to watch a ballet at the most famous theater in Moscow. Yet here we were, waiting to watch Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

Three hours earlier, my team and I stepped off a plane traveling from eastern Siberia where we had been sharing the gospel with orphans and others who need the hope of Jesus. Sleep deprived didn’t begin to describe how we felt after the lengthy trip. But when our team leader offered the chance to visit the historic Bolshoi, I couldn’t pass it up. Sleep could wait.

The lights dimmed as heavy velvet curtains swished open to reveal the stage. Mesmerized, I watched the spotlight find the dancers. Lithe and graceful, they defied gravity with each leap in the familiar story of Esmeralda and the disfigured Quasimodo. 

“What do you think, Buddy?” I whispered to my son next to me. But his eyes drooped as he slouched in the padded chair. Barely coherent, he nodded and mumbled. The next thing I knew, he slid down and stretched out on the floor. I glanced around to see if anyone noticed.

After prodding him to wake up, I let it go. We hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours. I turned back to the show, determined not to allow weariness to overtake me. But the haunting strains of violins lilting through the shadows weighed heavily on my own eyelids. I fought the mantle of sleep, shifting position, sitting taller, propping my chin on my fist. 

Still, I succumbed to slumber. Every now and then, I dragged my mind back to embarrassed consciousness, only to fade yet again. It made me feel only slightly better to see that my friends had the same problem. 

I wonder if the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane felt the same helplessness against sleep on that fateful night when Jesus was arrested. Jesus asked three of His disciples to keep watch while He prayed. “Then He said to them, ‘My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me’” (Matthew 26:38 NASB). Jesus needed moral support from His friends.

But as Jesus wrestled with temptation to avoid the pain and loneliness He knew lay ahead, His friends failed Him. Jesus asked them to stay awake three times. Each time, though, they yielded to slumber. I suspect they, like me, wanted to stay awake but their bodies wouldn’t cooperate. Jesus said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41b NASB).

After Jesus fortified Himself in prayer for a third time, He returned to His disciples. “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.” (Matthew 26:45 NASB).

What can we learn about spiritual slumber from this event? Jesus differentiates between flesh and spirit. While our spirits may desire to do what is right, our flesh pulls us in the opposite direction. 

Jesus told His disciples to keep watch and pray to overcome weak flesh, to invigorate a drowsy spirit. We need to be alert to the schemes of our enemy, Satan, who seizes every opportunity to appeal to our flesh (1 Peter 5:8). He would like us to sleep through this life rather than serve God. Learning God’s Word helps us to recognize Satan’s tactics. 

Once we identify Satan’s attack, we cannot battle him alone. When we feel the downward pull of our flesh, we must pray. Pray just as Jesus prayed to His Father in one of His darkest hours. He transparently poured out His doubts and pain, acknowledging His weak flesh. He depended on His loving, faithful Father to sustain and help Him.

My friend, are you, like the disciples, still sleeping? When Jesus returned to find His disciples passed out in the garden for the third time, He said, “Get up, let’s go” (Matthew 26:46a NASB). 

Do you sense Jesus’ voice rousing you from spiritual slumber? It’s time to wake up and follow where He leads.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Is there some area of your life where you are spiritually asleep? What Bible verses can you memorize to help you battle Satan’s appeals to your flesh?

Further reading:
1 Peter 5:6-9
Ephesians 6:10-20