Honesty before Man.. Craig Denison Ministries

 

Honesty before Man

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

God’s goodness over our lives far exceeds anything we’ve experienced. We’ve only yet splashed around in the shallows of God’s deep love and mercy. In order to dive deeper into the fullness of life available to us, we must learn how to posture our hearts. May your relationship with God be enriched this week as you position yourself to receive all your loving heavenly Father has to give.

Scripture:“For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man.” 2 Corinthians 8:21

Devotional:           

The world is right now in an identity crisis. With the global rise of social media and the Internet, we can now project ourselves to the world as anything we want. We’ve been given the option of only being partly known by countless people rather than really known by a few. We can attempt to fill a gap in our souls for love and relationship with the online world rather than being fully known in our strengths and weaknesses, our greatest faults and soaring successes. We’re in need of an awakening of honesty.

Having an honest heart before man is the only path to experiencing true liberation from the binding opinions of others. When we work tirelessly to build up a false self so that we can receive affirmation from others, we never truly experience love. For our false self to be loved is not truly love at all because we constantly have the thought, “If they really knew me, they wouldn’t love me.” We have an enemy aimed at the destruction of our greatest need: truly being loved. And exaggeration, false projections, and outright lies guide us exactly where our enemy wants us, into a lifestyle of never truly being known and therefore never truly being loved for who we are.

Throughout Scripture we see that wherever the Spirit is at work, the acts of confession, repentance, and truly being known to others are the result. Acts 19:18 tells us, “Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.” And God commands us in Colossians 3:9, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” You see, to project a lie or exaggeration of ourselves to others is to declare that we value the opinion of man over the opinion of God. Every time we work to create a better image of ourselves, we step outside of God’s grace and work for the love of man.

The path to truly being loved starts with being honest before God and man. It starts with positioning ourselves to truly be loved by God. In his book The Furious Longing of God, Brennan Manning describes what happens when we encounter God’s furious longing for us. He says, “The praise of others will not send your spirit soaring, nor will their criticism plunge you into the pit. Their rejection may make you sick, but it will not be a sickness unto death.” God longs to set us free from the emotional roller-coaster of living for the affirmation of man. God loves you where you, as you are. You don’t need to strive for the fleeting, burdensome affection of people any longer. The Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe is waiting right now to pour out a love so rich and true that it will set you free from ever needing what the world has to offer.

Take time in guided prayer today to meditate on the importance of being honest with others around you. Receive the love of God and be filled with courage to be fully known. Posture your heart at a place to be truly loved by God and others for who you are. May you experience the power of true, honest love today.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of being honest with others around you.

“Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.” Proverbs 28:6

“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” Colossians 3:9

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16

2. Confess to God any ways in which you’ve been striving for the approval of the world. Ask the Lord to overwhelm you with his love today that you might receive all you need from him. Ask him to show you how he feels about you. Receive his forgiveness.

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19-20

3. Commit yourself to being fully known today. Ask God to fill you with courage to not project yourself as better or different than you are. Ask him to help you live today as you truly are, trusting that his love is all you need.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18

One of the most powerful ways to be free from creating a false self is to engage in consistent confession with fellow believers. Your spouse needs to know your sin. Healing and freedom comes from bringing what was in the dark into the light so that we might gain proper perspective and have victory. The enemy longs to keep our sins in the dark until the day that bringing them to the light will do the greatest damage to us and to God. Don’t allow fear to keep you from the fullness of life God has for you. Confess your sins to others today, and ask for their help in being fully known. May you have faith that God will only ever guide you to a more abundant life. And may you receive the freedom and love that comes from truly being known today.

Extended Reading: Colossians 3

How to See Hope and Value in Your Suffering..C. Adam Clagg

 How to See Hope and Value in Your Suffering

By C. Adam Clagg

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “In [Christ] you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” - 1 Peter 1:6-7

The apostle Peter understood suffering from identifying with Jesus and his years serving the fledgling church. Sometimes his suffering was self-induced, caused by his own mistakes. The simple, rugged fisherman failed when he took his eyes off Jesus while walking on the water. Peter even denied Christ during the last few hours before the crucifixion. Despite all this, Jesus never forsook Peter, and God used these experiences to mold him.

When we endure pain, most of us doubt God’s love, or even question our salvation. Peter reminds us that suffering isn’t punishment from God. It is temporary. Even though God didn’t cause the pain, He will refine us through it.

If Job and Peter could find purpose in their pain, then there must be something to what they are saying. The mystery of suffering is never fully expressed. But it does seem that suffering leads us to pray more—whether out of anger, protest or petition. And thus, in the midst of tragedy, our relationship with God can improve.

Above all, Peter wants us to remember that we are not alone. When we cry out to Christ, He understands our pain and weaknesses because He endured the same thing. One day, our suffering will end. We will be united with our suffering Lord and those who came to know Him because we suffered well.

Suffering does not last forever. Not only do we follow Christ’s example by suffering, but we also follow in His resurrection. One day, God will raise us up out of our suffering.

A Prayer for When You Feel Overwhelmed..Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer for When You Feel Overwhelmed

By Emily Rose Massey

"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy" (Psalm 61:1-3, ESV).

I sat in the recliner with my journal on my lap and tears streaming down my cheeks. I knew that if I could just write out my frustrations (just like countless times before in my life) that I may be able to find some clarity, and it may help to calm the swirling thoughts that were circling around my mind and causing me to feel so utterly overwhelmed with everything going on in my life. I have journaled for as long as I can remember. As a writer, I have always enjoyed being a storyteller, and often, especially after becoming a Christ-follower, journaling has helped me externally process my very own stories with God.

Before I began writing, I grabbed my Bible and thumbed through the book of Psalms. Suddenly, the first three verses in Psalm 61 caught my attention:

“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy” (1-3, ESV).

I read these three verses aloud a few times, and tears continued to flow. My heart was faint, but the Lord was strengthening me as I looked to Him, my ever-present help in time of need. My weeping turned into a time of gratitude that I was not alone in my suffering; God was near to me in that moment. Instead of the overwhelm of my anxiety from what I was facing, God’s peace began to now overwhelm my heart as I shared with Him what was causing me so much worry and stress. Suddenly, I was able to see more clearly, and my problems seemed so small standing next to God Almighty.

When our heart is overwhelmed with the cares of this life, we must take the time to cast them upon the Lord (1 Peter 5:7). Like Psalm 61 tells us, we are to cry out to God, for He alone is our protection and refuge against the chaos of this life. Jesus Christ, our rock, is our firm foundation when the ground beneath our feet feels shaky. We can run to Him for safety and trust that when the waves crash in around us, He will be our fortress in the midst of the storms of life.

Let's pray:

Father,
I am stressed out and overwhelmed. I cry out to You, knowing that you care for me and that You do not want me to find safety in anything else but You. I run to You and look to You to bring a peace that passes all understanding, for You are my fortress and protection against the storms of life. Thank You, Jesus, that You are a firm foundation. In the midst of chaos and troubles, You are constant, and You are unshakable. I do not build my life upon sinking sand, but You, my rock and my redeemer. Thank You for being near to me when I am worried or afraid. I can always lean upon You and trust that You are always working things out for Your glory and for my good.

In Your Name,
Amen.

 

Never Ending Kingdom..Emma Danzey

 Never Ending Kingdom

By Emma Danzey

Luke 1:33 says, “And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And He Will Reign
There has been so much talk over the passing of Queen Elizabeth II around the world. She reigned for 70 years and will go down in history as one of the top 4 longest ruling monarchs. She was known for her service and selflessness. She was a woman of faith in Jesus. Although her reign was great on this earth, the queen herself is now bowing before the King of Kings. Any human reign given by God is ultimately for His purposes. What is amazing about Luke 1:33 is that Jesus’ reign is unlike any other. Where earthly rulers make mistakes and sin, Jesus has a flawless rule. Where people in the world have selfish motives, Jesus is perfectly selfless and humble. 

Luke 1:33 is a verse within a passage when Mary is told by the angel Gabriel about her miracle pregnancy of the Savior of the world. Mary was not anywhere near royalty herself. It kind of makes you think about David the shepherd boy who God chose. God’s kingdom is not like what we imagine in our worldly minds. The Lord was calling a teen virgin to carry the eternal Hero Jesus and in this verse in Luke 1:33 the angel tells Mary that her son will reign. In her mind, she may have thought the Messiah meant a reign on earth. However, God has a much larger plan. 

Over the House of Jacob Forever
This verse is confirming to Mary that she indeed would give birth to the Messiah who the Jews, the people of God had been waiting on for many years. The time had come for the redemption plan of the Lord to unfold. Jesus was coming, He was getting ready to rule. But where the Jews were looking for a powerful earthly king, they missed that Jesus served a greater kingdom. He taught things like, “The first will be last and the last will be first” (Matthew 20:16) and “Let the little children come to me because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14) 

Jesus was the fulfillment of all of the promises found within the Old Testament. He was the One who lived the perfect life and became a sacrifice for all sins. Jesus fulfilled every prophecy, He was the One who was awaited, and many Jewish people missed it because of their own human thoughts about “who” the Messiah should be. However, He still came to die for the Jews and the Gentiles. He came first for the Jews, then for the Gentiles. He is King over all. 

And of His Kingdom There Will Be No End
We see so many endings of kings and queens ruling on this earth, some are a relief and some are cause to mourn. However, Jesus’ kingdom has no end date. He was and is and is to come. He is the King of kings. Revelation tells us about the future events to take place. God describes in Revelation 19:16, “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

We can rest in the fact today and every day that our perfect King who is faithful, humble, kind, the fair Judge, and the King who came to us, loves us and is never going to fail us. When he hung on the cross and people mocked Him and put a crown of thorns into his head, He did not back down from being a perfect sacrifice. When His own disciples turned their backs on him in fear, He still had great forgiveness and restoration for them, and when we ignore Him and forget His sacrifice for our sins each day, His grace meets us where we are and calls us back to Himself and into His kingdom purposes. If we really understood the magnitude of the glory of our King, we would be responding in bowing, in awe, in wonder of His greatness and His intimacy with us. He is worthy to receive all the power honor and glory forever. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:
How can you remember Jesus as the King of kings today? How can you rest in His reign and join Him in His kingdom work?

Further Reading:

• Matthew 19:14
• Matthew 20:16
• Romans 1:16