Understanding.. Craig Denison Ministries

 

Understanding

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:“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalms 145:18

Devotional:           

For most believers, understanding and experience seem to be mutually exclusive. Theology and spirituality are believed to be separate, and while one might help the other, they don’t belong together as one wholehearted pursuit of God. The truth is that understanding and experience couldn’t be more intertwined. In fact, one does not truly exist without the other. To experience God is to have understanding. To understand God is to experience. It’s for this reason Jesus said in John 4:23-24, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

God longs for us to know him in spirit and truth, in experience and understanding. I can’t truly know someone by just reading a book about them. I can’t say that I know C. S. Lewis, Martin Luther, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer just because I’ve read a biography or some of their works. It is the same with God. Scripture is intended to give us understanding about God and guide us into a true relationship with him. Its words are intended to be an avenue to the Author who wrote them. And if we will adopt a perspective of gaining as much understanding about our heavenly Father as possible in order to know him more, Scripture will become a priceless resource to our lives we cannot do without.

Having understanding about the God we’re pursuing is absolutely vital to going deeper. Psalm 145:18 tells us, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Isaiah 26:3 says,“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” And Jesus commands us in Matthew 22:37 to “love the Lord your God with all your . . . mind.” Your mind is the gateway to your heart. If you believe lies about who you are or who God is, you will never seek him fully or properly. If you don’t know of his goodness, faithfulness, and nearness promised to you by Scripture, you’ll never have a reason to pursue truly knowing God.

God longs to guide you in a process of daily renewing your mind through Scripture. The Holy Spirit longs to help and teach you the truth of Scripture that you might know the God you serve. If you will commit yourself to a process of renewing your mind, new avenues will be created from your understanding to experience. If you will truly love the Lord by giving him your understanding to be molded and transformed, the truth of his love for you will flood from your mind to the untouched, dry, and weary places in your life. Commit to growing in your understanding of the Lord today that you might grow in your relationship with your loving, near, heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of worshipping God in spirit and truth.

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”  John 4:23-24

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

2. In what ways have you been pursuing experience or understanding as if they are mutually exclusive? In what ways have you allowed a head knowledge of God or an experience of God to be enough?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what it’s like to truly pursue God in spirit and in truth. Ask him what it’s like to live your life where understanding and experience are never separated. Rest in his presence and commit yourself to knowing God in every part of your life.

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalms 145:18

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13

God is after redemption and transformation in every part of our lives. Our spirit, soul, and body are not separated as if we can work on one part without developing the others. Our understanding affects both our hearts and bodies. Our emotions are impacted directly by our thoughts. And our bodies carry the weight of our stress or joy. To truly be transformed by God is to invite him into every facet of ourselves and allow his love to do a mighty and necessary work. May you experience the fullness of joy and redemption today as you invite God to transform every part of your life.

Extended Reading: John 16

You Don’t Have To Hang On; It’s OK To Fall..RACHEL NORMAN

 You Don’t Have To Hang On; It’s OK To Fall

RACHEL NORMAN 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 (NIV) 

For many years, I operated at the end of my rope. Through international moves, marriage crises, pregnancies, postpartum seasons and normal life, I was nearly always in survival mode.

I’d reach the end of my rope, tie a knot and hang on for dear life. My prayers during the worst of times were usually something like, God, I’m sorry my life is not together! I’ll do better tomorrow — please forgive me!

Some nights, I’d lie in bed with all the ways I’d failed that day running through my head. I wasn’t as present as I wanted to be. I got short with the kids and used a tone that wasn’t great. The house wasn’t quite clean enough, and the dinner I cooked wasn’t quite organic enough, and my pants were a little too tight.

Since I’m a capable person, being at the end of my rope felt like one more problem to solve. I’d do a “brain dump,” make a list, think up 12 different strategies for my three largest problems and start fresh the next day.

And this strategy worked OK … until it didn’t. Until the day I got a devastating health diagnosis that made me physically, mentally and emotionally incapable of hanging on any longer.

I truly reached the end of my rope, and I had no more energy. So I fell. I went into a free fall, which previously would have been my worst nightmare. But what I found in my free fall was a beautiful surrender.

I was so terrified of what my future held but unable to affect any real change with my best efforts and human strength. Because of that, I felt free to release all control. All striving. Instead of hanging on to the end of my rope and telling God all the ways I would become a better person, I surrendered to whatever His plan was. I became poor in spirit and desperate for God’s presence. And because I wasn’t “putting my best foot forward” and avoiding my own reality, I was able to receive His comfort.

Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

I love The Message paraphrase of this verse: “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.”

What began as my worst nightmare became the best year of my life. That year I learned to come to God raw and real, without trying to prove my worth to Him. It was then I learned that I didn’t need to hang on for dear life — because I could fall into His comfort, grace and peace.

A free fall was just what I needed to realize that I was never in control anyway and He always was.

God, please help me be authentic and real with You, not hiding how I’m feeling or how bad life truly seems. Help me learn how to receive comfort from You and how to gain strength from You — not myself. Highlight where it’s time for me to let go, Lord, and help me fall into You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Why God Speaks..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Why God Speaks

Dr. Charles Stanley

James 1:23-25

God is not one to speak in generalities. When He whispers from the pages of Scripture or confronts through a friend's words, the Father directly addresses issues in His children's lives. With that in mind, let's look at His three goals for communicating with believers—namely, for us to:

1. Comprehend the truth. God wants us to learn His ways and principles, to recognize our own frailty, and to identify the needs of others. He does more than offer this as head knowledge—He makes truth applicable to our lives. For example, the Lord assured Paul that His strength was sufficient to carry the apostle through anything (2 Cor. 12:9). Circumstances taught the apostle that God's Word was true.

2. Conform to the truth. Our lives are shaped by our belief system. What we hold as true influences our thinking. In turn, how we think affects our character, conduct, and conversation. God is determined to mold His children into Christlikeness so that they reflect His gospel to the world.

3. Communicate the truth. Every child of God is called to make disciples (Matt. 28:19). Believers can know the Lord and walk in His light but still fall short of this expectation. We must share the gospel by sharing God's truth with others and explaining how His words played out in our lives.

Notice that each goal builds on the one preceding it. Christians are a light reflecting God's glory to this world. We shine brightly by being attentive to God's voice and following His will. And when someone takes an interest in the source of our light, we are prepared to share the good news of Christ.

Are You Weary in the Center of God's Will?..Phylicia Masonheimer

 Are You Weary in the Center of God's Will?

By Phylicia Masonheimer

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:14

Weariness is hard. But it is not bad. We do not need to run from it; in fact, we should not run from it. Weariness is a sign that work has been done.

As I write this, my 3-month-old has been sleeping through the night for about five or six weeks. But she still has that sporadic 2 AM wake up that leaves me blinking and groggy when my toddler wakes at 6 AM. There were other seasons like this one: Seasons of late night studying, of 12-hour work days, of running events until midnight and reporting to work the next day at 7 AM.

Tired is my season. I could wake up angry that my life demands of me physically what it is asking right now, or I can accept this as part of my “living sacrifice” to the Lord (Romans 12:1). If I choose the former, my life will continue in this season but will be made harder by my inability to embrace it. If I choose the latter, I will be weary – but in the center of His will.

Life is a race. Life is a fight. It requires energy and focus; it will exhaust us and beat us up. We will want to give up, to give in, to seek comfort, but in order to accomplish God’s good work we must persevere. We must keep our eyes lifted, lay aside the weight, and press on through the weariness for the prize.

Because the prize is not our own comfort, nor earthly satisfaction, but an upward call to lasting rest.

I want to run my race to the uttermost. I want to use all my strength, not save it for some unknown day. That may mean I end the day tired – but I am spent for His glory. I am weary, but I am in the center of His will.

A Prayer for Those Who Grieve.. Emma Danzey

 A Prayer for Those Who Grieve 

By Emma Danzey

Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

Scripture calls us in Romans to celebrate and empathize with those around us. People are celebrating exciting news, and we join in the rejoicing. However, not every day is going to be a walk in the park. When others come to us in mourning, the response of a believer in Christ should be to mourn with them.

In thinking about who God has placed around you, is there anyone mourning and grieving today? Are there people whom the Lord has intentionally brought into your path to pray for and pray with, to walk alongside, to cry with, to hold, and to encourage? Grief is one of the most difficult paths that people go on in this life. We often think of it as only relating to death. However, grief is loss, it could be someone is grieving a relationship that ended, or the loss of a friend, grieving a job, grieving a dream, grieving a wayward child. When we broaden our perspective of those wrestling through the losses of life, we will be more sensitive to those around us and what they are dealing with in this season. Definitely, we are to pay close attention to those dealing with great losses such as losing health or loved ones, but as we pray today, remember that people are grieving smaller things as well that we can pray for and stand beside in.

Let's Pray:

God our Comforter,
You tell us in 2 Corinthians 1:4 that You comfort us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. We have received such mercy and kindness from You. Enable us to pour that out onto others. Where we ourselves have experienced real pain and loss, help us to keep that in mind for others.

Jesus, would you please be with those who are grieving today. We pray for those with significant losses. Would you help them to feel seen and cared for by You and the church. Would you be their Rock and their Fortress in this storm. We know that You ultimately have allowed this in their lives and pray that they would be able to see You work in the midst of the trial. Lord, help them not to be hopeless or lose heart. Guide them with Your sweet and tender Words in the Bible. Speak life over them. Show them that they are deeply loved and heard. Help us to know when to share and when to be silent. Give us listening ears in their pain. Jesus, show Yourself in new ways to them as their Comforter.

God we pray over those who have grief but have not acknowledged it as such. Give them everything that they need in You. Show them the areas of their hearts that they need to bring to you. For those who stuffed down grief, bring it to the surface and heal them from it. For those who pushed it aside as not significant enough, speak truth into their situations. Help them to know what to do. Give them awareness that You care about even the smallest of disappointments and hurts.

Lord we pray specifically over the widows. You have so many Scriptures about caring for them. Help us to remember them in our prayers and our actions. Give us Your words to say and guide us in comforting them in every season. We pray over those with other loses that they grieve whether that be family or friends. Bring to their memories the truth that You are always with them. Help us to be the body of Christ and live out the love and compassion that You have for them.

God we pray about our own losses. Would you please heal us from the pain. Help us to know that You are working all things together for our good and Your glory. Give us time to process with You and a renewed sense of hope. Reveal Your intimacy in a fresh way. Help us to know Your heart in struggles. Remind us that ultimately we will have no more grief and loss in heaven with You and that You will wipe away every tear. Amen.

Dealing with Difficult People..Mary Southerland

 Dealing with Difficult People

By Mary Southerland

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

When someone hurts one of our grandchildren, my first and wrong response is usually a very strong desire to flatten the person who did the hurting. Just keeping it real. I know that’s the wrong reaction, born out of anger and the wrath of a grandmother. Our grandson, Hudson, recently schooled me on the right way to respond when you’ve been hurt. 

One little boy in Hudson’s class at school is a bully. His favorite target seems to be Hudson, the sweetest kid on the planet. One day the little boy punched Hudson in the face … and a teacher saw the whole thing. She called Danna and Sam, asking them to come in for a conference. Both Danna and Sam were stunned when the teacher explained what had happened. 

Danna asked, “Is this the first time he’s done this, Hud?” Hudson responded, “No. He’s done it before.” Danna and Sam were shocked. “We had no idea!” they explained to the teacher.
“Why haven’t you told anyone?” his father asked. Hudson’s response stunned everyone, “I can take it, Dad. He is really short. He’s the shortest kid in our class. Everyone but me makes fun of him. He doesn’t have any friends and I have a lot of friends. I knew if I told anyone he would get in trouble. So, I just take it because I’d like to be his friend. I think he really needs one.”  

Needless to say, bullying is never ever right and certainly not to be tolerated in any situation. The adults were amazed by Hudson’s response but explained that he should never allow anyone to treat him that way. Yes, the little boy got in trouble, but he also received some much-needed help from the school counselor. Here’s the question. Did Hudson love this little boy like Jesus loves that little boy? I think so. And that is a vital truth in our walk with God – to love like Jesus loves. 

Hudson put feet to John’s words when he said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). That phrase, “As I have loved you,” changes everything when it comes to dealing with someone who has hurt us. Think of all the ways Jesus loves us. He willingly surrendered to his Father’s plan, giving up a throne for a manger and heaven for earth. He died the most brutal death known to mankind, crucifixion. He was despised, rejected, and did not even have a place to lay his head at night. And yet, He loves us completely and eternally in the midst of our sin, just as we are. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:
And then … He calls us to love others the same way. Why? Because that kind of radical love can only be explained by God. So, the world will then know that we are His disciples and that his love is real. God empowers us with His love and then partners with us in loving others. This two-fold message is repeated again and again in the Bible. God loves us. God wants to love others through us.

God wants us to love each other in the same way that He loves – unconditionally. In fact, God wants us to love in such a way that the people around us will know we are fully devoted followers of Christ. I wonder what our relationships would look like if we did love the way Jesus loves us. Nowhere in the Bible will you find the words, “When you feel like it, love others.” Nope! It is not in there. 

The Bible tells us to practice love. Love is an ongoing and very deliberate choice – not an emotion or a feeling. I challenge you to step out in faith today and choose to love that difficult person in your life the way Jesus loves you. 

Lord, help me remember that everyone I meet is fighting some kind of battle I know nothing about. Teach me how to respond with love, not anger. Give me a heart for restoration, not retaliation. Father, help me love like you love.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Further reading:
Want to dig a little deeper? Keeping a journal is a great spiritual habit. Read the following verses carefully. In your journal, jot down what these verses mean to you.  

Romans 12:9-10
2 Corinthians 13:11
1 John 4:7