Dream.. Craig Denison Ministries

 

Dream

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

As this year comes to a close, it’s vital that we take time to both reflect on what God has done and allow him to prepare us for what’s to come. A new year marks a fresh opportunity to center our lives around the goodness of God. I pray that as you begin looking toward what is to come you will make space to gain God’s perspective, ground your hopes and pursuits on his grace, and celebrate all that God has done and is doing. May your time with God this week be filled with the loving presence of your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Devotional:

God longs for his children to dream. He longs for us to set aside time with him to wish and wonder about what life could be. I fear that many Christians have lost the art of dreaming with God out of a misunderstanding of his heart. While God most definitely has a will for our lives, he also longs for us to dream with him so that his desires become our own. While he most definitely has perfect plans for us, he longs for us to want his plans that we might co-labor with him rather than being dragged by him like an ill-tempered child into what’s best. May we make time today as the new year approaches to dream with God that our hearts may be filled with his longings and desires.

The chief way in which God wants to lead you is by planting dreams in your heart and then satisfying those dreams. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Our Father longs for us to be so delighted in him that we would want what he wants. He longs to fill us with right desires and then satisfy those desires in his perfect timing and in his perfect way. He longs for us to trust him as our good Shepherd to such a depth that we joyfully follow him wherever he leads.

You see, Psalm 37:4 is more about delighting ourselves in God than getting what we currently think we want most. It’s more about the pursuit of him as our chief joy than anything we could receive from him. God alone knows what’s best for us. He alone has the perspective and wisdom to shepherd us to a truly abundant life. And we will never follow someone we don’t trust has our best will at heart.

To make God our chief joy is to surrender our lives to the overwhelming goodness and grace of an omnipotent, omnipresent, and fully loving Father. God is both willing and able to lead us into the fullness of abundant life. He is both willing and able to fill us with right longings and desires if we will simply open our hearts and trust him.

Until we center our hearts, and therefore our lives, totally and completely around the goodness and will of our heavenly Father, we will never experience all this life has to offer. The gateway to living filled and satisfied is simply enjoying God and allowing our hearts to become like his.   

Know today that your heavenly Father longs to dream with you. He longs to hear what it is you most desire. He longs to have conversation with you about what’s best. And he longs to be your chief joy, that the greatest cry of your heart is to delight yourself in him and receive whatever comes with fully restored, unbridled relationship with him. May your day be marked by a filling of new desires from your loving Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s heart to be your chief joy and to dream with you.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

2. In what ways do you need to make God your chief joy? What have you placed above him in your heart? What are you looking to for joy, security, and fulfillment above God?

3. Take time to enjoy God and ask him to fill you with dreams and desires. In his presence take note of what you long for. Ask him to transform your heart that you may desire what he wants.

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

“For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.” Psalm 33:21

Psalm 37:23-24 says, “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.” There is no greater pursuit than simply delighting in the Lord. When we delight ourselves in him, life becomes incredibly simple. It’s in the mixing of God and the world that our hearts feel burdened and confused. Assess the status of your heart today. To what level are you delighting in God? Will the chief pursuit of your life be God or the world? Get lost in the love of your heavenly Father today and allow your life to become swept up in his overwhelming goodness.

Extended Reading: Psalm 37

12 New-Year Reminders To Read Before 2023..GRACE VALENTINE

 12 New-Year Reminders To Read Before 2023

GRACE VALENTINE

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

As we stand at the end of one year and the beginning of a new one, we’ve decided today’s devotion will be a little different. Take some time to soak in these truth-filled reminders, one for each month, as you look back on 2022 and step into 2023. And, friend, trust that God is already there, working out all things for the good of those who love Him! (Romans 8:28) Happy New Year!

1. Take a deep breath and remember God is good at being God. Let God be God, and instead of seeking control, seek to trust Him.
2. You are created by love and for love. Instead of wasting time and energy “proving” you’re worthy of love, focus on loving others.
3. Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Instead of dwelling on the hard parts of this year, choose to leave the past in the past. And stay expectant — God is doing something new in 2023!
4. Strive to sit at tables Jesus would have sat at. Jesus sat and ate with sinners, (Mark 2:15) but He didn’t “walk in step with the wicked” (Psalm 1:1, NIV). If those gathered around you are gossiping and pushing others down, walk away.
5. Like Sarah in Genesis 18, you may be doubting that God will give you a miracle. But God can transform your doubt and make a way.

6. Be who you needed when you were younger. There’s probably a college student who needs to hear your testimony, a young mom who needs to hear she’s doing a good job, or a middle-school girl who needs to hear love isn’t how her dad treated her mom. Someone needs your story, your presence and your discipleship.

7. Rest is a holy rhythm, not a prize to be earned. True rest comes from stepping away from the craziness of life and being still while knowing God is in control. Cultivate patterns of rest in your life.

8. Heartbreak is hard, but our God is strong. Even when you watch a door close, get ghosted or go through a breakup, your story isn’t finished. Psalm 34:18 says “the LORD is near to the brokenhearted” (ESV). So when you're crying, confused, heartbroken and rejected … trust your Savior is near.
9. How you care for and exercise your body should always be a celebration of what your body, designed by God, can do. Even something as good as working out can become a bad thing if you don’t make it a God thing.
10. When you find a friend who makes you laugh, loves you well and calls you out, keep her! Cheer her on; be her biggest advocate. Find friends who brag about you behind your back, and be their “hype woman” in return.
11. A true leader is formed not by a position but by love. Love big instead of trying to become big, and use leadership opportunities (big and small) to be a light.
12. Life isn’t always what you expect, and you might be walking through something very hard — but right now, in some area of your life, you’re in the middle of a blessing. Don’t miss out on your current blessing because you’re too busy counting down the days until the next one. No matter what else happens, if you've placed your faith in Jesus, every day you are lovingly “being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV). 

Hope: The Anchor of the Soul..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Hope: The Anchor of the Soul

Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 6:13-20

Hope is a healthy attitude. Anticipating good brings comfort to the mind and heart. In contrast, a state of hopelessness is a terrible condition in which to find oneself. It's overwhelming and depressing to think that what you're facing cannot be changed or resolved. For the person who has lost all hope, life looks like a long dark tunnel going nowhere.

Included in Proverbs is a verse that describes the result of this oppressive feeling: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prov. 13:12). Emotional, physical, and even mental illness haunt a person who feels trapped in a bleak situation. But I want to tell you, my friend, that as long as there is a God, no situation is hopeless. In Him, we have the promise of the second half of that proverb: "Desire fulfilled is a tree of life."

Believers have a hope that anchors their souls. Our relationship with Jesus Christ brings us close to the throne of heaven, where we can cast all our burdens before an omnipotent God. Moreover, we can cling to Him through whatever trials are facing us. Because of the Lord's great love, He provides strength for weary bodies, peace for anxious minds, and comfort for grieving hearts. In short, He lights that darkened tunnel and tenderly guides us through trying situations.

An anchor was a popular image in the ancient Mediterranean world. In an economy that depended on shipping, the anchor symbolized safety and steadiness. The writer of Hebrews used the word to remind believers that God has given a hope that holds firm in any storm.

Keeping Our Mouths in Check..Lynette Kittle

 Keeping Our Mouths in Check (Matthew 15:11)

By Lynette Kittle

Today’s Bible Verse: What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them - Matthew 15:11

When Jesus calls us to listen and understand, we want to tune into His words and pay close attention to what He is saying because it’s of utmost importance.

So what topic was significant enough for Jesus to call the crowd together? In Matthew 15:10, we read, “Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, 'Listen and understand.’" What did He consider so vitally important for them to hear and understand? He said, “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them” (Matthew 15:11).

Nowadays we’re living in a topsy-turvy world people are more concerned about what they eat than what they say. A culture where millions could care less about what comes out of their mouths.

Perhaps you’ve been surprised by things you’ve heard said not only by secular voices but also by some Christians? Maybe your own words have caught you off guard at times?

If so, Scripture reminds us, “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless” (James 1:26).

Facing Food Issues

Television networks like The Food Network and The Cooking Channel fuel our culture’s obsession with food. Although many believe this focus on food is a new, modern, and enlightened view that has emerged in our world today, Scripture reveals how it’s been an issue among people for a long time.

Matthew 15:12, describes how the religious leaders of the day responded to the comment by Jesus about what defiles a person. “Then the disciples came to Him and asked, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?'"

Food continues to be a very touchy subject, causing division among people who have varying attitudes and beliefs about its importance and value of it in our lives. Many individuals and groups are deeply concerned about how it’s grown, cooked, harvested, and eaten.

Where Does Life and Health Come From?

Eating superfoods today in the hopes of extending one’s life is a growing trend. Like the serpent deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, the devil is still misleading people to believe long life and health comes through the earth and the food they eat rather than through God (Genesis 3:4-5).

Romans 1:25 points out how people through the ages have exchanged the truth about God with a lie, by worshipping and serving created things rather than the Creator.

Jesus calls us to be more concerned with what we say than what we eat, because it’s not the food we put into our mouths that has the ability to dishonor us but rather the words that come out of it.

As Proverbs 18:21 explains, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Likewise, Proverbs 4:21-22 encourages us to keep God’s words in our sight and within our hearts because His words are life to those who find them and health to our whole body.

A Prayer for Everlasting Peace..Kristine Brown

A Prayer for Everlasting Peace
By Kristine Brown

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3 NIV)

The earth-shaking sound of thunder woke me from a deep sleep. Cracking limbs from our tall pine trees started my heart racing. We’d had trees fall on our house before, and it wasn’t something I wanted to relive anytime soon. I’d watched the weather reports and knew a storm was headed toward us, but I hadn’t fathomed anything like this. I stayed in bed as the power flickered, deciding whether I should continue praying or get up and move to a safer spot in the house. Before I made up my mind, the storm passed. Stillness returned. As I got up and slipped on my house shoes, ready to inspect for any damage left behind, I thought about the quiet that followed the storm. It brought relief to my anxious thoughts. 

Just like other storms, we will face in this life— even the most difficult ones— we look forward to the calm that comes after. But we also know that many times, the storm lingers. So how do we stay calm when storms last longer than we expected? When trials drag on with no reprieve in sight? In the midst of relentless storms, God’s truth holds the answer. In even the most unfathomable trials of life, God gives us everlasting peace.

Isaiah 26:3 proclaims the wonder of God’s peace, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Peace can be found in many places, but the peace we have through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only perfect peace. A peace that cannot be explained because it’s supernatural. Yet it is ours to receive through prayer and a relationship with the Father. 

Perfect peace is a gift from the Lord. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Perfect peace exceeds our understanding. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

Perfect peace is everlasting. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22)

The storm that passed over our home that night came and left quickly, but some storms last for a long, long time. The peace of Jesus not only speaks to the storms in our lives, but it sustains us through the longest trials. The everlasting peace of Jesus may be hard to comprehend, but once we experience it for ourselves, we are forever changed. However long the storm we’re facing lasts, God is faithful. His peace is available to us from beginning to end. 

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord,
Thank you for giving me your everlasting peace. Whatever storms I face in life, I can call out to you in prayer and ask for the peace that surpasses all understanding. (Philippians 4:6) The peace of Jesus is a precious gift that will speak to even the longest-lasting storms.

Forgive me for trying to find peace in other places. It never lasts. Your peace is the only perfect peace. It calms my heart and sustains me through my hardest times. It reminds me that you are always with me, bringing comfort when my mind is in turmoil. I trust you, Father. Help me to stay in perfect peace. Help me rely on your faithfulness when I’m tempted to worry. Thank you for giving us your son, the Prince of Peace. Through his love, we have everlasting peace in this life and the hope of eternity.

 

A God Who Remembers..Lynette Kittle

 A God Who Remembers

By Lynette Kittle

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” - Psalm 8:4

Have you ever felt forgotten by God, tempted to believe He has a short memory and doesn’t remember your cries and requests to Him. After all, He is the God of the universe, creator of all living things, why would we think He would remember us?

“For this is what the Lord says— He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— He says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:18).

If you’ve felt like you’re not important to God, you’re not alone. There are numerous stories in the Bible of individuals who may have felt forgotten by God at various times in their lives, like Sarah, Rachel, Joseph, Hannah, Daniel, Jonah, Job, Paul, and the list goes on.

Feeling forgotten often comes with seemingly unanswered prayers, and believing God has a short memory. But Revelation 5:8 describes the place our prayers have in Heaven, “And when He had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”

Recognizing Who Is Remembering Us

As we trust God to remember us, we want to remember God isn’t like humans who often easily forget and don’t remember us.

He is the only one and true living God, yet remembers us in all our frailties and weaknesses. “For He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14).

Often we don’t remember who He is. “But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal King. When He is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath” (Jeremiah 10:10).

Most importantly, we want to remember the priceless privilege God has given us to know Him through Jesus Christ. “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true by being in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20).

When, Where, & How God Remembers

Scripture describes times of God remembering His people. Below are seven ways of when, where, and how God remembers us.

1. In our suffering. “God heard their groaning and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob” (Exodus 2:24).
2. In times of isolation. “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded” (Genesis 8:1).

1. During sorrow. “For He who avenges blood remembers; He does not ignore the cries of the afflicted” (Psalm 9:12).

“After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10).

4. In weaknesses. “He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return” (Psalm 78:39).
5. During disasters. “So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, He remembered Abraham, and He brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived” (Genesis 19:29).
6. With His promises. “For He remembered His holy promise given to His servant Abraham” (Psalm 105:42).

“Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised” (Genesis 21:1).

7. In times of bareness. “Then God remembered Rachel; He listened to her and enabled her to conceive” (Genesis 30:22).

“Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her” (1 Samuel 1:19).

Intersecting Faith and Life: As God is faithful to remember us, let’s make time to remember Him, too. One way He calls us to do this is through taking Holy Communion and remembering Jesus’ death and resurrection. “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me’”(Luke 22:19).