God the Giver of Strength..Craig Denison Ministries;

 God the Giver of Strength

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:“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” - Psalm 73:26

Devotional:

The story of God’s people is one of God’s strength covering our weakness. Our heavenly Father takes our problems, sins, fears, and feebleness and uses them as opportunities to demonstrate the overwhelming power of his love. He takes those the world deems to be the weakest and uses them to accomplish incredible, powerful works. Isaiah 40:28-31 says:          

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. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Our God knows our frame. He knows that our bodies have come from dust and will one day return to their original form. He knows that without his help we accomplish nothing. But Paul’s declaration in Philippians 4:13 is just as true for you and me as it was for him: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” We can do all things through the anointing and power of our heavenly Father. We can tackle any obstacle that stands in our way because our God is perfectly strong in our weakness.

Where do you need the strength of God today? Where do you feel weak, powerless, or weary? Where do you need to run but only feel exhausted? Your lot is not to go through life living solely by your own power. You’ve been given a new identity as a son or daughter of the Most High God who desperately wants to clothe you with strength and teach you how to use the authority given to you by Jesus.

In God you can defeat the powers of sin and darkness that have held you back. In God you can accomplish the tasks set before you with joy, energy, and strength. And in God you can love and be loved to such a capacity that your very attitude, outlook, and emotions transform into reflections of your heavenly Father’s.

Spend time in prayer receiving the strength that comes from God alone. Allow him to fill you with fresh vision and align your perspective with his.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire to fill you with strength.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - >Isaiah 41:10

“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. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” - >Isaiah 40:28-31

2. Where do you need God’s strength today? Where do you feel weakest? Where do you need his power and anointing?

3. Ask God to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask him to make his strength known to you. Allow your perspective and outlook to shift in light of God’s power and love.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” - Psalm 73:26 

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.” - >2 Samuel 22:33-34 NIV

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” - >Philippians 4:13

We are never meant to do life on our own. We are designed to be in connection to the strength of our heavenly Father in every situation, relationship, job, and trial. God longs to fill us with strength to accomplish the good work laid before us. He longs to make us strong in him. Don’t go throughout your day in your own strength. Instead, seek out the hand of your heavenly Father and allow him to help you today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 73

Formula for Personal Growth..Dr. Charles Stanley

Formula for Personal Growth

Dr. Charles Stanley

James 1:22

Growing in Christ involves far more than just attending church, tithing, and listening to a sermon. In fact, many believers do these yet remain stagnant in their walk. There are two elements necessary for us to become more like Jesus: instruction and involvement.

The first of these, learning truth, is vital to a healthy walk with God. Our Savior proved the importance of instruction by devoting much of His time on earth to it. The apostle Paul is another example, as he wrote letters to educate Christians about godliness.

So how can we gain knowledge and understanding? One of the most important and effective ways is to read the Word of God. Scripture instructs us that just as newborns crave milk, we are to desire His Word so that we might grow. I pray your spiritual thirst will become insatiable.

Yet simply listening to the truth does not mean that we've acquired it. I know many people who love attending Bible studies and expanding their knowledge base, but their lives remain unchanged. Just as today's passage teaches, we have to apply the Word to our lives. Even so, actual growth requires more than merely inputting information. It requires action. James 2:26 states, "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."

Are we careless hearers, deceived into thinking that we're growing? Or are we listening intently and abiding in the truth? If we're truly maturing, our lives will be increasingly Christlike, and our desires will align more closely with God's heart. Make sure that you are listening and responding to His truth.

Beautiful in God’s Eyes..Alexis A. Goring

 Beautiful in God’s Eyes

By Alexis A. Goring

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” – Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Do you believe you are beautiful? The Bible says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God, and He makes everyone beautiful. But because of the negative effect of sin in this world, many of us—especially women—fail to believe that God sees us as His marvelous masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). We are all delightful in God’s eyes. 

Yet pop culture constantly defines and redefines what they think beauty is for humankind. Oftentimes, the messages we are given create anxiety and make us question how God made us. Sometimes it even drives us to make changes to God’s masterpiece.

In 2010, Jessica Simpson’s “The Price of Beauty” reality show aired on television in the USA. She traveled around the world with her two best friends to interview women in different countries about what they considered beautiful and the lengths they’d go to meet the world’s standards. In one episode, they met a woman in Brazil who had more than 40 plastic surgeries. She was a tall blonde who was possibly in her thirties. Her skin appeared smooth and blemish-free, and her body was toned without any stretchmarks or saggy skin. But what she said to Jessica and her friends saddened my heart. This woman told them that when she looks in the mirror and sees something she doesn’t like, she changes it, resulting in many cosmetic procedures. Her story saddened me because the Bible says we are God’s workmanship created in His image. God didn’t make a mistake when He created me and you; He loves everything about us.

While I wouldn’t want to have plastic surgeries to fix anything I consider a flaw, I can relate to the pressure this world puts on people—especially to look perfect by society’s standards. We are taught from an early age what is beautiful in this world and what is not. We begin to scrutinize everything from our hair texture to our skin tone to our weight and the size of our clothes. We feel the pressure to conform to the ways of this world, especially where beauty is concerned. We want to be liked and loved. We want to fit in. We want to be desired because of our outward appearance. But, dear heart, don’t you know that you are already beautiful in God’s eyes? 

I’d like to encourage you to start seeing yourself the way Your Maker sees you. Loved. Precious. Priceless. You, my dear, are God’s masterpiece.

There’s a song by Rachael Lampa and TobyMac called “Perfectly Loved.” The lyrics to this song will drive the point home about how you are perfectly made and beloved by God. There is nothing wrong with you that needs to be fixed. Don’t listen to the lies of this world about their standards. Look to God for the true definition of beauty, and you’ll see that you already meet that standard. There’s nothing you need to change about yourself to be treasured by Him.

What you have on the inside of you is more important than how you look on the outside. The Bible says that it is your “inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” that “is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:4 NIV). It’s not about wearing the clothes that the fashion world says are in season, nor is it about exercising until you have zero body fat and a toned tummy. It’s not about “fixing” what you consider unattractive. God values a tender heart of compassion, a kind personality that cares about all people and prays for them, and a faith in God that can move mountains. Remember: What matters is how God sees you and what He thinks of you. You are one of His precious children. His heart for you overflows with goodness. God wants to give you good gifts like true friendships, quality time with loved ones, healthy food to eat, clean water to drink, a safe place to live, and the ultimate gift of salvation because He wants to spend eternity with you. 

God offers you pure, true, enduring, and complete love. He’s the one who will adore you no matter what happens to how you look. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He thinks you’re worth dying for (John 3:16). If only you could see yourself how your Creator sees you, it would change your world.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
What stops you from seeing yourself the way God sees you? How can you work toward embracing how God made you and seeing your beauty?

Further Reading: 

• 1 Samuel 16:7
• 1 John 3:1
• 1 Peter 2:9
• Romans 5:8
• Genesis 1:26

 

Assurance of our Faith..Meg Bucher

 Assurance of our Faith

By Meg Bucher

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 3:13

“Three 100%’s!” My daughter slammed her folder on the counter triumphantly. “That’s three prizes!”

Though the reward system set in place seems to help encourage their best work in school …it sure has shoved us into the conversation of entitlement right alongside it.

We are all programmed to seek what we feel we deserve for our efforts. This is counter-productive to Christianity, and today’s verse provides a great platform to discuss it.

Though it might appear like Paul is giving“works” the claim to victory, “excellent standing and great assurance” goes far beyond what we do on this earth. Humanity will fail us through our individual struggles. Even Paul struggled with“doing what he hated…” Assurance comes from our heart’s ambition on His behalf. The fire that burns in us to follow Him …to “Go!” wherever He needs us to go.

assurance-a positive declaration intended to give confidence. (dictionary.com)

In Christ, we are assured victory! We know we will end our lives in His arms in heaven. But on our way home, we unlock glory on this earth when we are executing His will for our lives.

Our positive declaration of faith is in the cross.

The word “confidence” is used in the New American Standard Bible in place of assurance, and the original Greek translation of that word directs us to be clear in what we believe and who we follow. Not just clear, but unabashedly confident. Not in an arrogant way, but in solid, unswerving, faith.

Our assurance is having so much confidence that we can freely say straightforwardly that Jesus is our Savior, and that He is the reason we are saved by grace and can be in the presence of God. He is the reason, by His death on the cross, that the very Spirit of God resides in our hearts to help us through this life. And not just to help us skate by …to help us soar on the wings of God’s will for our lives.

Father,

Praise You for the way you weigh the works of our lives. Thank You for the will that powers our lives’ direction. We confess taking hold and becoming shaky in times of crisis and quiet. But God …You are good to us through it all, and there for us always. Bless us to be more like Jesus each day we walk this earth.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Prayer to See Love the Way God Does..Alicia Searl

 A Prayer to See Love the Way God Does

By Alicia Searl

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

• Love makes the world go round. 
• All you need is love. Make love, not war. 
• Love is love. 

All these quotes have something in common. They were used when people desperately needed peace, unity, and love. Grabbing at a sense of belonging and ultimately craving love. But these sayings are “man” made. They were created to define love, but they all miss a crucial element. There is no mention of God in any of them! Not saying that God cannot be in them, but He is not the main focus. Ok, my friend, this is where things get a little messy. Bear with me for a moment. 

On the surface, speaking these simply sweet “love phrases” sounds nice enough, but what’s not discussed much is that something is lurking underneath (as with anything created by man). It’s called the tainting of our flesh. In essence, these quotes, sayings, and phrases are all very misleading. While they long to embrace love, they look at the worldly view of love, not the perspective of love that God designed.

Let’s take the current trend of “love is love.” This basically says that we define love. We get to say what love is and how we want to honor and celebrate it. Not God, but us! Unfortunately, this is leading us into very dangerous territory, especially as the views of love vary from person to person. When we remove God (Who is love) from the context of love and let our own fleshly desires in, love is no longer patient or kind. It begins to envy and boast. It dishonors others and becomes self-seeking. It is easily angered and keeps records of “right” and wrongs, all while delighting in evil. There is no need for protection as it deems untrustworthy and hopeless.

Manmade love will always fail. This is happening in our society, and we are seeing an uptick in accepting and celebrating types of love that go against God’s will and way for our lives. Sadly, the most vulnerable and innocent, our children, are caught in this sinful and lustful love trap. Friend, we are living in disheartening times. So, what do we do? We choose God’s love, and we love as Jesus did. We love with patience, kindness, and humility. However, we do not tolerate or delight in evil but rejoice in the truth and share it with our children. We strive to protect them and speak up for righteousness while holding fast to the fact that God has them and us. We need to spread the truth that our God is the God of love. He created it. He designed it, and He gets to define it. The pure nature of the love God created is meant to bring us closer together as humans, but more importantly, to bring us into a deeper relationship with Him.

Let’s pray:
Gracious God,
You are such a good God. A faithful Father that loves us without end. Thank You for Your unfailing and unwavering love. Please help us share that love with others. While it is disheartening to see the many ways our world embraces love, as believers, help us be a light and share the beautiful and unconditional love You offer.  

Lord, please protect our children and build a barrier of protection around their hearts. Help them see and feel Your love so that they will be encouraged to share Your love with others as they grow up in a lost world. We ask that You speak into the lives of the lost. Change hearts and transform minds. We are all searching for love, so lead and guide us on how to share our hearts and love others as You would have us do. Please bless our relationships with our fellow brothers and sisters, our families, our spouses, and those desperately searching for Your love. We ask all these things in Your Precious Name. Amen.

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

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.