God as Our Guide through Life.. Craig Denison Ministries

 Weekly Overview:

As children of the Most High God, we have been granted access to unconditional, tangible, and perfect love. All we need we have in relationship with our Father in heaven. He longs to reveal himself to us as a loving, real Father. He longs for us to live in the fullness of restored relationship with him. He longs for us to experience his vast and limitless affections. May we grow in our understanding and experience of God as our good and loving Father this week as we look at what it is to be his child.

Scripture:“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Devotional:    

You were not created to carve out your path through this life alone. Your heavenly Father longs to be a guide throughout all the twists and turns of life. He longs to shepherd you to greener pastures and calmer waters. He longs to protect you and provide for you. He longs to lead you to a life with more fullness of joy, peace, and purpose than any life you could ever discover on your own.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Allowing the Lord to be established as your guide begins with a commitment to trust. God cannot lead where you will not follow. Unless you live life with your heart postured toward continual obedience, you will fail to follow your Father into all the wonders he has in store for you.

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.” We must cultivate a continual hunger for the Lord’s instruction and counsel. God’s plan is not to guide you as a horse or mule where you live your life without purpose or understanding. He longs to teach you and reveal his will that you might live under his leadership and influence.

We are created to be children of the Spirit and the word. We are made to both hear the voice of our Father and live according to the perfect direction of Scripture. John 4:24 says, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The Holy Spirit desires to speak to you directly about your life. He longs to guide you in and out of every circumstance by tugging on your spirit and speaking to your heart. And he longs to give you revelation you need from the words of Scripture he divinely inspired. God has given you ample opportunity to be perfectly led. He’s provided all you will ever need to go through life with him as your guide. All that’s left is for you to trust him, keep your heart open to him, and follow him obediently in response to his faithfulness and love.

Take time in guided prayer to ask for his guidance. Ask the Holy Spirit to transform you into a child who is quick to listen and follow his leadership. Ask him to give you revelation through his word that you would be a child filled with understanding. May you encounter the desire of your Father to lead you well today.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire to guide you by his Spirit and word.

“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

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

2. Ask the Lord to transform you into a child quick to obey and follow his leadership. Ask him to give you great understanding of his word that you might live in accordance with Scripture.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

“For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:19-21

“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

3. Ask the Lord about any situation in which you need guidance. Wait on him and listen intently for a response. Pay attention to what you feel peace about and what disturbs your spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to a passage of Scripture that will give you understanding about what you should do. Pay attention to any passages or verses that come to mind.

Listening to the Lord is all about receiving in faith what God already wants to give. Our hearing is by the grace of God and not any merit of our own. God speaks to each of us perfectly. One child of God is not given more opportunity for God’s guidance than another. God longs to shepherd each of us. He longs to speak to each of us. All that is required of you is to make space to listen and receive. Ask the Spirit to teach you how to listen and hold onto what he is speaking. Make space in your daily life to have dialogue with your Father. And follow his perfect leadership into the abundant life Jesus died to provide for you.

Extended Reading: Psalm 5

Seeing Obstacles through God's Eyes..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Seeing Obstacles through God's Eyes

Dr. Charles Stanley

Joshua 2

Jericho was the first city that the Israelites needed to conquer in their quest for the land of Canaan. When Joshua sent a pair of spies to check it out, he probably didn't realize that he would receive a glimpse of God's impressive behind-the-scenes activity.

God wants us to look at every obstacle through the lens of His unlimited strength and resources. Anything that appears to block His plans is an opportunity for Him to demonstrate His sovereign power. Just because we don't see anything happening, that doesn't mean He's inactive.

Always remember that God is at work on the other side of our obstacles, arranging the details and bringing His plans to fruition. When the spies returned to Joshua, they reported that the people of Jericho were scared to death. Having heard about the Jews' deliverance from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea, they were gripped by fear of the Lord.

The stage was set for the conquest, yet by that point, Joshua had done nothing. Sometimes we think we need to be involved in the solution to our problem, but God is not limited with regard to whom or what He can use to accomplish His will. In this case, He worked in the hearts of the enemy by instilling demoralizing fear.

For Christians, great obstacles need not be reasons for discouragement. Although much of the Lord's activity is silent and invisible, we can be sure He is dynamically working out His will for our lives. When the pieces of His plan are in place, He will move us on to victory.

United in Mind and Thought ..Emma Danzey

 United in Mind and Thought

By Emma Danzey

1 Corinthians 1:10 says, "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought."

I Appeal to You Brothers and Sisters
In this passage of 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul is addressing a challenging issue among the church at Corinth. He uses the word appeal. This word carries weight. We normally think of appeal used in the context of legal cases or a serious plead. However, Paul is using this verb to bring up the topic of unity. There were, unfortunately, divisions among the people of God. They were split over church leaders. Paul begins his message with a plea from the Lord to the men and the women.

In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ
There is no true power in anything that we say or do if Jesus is not in it. Paul makes the point that he is bringing a message in the name of Jesus. He is coming with a word from the Lord. People can have many different opinions, but ultimately, we too should be seeking what God says through His Word. If what we want to share is not in agreement with what the Lord already has said, then it is not from Him. We cannot claim that we are carrying a message from God if it does not aline with the Bible.

1 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

That All of You Agree with One Another in What You Say and That There Be No Divisions Among You
Divisions seem to be everywhere. The enemy has been loving the chaos He has set forth among the believers of today. If people want their positions more than Jesus, they miss the point. God calls us to agree with one another in what we say and not to let there be any divisions among believers.

Unfortunately, we know good and well that divisions have happened and continue to happen due to sin and the work of the enemy. However, we are called to stand up and live in unity among believers in Jesus. We are called to be discerning and wise. We will not agree on a lot in this world, but we are called to agree with one another in Christ. Jesus is the way, and we are exhorted to keep the main thing the main thing.

But That You Be Perfectly United in Mind and Thought
Humanly speaking, we cannot accomplish perfect unity of mind and thought. So what did Paul mean? 1 Corinthians 2:16 says, “The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ.”

When we as the church body all have the Holy Spirit, we have access to the mind of Christ. We can think and live like Jesus, not our sinful flesh, through the power of His Spirit in us. This means that barriers that would naturally stand in our way no longer matter. We can come together in perfect unity of the gospel. We can stand arm and arm next to people who are different from us but who place their faith in Christ, believe His Word, and have His Holy Spirit. There is nothing we can do to force unity; all we can do is surrender to the work of the Spirit and live our lives in a way that models it and welcomes oneness to other believers. By the power of the Living God, we can be one church with one mission serving under our one Savior.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
How is God appealing to you to be more unified in the body of Christ? What divisions are in your community of believers? How can you move towards being perfectly unified in mind and thought?

Further Reading:
Acts 4:32
2 Corinthians 13:11
Galatians 3:28

Where to Set Our Affection..Scott Patty

 Where to Set Our Affection

By Scott Patty

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself. - Philippians 3:17-20

So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, in this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. —Philippians 4:1

One big temptation we face as Christians is to set our affection on earthly things and to forget about the things of heaven. We feel the tension of living in two worlds the moment we read about this temptation in Philippians 3. We are not yet in heaven; we live on this earth, so we must think about things we know to be temporary. How then can we not set our affections here?

Several times in the New Testament we are told not to set our mind on earthly things, but on heavenly things. The word mind is used to refer to something deeper than just a thought. It means our affection, our love, our primary concern. Certainly we give thought to the things of this world. In fact, I am giving thought to the meal I will eat after I finish writing this. We pay attention to our schedules, our bank accounts, and our relationships. But that is different from thinking of these things as being the lasting and ultimate end of our lives. We can eat, sleep, and make money without making a god of our bellies, beds, or bank accounts. We can attend to the things on earth without worshiping them (Phil. 3:19).

How can we do this? By knowing the truth of our true citizenship. We belong, first and foremost, to heaven, from where we await the return of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:20). Because we belong to heaven first, we seek first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). Since we have been raised up with Christ, we seek the things above, where he is. We set our affection on things that are above and not on things that are on earth (Col. 3:1–2).

Tension. That’s what we feel. But this tension must be felt if we are to know that we are living faithfully as citizens of heaven who are pilgrims on this earth.

As you live today, don’t try to resolve the tension. Let the tension be your reminder that you live here tending to your busyness with joy and faithfulness, but that you belong to heaven where your ultimate investment and hope lie. Let the knowledge of your heavenly citizenship prioritize what you give your life to and how you give it. Let the things of the kingdom of heaven impact the things you do on earth. Go be creative in your heavenly calling to glorify God in all things.

A Prayer for Love..Emma Danzey

 A Prayer for Love

By Emma Danzey

1 John 4:7-8 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

God has called us to love Him and to love others. In 1 John 4:7-8, He so kindly reminds us that we are to love each other because love is from Him, and when we love, we show that we have been saved by Jesus and know Him. This is way easier said than done when God does not answer our prayers how we would like, when people in our communities are challenging and negative, or when we just wake up on the wrong side of the bed. However, the Lord has invited us to love others. We have the opportunity of a lifetime to live lives out of the love of Jesus by His Holy Spirit.

This song from 1960s “They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love,” written by Peter Scholtes, expresses how the world looking on will know that we are believers in Jesus by the way that we love. In a world full of divisions, hate, and chaos, we have the opportunity to share love, peace, and unity. This does not mean that we do not stand by the hard truths found in the Bible, but we live lives and share God’s ways with others from places of compassion and kindness.

Let's Pray:

Dear Lord,
You are Love. Everyone who lives in love lives in You. Help me to walk in love today and each day. Give me Your power to choose to walk obedient to this command. When others are challenging to want to love, give me the grace and the endurance to love them well anyway, as You have loved me. Thank You for Your great love to die on the cross for my sin and raise Yourself to life again. I am overwhelmed by Your great compassion.

Jesus, would you help me to remember that You loved the world and gave up Your life so that anyone who believes in You will not perish, but have eternal life? (John 3:16) You did not send Your son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. (John 3:17) Where I desire to condemn others and believe that they are too far gone to love and witness too, rearrange my thoughts and reshape my heart. Where I want to be the judge, help me to allow You to speak the truth through Your word and change hearts by Your Spirit. Remind me of the love You have poured out on me to be called a child of You.

God, You say in 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 that love is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not proud. It does not dishonor others, it isn’t self-seeking, it isn’t easily angered, and it does not keep a record of wrongs. This is a tall order for a sinner like me. Help me to rely on Your Spirit to live out this kind of love in my life. Grant me the ability to show supernatural love in situations that come my way. May the ways that I speak and live point to Your gospel truth.

Ephesians 4:14-15 says, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

Lord, help me not to stay a baby in the faith. Help me not to waiver because of the opinions around me. Part of love is sharing truth. You say that telling truth in love is a sign of a mature believer in Christ. Jesus, help me to love others well. Give me Your strength to not worry about people pleasing but to be truly loving by sharing Your Word with others. In a world that thinks love is acceptance and tolerance, show me how to be authentic and genuine in love and in sharing Your truth in a kind way.

Thank You God for loving me. Help me to live from a place of love so that others may know that You’re the Savior of the world who loves them and gave Yourself for them, as You did for me. Amen.

Childlike Faith..Craig Denison Ministries

 

Childlike Faith

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

As children of the Most High God, we have been granted access to unconditional, tangible, and perfect love. All we need we have in relationship with our Father in heaven. He longs to reveal himself to us as a loving, real Father. He longs for us to live in the fullness of restored relationship with him. He longs for us to experience his vast and limitless affections. May we grow in our understanding and experience of God as our good and loving Father this week as we look at what it is to be his child.

Scripture:“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Mark 10:15

Devotional:    

To have faith like a child is to blindly trust the goodness, care, leadership, and provision of a father. Jesus continually called his disciples to a lifestyle of surrender and trust in him, but never so simply as in Mark 10:13-16. Scripture says,

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Mark 10 teaches that it’s in having childlike faith that we will receive the kingdom of God. Childlike faith is what fills us with the unshakable hope that we will one day dwell in heaven with our Father for all of eternity. As Christians, we’ve placed all our hope in the truth that Jesus came, died, and rose again, and that if we place our trust in him we will have a resurrection like his. We succeed in having childlike faith when it comes to salvation, but often we fail in placing our trust in our heavenly Father on a daily basis.

Being the child of God affords us the opportunity to live under his constant provision and leadership. As our good Father, he longs to provide for us a wonderfully abundant life full of joy, peace, purpose, laughter, friends, and unconditional love. But so often we go our own way and live our lives apart from all that’s available to us in God. Whether it be by a lack of revelation, impatience, fear, wrong teaching, or past experiences, we so often fail to have faith that God will shepherd us to his perfect plans.

God is calling you to a greater lifestyle of childlike faith. He is calling you to place your trust in him alone for your finances, relationships, future, past, and present. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” What brings our Father pleasure is unadulterated, unveiled, and glorious relationship with his children. He longs for us to draw near to him with full assurance that he is good, real, and that he longs to bless us.

Take time in guided prayer to place your full trust in your heavenly Father. Confess to him any ways in which you have been living in your own strength. Ask him to show you the root of your lack of faith. And receive his help in pursuing a lifestyle of childlike faith. May you experience the transcendent peace and joy that only comes through living by faith.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of having childlike faith.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Mark 10:15

2. Where do you struggle in trusting God? What area of your life is not producing the fruit of his goodness, reality, and love for you? Where are you under the stress of living in your own strength?

“One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” Proverbs 29:23

3. Confess your need of God’s help, and ask him to help you live with increased faith. Lay down any ways in which you’ve been living apart from faith, and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with patience and trust in your heavenly Father.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” 1 Peter 5:6

“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12

In speaking of Abraham, Romans 4:20-21 says, “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” May we be children as faithful to our good and loving heavenly Father as Abraham was. May we pursue wholeheartedly the abundant life that comes from trusting in God’s reality and nearness. And may we be greater reflections of God’s unconditional love and purpose for all those weary and burdened by the stress of doing life apart from the help of the Father.

Extended Reading: Romans 4

Reasons to Surrender..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Reasons to Surrender

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As we learned yesterday, God tells us to surrender our lives to Him. This is no small task. All our plans, every desire we feel, each entitlement that once seemed our right—everything is put aside in order to make way for our King’s will. But perhaps you have wondered why God can ask this of us.

The Lord has every right to demand that we give Him our all. First, Scripture teaches us that He is sovereign—the King and Ruler over the entire universe. As a result, we are under His authority, whether we choose to submit or not. Next, through His death and resurrection, Jesus saved us from our sin and its consequences. Therefore, we are indebted to Him more than we could ever repay. And finally, He sustains us; we should consider each breath and heartbeat a gift from Him.

Undoubtedly, God is entitled to ask that we yield our life to Him. At the same time, surrender is in our best interest. The Father promises that following Him leads to hope and an established future. Psalm 31:19 states, “How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You . . .” So, while He is the Almighty One with all authority to demand our life, He promises to care for us and to do what will benefit us most.

Are you willing to put yourself aside in order to follow Jesus? His way is best, and it offers hope, joy, and peace. We will not always like everything He chooses at the moment, but He promises to work all things for good. Will you trust God enough to hand the reins over to Him?