Leftovers..Skip Heitzig

 Leftovers

by Skip Heitzig

One of the great joys of Thanksgiving is leftovers. For some reason, turkey and dressing taste just as good reheated as they do fresh out of the oven, maybe better. But I found a website that added up the calories from that delicious stuff, and the exercise necessary to burn it off. How much walking would you need to do for a turkey sandwich, some stuffing, some mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a piece of apple pie with ice cream? Over 13 miles! Add some gravy, and you're up to nearly 15 miles! I don't know about you, but I don't have the time to walk 15 miles after a meal!

But thinking about leftovers brings me back to what I was talking about last week, because we're right in the middle of the long Thanksgiving weekend. Thanksgiving is an indication of the heart. It shows that our lives are in balance—that our communication with the Lord is not all about our wants and our needs.

There are two levels of gratitude. Let's call them the lower level and the upper level. Unfortunately—and I admit I'm in this category—we kind of dwell in the lower level. That's where we see God's work in our lives as intermittent spurts of goodness. Some big blessing comes along and we say, "Thank you, Lord!" But living on that level of gratitude only shows that we are selfish, and that we miss the total perspective of God's goodness. We thank Him for the pleasurable things, because our view of goodness is comfort, rather than becoming like Jesus.

The upper level, the higher level, is consistently thanking God, in the good and the bad, believing that all things will work out for good to those who love Him (see Romans 8:28). I admit I have a long way to go on this one! I often complain instead of saying, "You're in control and I thank You, even though I don't understand it."

Corrie ten Boom was sent to a prison camp for hiding Jews from the Nazis. There, her sister said they should thank God for everything in their barracks. Corrie refused to give thanks for the fleas that infested their bedding, but later she found out that those fleas kept the guards from entering the barracks, enabling them to have daily prayer meetings. So she said, "Thank you, Lord, for the fleas!"

So while you're thanking the God "who satisfies your mouth with good things" (Psalms 103:5), remember that He's in control and He knows best. Let's bless the Lord in all things, because God is good all the time!

Partnering in His Purposes..Craig Denison Ministries

 Partnering in His Purposes

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

To know God is to experience God. Just as we experience aspects of one another as we grow in friendship, we experience the wonders of God as we seek to simply know him. God is calling us to a life of seeking him with all we are. He is calling us to value relationship with him above all else that we would love no other but him. May you encounter wonderful aspects of relationship with your heavenly Father this week as we wholeheartedly seek to know him with all we are.

Scripture:

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Devotional:

True friends are those who are willing to partner with us in things that really matter to us. True friends are willing to help simply because they love us, even if the task isn’t something they would have ordinarily valued. In John 21:15 we gain insight into a conversation between two friends, Jesus and Simon Peter. Scripture says,

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

Jesus didn’t ask Simon Peter if his heart burned for taking care of his people. He didn’t ask Peter his plans after Jesus had gone. After being established in the heart of Peter as Lord, Jesus simply asked him if he loved him.

I’ve spent so much of my life trying to figure out what I liked—what I felt like doing. I’ve taken all the gift tests, personality tests, and strength tests. And while God absolutely fashions, forms, and equips us for unique purposes, I believe God is asking the same question of you and me that he did of Peter. I believe that our purposes are to be foundationally birthed out of utter devotion to Jesus above what we want or feel equipped to do.

Jesus is looking for disciples who will say yes to that which is greater than they could have ever imagined doing. He’s looking for friends like Simon Peter who will follow him wherever he leads, even if it means to their death. He’s looking for those who are so in love with him that at a single statement from his lips we willingly and obediently respond by taking up our cross as he did and living a surrendered, purposeful life.

Take time today to hear the voice of your Lord saying, “Do you love me?” Assess today whether he truly is your greatest love. And in response, open your heart to receive any command he would speak to you today. If you are faithful to respond with your life, you will find his strength to accomplish any purpose and the reality of his love to be your unshakable joy.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on John 21:15. Allow the word of God to search your heart.

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’” John 21:15

2. Assess whether Jesus truly is your greatest love. If he isn’t—if you wouldn’t follow him anywhere—take time to surrender anything you’ve placed above him. Confess any idols you have in your life that he might truly be crowned King of your heart today.

“Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” Jonah 2:8

3. Ask him to speak his will to you today. Ask him what he would have you do and where he would have you do it. Be faithful to respond in obedience and trust today.

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” John 14:21

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

In John 15:12-14 Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Rather than placing yourself at the center of your thoughts, actions, motives, and emotions, choose to center your life around others today. Choose to serve and love others as Jesus did. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you his heart for those around you that you might be a reflection of his great love in the earth. Seeing God’s kingdom come is nothing more than choosing to love and live as Jesus did. You can be a conduit for his purposes in the earth today. May your day be filled with spectacular wonders as God manifests his kingdom through your life.

Extended Reading: John 12

What to Do When Grief Ambushes Us..Lynette Kittle

 What to Do When Grief Ambushes Us

By Lynette Kittle

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" - Psalm 147:3

Grief can catch us off-guard at the most unexpected moments. As much as we try to prepare ourselves beforehand, we really have no way to protect ourselves from the unexpected.

One Saturday afternoon, while watching the big screen TV my dad loved and had passed onto us, it faded to black. After some checking, my husband came to the conclusion its time had come to an end, and the picture would not be coming back. What hit me next caught me totally off guard, like a knife into my chest.

As the only daughter, I was a Daddy’s girl. My dad could do no wrong and made me feel cared for and loved. Being born on his 25th birthday, every year, he would pick out a special card just from him and write the words, “You’re the best birthday gift I ever got.”

For the first time, I realized it wasn’t just a TV to me but represented hanging onto my father’s memory. Because it was the last one he bought before his passing, I hadn’t realized how its presence in our home brought me comfort, making me feel connected to him. So when it died, too, a huge tsunami of grief ambushed me.

Care-giving through the Sadness
Sadly, my dad passed away after months of helping to manage his end-of-life care. After his death, we managed my Mom’s care for the next 5 years through her journey with Alzheimer’s until she joined Dad in Heaven. Following their losses, our almost 20-year-old Siamese cat Panda passed away, triggering a flood release of grief related to losing both my parents and now her within a few years.

With looking back came the realization that my own grief process and working through my parent losses had been delayed by caregiving and the need to keep going forward.

How to Face Grief Triggers
With the loss of my Dad’s TV, I discovered three ways to help deal with and face unexpected grief triggers.

1. Be okay with feeling a range of emotions. Rather than pushing back emotions when sorrow hits, allow a few minutes to experience them. As Psalm 34:18 reminds us, God is near to the brokenhearted. Know He has not left us alone to face our grief but is nearer than we may realize with His compassion, kindness, and comfort.  

As we experience the emotions, choose to reminisce with the memories that triggered the grief, being willing to share them with those around us at the time. 

With my Dad and his TV, memories of us watching it together at his house helped me to work through the sadness and grief being triggered and experienced through its loss.

2. Make sure to connect with others. If grief hits when we’re with others, we don’t need to hide it or feel embarrassed. Rather, we can be willing to reach out to share with others what’s happening to us in the moment.

Instead of suppressing sorrowful feelings to fester and deepen within us, acknowledging and talking through them a bit, can be helpful in our processing and dealing with grief.

3. Prepare for the unexpected. Grief seems to come in waves. It’s unpredictable what will trigger it within us. From something totally unrelated to the passing of our loved ones to the smallest reminder, it’s impossible to know what might set sorrow into motion. The only way to prepare is to know it might happen anytime and it’s nothing to hide or be ashamed of when it happens. 

Receiving God’s Consolation
In times of grief, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 encourages us to turn to our Heavenly Father. He is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. He offers us an open invitation to call upon Him in our deepest and darkest hours knowing when we receive comfort from Him, we’ll be able to offer comfort to others during their times of sorrow.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
If you find yourself ambushed by grief this week, rather than trying to stuff your feelings deep down within yourself, take a moment to experience them. As you do, turn to God, asking Him for His comfort and peace to help turn your sorrow into joy (Psalm 30:11).

Why Not Rather Be Wronged?..Lynette Kittle

 Why Not Rather Be Wronged?

by Lynette Kittle

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” - 1 Peter 2:23

Have you ever been mistreated? Dealt with unfairly or experienced loss and hardships at the hands of another? Has someone cheated you out of a position, promotion, or items that should have rightfully been yours?

If so, you’re not alone. Ever-increasing lawsuits are evidence of a world of unfairness.

Yet as a Christian, what is your response? Have you adapted the ways and methods of the culture or do you trust God in these types of matters, turning to Him to direct your reactions and make things right?

1 Corinthians 6:6 describes God’s attitude towards Christians taking each other to court like non-Christians do, stating, “But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!” 1 Corinthians 6:6

In this day of quick lawsuits, how do you handle being lied about, wronged or cheated out of things?

1 Corinthians 6:7 states, “The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?”

Because God assures that He will bring justice, rushing to take each other to court reveals a lack of faith in God to handle it, along with an unwillingness to submit to God’s Word. Scripture urges to, “Do not say, ‘I’ll pay you back for this wrong!’ Wait for the Lord, and He will avenge you” (Proverbs 20:22).

With today’s quick demands for justice, God’s directions for those who have been wronged seems completely opposite to society’s methods, such as:

• “If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them” (Luke 6:29).
• “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9).
• “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else” (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

God’s ways may not seem fair to you but Scripture states, “For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God” (1 Peter 2:19).

1 Peter 2:20 continues with, “But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.”

Jesus suffered unjustly, being wrongly accused, ridiculed, beaten, and killed. He is the example of turning the other cheek and trusting God with the wrongs done to you.

As 1 Peter 2:21 points out, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

A Prayer for Disappointment..Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer for Disappointment 

By Emily Rose Massey

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1, NKJV).

I was involved in a movement some years ago that would constantly boast in having “aggressive expectations” and equating that way of thinking to “having faith.” Aside from the vast misunderstanding of what faith in God means (to trust in Him no matter what happens) one of the problems with that ideology is that many times our expectations in this life are left unfulfilled or unmet completely. People fail us. Plans fall through. They went with a different candidate for the job. We experience month after month of negative pregnancy tests. 

Since God’s plans and ways are so much greater than our own, often our expectations do not look anything like what God may have for our life. When the expectations that we have held onto so aggressively fall flat, it is very easy for us to slip into disappointment. Disappointment can then often lead to complaining and discontentment, something we are commanded by Scripture to guard our hearts against. We very quickly forget the truth of God’s sovereignty over all things when we believe we know what is best for our life. 

When God allows for disappointment to happen in our life, we must remember that all things that come our way are meant to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in us and conform us to the image of Christ, whether we were expecting them to happen or not. When we are disappointed, we are given an appointment to praise God no matter what. 

The Psalmist David proclaims in Psalm 34:
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1, NKJV).

When our expectations are met, we should stop and praise God and bless His holy name; When our expectations are not met, we should still stop and praise God and bless His holy name. He is worthy of our praise and our thanksgiving. In His sovereign providence, we can trust that He works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). Nothing with God is coincidence or happenstance; He is sovereign and in control of every detail in our life, guiding our every step. His work in our lives is providential through and through, and He causes all things to work out for our good and for His glory. Next time your expectations are not met, remember it is an opportunity to make an appointment to praise God for His goodness. We can trust that His plans for our lives are so much better!

Let’s pray:

Father God,
I am struggling with disappointment. Help me to guard my heart against discouragement, discontentment, and complaining. Teach me how to find ways to praise You when my expectations are not met. I know I need to trust in Your sovereignty and lean upon Your ways over my own. Your grace is sufficient for me, and I thank You for always guiding me into truth and convicting my heart when I fall into the sin of grumbling and complaining, thinking that I know better than You. My lips long to praise Your great name. Thank You for Your love for me and for changing my heart to reflect Yours. I pray You would use these unmet expectations to transform me and strengthen my faith in You.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Thrill of Hope ..Shawn McEvoy

 The Thrill of Hope

by Shawn McEvoy

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 

"A thrill of hope; the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn." ~~ O Holy Night

Does Christmas thrill you? 

Children get excited at the coming of the season, and often we might feel a bit of a charge through experiencing their amazement, but the chores we go through to provide that for them are often the very things that rob us from knowing the wonder for ourselves. Plan the party, trim the tree, max out the MasterCard, wrap, ship, take a trip. And that's assuming we aren't one of the multitudes who find themselves with a case of the Holiday Blues. 

So if Christ's coming into this world offers hope, and hope, as the song says, provides a thrill, how do we locate that experience amid the distraction and disillusionment of December? 

Well that's the cool thing about Hope. Just as total darkness can't hold back the light of a tiny flame, so does even the smallest increment of Hope provide joy and purpose. 

Here are a few scriptures I've been mulling over on the subject:

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

Notice the parallel between "things hoped for" and "things not seen." Talk about a paradox; try applying "assurance" to something your five senses can't detect. It's a challenge. The plus side is that hope, through Christ, is available to you no matter what you see, hear, or feel. It's above your circumstances.

"We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance [brings about]proven character; and proven character [brings about] hope; and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:3-5).

Do you ever hear people say, "I don't want to get my hopes up" because they're afraid of being disappointed? What would you make of Paul's claim that "hope does not disappoint"? Might the disconnect have something to do with what we're hoping for or expecting? Max Lucado thinks so: 

"Hope is not what you'd expect; it is what you would never dream. It is a wild, improbable tale with a pinch-me-I'm-dreaming ending… Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed; no, it is far greater than that. It is a zany, unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks and be there in the flesh to see our reaction."[1]

"Love… hopes all things…but now abide faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:7,13).

Ever wonder why faith, hope, and love are the greatest virtues, and apparently in that order? 

Maybe hope isn't actually something we do, but something we receive, like grace. If it's true that "without faith it is impossible for us to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6), perhaps it's conversely true that without Hope it would be impossible for Him to please us. The same verse says that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Is hope that reward? 

I mean, if faith is what we give to God, and hope is what He gives to us, then we have the dynamic of a relationship. With that in place, we can love. So love is built on hope, which is built on faith. 

For hope to exist, unfortunately it looks like there has to be hopelessness first. A perfect world wouldn't have any need of hope. Deliverance arrives undeservedly and perhaps unexpectedly, just as in the unlikely way God came to earth to provide a once-and-for-all substitute for the sins of all men on the first Christmas. That's why things can look bleak, but that's where hope lives. 

The good news is: you simply can't hope big enough, which goes back to the idea of our minds and senses being inadequate to judge God's design and methods, and hope being more a function of God's involvement than our desires. I readily acknowledge I could not have conceived of the plan of salvation or the virgin birth. I couldn't have imagined the plan for the walls of Jericho to crumble, for hungry lions to turn into Daniel's pet kittens, or the Red Sea to part and offer up dry land. So neither do I know how my problems will be solved, or what miracles I'll be blessed to see this Christmas. 

Isaiah 9:6-7 concerns the hope of the prophecy being fulfilled that brought us a "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace." The last sentence of verse seven says it's "the zeal of the Lord" that will accomplish this. God is excited! He's zealous (enthusiastic, passionate, obsessive even) to bring us this hope! 

Romans 15:13 is my Christmas prayer: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." 

Why is there hope? Because Jesus was born. O holy night. What a thrill. God is at work.  

Intersecting Faith & Life: What does hope out of despair look like? There are lots of examples in any Christian's life, but in terms of contemporary cinema, I know of no better example than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Go back and watch those movies again over the holidays, keeping an eye out for allusions to hope and hopelessness.  

Further Reading

Isaiah 9:6-7