Freedom through Enjoying God.. Craig Denison Ministries

 Freedom through Enjoying God

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Why should we spend time alone with God? Why is meeting with God in the secret place so important? Until we gain an understanding of the immense value and availability of encountering God, we will never consistently engage in this foundational, vital practice. As we discover God’s heart to meet with us in order that we might experience the depths of his love, I pray that your life would be marked by a new grace to consistently and powerfully encounter the living God.

Scripture: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Devotional:

You were created to enjoy God. The Westminster shorter catechism says, “Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." David wrote in Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” We were designed to seek enjoyment in God. We were made to delight ourselves in his goodness, his provision, the wonders of his creation, and the simplicity of his unconditional love.

So important—so powerful—is finding enjoyment in God that it has the power to set us free from sin. You see, when we don’t seek enjoyment in God we will naturally seek it in the world. We can’t live our lives apart from pleasure. We aren’t created to live without happiness, love, passion, and joy.

Most of us have been indoctrinated to the idea that we sin because we aren't controlled enough. We believe that if we could just get rid of a need for pleasure or enjoyment, we’d be free. Self-control is absolutely crucial in experiencing freedom from sin, but we will never be able rid ourselves of our immense need to enjoy life. We will never stop seeking pleasure because we were made to be satisfied in the riches of God’s love.

Until you establish a daily rhythm of enjoying God, you will never experience true freedom from sin. Until your longing to be fully known and fully loved is satisfied in the wealth of God’s affection for you, you will never stop seeking it elsewhere. Until you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are cared for, thought about, liked, and wanted by your Creator, you will never stop trying to satisfy those needs in others.

Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Take time today to taste and see that your heavenly Father is truly good. Allow him to fill you with a revelation of his love. Rest in his presence. And as you enjoy God, allow him to draw you deeper in toward his heart and away from the cares and pursuits of the world.

Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on your need for joy and pleasure. Look at your own life and acknowledge your need for passion, purpose, happiness, peace and joy.

2. In what ways are you seeking fulfillment in the world? What sin in your life is the result of not being fully satisfied in God? Who or what are you turning to for fulfillment in opposition to God?

3. Take time to let God to satisfy your longings. Open your heart to God and let him reveal the depths of his love. Ask him for a revelation of how he likes you, wants you, and enjoys you. Let his love for you begin to draw you near.

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”Psalm 16:11

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, “But, as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him'—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” Through the Holy Spirit, you can know how God feels about you. You have access to a limitless wealth of affection and unconditional love. God has unimaginable things prepared for you simply because he loves you. May you find total fulfillment today in the goodness and love of your heavenly Father.

Extended Reading: 2 Corinthians 5

Go to the Ant..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Go to the Ant

Dr. Charles Stanley

Proverbs 6:6-8

God is a masterful Creator. He has integrated many of His principles into the fabric of nature so that we can see His handiwork and learn of Him (Ps. 19:1-6). If you desire to acquire wisdom, do not neglect to look outdoors for His lessons.

Now, of course, the outdoors sometimes comes inside. If you’ve ever battled ants in your kitchen or pantry, wisdom probably isn’t the first trait you would attribute to them—you probably would choose a description more like determination. But to the lazy person, God points out these tiny creatures as an example of wise living. Simply consider how many characteristics of the ant people would be smart to adopt: preparation, cooperation, perseverance, diligence, unity, and the list goes on. So interacting with righteous men isn’t the only way to acquire wisdom. God also wants us to observe the lowly ant that He created to work in community.

There’s much to learn from the created world. By directing attention to the birds, Jesus challenges His followers to consider the folly of anxiety (Matt. 6:26). Birds do not reap or gather grain but rather assume their food will be supplied as it always has been. The lesson in this observation of nature is that the Lord who provides for birds can be trusted to meet His people’s needs as well.

Our quest for wisdom is to be rooted in Scripture and covered in prayer. But don’t overlook the many lessons unfolding right outside the front door. Ask God for “eyes to see” (Mark 8:18). Then take every chance to grow in understanding so your capacity to live by His principles will be strengthened.

God Uses Pain to Help Us Grow..John D. Barry

 God Uses Pain to Help Us Grow

By John D. Barry

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” -Psalm 23

Watching the day-old calf frolic across the field—full of life and hope—I am filled with joy. I then see its mother, nudging it forward. I am reminded of the way God cares for us. He knows the difficult life ahead, just like this mother cow, but he wants us to enjoy our time in the green pasture nonetheless (Psalm 23). He nudges us along. 

“Every age has its turn. Every branch of the tree has to learn. Learn to grow, finds its way, Make the best of this short-lived stay.” —José Gonzaleź, “Every Age” 

We all have to learn to find our way. We all have to grow. And we cannot do so when we are stagnant. We must move along. We must stand up and walk, even run, like that day-old calf. We must embrace the uncertain ground, knowing that in this field and in the next, and in the one after that, we will grow and learn. If God says it is in his will to move along—if he nudges our heart—we should do so (Luke 9:62). Yet the uncertainty of life often overwhelms us.

A GOD WHO LURKS IN THE UNCERTAINTY

If you look back at the lives of the prophets—from Moses to Elijah to Jonah—it is clear that their lives were often lived in the uncertainty. God nudged them to unknown places—from wildernesses, to mountain tops, to foreign cities—but he was there each step along the way. God gave the prophets the words to say and the provision they needed (e.g., 1 Kings 17; Jonah 4:6–7; Exodus 16). 

The prophets had to learn and grow. And in the uncertainty, God made that happen.

Knowing the future sounds wonderful, but it would ruin the present. The future is only God’s to behold (compare Ecclesiastes 8:7).

THE GROWTH WE DESIRE

Growth often means pain. And growth without pain is an oxymoron. Suffering is often how God shows us himself. Suffering is part of the call to serve Jesus. 

“If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24 LEB). 

It may be hard to hear these words, and I know from experience, that they are even harder to live. But when lived, these words will transform us.

Think of your growing pains as a child—that summer when your legs hurt so bad that you couldn’t seem to drink enough milk. Your body was transforming. Without that pain, you wouldn’t be who you are today. This is how faith is; it is often like growing pains. 

“Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2–4 LEB).

We know why suffering should be counted as joy, because it will change us for the better. It will draw us closer to God. 

If the mother cow didn’t nudge her calf along, it would never see the green pasture outside the barn. It would live a life that was boring, sad, and stagnant. If God didn’t nudge us along into the unknown, we would never experience the joy of others coming to Christ, of our relationships with him growing. We wouldn’t see the pierced hands of Christ for what they really are—redemption, relationship, and the freedom to know God.

A Prayer to Share Why We Pray..Chelsey DeMatteis

 A Prayer to Share Why We Pray

By Chelsey DeMatteis

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." - Romans 12:12

This title seems odd, right? Why would people want to know the reasons someone prays? Well, I believe when someone knows why we pray and who or what we’re praying for, they get a glimpse into who we are and what God is doing in our lives. When people know some of the areas of our life we struggle in, they too can see God desires to hear their hearts. They can also witness your testimony taking place through what God is working out. And honestly, it doesn't get more beautiful than that - God drawing His children near through His grace and mercy. 

Two scriptures the Lord has used to shape me and my view of prayer are James 4:7 and 2 Corinthians 10:5. James 4:7 tells us, “Submit to Jesus, resist the devil, and he will flee.” Corinthians 10:5 tells us, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

These truths remind me to speak out loud and in my Spirit who's in charge - Jesus, not me. All I'm in charge of is walking in obedience and choosing Him, resisting the temptations of the enemy, and trusting that Satan will flee in Jesus' name. 

A few topics came to mind when writing this reveal, all the more, why prayer has become so important to me and why we need to share with others the importance of praying and to the Lord. Personally, I get caught up in patterns of toxic thoughts. Whether it's been a seed sown by a lie someone spoke, something derogatory I saw on a show years ago, or Satan trying to distract me with awful thoughts that would never be a reality, this is what I deal with. When I'm not in the posture of an ongoing conversation with the Lord, my mind can easily become derailed by one of these. 

My former sinful life used to rule over me. I lived in the lie that there were things about me I couldn't change; it's just who I was. I was, in fact, correct about one part of that statement - I couldn't change myself, BUT Jesus could, and He did. Living under that lie for so long gave me much to work through. Choosing prayer through this struggle led me to 1 Corinthians 10:13. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide a way of escape so that you may be able to endure it. Once I learned this truth, I began praying it when I faced and still face the temptations of the world. 

When my life seems challenging, I find myself clinging to prayer. I remember the season I was pregnant with our son, and most of his first year of life, I had a hard time opening the Word. My Bible sat for months at a time. However, the one thing that never got dusty or set aside was my prayer life. That year and nine months were one of the most intimate seasons of prayer I had with The Lord, and it brought me back to His Word. 

Romans 12:12 says, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." This became a reality for me. While I never want a season of my Bible being set aside like that again, and I'd never recommend it to someone else, my prayer life changed in the deepest way, and I once again saw the need to engage frequently and fervently with my Creator.

It’s true ... my faith life would be dull without prayer. God shows up in the most tender ways when we share our hearts with Him. Sometimes, the prayers don't even have to be spoken; He knows the words before they leave my tongue. So when thoughts are swirling, sin begins to invade, and my walk is in a season of struggle, I know one thing, I can always turn to Jesus.  I can always speak His Word, open my Bible, and walk in truth. 

I pray this has reminded you that your prayer life matters. It will change your faith, it will change your relationship with God, deepen your desire to share your testimony, and it will reveal things about you that you'd miss otherwise. 

Let’s pray:

Lord, thank you for allowing us and calling us to pray. Prayer is a gift and something that needs to be a first thought, not an afterthought. I ask that my heart be turned toward truth and that my heart would be emboldened to share with others why I pray. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

7 Reasons to Read Your Bible..Lynette Kittle

 7 Reasons to Read Your Bible

By Lynette Kittle

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”--2 Timothy 3:16

Many Christians are satisfied with hearing God’s Word secondhand through a pastor, teacher, author, or online posts. It takes less time, seems easier than trying to figure it out themselves, and leaves the in-depth studying to someone else, allowing a middleman or third person to take the place of God’s voice in their relationship with Him.

Sadly, countless individuals feel inadequate to read their Bibles, living under the false misconception that they are not able to understand it on their own. Jehovah's Witnesses are instructed to never read their Bible on their own but to wait for a church elder to teach it to them.

But it’s not true that one has to have a certain level of education or training to understand the truth of God’s Word because in John 14:26, Jesus tells us, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

He’s Talking to Us
Both believers and non-believers resist reading the Bible for themselves for various reasons. Some view themselves as unqualified, while some are taught to be dependent on others to tell them what it says. Sadly all are missing out on hearing God speak to them through it, as Proverbs 6:21-22, explains how God speaks to us through His Word. And God wants to talk to each one of us individually through His Word. It is His primary way of speaking to us. But when we go through a middleman, we are losing the one-to-one connection and relationship that God longs to personally have with each one of us.

Why Bible Reading Is Essential to Our Faith
Following are seven reasons why it’s absolutely essential for every believer in Jesus Christ to read their Bible on their own.

1. God’s Word is living. Because it is, it is actively at work in our lives to help transform us to be more like Christ. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

2. God’s Word trains and equips us. As 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Timothy 3:17 explain, as believers in Jesus Christ, we need training “So that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Likewise, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

3. God’s Word gives us wisdom. God’s Word gives us an advantage over our enemies, as described in Psalm 119:98, “Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.”

4. God’s Word teaches us truth. As Christians, we are called to know the truth of God’s Word. Without it, we have no reference for truth and have no way of knowing on our own what is true and what is a lie. Knowing God’s truth sets us free from being deceived and mislead in the world. “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

“To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’”( John 8:31,32).

5. God’s Word protects us. Proverbs 6: 22, describes how God’s word watches over us when we sleep. As well as, Proverbs 30:5 states, “Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”

6. God’s Word is life and health to us. God’s Word gives us life, “For they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body" (Proverbs 4:22).

7. God’s Word enables us to stand against attacks of the enemy. God’s Word gives us the authority to stop the enemy’s attacks from infiltrating our hearts and minds. As 2 Corinthians 10:5 explains, with God’s Word, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Are you reading God’s Word for yourself? If not, make a commitment to add it to your daily or weekly schedule. Look for and set aside times you can read it on your own.

Experienceing Life Today..Pete, Jill & Stuart Briscoe

 Experienceing Life Today

Pete, Jill & Stuart Briscoe

A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one Year and out the other. — Anonymous

Researchers have determined that advertisers bombard us with approximately 2,000,000,007 messages a day telling us to buy, buy, buy. Then, there’s the news channels telling us to worry, worry, worry. And there’s all the other things we hear from teachers, bosses, spouses, kids… Wow! No wonder we have a hard time with New Year’s resolutions. We have so many people telling us what to do, we barely have time to think for ourselves… let alone think about what God thinks.

So if there is one resolution that I might offer as a valid one for someone who is in Christ, it would be this:

This year, just listen up. 

Ask Christ to create a quiet spot in your soul where just the two of you can meet, and talk, and rest as you go about your days. Sure, reach for the stars and plan for the future if you wish, but ask Him to make His presence a deeper reality as you go about life. 

You can claim the same promise that the prophet Isaiah gave Israel during some very difficult and noisy days of their own:

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. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!” (Isaiah 30:20-22, ESV)

Where might this lead? I have no idea. But God does. If you are aware of who He is in you, and if you reflect on the truth of His Word and listen to the Spirit, all the details will work themselves out step-by-step.

Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are with me, that You are in me. Resolutions might come in one year and go out the other. Open my ears this year, so that I can hear You and enjoy You at every junction, when You tell me to turn right or left. Amen.