God is Present

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview

This week we'll spend time stirring up our affections for God through the renewing of our minds. Your mind is the gateway to your affections. What you think is worthy of your affections is what will receive them. So, as we grow in our understanding of God’s overwhelming goodness we will naturally give him our hearts. May you be stirred by the unconditional love of your heavenly Father this week as his perfect nature is revealed to you in greater, more transformative ways.

Scripture: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”Zephaniah 3:17

Devotional:

Hardly a verse in all of Scripture sums up the heart of God for his people better than Zephaniah 3:17. As we walk through this passage today I pray your life would be transformed by the reality of God’s nearness and the depth of his love for you. Scripture says,

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

“God is in our midst”—take a moment to consider that fact. God is not far off; in fact, he is with you right now. If you are a Christian, his Spirit dwells within you, fellowshipping with your spirit. Psalm 139:7 says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” God’s presence is with you right now. He is in your midst.

He is “a mighty one who will save.” As a believer you have been saved not of your own accord, but by the humble, loving sacrifice of Jesus. If you have confessed your faith in Christ, you are his forever and nothing can take away your salvation. Rejoice in him today; the Almighty God has come for you, and you now have nothing to fear. Salvation is yours in him; you are a child of God.

“He will rejoice over you with gladness.”To rejoice over you means to rejoice in who you are. Do you believe that God rejoices in who you are? The world is in the business of convincing you that you’re nothing to rejoice about. Your enemy constantly points out things you do wrong, attempting to convince you that you aren't lovable—that you are worthless. But the Bible says that God will rejoice over you with gladness. God believes that you are worth the death of his Son, and there is nothing you can do to change his mind. He rejoices over you today.

“He will quiet you with his love.”How often do you allow God to do this? How often do you take time to let him quiet your life with his love? This is his promise, but like any other gift it has to be received. His desire is to bring a quiet peace to the stress and worry of your world. You have God’s peace available to you any time you are willing to surrender your heart and be filled with his presence.

“He will exult over you with loud singing.”To exult over you means to show or feel elation or jubilation, as the result of a success. Do you know that God sees you as a success? The story of Scripture is God creating mankind for the purpose of having communion and fellowship with us. He lost that perfect communion when mankind chose sin over him, and he has been working to restore it ever since. With the death of Jesus, the curse is broken, our sin is paid for, and we are now able to walk in restored relationship with God. God now has what he has longed for all this time—you. He exults over you because there is nothing between you and him. To God simply having relationship with you makes you a success already.

As a believer you can live out of the great victory God has achieved in you. You get to meet with God face to face. God is present with you today, desiring to do all that Zephaniah 3:17 promises.  Allow God to come and fulfill his promises in your life as you enter into guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Receive God's presence by meditating on this truth: God is in your midst.

“The Lord your God is in your midst.”Zephaniah 3:17

“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”Exodus 33:14

"Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place." 1 Chronicles 16:27

2. Receive the quiet heart that his love brings as you meditate on Scripture.

“He will quiet you by his love.” Zephaniah 3:17

“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:15

“Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 136:26

3. Allow the truth of Scripture to go deeper into your heart. Your Father rejoices over you with gladness. He exults over you with loud singing. You are a success in his eyes.

“He will rejoice over you with gladness.” Zephaniah 3:17

“He will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

“Let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.” Song of Solomon 2:14

When the cares of the world come and crowd out the peace of God’s presence, turn your attention toward him and receive what he has already promised to give you. Memorizing a verse like Zephaniah 3:17 will help you consistently experience the promises of God. Meditating on it throughout your day is the best gift you could give yourself today. Make some time to memorize Zephaniah 3:17 that it might become more than words on a page and produce transforming, transcendent peace and joy.

Extended Reading: Memorize Zephaniah 3:17

Reading God’s Word With Holy Curiosity..KAT ARMSTRONG

 Reading God’s Word With Holy Curiosity

KAT ARMSTRONG 

“Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.” Psalm 119:18 (CSB) 

My 9-year-old son, Caleb, loves collecting baseball cards. One day he picked up the hobby, and several binders-full later, Caleb can talk your ear off about everything he’s learning related to card trading.

He regularly looks up from his sorting process to flash a smile and mutter something like “I love this” or “This is awesome!” I never had to persuade Caleb or motivate him to learn more about baseball cards — because his curiosity was piqued.

If we’re honest, all of us want our Bible reading to be as interesting to us as baseball cards are to Caleb.

Wouldn’t it be incredible if we could go to the Scriptures and become so preoccupied with God's Truth, so absorbed in the stories, totally engrossed in every detail, that we hang on every word? What if our Bible reading were never dull, never boring, ever again? What if we came to the Scriptures and agreed with the psalmist that the Word is “wondrous” (Psalm 119:18)?

What I’ve noticed is that we usually gravitate toward one of three ways of reading the Bible. We either read the Scriptures inquisitively, inspirationally or imaginatively. And what we really need is to read with all three of those perspectives. That’s one of the reasons studying the Bible in a small group can be so powerful — we get to share our perspectives and enthusiasm as we read together.

We’ve got to ask ourselves, What kind of Bible reader am I? From which vantage point do I approach the Bible? Once we know our starting place, we can move in a new direction.

Inquisitive Bible readers love to study the Bible and research all the details. What strikes you about the Bible is its ability to instruct and train everyone for godly living. (Psalm 19:7) But if we look to God’s Word to be an instruction manual only, we’ll miss out on the beauty and wonder of God’s stories. The Bible’s purpose is not only to answer our questions and change our minds; it’s supposed to change our lives too.

Inspirational Bible readers love the Scriptures and how true they are to life. What strikes you is how the words of the Bible meet you where you are right this minute and lift your spirits. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) But if we’re only opening our Bibles to get a word of encouragement, we might miss out on the theological truths of the Word. The Bible’s purpose is not only to lift us up; it’s supposed to ground us in our faith too.

Imaginative Bible readers see Bible stories come alive while they daydream. And if someone could project what’s playing in these readers' heads, they might get a feature film of a Bible storyline. But if we’re only imagining the events in the Bible, we might miss out on the straightforward message of the text.

In our key verse, the psalmist petitions God to spark holy curiosity and to hold his attention so he can truly savor God’s Word: “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction” (Psalm 119:18). I want the same thing, and I bet you do too.

I want to be swept up in God’s artistic brilliance.
I want to cherish convicting theological Truth.
And I want to experience God’s Word to my core.

Here’s the good news: God loves to show us Truth. Sometimes He does it through an intense season when we question what the Bible means. Sometimes He does it through our heartfelt meditation on the verses that keep us going. And other times, He does it by letting our imaginations run wild. All three of those ways of coming to the Scriptures are valuable: inquisitive, inspirational and imaginative.

When I asked Caleb what excites him most about collecting baseball cards, he said “endless possibilities.”

I want to be headed to glory still curious about something I’ve noticed in the Bible with that same eagerness — don’t you?

Lord, spark holy curiosity in all of us. We want to love and delight in our Bible-reading time. Pique our interest; grab our attention and hold it. Give us a passion to study Your Truth, and open our eyes to contemplate wondrous things from Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Stop Robbing the Body of Christ..1 Corinthians 12:14-21 Dr. Charles Stanley

 Stop Robbing the Body of Christ

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 12:14-21

Every day, you get out of bed, put on clothes, and walk to the table to eat breakfast. You greet the rest of the household and maybe read the paper. A few minutes later, you drive to work at 60 m.p.h. on a strip of asphalt where other vehicles can pass by within four feet. In the first hour or so that you’re awake, your body completes thousands of complex tasks that are so routine they go unnoticed.

Our physical frame is a creation of remarkable beauty and intricacy. And while certain parts seem more attractive than others, all are useful. The body’s interdependent nature—that is, the way every part relies on other parts to perform properly—is an apt metaphor for a Christ-centered church. When believers use their gifts and talents to operate together lovingly, the whole body functions properly to the glory of God.

However, churches today are filled with people who feel insignificant. Upon seeing the successful work of others, they decide they’re not really needed or assume they haven’t got the “right” talents to make a worthwhile contribution. Those are lies from the Devil. When his misguidance succeeds—which is all too often—he manages to get one more Christian to back away in hopes that someone else will do the Lord’s work.

Hanging back instead of seeking a place to serve is a form of thievery: you’re robbing the Lord’s church—His people—of your unique contribution. Your role might be small or go unnoticed, but it is vital to Jesus Christ and to the smooth functioning of His body on earth.

Sometimes I’ve Been Quick to Speak and Slow to Listen.. Anne Peterson

 Sometimes I’ve Been Quick to Speak and Slow to Listen

By: Anne Peterson

Today’s Bible Verse: My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. - James 1:19

It happened again. Instead of taking time to listen and respond kindly, I spoke in haste and reacted poorly.

When we are quick to speak, we don’t have a chance to hear what the other person is saying, and more importantly why they are saying it. When I am quick to answer, I react instead of responding with grace. God tells us to be kind and compassionate to one another and to forgive each other (Ephesians 4:32). But when we’re quick to speak and slow to listen, we don’t care how soft our words are, we just shoot them out.

It didn’t take long for God’s Spirit to tell me I was wrong. I knew I was. But my pride tried talking me out of apologizing. After all, what about what my husband said? Wasn’t I justified? I knew I wasn’t, but my feet were stuck in that pride.

I’m glad God gives us free access to his throne room, 24/7. We are not put on hold. We don’t have to worry that God won’t answer us when we send up a quick prayer. Our God is available and he graciously tells us to call on him.  As Peter called out to God when he was slipping under the water and God responded (Matthew 14:30-31), God also responds to our calls for help immediately.

When we are quick to listen, the people who speak to us can tell we value them and what they have to say. People can often be impatient with others in this area. Everyone wants to know they matter, and that their words have merit. When we rush others, they feel insignificant. How do I know this? I’ve experienced it, and sadly, I have been impatient at times with those I love.\

Jesus always took time with those who spoke to him. Even when people brought children to Jesus so he could pray for them, and the disciples rebuked those people, Jesus told the disciples to let the children come (Matthew 19:14). Every person is valued by God, even little people.

God works in our lives from the moment we trust in Jesus and what he did for us on the cross. Paul was confident God would complete the work he had started (Philippians 1:6). We are all works in progress. And sometimes we look unfinished. But God keeps working on us, nonetheless. Little by little, we are becoming like Jesus.

The day I was impatient, I eventually swallowed my pride and approached my husband.

“I was wrong to say what I did. Will you forgive me, Mike?”

And he did, again.

We need to submit to God’s nudges and let go of our need to be right, or whatever else we’re holding onto. When we release our grip, we’ll see God work in ways we never imagined. May we learn to be quick to listen and slow to speak, especially with the Lord. And may we open our hands so God can teach us all the things he wants us to learn. And then we’ll look like Jesus.

Open Your Hand

What is that you are holding in your hand
in your fist that is closed ever tight?
What is that you are purposely keeping from me,
for you feel that you have the right?

Don’t you know as you grow
in your walk with me,
I can see even things that you hide?

Oh if you only knew what’s in store for you,
you would open your hand so wide.

- Anne Peterson © 2020

A Prayer for Co-Laboring with God..Laura Bailey

 A Prayer for Co-Laboring with God

By Laura Bailey

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” - 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 ESV

A few months ago, my middle daughter accepted Christ, it was a day we’d prayed for since her birth, and my husband and I were beyond excited. We attend church regularly, pray, read the Bible as a family, and have numerous godly influences. I wasn’t surprised when Abigail, my daughter, began asking questions about accepting Christ a few months earlier. 

It started with a question on the way to school about what a person should pray to receive salvation. Then it was multiple questions before bedtime, with the final pronouncement that “ Yes! I want to accept Jesus,” was exclaimed at the dinner table. 

Afterward, my husband and I prayed with her, listening as she admitted her sin, asked for forgiveness, and announced that she desired to be saved and for Christ to rule her life. We invited our pastor to come over and speak with her in preparation for baptism in the following weeks. When our pastor left, he looked at my husband and said, “ It is obvious you have spoken numerous times about the gospel, she knows it, and I’m confident she is a new sister in Christ!” 

Walking back inside, trying to hide my annoyance, my husband asked what was wrong. I knew it shouldn’t have mattered that our pastor was just talking in general, with no slight to me, but I couldn’t help but feel resentful that he didn’t acknowledge my role in helping lead my daughter to Christ. After all, I spent hours at home reading Bible stories, playing Sunday School, singing hymns, talking about God in the car, and constantly reminding my girls of God’s grace and mercy in our lives. As soon as the words left my lips, I wanted to snatch them from the air and toss them in the trash where they belonged. 

The truth was that while yes, my husband, our church, and family members all played a part in encouraging Abigail to accept Christ, it was only by God’s grace that she received the gift of salvation. While I could share the gospel with my daughter, I couldn’t open her heart to receive the message, nor could I save her; God is responsible for the heart change resulting in her salvation. While we can’t save others, God, in His graciousness, invites us to be co-laborers with him in the process!

In our key verse, the church at Corinth was arguing about which leader they followed in the church. In 1 Corinthians 3:6-10, Paul reminded the church that rather than following people, we are called to follow God; he is the only One worthy of our worship. Paul and Apollos were both called to minister to the Corinthians, God assigned them tasks that differed based on their abilities, but the responsibility to share the gospel remained the same. Paul, Apollos, and other leaders in the church were equal in that they worked together to share and spread the message of salvation.

Lest the leaders of the church fall prey to thinking their roles are more significant than others; Paul was quick to point out that only God gives salvation and spiritual growth. As believers, we all have kingdom assignments that require planting the seeds of salvation in the lives of others. But let's also humbly remember who we serve. God, alone, deserves the glory when a sinner repents and accepts Christ.

Just as the Lord graciously worked in my daughter's heart, He still works in mine. I responded to the twinge of conviction for my attitude and thanked God for allowing me to co-labor with Him. May we all work together to plant spiritual seeds, encourage other believers as they water, and pray that God will provide growth in the lives of the unbeliever.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us so much that you made way for us to have eternal life through the sacrifice of your Son on the cross. Forgive us when we pridefully boast about our own ability instead of always giving you honor and glory. We pray for those who don’t know you as Lord and Savior. May we joyfully serve to share the gospel and help lead others to Christ.
 In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

5 Ways to Overcome Feelings of Inferiority..Jessica Van Roekel

 5 Ways to Overcome Feelings of Inferiority

By Jessica Van Roekel

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." (Psalm 139:13-14, ESV)

A mere look can send daggers through our hearts or send our hearts soaring on the heights. Words can crush our hopes and dreams or give them wings. The two combined can create feelings of inferiority or feelings of empowerment. Our words hold immense power. I know the thrill of life-giving words spoken to me, and I know the death knell of words designed to kill—whether from someone else or the words I speak about myself.

Inferiority fills us with feelings where we feel less than valuable or worthy. It pierces our hearts and can become a complex we struggle to overcome. It stands in the way of walking in our new God-given identity as heirs and beloved by God. However, God heals hearts and leads us nearer and nearer to his heart as we place our wounds in his gentle hands. We can take these five steps to overcome the crippling influence that inferiority holds in our lives.

We can praise God for our gifts, talents, and abilities. Inferiority tries to tell us that there is nothing good in us. It whispers we are talentless, so we view ourselves through the foggy goggles of negativity and nod our heads in sad agreement. Praise and thanksgiving clear the lenses, and we begin to see ourselves through God’s eyes. Maybe you like your smile—praise God for it. He gave it to you. Or you are physically strong—thank God for that ability. When you praise God for your gifts, talents, and abilities, no matter how small they may be, you recognize his hand in your life. You are his, and he has good plans for you.

Another step we can take is to thank God for his transforming power. A surrendered life becomes a transformed life. When we surrender our feelings of unworthiness and allow God to untangle our negative perception of ourselves, we experience transformation. We see that the gifts and abilities he gave us are designed for his purpose. We share our smiles, our strength, and our joy over what he’s doing in our lives and pass the hope we have in Christ to others. Inferiority doesn’t have to trap us in a cage, but God can set us free.

Then, obey God’s leading. When we cultivate an awareness of the good that God placed within us and experience his transformation, we begin to obey his leading. God’s word is filled with instruction, and as we put off the attitudes and behavior that hinder our spiritual growth, we uncover the power of obedience. Feeling inferior creates a negative thinking pattern, but when we choose to think about whatever is noble, pure, and excellent, as instructed to do in Philippians 4:8, we walk in obedience.

We can become an intercessor. There is power in praying for others. James 5:16-17 talks about confessing our sins to one another and praying for each other so that we may be healed. Inferiority is a wound that continues to bleed, but when we confess our struggles with it to a trusted friend, we take the first step toward healing. Praying for others points our attention away from the vacuum our struggles create and develops an awareness of other people’s troubles. This awareness leads to compassion, which leads to actions of kindness and gentleness toward others and, eventually toward us.

Finally, encourage others. It is so easy to focus on the negative. We tend to point out what someone did wrong rather than recalling what they did right. We lose sight of the good that is in us and others in our society’s pressure to do more and be more. A timely word of encouragement can stop the inward negative spiral and propel someone forward.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
When we feel inferior, we reject the truth found in Psalm 139:13-14. We wrestle with how God made us, focusing on what we don’t like rather than seeing how wonderfully God made us. The next time you look in the mirror, find one thing to praise God for. Then, thank him for the work he’s done in your life so far. When your thoughts skitter into the negative, redirect them to whatever is true, lovely, and of good report. Turn your thoughts to others by praying for someone and speaking encouraging words to them today.

Further Reading:
Psalm 139