Waiting on the Lord..Craig Denison Ministries

 Waiting on the Lord

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview

Our heavenly Father has made incredible promises to us, his children. And while our God is completely faithful to deliver on his promises, he does not force them on us. He’s promised his nearness, his affections, and an eternal life spent with him. But we have the power to choose our own way. He doesn’t force himself where there’s no space. God’s word won’t have power in our lives if we don’t read it. We won’t hear God effectively if we’re not listening. And we can’t experience his nearness if we constantly fill our lives with other things. So, this week we’re going to talk about different ways we can experience the promises of God so that they might come to full fruition in our lives. May you encounter God powerfully as you grow in fully experiencing the incredible promises of your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Devotional:

Throughout Scripture, God gave his people the strength they needed to both sustain them through circumstances and achieve victory over their enemies. We read examples like David defeating Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, Samson defeating the Philistines in Judges 15, and Jesus crushing the power of sin and death on the cross in Matthew 27. Truly, God has promised his people his strength. But the Bible also tells us of a principle for receiving and experiencing God’s strength. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Let’s look today at the practice of waiting on God for the purpose of experiencing the strength and endurance God has promised us.

Waiting is a practice that seems counterproductive to most of us. In a world where those who act sooner and faster seem to be more successful, the ideas of patience and waiting don’t seem to have a place. But the wisdom of the world is not the wisdom of God. David was a man who was wise in the ways of experiencing God’s promises. He shares with us his insight into receiving God’s strength in Psalm 33:20-22: “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” God longs to shield you from the attacks of your enemy. He longs to protect you from what would tear you down. But like a shield, he can only protect you if you are willing to stay behind him. He can only help you if you are willing to be helped. You must wait on him. You must allow him to go before you and guide you.

David also gives us insight in Psalm 33 on how he was able to so effectively wait on God. He says, “For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.” You will only be able to wait on God to the level that you trust him. Look at your own life today. Where do you struggle with running out in front of God? Where do you have a hard time waiting? Where do you lack patience? Trust isn’t simply a matter of the head, but of the heart. To be able to actively trust God, you have to believe he truly has your best interests in mind. You have to believe in your heart that he isn’t asking you to wait just to stress you out, but because he has something better for you in store.

To fully experience God’s promises of strength and guidance, you must learn to trust God. You have to be willing to wait on him. God’s guidance and timing are perfect. He knows how to lead you, protect you, and empower you. Trust in your heavenly Father today. Take the example David set and choose to wait on God. It’s in doing so that you will experience victory. It’s in waiting on the Lord that you will “mount up with wings like eagles.” Take time today to place your trust in God. Take time to encounter his love. Let his presence fill you with the longing and ability to wait on him. And live today in response to God’s word by asking for and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your life. He has an incredible day in store for you. Simply wait and follow wherever the Spirit leads. 

Guided Prayer:           

1. Take time to receive God’s presence. Let his presence lay a foundation for you to trust him. As you experience his presence, let his goodness remind you of his character as a good Father.

2. Now think about areas of your own life where you have a hard time waiting on God. Where do you lack patience? Where do you feel scared or lacking in trust?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you wait on him today. Ask him to help you trust and follow him wherever he would lead you.

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Following the leading of the Spirit is about your willingness to wait and listen. And waiting and listening starts with encountering the nearness and goodness of your heavenly Father. You aren’t meant to trust in a distant God. You are created to know personally the reality of your God and his love for you, and place your trust in him as a response. Wait on God today. Grow in your willingness to follow him wherever he would lead you. The Holy Spirit has the perfect way to guide you. Simply open your heart to him and listen. So great is God’s love for you that he promises to go before you in every situation. He promises to be your help and shield. Stay behind your God and experience renewed strength for every circumstance you come to today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 33

A Message for the Fearful Hearted..Kyle Norman

 A Message for the Fearful Hearted

By Kyle Norman

“Say to those with fearful hearts, “be strong, do not fear, your God will come. He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” (Isaiah 35:4)

“Little pig, little pig, let me in!” “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!”

We know the story. We’ve all heard the tale about how the big-bad wolf pursues the three innocent pigs, attempting to blow their houses down. Two of the pigs find their residences blown to shambles, while the final pig, the smart pig, the faithful pig, withstands the huffs and puffs of the wolf. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our lives were like that? Wouldn’t it be great if the gusts of problems and struggles never affected us? Sadly, we know the truth. There are times where we feel that life is against us. It could be a result of a job loss, a tornado, a war, a death, or a diagnosis, but in those moments, we feel our footing is unsure, and our spiritual houses shake more than we would like.

Scripture often uses the term “fearful hearted” to describe such a state. Being fearful-hearted is not the same thing as being merely disappointed or dismayed. We are fearful in heart when we face a threat or an obstacle which appears too big for us to manage. Like Israel feeling trapped in the exile, we feel alone and abandoned. We may even question whether God has forsaken us. 

But God hasn’t forsaken us. God has not forgotten us. In fact, Scripture holds before us the glorious truth that when we feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or fearful, God comes to us. In the places of our fear and discouragement, God acts in healing and restoration.

The Lord speaks a word of hope, not condemnation, to those who are fearful in heart. Isaiah cries out “Say to those with fearful hearts, “be strong, do not fear, your God will come.” We are called to recognize that the struggles we face are never the full story. The divine promise is that God comes to us. God calls us to keep our eyes turned heavenward, to boldly stand in faith, and to audaciously hold onto hope. 

Is your heart fearful today? If so, listen to Isaiah, and dare to believe that there will be an end to what you face. This reality is assured because it is a reality rooted in God’s presence, not your own ability. We can be strong despite our struggles, and faith-filled amid our fears because we do not stand alone. Isaiah speaks confidently, God will come! God will come with vengeance and retribution. God will come to save. Despite the huffing and puffing blowing against you, the Lord promises to come in power. God never enters our life as a passive observer. God never sits on the sidelines. This is the promise of God.

These are not just empty words. These are not saccharin niceties the faithful say to make themselves feel better. If we ever need proof of this in our lives, all we need to do is look to Jesus. These affirmations are written in history and proven in blood. Jesus is the proof that God’s love and power flow into our life. The very thing that Israel looked forward to, the very future to which they hoped, is the truth we grasp; Jesus stands with us in the messiness of life and brings redemption out of the darkest of places. For anyone who is fearful hearted, hear the good news: Jesus has stepped into your world.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
To those feeling fearful-hearted, embrace the presence of the Lord. Allow his spirit to flow within you, and to carry you. The one who made the lame to leap, the deaf to hear, the mute to sing, and the dead to walk, has promised to breathe life, peace, and restoration upon you. And because God has come, as God has promised, the declarations of God’s power can be trusted and held. And while it might be hard to recognize them at times, that doesn’t discount their reality. So be encouraged. Be strong and stubbornly faithful. Dare to believe. Your savior has come.

Almighty God,
Thank you for your presence in my life. In those times where I am fearful and afraid, open my eyes to the movement of your Spirit as you empower me, sustain me, and guide me. I pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Further Reading:

• Hebrews 4:14-16
• Matthew 14:22-33

When It Seems Like the Bottom Dropped Out..Greg Laurie

 When It Seems Like the Bottom Dropped Out

By Greg Laurie

Have you ever been extremely lonely, maybe even when you were surrounded by people? Have you ever felt cut off? Have you ever felt as though your friends abandoned you or that you were completely misunderstood?

If so, then you have a faint idea of what Jesus Christ went through as he agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane. In a way, we all face personal Gethsemanes in life, times when it seems as though the world is closing in on us, times of ultimate stress when the cup that we are supposed to drink seems too much to bear, times when we feel like we can’t go on another day.

We cannot always know the will of God in every given situation. But there are times when we know the will of God, and, frankly, we don’t like it. There are other times when we know the will of God, and it doesn’t make any sense. My friend Randy Alcorn uses the term “Father filtered,” which means that either God did it, or God allowed it.

Jesus, being God in human form, knew the future. He knew what was coming down. In John’s account of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus literally suffering – suffering so badly that he was effectively sweating blood. This, next to the cross, was most likely the lowest and loneliest moment in the life of Jesus.

In the Bible some significant things happen in gardens. In the Garden of Eden, people sinned. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus conquered sin. In the Garden of Eden, Adam hid himself. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Lord boldly presented himself. In the Garden of Eden, the sword was drawn. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the sword was sheathed.https://www.instagram.com/inspiredfully/?hl=en

At this point, Jesus had preached his last sermon. He had his last meal. And He also had prayed a beautiful prayer in which he prayed for us (see John 17). Matthew’s gospel tells us that Jesus said to Peter, James and John, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me” (26:38 NKJV).

Peter, James and John spent a lot of time with Jesus apart from the other disciples. When Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, he took Peter, James and John with him. When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, he had taken Peter, James and John with him. And in the Garden of Gethsemane, again it was Peter, James and John. Were they the Lord’s favorites? Maybe. Or perhaps there was another reason. Maybe Jesus wanted these guys close by so he could keep an eye on them. Whatever the reason, what an honor to be asked by Jesus to be with him at this crucial moment of his life.

Notice that Jesus did not say, “Explain this to me,” because Jesus didn’t need an explanation. He didn’t say, “Preach to me,” because Jesus didn’t need to hear a sermon. He simply said “Stay here with me.” Because he was lonely, because he was in agony, because he was in pain, he just wanted someone there with them. That’s really all Jesus was asking for.

Matthew tells us that Jesus “went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine’” (verse 39 NLT). Evidently, Jesus was in such agony that He cast himself to the ground in prayer.

Jesus, being God, knew the future in vivid detail. He knew he would be denied by the one he had perhaps invested the most in, Simon Peter. He knew that he would be rejected by his own people, Israel, whom he came to save. He knew that his disciple Judas Iscariot was about to betray him with a kiss. He knew he would be tried in a kangaroo court of injustice and subjected to unfair treatment – ironically, all in the name of God.

And worst of all, Jesus, who had been in constant communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, would have to bear all the sin of the world, past, present and future. We know that for a time, Jesus would be separated from God the Father as he bore the sin of the world, causing him to cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34 NKJV)

That is why Jesus said, “If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me.” In other words, “If there’s another way, please find it.” But of course, there was no other way.

D.L. Moody, one of the great preachers from days gone by, made this statement: “Spread out your petition before God, and then say, ‘Thy will, not mine, be done.’ The sweetest lesson I have learned in God’s school is to let the Lord choose for me.”

Let the Lord choose. He will make a better choice than you will, because he has all the background information. If you’re facing a closed door, a broken relationship, or a disappointment in life, God is still in control. He loves you, and he has a plan.

A 19th-century poem entitled “Gethsemani” [sic] by Ella Wheeler says it well:

All those who journey soon or late
Must pass within the garden gate
Must kneel alone in darkness there
And battle with some fierce despair.

God pity those who cannot say
“Not mine, but Thine,” who only pray
“Let this cup pass,” and cannot see
The purpose in Gethsemani.

We must never be afraid to place an unknown future into the hands of a known God. There’s a purpose in your Gethsemane.

A Prayer to Have a Faith That Speaks..Maggie Meadows Cooper

 A Prayer to Have a Faith That Speaks

By Maggie Meadows Cooper

Abel. Most of us know him as the second son born to Adam and Eve or the brother Cain killed. But up until recently, I admit I didn't know much else. His mention in Genesis 4 is short, so it seems that he wasn't all that significant. Until we find he is the first man worthy of being listed in the Hebrews 11 “Hall of Faith.” And the question is, why is he there?

Hebrews 11:4 says: "It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith."

Though he's dead, he still speaks. Wow, I couldn't wait to see what he said and how it would impact my heart. But when I got to Genesis 4 and read, guess what I found? He never spoke a word. At least not any recorded in Scripture. All we have is the record of one event in his life:

"...When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected." Genesis 4:2-5

That's it. One seemingly insignificant offering to the Lord. But then, I looked back at Hebrews 11:4, and I saw it: "...he still speaks to us by his example of faith." It wasn't about the words. It was about his faith in action.

Two things we can learn from Abel are this:

1. Actions, many times, speak louder than words.

"...Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift—

the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock." Gen.4:3-4

Cain gave some, but Abel gave his best: the firstborn, along with what other translations tell us were the "fat portions." Abel made a sacrifice. Cain made an offering. It was the heart behind the action that mattered, y'all. The humble action of faith Abel carried out "spoke". And that is the challenge to us today. Do our actions leave a legacy that will still be "speaking" when we are gone?

2. Doing the right thing does not go unnoticed.

"...The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you..." Gen.4:4-7

The Lord never tells us that Abel did what is right, but we can infer that from this passage. And the question is, what did he do so right that Cain did so wrong? I think we see it in Cain's reaction to the Lord's rebuke. He became angry. A humble heart is more willing to apologize and ask the Lord's forgiveness. But instead, pride took over, opening a door for Satan to gain a foothold that ultimately led to the murder of his only brother.

Abel possessed an obedient, humble heart, y'all. That heart led to the sacrifice that became the action of faith that still speaks today. May we all have the courage to act out our faith, do the right thing, and leave a legacy that speaks long after we are gone. 

Let’s pray:

Dear Jesus,
Thank you for Abel and his example of humility and obedience. Help me to share my faith in you, not only with my words but with my actions. Help me to have a heart willing to sacrifice the things of this world, putting you above all else.
In Your Mighty Name, Amen

Unshakeable..Skip Heitzig

 Unshakeable

by Skip Heitzig

Did you ever wonder about that stone at the tomb of Jesus? Why was it moved? It wasn’t to let Jesus out; Jesus could get out of the tomb as easily as He entered the Upper Room later, without using the door. No, the reason the stone was rolled away was not to let Jesus out, but to let the disciples in so they could see!

And what did they see there? They saw that the body of Jesus was gone, but the grave clothes were still there, lying undisturbed. In John 20:1-8  there are different Greek words used for "saw." When it says Mary and Peter saw, it means they noted. When it says that John saw, it means that he saw with understanding, with comprehension.

Peter entered the tomb. "Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed" (John 20:8). When John saw the grave clothes, he thought, "I get it!" He believed that Jesus was alive, based on what he saw.

Then John adds something that seems puzzling at first. Verse 9 says, “For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” They saw an empty tomb and empty grave clothes, and they formed their beliefs based on that. They knew what they saw.

But by the time John wrote his gospel, they knew the theology of Christ’s resurrection. Their faith, once based on physical evidence—the open tomb, the body gone, the clothes intact (as good as that was to convince John at that moment)—wasn’t enough to sustain a person through life. “This is what we saw, but we didn’t know the scripture yet” points to the fact that there’s something even better to base your belief and knowledge upon, and that’s the objective, inerrant prophecy in the Word of God.

Observation and personal experience aren’t enough! The Bible predicted that Christ would rise from the dead. What Peter called “a more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV) is a more sure foundation.

So how do you know that you know? You could say, “I know because I saw or I heard.” But here’s something better: “What I saw and what I heard was predicted long ago in the prophets.” So now the subjective experience is bolstered by the objective prophecy of the Bible—and that’s unshakeable.

That’s what I want you to see here—the fundamental importance of the Word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

The experience which we have with Christ is valid only as it is tied to something that is outside of our experience, something that is objective—the inerrant Word of God. With that, we can face anything.

If you just have the inerrant Word of Scripture but you don’t have an experience with God yourself, then it’s not personal. If you have your personal experience but it doesn’t match what the scripture says, then it’s not reasonable. Put them both together, it’s powerful. It’s unshakeable.

That’s my prayer for you at this Easter season, that you will have an unshakeable faith, based on the sure word of prophecy and a personal, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, the risen Redeemer!