Revelation through Others..Craig Denison Ministries

 Revelation through Others

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

One of the greatest privileges as a child of God is that we can have the heart of our heavenly Father. We don’t have to wonder how he feels about us. We don’t have to wonder if he will guide us. We don’t have to question whether he loves us or cares about us. Through the Holy Spirit we have continual, free access to the heart of God. May your relationship with God go deeper and become freer as we learn how to have God’s heart this week.

Scripture:

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Devotional:    

One of the chief ways God reveals his heart to us is revelation through fellow believers. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” God has given us the ability to encourage one another—to literally fill the hearts of fellow believers with courage to pursue fullness of life in the kingdom. He’s given us the ability to “stir up one another to love and good works” that we might fill one another with wholehearted devotion to Jesus both in word and deed.

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is 2 Corinthians 4:5-7. Paul writes:

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

God has given us his glory. He’s given us the ability to proclaim not only ourselves, but “Jesus Christ as Lord.” The jars of clay Paul was referencing here were anything but perfect. They were fragile and easily broken. They were the material for the common person.

God has chosen to display his power and love not through perfect carriers, but through us. He’s chosen to use we who are common, we who are fragile and easily broken, that others might see his overwhelming grace and unconditional love.

God knows the believers around you are imperfect. He knows they are weak and broken. He knows they have wounded you and oftentimes discouraged, rather than encouraged, you. But what encouragement can we find in God meeting those who are perfect? How could we possibly find hope if God only revealed himself through those without weakness? The greatest source of hope we have is that God would continuously offer grace to those who are undeserving. The greatest revelation of God’s heart we have in others is that our Father never gives up on us but loves us unconditionally.

Look to others for encouragement today. Look for the kindness of God revealed through the weakness and brokenness of fellow believers. And declare the grace of God to others today, not by seeking to appear perfect, but by proclaiming the goodness of a God who would fully love someone in their imperfection. May your heart be stirred today as God’s heart is revealed through the earthen vessels he’s filled with his glory.

Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on God’s desire to reveal his heart through others.

“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” 2 Corinthians 4:5-7

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see God’s heart in fellow believers. Ask him to teach you to see God’s grace in the imperfections and brokenness of others.

3. Choose to reveal God’s heart in your life today. Choose to encourage and stir up the hearts of others by declaring God’s goodness even in your brokenness.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

2 Corinthians 13:11 says, “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” God’s heart is for unity. His heart is that we would embrace one another, seek to comfort and restore one another, and thereby encounter his love and peace. Unity isn’t an option in Scripture; it’s a command. It’s not an option to allow strife and slander. It’s not an option to leave broken relationships unmended. Seek restoration today. Allow God to fill you with the courage to show love and unmerited grace to fellow believers. And as you grow in unity with others you will experience a deeper understanding of God’s unconditional love and affection for you. May today be marked by a powerful revelation of God’s heart through others.

Extended Reading: 2 Corinthians 4

What if the Person I’m Struggling To Forgive Is Me?...LYSA TERKEURST

 What if the Person I’m Struggling To Forgive Is Me?

LYSA TERKEURST 

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:5 (NIV)

Do you ever feel like the hardest person to forgive is actually yourself?

I understand this. Deeply. I so wish we were sitting together having a conversation right now instead of you just reading these words on a screen. But while you're reading, I’d love to share my story with you …

When I was in my early 20s, I made a decision that, with everything in me, I wished I could go back and change. I had an abortion. Knowing nothing could be done to reverse that decision filled me with the deepest kind of despair. Afterward, every time I heard others talking harshly about abortion, I was filled with shame. It felt like a life sentence I would never be healed from.

I would say, “I can’t forgive myself.” What I meant was, “I don’t think forgiveness is possible for a person like me. And I don’t think I’ll ever be free from the shame of what I’ve done.”

Maybe this is where you are right now — struggling to overcome feelings of shame and regret from choices you wish you could go back and change.

That’s why it feels so important to share with you what I’ve learned. When I researched the concept of forgiving ourselves, I was a little shocked to discover it’s not in the Bible. I started to realize that just like we can’t accomplish salvation apart from God, we can’t bestow forgiveness upon ourselves. Forgiveness starts with God.

Since we are not the judge, we can’t pardon ourselves. So when we feel like we are struggling with forgiveness for ourselves, what’s really happening is a struggle to fully receive the forgiveness of God.

Jesus gave His very life to provide forgiveness for our sins, which isn’t just a part of the Christian faith … Forgiveness is the very cornerstone of the Christian faith. Forgiveness for our sins isn’t just a hope we have; it is the greatest reality for all who choose to receive salvation through accepting Jesus as the Lord of their lives.

Often what keeps us from walking as forgiven people is the struggle with feelings of shame and regret. These are very heavy burdens to bear. In my own life, I’ve carried many burdens. But the weight of shame is by far the heaviest I’ve ever known.

It’s a burden God doesn’t want any of us to carry. And I’m so thankful for these three things that eventually helped me fully receive His forgiveness and get out from underneath shame’s condemning weight:

1. I needed to have a marked moment of confessing, repenting and asking God for forgiveness.
Psalm 32:5 reads, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” I couldn’t do this by myself — because I wanted someone, a witness, who could forever remind me I had asked for God’s forgiveness and was therefore forgiven. I also verbalized out loud that I received God’s forgiveness, so I could have a definite memory of acknowledging His gift of mercy.

2. I had to remember that shame and accusation come from the enemy.
Satan will do everything possible to try and keep us from sharing a testimony of the forgiveness and redemption of Jesus. And the enemy loves to hold people hostage to shame by keeping what they did hidden in the darkness. I was terrified to tell people what I’d done. But I did tell God I would share my story if ever I met a young girl in danger of making the same uninformed decision as I did. When I eventually let God use my painful choice for good, I started to see glimpses of redemption. Seeing God take what the enemy meant for such evil and use it for good didn’t take away my grief, but it did start to heal my shame.

3. I let my experience make my heart tender and compassionate.
Knowing what it feels like to make a mistake gives us more compassion when others make mistakes. This isn’t excusing unwise behavior in the name of compassion. But at the same time, having an attitude of compassion helps us not to shame others. I don’t ever want another human to carry the awful weight of shame, and I probably would not be as sensitive to others as I am now if I hadn’t ever carried that weight myself.

Shame isn’t from God, and He doesn't condemn those who repent of sin. Confess what you’ve done. Ask for God’s forgiveness. Receive His forgiveness. And then walk in His freedom. You can live the greatest testimony of truth … the testimony of redemption.

Father God, I’m so thankful forgiveness isn’t something I have to earn or achieve. It’s a gift of grace I get to receive. Thank You that Jesus’ blood was enough to pay for my sin. Help me receive all You are offering me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Trap of Comparison..Emily Rose Massey

 The Trap of Comparison

By Emily Rose Massey

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:1-2, NKJV).

It doesn’t take long to realize Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Pinterest, Twitter, and other social media platforms are huge doors to comparison. Our eyes begin to get fixated on earthly things instead of things of the Kingdom and God's plan for our lives. This often negatively impacts our decision-making. Regarding material things, we may start spending money we don't have and are not just trying to "keep up with the Joneses" but everyone else in the entire world! People's lives are constantly on display, and it is a great temptation for us to become dissatisfied and unthankful for what God has given us. We become unhappy. Not only that, but we also aren’t happy for one another. "Everyone is getting married, having babies, getting an education, buying a house, getting a raise, a new job, a new car, pursuing their dreams, making connections to further their job/ministry, traveling, wearing the latest fashions, making more money, going on vacation, losing weight, AND WHY NOT ME?!” we think to ourselves. This type of mentality makes us question God’s goodness as we start to wonder if He is withholding things from us. 

We might know in our head God is good, but is it rooted in our hearts and applied to our lives? The struggle happens when we fix our eyes on ourselves and becomes worse as we compare or judge others. We begin believing lies and drawing conclusions, consumed with jealousy. James calls this type of thinking worldly and even demonic (James 3:15).  When our fixation is on the temporal, as believers, Paul tells us in Colossians that we need to look up:

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:1-2, NKJV).

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Paul urges us to "put to death [our] members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them" (Colossians 3:5-7, NKJV). Covetousness is idolatry. When we covet, compare, and live in jealousy and envy over something that someone else is experiencing, we are worshiping what we don't have. Whether material things, a person, or a situation, that thing, situation, person, or position is now placed above God and God's plan for our lives. We have made that thing, situation, person, or position an idol in our lives. We become self-centered and too concerned about our lives. We have put on “self-glasses.”

“Self-glasses” distort our vision and heart posture towards God and others. Practically, this means God isn’t enough for us. These glasses also create a victim mentality of comparing and complaining, leading to discontentment. Before long, we will doubt God and begin to take control of our own lives. Lifting our gaze upwards like Colossians 3 advises shifts our perspective, and we begin to see how God is fully enough. This perspective shift helps us believe the truth about God’s sovereignty, other people, and ourselves. It’s best to keep our eyes on Jesus and His Word. When we cling to and abide in Him, we remain full of His love. Nothing else can satisfy. We won't want anything else than what He has for us. His promises for us are more than enough. We will begin to trust God with all our hearts and lean on His understanding, not our own. As we do, He will direct our paths and never lead us astray. 

Further Reading:

• Philippians 2:3-6
• Philippians 4:11-13

We Can Be Still..Anne Peterson

 We Can Be Still

By: Anne Peterson

Be still and know that I am God. - Psalm 46:10

The hardest thing for us to do is to be still. They say we should have been called human doings instead of human beings. But one of the most valuable things we can do is to learn how to rest in God. How to honestly lean on him with all our weight.

God tells us we just trust in him and not in our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5. And yet, as soon as we start having trials, the first thing we try to do is figure it out. God tells us that his thoughts are higher than our ways, but that doesn’t stop us from thinking we can somehow figure it out.

David was someone called the man after God’s own heart. David would look at the situation at hand, but he’d also look back at the God who was there for his other challenges. As everyone else shivered at the thought of facing the Philistine, not the shepherd boy. Why? Did he have super strength? No. But he knew God Almighty. And David knew that the same God who protected him from the lion and the bear would also protect him from whatever he faced. And in this case, it happened to be a giant. 1 Samuel 17: 32- 37.

The giant looked at David, and the Bible tells us he despised him. And yet, we see in 1 Samuel 17:45-51, David relied on his God. David came against Goliath in the name of the Lord Almighty God. And David didn’t take the glory for his victory. From the first moment, he acknowledged it would be by God’s strength and might that David would be victorious.

God is Almighty. No matter what people face God is bigger still. And yet, at times we forget what 1John 4:4 tells us. That Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.

Yes, the world around us is moving fast, and people seem to be spinning as well. But God instructs us to be still. Jesus prayed for us in John 17:16, saying we are in this world but we are not of this world. In Romans 12:2, Paul tells us to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. It’s only possible when we saturate ourselves with the Word of God. Taking time to reflect on God’s truth helps us to slow down our racing thoughts and that’s when we can discern the things around us. When bank personnel needed to identify which bills were counterfeit they didn’t do it by studying all the imposters, but instead, they sat and studied the true bill. And in the same way, when we meditate on God’s Word, then we will be able to know when we are listening to lies. God can help us still our minds and hearts and then we’ll know that he indeed is God.

A Prayer for Confident Hope in the Storms of Life..Jessica Van Roekel

 A Prayer for Confident Hope in the Storms of Life

By Jessica Van Roekel

“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.” - Hebrews 10:35, ESV.

Some movies have me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I enjoy the typical movie arc of story setting, rising action, climax, and resolution. Hallmark movies are known for their typical storyline, and we can be guaranteed a happy ending. If only our lives were that simple. We can feel frozen in place, afraid of the future, and terrified of the present. There are days when it seems we’re in a storm at sea without any way to navigate our way out of it. Riding it out is the only way through. The Apostle Paul survived storms and shipwrecks and did not lose his way even though it took three ships to get him from Caesarea to Rome. In those days sailors used the stars for guidance, but on this journey by ship, a fierce storm blew up. The strong gale force winds forced them to use strong ropes to tie the ship together. Dark clouds covered the sun, moon, and stars for fourteen days. They threw away their cargo, which is like going to the bank to withdraw a large sum of money, ripping it up, and throwing it into the wind. The sailors did everything they could think of to survive but lost hope.

Storms of life often cause our hearts to quake with fear and disappointment. At times we see them on the horizon and other times they hit suddenly. These storms may be social, financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual. They place great pressure on us, and we often question our faith. But faith in God is the only thing that helps a believer during great troubles. The Apostle Paul is a great example for us. He faced imprisonment, shipwrecks, death threats, poverty, and great emotional distress. Yet, he had immense faith and knew with confidence God would provide rescue. God is with us. He doesn’t leave us to flounder. He makes a way possible when we face impossible situations. At times, he calms the storms, and other times, he calms us.

There was a time when I plunged into a deep season of sadness where life brought no joy, and everything seemed dark. I struggled with disappointment over the way God answered a prayer. My expectations of his promises didn’t match what I experienced. I expected God to line up with my wishes and when he didn’t, I tumbled into a thorn bush of anger, cynicism, and doubt. The storm raged inward while I struggled in the darkness. The storyline of my life did not match the typical happy ending of my favorite movies. In this storm, I did the only thing I could think of—I read God’s word, but when I closed my Bible, I forgot what I read. So, I wrote Scripture verses on cards and tacked them up around my home. I knew the only way to navigate this internal storm was to fix my eyes on the Word of God because I couldn’t trust my feelings to guide me. My feelings were like the storm raging across the sea of the ship Paul found himself on.

Like Paul in Acts 27:25, we can say, “Keep up your courage. . .for I have faith in God.” Our confident hope is found in a faith planted deep in knowing God. To know him is to trust his promises stand even when our expectations fail. We can hold onto confident hope in the storms of life when we plant our confidence in who he is. He is our Bread of Life, Living Water, and the Great I Am. He is our anchor in the storm, our waymaker, and our shepherd. We can stand the storms of life if we do not throw away our confidence in him.

Let’s pray:
Holy God,

Thank you for being with me. You are great and mighty, full of compassion. You see me in my hurt. I’m sorry for doubting your goodness to me in the middle of my storm. Please forgive me for turning away from hope in you because I can’t see you. Today, I choose to hold onto confident hope in you because you promise to never leave me or forsake me. I’m going to believe and live like it’s true. I trust you to guide me through this storm and fill me with hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen

A Dark Sabbath..Dr. Charles Stanley

 A Dark Sabbath

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 19:31-42

Just as Christ once rested in the stern of a boat through a raging storm, He rested in the tomb as storms raged within His disciples. A day after Jesus’ death, fear, doubt, and grief must have cycled endlessly through their minds. Memories of their lives with Him must have played there too: how it felt to stand upon a rolling sea, to feed thousands with a few loaves of bread, or to see Lazarus’ burial clothes heaped in the dirt. No doubt their hearts grew sick with confusion as they contemplated these things.

The disciples’ feeble faith shouldn’t surprise us, because if we’re honest, we see it in ourselves. The “little of faith,” as Jesus often called them, failed to believe or remember things the Lord said of Himself—that He’d lay down His life and take it up again. Had His followers faithfully held these things in their hearts, that Sabbath day might have been a time of joyful anticipation.

At times in our lives, God may seem absent, but ultimately we know that He will never leave us (Heb. 13:5). And unlike the disciples, we’ll never experience the dark prospect of a failed Savior. But many times we forget the promises of God. In the face of uncertainty, how frequently do we turn to a “do-it-yourself” Christianity to fix our problems?

Too often we look no further than our own solutions, when what we need is the wonder-working power of Christ’s resurrection and a posture of humility as we wait on Him. If we are willing to wait through the darkness of night, we can rest in knowing that morning will surely come.