God Wants to Use You..Craig Denison Ministries

 God Wants to Use You

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

In response to knowing the heart of God we are called to share the wonders of his invisible nature with a world in desperate need of him. God has chosen to use us to reveal himself. He’s filled us with the Spirit and empowered us to proclaim the good news of salvation and restored relationship with our Creator. May you discover this week that you were made to share God’s heart. And may you find joy and passion in God’s longing to use you in powerful and unique ways.

Scripture:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Devotional:    

Ephesians 2:8-10 says:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

God’s grace is meant to be our catalyst to living passionate lives that bear fruit of eternal value. You aren’t meant to go through the motions. You weren’t created to live a normal life whose impact only lasts for this life. God in his grace and love has called you to more. You were made for a life of deep and lasting impact. You were made to share God’s heart with the world.

It can be difficult to understand God’s heart in wanting to use us. For some, we write ourselves off as too sinful, weak, selfish, or inept to be used by God. For others, we view God as a taskmaster who wants to use us solely for his motives. Still others of us believe that serving God is less fun, less fulfilling, and far stranger than anything we’d like to do. We’re fine with a God who would give us a “get out of hell free card,” but that’s about as far as we’d like him to go in relationship with him.

The truth is that your life will never be fulfilling until you allow God to use you. Ephesians 2:9 is clear that you were “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” You won’t find fulfillment in anything besides the work of God because it’s not what you were made for. Material possessions apart from the provision of God become more like weights tying us down to the cares and ways of the world than sources of satisfaction. Spending your life working to become successful, appreciated, and loved in the world’s eyes is more like a treadmill than a path to abundant life. If you want to live an abundant life you have to allow God to use you.

God longs to use you because he loves you. He’s not selfish. He doesn’t need your help. He wants to work with you. He wants your life to matter. He wants you to have eternal reward for the things you do here on earth because he’s a good Father who longs to give good gifts to his children. He wants you to stop segregating your life into “God time” and “me time” and start living in continual communion with him. He wants your time at work, with friends, at church, driving, resting, relaxing, and having fun to be filled with the fullness of life that comes from doing life with him. 

Take time in guided prayer to discover God’s heart to use you. May your time in prayer be filled with a revelation of God’s goodness, grace, and loving desire to co-labor with you.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire to use you. Find your true identity, not in the way you’ve lived up to this point, but in the unshakable truth of Scripture.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

“[Jesus] gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:14

2. How do you feel about being used by God? What in your heart needs to come into alignment with the truth that you were made for good works of eternal value? Lay down any hindrances at the feet of Jesus in confession.

3. Ask God how he wants to use you today. Ask him for a specific way you can reveal his heart to others. Journal his response. Take time to rest in his presence that you would find courage and faith in the reality of God’s nearness.

Learning to do good works is a lifelong pursuit. God has grace for you today. He has love and compassion for you in these moments. But he longs to meet you where you are that he might lead you to a more fruitful and abundant life. Allow God to transform your heart. Let him into every part of you that your life would be flooded with his grace and mercy. Allow him to discipline you, change you, and speak new identity into you. May you find joy and passion today as you allow God to use you in powerful, eternal ways.

Extended Reading: Ephesians 2

Considering Others Better Than Yourself..Amanda Idleman

 Considering Others Better Than Yourself

By Amanda Idleman

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.” - Philippians 2:3 

Yikes, that verse stings! Selfish ambition is kind of the default response for humans. We want to protect ourselves, be the ones to excel, and we want to be heard. It’s so hard to live against these impulses. I think we all can relate when Paul said I do the things I don’t want to! (Romans 7:15-20) Yet, God calls us to practice humility. We are to see others as made in his image, valuable, worth encouraging, and most of all worth serving. We are not meant to be at the center of our own lives. Humility is having a modest view of our importance. It’s not self-hate. We can be confident and humble. It's to see ourselves in context, as a part of a family, community, workplace, marriage, and more. 

When we focus on our failures, we fall into a different sort of pride that is hyper-focused on our abilities or lack of in a particular situation. We were not created to have all the answers or skills. Each person is different, with individual strengths and weaknesses. Accepting the way we have been created is an important part of developing godly humility. What are some steps we can take to counteract our self-obsession and see ourselves with a proper view of our place in this world? 

Serve Others with Love 

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13

God by his grace has set us free! Freedom tears away the narrative that we are useless, broken, and lost. It gives us a new story in which we are called forgiven sons and daughters of God. He knows this freedom is a special gift and we need to use it wisely. God’s word encourages us to take the freedom and other spiritual gifts we have been given to serve others. Service helps us to see ourselves in the proper context. We are not only aware of our own needs, desires, gifts, and talents but also notice those of others around us. Service gives us the chance to be an answer to prayer for someone else! How cool is that?! 

Study God’s Word
God’s Word reminds us humanity is limited in our ability. We quickly forget all he has done for us. Reading the Bible helps us to stay focused on the truth, a truth he reveals to us differently in each season of life. Studying the Bible also reminds us we were made with a purpose that is much bigger than ourselves. We were made to worship God and love others. When we focus our lives on these two things, we practice humility naturally. 

Live Reverently Before God
The Bible tells us we must live with the “fear of God.” Fear sounds like a scary word today, but it means we are called to live humbly before God. My son is researching Isaac Newton for school. Newton said just the human fingerprint should be enough to convince us that God exists. He lived with a fear of the Lord. He understood that God’s power, intelligence, ability, and creativity exceed our wildest imaginations. Creation is complex, perfectly orchestrated, and filled with harmonious beauty… it is no accident! 

We are to consider others better than ourselves because God tells us to. When we live humbly and obediently before the Lord, much of our actions come from a heart to follow him. He tells us to seek humble, quiet, service-filled lives… so that is what our pursuit should be. Reverent obedience to the Lord produces a life of humility. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:
The Bible teaches that we are to rest weekly and that our bodies are a temple. Honoring God and others includes caring for yourself. Remember humility is not martyrdom, it's a modest view of your importance. You matter. God loves you. He also loves your neighbor. You're called to care for both yourself and your neighbor. The story of your life is meant to be bigger than just you! Make a point to serve others out of obedience and abundance. 

 

Life is Short... How Do I Make it Count?..Jeanne Doyon

 Life is Short... How Do I Make it Count?

By Jeanne Doyon

I will praise the Lord while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I still have my being. - Psalm 146:2

I don't know how many years I have left to live and love. Life is short and the older I get, the clearer that is to me. The fact is, none of us know. Life is short, so I think I should live each day with that in mind.

The meaning of this verse is the psalmist’s desire to lift up the Lords praise throughout his whole life – while he still has breath. I will praise – I will sing.

This is a determined prayer. It is present tense—I will do it now.

No matter what I face – I will praise.

No matter what is going on, I will sing praises to God...

Praise is more powerful than we can imagine:

- Praise routes the enemy.

- Praise stirs our spirit.

- Praise ascends to God’s throne as an offering.

- Praise erects a shield to combat defeat, and depression.

- Praise overcomes grumbling.

- God is worthy of that praise and he loves to hear it – to smell the fragrant offering.

We can find other references to this:

Psalm 63:4 says, “so I will bless Thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Thy name.”

Psalm 104:33 that tells us, “sing to the Lord in my lifetime; Let me sing praise to my God.”

I want my life to matter. Romans 12:1 says to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice—as worship. I want to give my all to God. How about you?

We don’t know about tomorrow—we aren’t even sure there will be a tomorrow. So, I want my life to be a fragrant offering today. Because life is short. And, my life belongs to God. He bought me with the blood of The Lamb.

What are some ways you can live in the spiritual moment?

What is worthy of praise today?

A Prayer for Obedience, in Honor of Charles Stanley..Meg Bucher

 A Prayer for Obedience, in Honor of Charles Stanley

By Meg Bucher

“Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” – Psalm 27:14 NLT

It was the loudest I have ever screamed. Pain shot through my body, stole my breath and left me crumpled on the floor. It wasn’t the first time I’d fallen, but it was the first time I’d fallen like that. I heard an audible crack as my back smacked into the staircase and felt sure it was broken in half. Limping to the couch, struggling to breathe, all I could do was cry. Pathetic, painful, sorrowful cries. Cries for help, aching to breathe and hoping to stand again. My family encircled me as I gasped for air. I slowly stood, and gratefulness started to wash over me as all the limbs and functions of my body seemed to slowly return. Struggling through the rest of the day, severely sore and worried about internal damage, my feelings of gratefulness kept washing over me. Grateful to stand, walk, breathe, and move. Funny but not so funny, how a literal trip down the stairs caused the possible end of life to flash before me. I’m fine with meeting Jesus, anytime, but the pain of that moment is something I will never forget. Waiting for my breath to return took bravery and courage …all I could do was wait …patiently …on the Lord.

Charles Stanley is known for this piece of sage counsel: “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.” Obedience takes courage. In my breathless moment of severe pain, I didn’t feel very courageous. But as the day went on, I remembered Who goes before me. God. The angel armies of heaven are on my side because He is for me. No wonder I survived the fall and walked away from what could have taken me out. Life happens in His time, not mine. Great leaders like Charles Stanley, as they pass on to heaven and leave their legacy for us to ponder, remind us of the courage it takes to be patient, and the bravery required to wait on the Lord. Obedience to God isn’t easy. I can’t even fathom Jesus’ obedience as He anticipated and endured the cross. It’s a daily choice to swim against the current of the world and the evil in it lurking in it. But the Lord is always greater. He can rescue us from any situation. We are safe in His arms. Pain will find us in this world like the morning I slammed into my staircase and tumbled the rest of the way down. Life will knock the breath out of us, but as we lay motionless, gasping for air, we can trust our lives to the Savior who has already won the victory over death. He removes the sting of fear from our lives. We are in His hands until He calls us home. 

Looking back on that morning, I know God was there, protecting me. The layers of my faith allow me to see His hand in my life more clearly. The payoff of obedience isn’t a pain-free life, but the perspective we attain through it. It’s what great leaders like Charles Stanley point to …Jesus. We can look back on the moments of our lives and know God’s hand was there to keep our backs from completely cracking in half. All the layers of His love grown intentionally in our daily walk of faith flow through the moments we are too weak to get up. He’s there. He knows, sees, and rushes to our aid. Let’s pray for the faith to obey Him, no matter how hard it is or helpless we feel, trusting the layers of His love in our lives. 

Let's pray:
Father, 
Though we are not all called to be great leaders like Charles Stanley on a public platform, we are called to minister as such in our daily lives, to the people we place in them. Help us to be faithful, obedient stewards of Your work and purpose in our lives, Lord. Though the world may not know us for the caliber of fame as the great leaders of faith You have selected, we hold that caliber of fame in Your eyes. All of us. Thank You for going before us and protecting us as we fall and tumble in this world. Whether by our hand or that of evil in the world, thank You for always being there for us with perfect love, care, compassion, and empathy. Bless our lives with the courage to obey You and leave the consequences to You. Remove all doubt, fear, worry, anxiety, and hesitation from our hearts, so we may follow You with abandon, God.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God's Heart Doesn't Stop with Us..Craig Denison Ministries

 God's Heart Doesn't Stop with Us

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:

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7

Devotional:    

As wonderful and life-giving as it is to access the heart of God for ourselves, having God’s heart isn’t meant to stop with us. His heart is meant to fill us, empower us, and transform us to live in such a way that we are light in the darkness. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus said:

 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

As a believer you can reveal the heart of God to others. You’ve been given access to a deep, revelatory knowledge of God’s love that you might shine the light of God’s goodness to a world that only knows darkness. You can reveal the heart of God through the way you honor rather than speaking ill. You can represent the humility of Jesus by serving rather than being self-seeking. You can reveal God’s grace by offering compassion when others treat you poorly. And you can display the courage that comes from a true understanding of God’s unconditional love by living authentically rather than building up a false image.

You were made to share God’s heart. You were made to co-labor with him in seeing the gospel be proclaimed and bear fruit in the lives of others. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” God has work prepared for you today. Look for opportunities to share what God is doing in your life. Look for ways you can be a reflection of the aspects of God’s heart he’s revealing to you. Don’t let the love of God be contained to you like a secret, but share it freely, knowing that his love never runs out and is what every human heart is searching for.

Take time in guided prayer to allow God to fill you with passion to reveal his heart to a world in desperate need of restored relationship with him.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of sharing God’s heart with the world. Allow Scripture to fill you with a desire to be a reflection of God’s heart.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

2. What aspect of God’s heart can you share with someone today? What part of God’s character can you reflect to the world around you?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to put a person or group of people on your heart that he wants you to love well today. Ask him how he wants to use you to reveal the heart of God. Journal his response.

An important aspect of sharing God’s heart is trusting in faith that he will use you. When you choose to live a life co-laboring with your heavenly Father you get to experience the supernatural. It’s miraculous when people choose to accept Jesus. It’s astounding when our service, compassion, and love tears down walls around people’s hearts that they might be more open to God. Don’t just live a normal life today. Allow God to use you by sharing his heart. May your day be filled with wonder and awe at your heavenly Father who uses you in mighty and powerful ways.

Extended Reading: 1 John 4