Declaring God's Glory..Craig Denison Ministries

 Declaring God's Glory

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:

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Devotional:    

To declare the glory of God is to put all things in their proper place. Chaos and struggle are always the result of humanity trying to gain glory for ourselves. God alone is worthy. God alone was made to be above all else. And God alone can handle the weight of receiving glory.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” We were made to declare the glory of God. We were made to proclaim through word and deed the majesty, splendor, and worthiness of the God of heaven and earth.

Proclaiming God’s glory to the world always begins by taking a look at our own hearts. We can’t declare that God is above every other name if we’re still on the throne of our hearts. We can’t proclaim his excellencies and then seek to gain success, approval, and affirmation from others. Declaring God’s glory starts with our own humility. It begins with living a life of sacrifice to the one who’s given up everything for us.

When we remove ourselves from the throne of our own hearts we are set free to magnify Jesus. It’s when we set our eyes on our Savior King that we are freed from the weights and pressures that come from living selfishly. And in this freedom we find the life we were always meant for—a life of continual, incredibly satisfying worship.

In Revelation 19:6-8 we see a beautiful picture of heaven at the marriage supper of the Lamb. At this feast a great multitude cries out saying:

Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure.

One day all of creation will see Jesus for who is and give him the glory he is due. One day everything will be set right, and we will discover the abundant life that comes from living for God’s glory alone. But you have an opportunity to give God glory today and lead others to do the same. You have an opportunity to live with your eyes set on heaven and experience the abundant life that’s already available to you. Choose today to place God on the throne of your heart and live a lifestyle of worshipping your worthy King. May your time of guided prayer be filled with a revelation of Jesus’ worthiness and an empowering to declare his glory in all you do.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the glory of God. Allow Scripture to fill you with a desire to place God on the throne of your heart and live for his glory.

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36

2. Is Jesus enthroned upon every part of your heart today? Are there any areas in your life that you are living for your own glory—to build your own kingdom? Take time to confess those areas and receive God’s forgiveness and grace.

3. Ask God how you can declare his glory on the earth today. How can you live to see Jesus lifted up and seen for who he truly is? How can you lead others into a lifestyle of worship?

God doesn’t want glory to satisfy some selfish need. He knows that he alone can handle a throne. He alone can handle adoration and worship. And when he is magnified it is absolutely the best thing for all of creation. It’s for this reason Solomon writes in Psalm 72:19, “Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!” May the prayer of Solomon be our prayer today as we seek to glorify God in all we do.

Extended Reading: Psalm 8

Lift That Shield..SARAH FREYMUTH

 Lift That Shield

SARAH FREYMUTH

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” Psalm 28:7 (ESV)

We’re finally seeing hints of spring after a long Wisconsin winter. Branches with the tiniest of buds, a warmer wind that isn’t laced with ice that whips across my face. And slowly but surely, a sun that’s staying up in the sky later and later into the early evening hours.

But man, how we fought the dark, dreary drudgery of months that buried us inside as we huddled under layers and that left us weary with longing for the days when we could fill our lungs with freshness. I’m worn out — especially from going through depleting anxiety and depression while working my way back from the aftermath of a rough year of health scares for myself and my husband.

This world can make me feel weak. How about you? From the constant demands of family life and taking care of others to hearing about tragedy after tragedy in the news — it’s too much for our weary hearts to hold. If you’re like me, sometimes you’re not sure you can take one step more; your faith feels so frail when you’re pouring out your energy simply to make it through the day.

The enemy does his best to keep us down, with discouragement and distraction coming at us from all angles. As the steady stream of trials washes over our hearts, we’re left exposed and worn, in desperate need of reprieve.

But God knew we’d face adversity, that unyielding winter of our hearts. So He’s given us tactics and tools to remember who He is and to call on Him to come into the battle.

Psalm 7:10 reminds us God is our shield, among many other things: “My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart” (ESV).

Impenetrable. Strong. Resilient. God never grows weary, and He never gets tired of coming to our rescue. In fact, He delights in it.

God fights for us as we rely on Him. (Deuteronomy 3:22) So while He fights for us, our greatest weapon is our shield of faith in Him. (Ephesians 6:16)

The function of a shield is to keep the enemy from getting to us. It stands between us and our adversary. Because the Lord is our shield, He protects us from lies and attacks of the enemy. With the Lord at work for us, nothing can cut us too deeply for Him to heal, as His Truth and banner hold steady. He is our steady hand and ever-present help in times of trouble. He gives us the grace to endure the battle and offers the hope of lasting victory.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” (Psalm 28:7)

But we have a role in this too. It’s a combined partnership; we battle alongside God. He does the great work of fighting for us and offering protection, and we have the task of lifting that shield of faith over our minds, our hearts and our bodies. We hold to His Word, reminding ourselves who God is: Strong Tower, Refuge, Redeemer, Shepherd, Deliverer, Defender. And we repeat Truth to ourselves over and over throughout the day, even through the night.

God has equipped us with every piece of armor and Truth we need when the negative self-talk static rolls in loudly and the unexpected sucker punch of bad news threatens to drag us down. The more we exercise our faith, the more we begin to build our strength and stand firm against the enemy’s schemes and the world’s chaos.

Weary friend, warrior sister, pull out your shield. Lift it in front of your mind and heart. Keep it raised forever high.

Father, I feel so weak. My heart feels battered, and while spring is coming, renewal still feels so far off in me. I’m tired. My faith is tender. Would You help me lift and keep up my shield of faith? Would You be my shield of protection, my defender, the One who fights my battle? Thank You that You are strong and steadfast and that You love protecting Your children. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

The Heart of Giving..Annie Yorty

 The Heart of Giving

By Annie Yorty

“You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8 NLT)

Denial. Disbelief. Delay. As a young Christian, I confess that when I learned about God’s prescription for giving, my reaction did not exude faith. I denied God expects His people to tithe. And if it were true, I couldn’t believe offering ten percent of my gross income would ever be possible. As a result, I delayed acting on the Holy Spirit’s conviction to give. 

God pursued my heart despite my stubborn attitude. My mind tussled with the impossibility of donating a chunk of my income to God. I recalculated my expenses time and again. A baby with special needs, a mortgage, car payments, student loans, utilities, and everyday costs expended our entire take-home pay. We didn’t even make enough to replenish the savings we had just spent to buy a home, much less give money away. Didn’t God understand our dilemma? Looking back, I imagine my heavenly Father shaking His head at His little girl trying to figure out this financial puzzle. I suspect I may not be alone in my limited understanding of God’s desire for generosity. In the Old Testament, God commanded His people to give a tithe—one-tenth—of their income to Him. This law led to our common understanding that we should give God ten percent of earnings.  Most don’t realize God also commanded additional giving, so a tenth is merely a starting point. In the New Testament, Jesus pointed to a destitute widow who exemplified the type of giving God requires. 

“I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on” (Mark 12:43-44 NLT).

Later, the Apostle Paul further explained the heart attitude that pleases God. He removed the requirement of a specific percentage. Instead, he allowed each person to decide how much to offer God in response to His incredible gift of salvation through Jesus. How should we respond to the One who sacrificed His precious life so we may live eternally? He put His own Spirit within us so we may enjoy God’s continual presence. We revel in the blessed assurance we have an eternal home with our heavenly Father through Jesus. God’s generosity toward us never ends.

After my husband and I discussed the “impossibility” of giving to God, we took a baby step in the right direction. We decided to sacrifice a small percentage of our salary each month and see what would happen. Looking back, I wish we would have jumped, rather than eased, into obedient generosity. Nevertheless, I think God was pleased by our small sacrifice. Before long, we experienced God’s provision as He guided us to change our financial priorities. We learned to compare the short-lived satisfaction of the newest gadget we wanted to the eternal joy of offering to God. He revealed He will always supply enough to give back to Him. Now dependence, delight, and determination characterize our financial outlook. We learned to depend on God’s provision. We delighted in our ability to contribute

Friends, the amount of your giving is a matter between you and God. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, examine the heart of your giving. Is the amount intentional or random? Does He receive your best? What material desires do you give up for God? In Malachi, God says we may put Him to the test on generosity. His generosity to you will always outpace your offering to Him. When we consider the extreme sacrifice of Jesus and the daily outpouring of God’s blessing and future hope, our mindset about giving should change. Instead of calculating the minimum we must give, we challenge ourselves to discover the maximum we can give. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:
What financial offering is God leading you to make to Him? How do you express your joy when you present your gifts to God?

Further Reading:

• 2 Corinthians 9:6-12
• Malachi 3:6-18, 21

Build Each Other Up..John North

 Build Each Other Up

By John North

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Heavenly Father, help us to sharpen our brothers and sisters like iron. May we all grow in spirit together, encouraging one another with your words. Amen.

Don’t only work on your own spiritual life, also build up the spiritual lives of those around you!

The Bible is full of guidance on how we can grow much faster if we share in each others’ spiritual growth. When we get together with other believers, we can play a major part in helping them walk more closely with the Lord.

God wants you to learn to use your times with your brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage them spiritually, to motivate them in their times with God and in prayer, to discuss ways to more effectively share Christ with others, to serve them and help them. We miss out on so much potential growth when we only ever just “hang out” together.

Hanging out can be very restorative and stress relieving. But if we simply add a relaxed spiritual discussion to our hanging out, we will leave that time together encouraged in the Lord. And if we add a brief prayer time at the end, we will deepen our spiritual relationship with each other and the Lord even more.

Who will you see today that you could ask about what God is teaching them, or pray together, or share about what you got from the Word today? Ask God to use you when you get together to strengthen them spiritually.

A Mother’s Prayer for Wisdom..Emily Rose Massey

 A Mother’s Prayer for Wisdom

By Emily Rose Massey

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5, ESV).

Motherhood: a time in my life in which it became apparent to me that I had no idea what I was doing. Babies don’t come with a user manual; at times it feels like learning how to be a parent is mainly trial and error. As a new mom, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and anxious, feeling like questions outweigh answers, especially when your baby has sleeping issues or colic. And don’t forget when they get their first cold! Instead of letting overwhelm overtake us, we must remember the access we have to the wisdom of God; all we have to do is ask.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5, ESV).

We receive wisdom through the Word of God and the counsel of godly mentors and friends. God’s wisdom isn’t anything like what the world offers us; ultimately, it is full of peace and brings about good fruit. James wrote, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17, ESV).

When we approach God with humility asking Him for guidance and direction, He is faithful to give us wisdom from above. We have been given the gift of leaders in the church to help us understand and apply the wisdom in God’s Word. Church leaders are charged to care for our souls, help us through difficult times, equip and encourage us. Do you fall into the ditch of pride, thinking you have it all figured out? Are you unteachable? Often, when we face challenges, the Lord is using the situation to sanctify, humble, and build our trust in Him. When we humble ourselves before the Lord, He gives us the grace which strengthens us in our trials and difficult seasons. Grace is always available to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). In a culture (yes, even within the visible church) where positive affirmations and self-empowered declarations are the norms, admitting weakness, limitedness, and failure is seen as negative and perhaps even harmful to your soul.

The Bible reveals that we are not enough in and of ourselves, our abilities, or wisdom; we are dust (Psalm 103:14-16). The Lord is the One who gives us the breath, ability, and wisdom to accomplish anything, walk through a difficult situation, or make major life decisions. Admitting our “not enough-ness” provides an opportunity to look to God because He is more than enough and His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12). Ultimately, the Lord is glorified in my weakness and my feeling of emptiness and “not-enough-ness.” When we have reached our limit and don’t know where to turn, let us run to the One who holds all wisdom and grace!

Let’s pray:
Father God,
I am weighed down with the cares of this life. I run to You in humility knowing I do not have the answers for everything I am facing, but I know You do. I trust that Your Word tells me if I lack wisdom I can come to You and ask for it. You are such a faithful and generous Father, and Your abundant wisdom is what I need when I don’t know where to turn. I trust You will guide me and strengthen me with Your grace when I am overwhelmed. Thank You for placing godly leaders in my life to help me when I’m faced with difficult decisions. I trust You equip them to care for my soul and teach me more about You and Your ways. I repent for worrying; help me trust You more as I learn to walk in Your perfect wisdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Developing Patience..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Developing Patience

Dr. Charles Stanley

James 1:1-4

When people confide to me that they are praying for patience, I often ask what else they're doing to acquire a calm and gentle heart. Patience isn't so much something believers receive as it is an attribute that they develop over time and through experience.

Think of patience as a muscle that you have to use in order to see it build. To that end, believers should recognize difficulty as an opportunity to flex their patience. The human instinct is to cry out to God in bewilderment when tribulation comes knocking. We blame. We resist. We complain. What we don't do is say, "Thank You, Father--it's time to grow in patience!" People aren't trained to think that way, but according to the Bible, that is exactly how Christians are to respond.

James tells us to consider trials a joy (1:2). But we often fail at this, don't we? Humanly speaking, praising the Lord for tribulation is unnatural. However, doing so begins to make sense to believers when they cling to God's promise that good comes from hardship (Rom. 8:28). We are not waiting on the Lord in vain. We can praise Him for the solution He will bring, the lives He will change, or the spiritual fruit He will develop in us.

Accepting hardship as a means of growth is a radical concept in this world. Even more extreme is the believer who praises the Lord for the storm. But God's followers have cause to rejoice. Tribulation increases our patience so that we can stand firm on His promises and await His good timing.