God Is a Patient Father..Craig Denison Ministries

 God Is a Patient Father

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview: 

It’s vital to the Christian life that we as sons and daughters of the most high God allow our affections to be stirred by the loving, powerful nature of our heavenly Father. Too often we feel that God is distant or separated from us. Too often we allow misconceptions or lies to place a rift between us and experiencing God. It’s in reminding ourselves of God’s character that lies are broken and a pathway is laid for us to encounter his tangible love. Open your heart and mind and receive fresh revelation of the goodness of God this week. Allow your affections to be stirred and your heart to be filled with desire to seek the face of your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

Devotional:    

1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us, “Love is patient.” Patience is a part of love that doesn’t feel fun at the beginning. It feels like an act of self-control rather than passion, as if the two aren’t perfectly connected. And it often comes across as a sign of weakness rather than an attribute of the bold and powerful we so often admire. But Scripture teaches us a different view of patience. 2 Peter 3:8-9 says, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” God, in his passionate desire for restored relationship with all his children, has perfect patience toward us. His passion leads him to patience. And it is in his desire to see us grow in all manner of holiness and godliness that he waits to bring about the restoration of all things to him with the coming of the new heavens and earth. Let’s open our hearts today to become more like our heavenly Father and allow him to create in us a heart worthy of him who has so patiently loved us.

I fear that much of the bride of Christ is living day-to-day, getting by until Jesus returns. And I fear that in our complacency we are not engaging in the purposes for which Christ came. God’s intention here is to use us to bring about a saving knowledge to all those around us. His plan was for restoration of relationship here, not just biding our time while suffering from a lack of his reality working in our lives. 2 Peter 3:14 says, “Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for [new heavens and a new earth], be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” And Hebrews 12:3-11 says,

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Because God loves us he does not desire for us to remain as we were or as we are. His plan is to do such a work in us that we live on this earth as Jesus did. But he is entirely patient to accomplish this work. He is entirely patient with our sanctification.

When I began engaging in the process of sanctification I was filled with frustration. For the first time I began to see all the dirt and muck covering up this beautiful gift of a new nature God had given me. I felt like I was never going to be able to get through all the sin that seemed to so entangle me to my old nature, and I was right. Scripture teaches us that it is God, in his patience, who produces holiness and godliness. In my own strength I have no ability to change my heart. My only job is to engage with him and allow him to work in and through me. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” The NLT version says it this way: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” God’s desire isn’t for us to engage in works that have the appearance of morality but aren’t flowing from the true desire of our hearts. His longing is to mold and shape our hearts by his love into a perfect reflection of his heart so that we might live true lives of holiness out of the overflow of what he has done in us. Only he can accomplish such a work. Only he can fill us with the ability to truly love. And as 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, he is patient to do so.

Spend time in prayer discovering the patient heart of your heavenly Father. Spend time allowing his love to draw you into the process of sanctification. And allow the Holy Spirit to do a mighty work in you today, bringing about holiness and godliness where it seemed only sin and worldliness could dwell.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the patient heart of your heavenly Father. Reflect on how his patience comes from his passionate love for us.

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Psalm 103:8

2. Now meditate on God’s desire to produce holiness and godliness in you. Allow this truth to grow in connection to God’s love. His love leads him to discipline and work in us.

“Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!” 2 Peter 3:11

“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:3-11

3. Now engage in the process of sanctification with the Holy Spirit. Allow him to reveal to you places in your life that do not align with your new nature. Ask him to take you to the source of your sin and correct your understanding so that you might walk in holiness today. Allow your desire to live like Jesus be stirred up in his presence. Do not work in your own strength but with the power and love of the Spirit who dwells within you.

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Romans 6:6

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 2 Peter 1:2-4

God has promised to deliver us from this world. We have hope that the trials and tribulations of this world will not be forever. Jesus is coming again to restore all things to be as they should. Find peace and joy in the fact that God is both working now and will work then. He is both healing, transforming, and freeing us now as he will then. In his patience he is passionately waiting for more to come to know him. May your life be a reflection of his perfect love to all those around you, that Jesus might gain the due reward of his suffering through you.

Extended Reading: Romans 6

No Longer Slaves to Sin..Emily Rose Massey

 No Longer Slaves to Sin

By Emily Rose Massey

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.”- Titus 3:3, ESV 

The gospel is at the core of Christianity: the person, work, and words of Jesus Christ. To fully comprehend our need for the Savior and what Jesus has done for us, we must first come to grips with our sins. The world offers us an array of solutions for a better life here on earth, but many of us will realize (some quicker than others) that our souls will never be satisfied by these temporary remedies. God offers us the ultimate solution in His Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. 

Without believing and trusting in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, ultimately, we will never experience complete fulfillment in this life. Yet, knowing there is life beyond this one, we must realize that without trusting in Jesus’ finished work of the cross and paying our debt in full, we will never have peace with God; we will be responsible for paying the debt for our rebellion against Him. This quote from D.A. Carson encapsulates the beauty of the gospel and our great need for Christ: “If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior.” 

It is important to understand that we cannot fully grasp the greatness of the “Good News” of what Christ has done for us without first addressing the bad news that our sin separates us from God. As we read in Titus 3:3, the Apostle Paul instructs and encourages Titus, a young pastor at the church at Crete, to remind his congregation of who they once were before they came to faith in Christ. 

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another” (ESV).

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Some things to note in this verse: The list of sins is not exhaustive, and one sin is not worse than another. Although Paul says we “were once” practicing these sins, we know (because of 1 John 2:1-2) that does not mean we do not ever again sin against God. Paul (and John) are talking about making a practice of these sins without repentance. Approaching this topic as a believer is much different than as an unbeliever. As Christians, we can rejoice, knowing we are no longer slaves to our sins! We have been given a new nature in Christ and the power to overcome the sin that so easily ensnares us. Hallelujah, we have been set free!

We “once were” (before faith in Christ) slaves to our sin, and we lived every day as enemies of God. Because God is holy and just, a sinner (who is not born-again) cannot stand in His presence, nor can they spend eternity in paradise with Him. Although, as born-again believers, we continue to sin against God because we are constantly at war with our flesh in this life, the good news is that we have a great advocate, Jesus Christ, who is forever our righteousness. Our position in Him as declared righteous before God will never change, yet we are still called to confess our sins (1 John 1:9), which purifies our conscience before the Lord. Is there a particular sin that you have been struggling with? Let’s pause and take some time to write it/them down and repent before the Lord, laying it all down at His feet. 1 John 1:9 says Jesus is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Let us rejoice in the truth that Jesus is forever our righteousness despite our shortcomings!

Further Reading:

• Romans 6
• Romans 7

What Melchizedek Can Teach Us About Jesus..Chara Donahue

 What Melchizedek Can Teach Us About Jesus

By Chara Donahue

“The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek..." Psalm 110:4.

Genesis introduces Melchizedek – a “priest of God most High,” as he blesses Abram. He is mentioned again in Psalms, but we aren’t alerted to how much attention we should give him until we see his name again in the book of Hebrews (Hebrews 7:1-28). For as much mention the author of Hebrews gives to Melchizedek we know it is worth our time to discover who he is and what he was about.

So who is this man who was an imperfect foreshadow to Jesus and why should we care?

Psalm 110: is talking about Jesus, “’You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’” The Matthew Henry Concise Commentary said this about the Psalm:

“[Jesus] is the Priest of the order of Melchizedek, which was before that of Aaron, and on many accounts superior to it, and a more lively representation of Christ's priesthood.”

Melchizedek is important. Any glimpse in scripture which offers a more complete view of Jesus is beauty and truth that we cannot set aside.

The author of Hebrews repeatedly contrasts Old Testament heroes and practices and then profoundly reveals how Jesus is the better and truer fulfillment of the Hebrew’s beloved traditions and patriarchs. In chapters 5 through the beginning of chapter 8, the author focuses on the superior priesthood of Jesus over the Levitical Priesthood as the eternal, perfected priest of the order of Melchizedek.

The Levitical priests would represent the people of Israel before God. They became priests by lineage, which didn’t guarantee righteous living; see Aaron’s son’s unauthorized fire or Eli’s wicked sons for example.  Melchizedek was a priest in an order that had no beginning; because Jesus is the order’s greatest priest, it will also never end. The great news found here is that Jesus is not a Levitical priest for the Israelites, but a priest of the order of Melchizedek – meaning he is a priest for all. Though the Jew and the Gentile were once separated by promise and law, through Christ all of humanity was extended the opportunity to be drawn near.

Psalm 110 foresaw that the Messiah would hold the Melchizedekian priesthood forever, and our Lord’s overcoming death means He will never set aside His priesthood. If we come to God through the priestly ministry of Jesus, we can be sure that like His priesthood, our lives will be eternal. Knowing that Christ holds an eternal priesthood, we are confident that we are secure in Him forever.

A Prayer for Highly Emotional Days..Ashley Moore

 A Prayer for Highly Emotional Days 

By Ashley Moore 

“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” - Psalm 30:5 NLT 

Never make big decisions on the hard days. This advice was given to me when I was in the early stages of motherhood. My hormones and emotions were all over the place. I was prone to making rash, knee-jerk decisions until a wise friend shared the words I'll never forget. Have you ever been there? Are you dealing with grief because a relationship ended abruptly? Perhaps the seasons are shifting with your kids, and you are teetering between waves of elation and deep sadness. Or maybe you struggle to get out of bed because your days are an unending cycle of unfavorable outcomes. Whatever has you feeling all the feels, can I encourage you with something that God has been teaching me? 

In the moment, those big emotions can consume you–especially in seasons of longsuffering when the hard moments string into days, weeks, months, or even years. Painful emotions can cloud our ability to see and recognize the opportunity for joy. We tend to lose sight of God's Truth when walking through highly emotional moments. Instead of level-headed, thought-out decision-making, we opt for irrational and reactive. However, we can find relief from this reminder in scripture: emotions come and go.

The seasons of anger, weeping, and a host of other negative emotions can linger, but hold on to this truth: Joy comes in the morning! Whether you are an exhausted parent, a grieving friend, or are disenchanted with your season of life, the hard days will come, and the emotions soar high. But, as you wade through the depths and heights of each intense wave of feelings, may you remember that joy will be waiting for you when these hard feelings subside. 

Let's pray:
Lord, 
Thank you for your Holy Spirit. Thank you for sending us a Helper and a Comforter after you ascended to Heaven. You knew these hard moments would come. Scripture illuminates that you are familiar with our intense emotions like anger and sadness. But Lord, you also gave us the gift of joy. In Your presence, we find the fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Joy is always there, beckoning to us because You are there waiting for us to notice and experience Your presence–despite our pain. You say even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You are there with us. You protect and comfort us (Psalm 23)

Lord, will You forgive us for our sinful decisions on those highly emotional days? Will You give us the strength to endure when the emotions last longer than we want? Would you protect us from lies when we are feeling so vulnerable? And would Your Spirit bring the truth about who You are to our minds? Lord, would You bring us to the minds of our brothers and sisters and prompt them to pray for us when we are too exhausted or ashamed to reach out and ask? Lord, I thank You that these difficult days don't last forever and seasons change. You provide relief to endure a little longer in this very broken world. And we can joyfully endure. God, thank You that we can put our hope in eternity where there will be no more sadness or tears. Lord, we look forward to forever with You and unending joy in Your presence forevermore! In Jesus' name, Amen.