Make Space for God to Fill..Craig Denison Ministries

 Make Space for God to Fill

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

As this year comes to a close, it’s vital that we take time to both reflect on what God has done and allow him to prepare us for what’s to come. A new year marks a fresh opportunity to center our lives around the goodness of God. I pray that as you begin looking toward what is to come you will make space to gain God’s perspective, ground your hopes and pursuits on his grace, and celebrate all that God has done and is doing. May your time with God this week be filled with the loving presence of your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

Devotional:

The story of Mary, Martha, and Jesus found in Luke 10 encapsulates God’s longing for simple, unfettered relationship with his children. As this year comes to a close I pray that this story would set a fire in our hearts to live out of unhindered union with our heavenly Father. I pray that we would seek to continually make space in our lives for the one thing that truly matters. Scripture says in Luke 10:38-42,

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

I want my life to be centered around “the good portion.” I want all my days to be marked by choosing to sit at the feet of Jesus rather than living a life based solely on works. At the end of my life, I want to look back and know that I sought relationship with my God above all else, and that I gave him my heart in and out of every season, no matter the cost.

The simple truth of Christian spirituality is that God longs to fill whatever space we make available to him with his nearness. The gift he gives us that far surpasses a spouse, a job, a family, earthly success, or financial stability is simply himself. The heartcry of our heavenly Father is simply this, “Abide in me, and I in you” (John 15:4).

What would it look like if your chief New Year’s resolution was making space for God to fill? What other desires of your heart would that take care of? How wonderful would it be to experience the transcendent peace and joy that comes from centering your life around meeting with God? How continually satisfied would you feel in consistently receiving the powerful love of your heavenly Father?

Take time today to reflect on what truly matters. Take time to choose “the good portion” that your life might be centered around he who alone has the power to truly satisfy your every longing. May your year be marked by unhindered union with the God who fills you with his greatest gift: himself.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God being “the good portion.” Allow the story of Mary, Martha, and Jesus to fill you with a longing to seek relationship with God above all else.

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’”  Luke 10:38-42

2. Take time to make space for God to fill. Open your heart to him and center your focus on his nearness. Allow Scripture to fill you with faith to receive all he has to offer.

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” 1 Chronicles 16:11

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

3. Rest in the nearness of God. Cast aside all other concerns, fears, and reservations and simply be with God. He will guide you into all you need, but relationship with him should always be centered around simply sitting at his feet.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10

If you center your life around abiding in God, your year will be filled with remarkable, heavenly, and eternal impact. May John 15:1-5 fill you with a desire to abide in God that all you do this year may yield lasting fruit:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Extended Reading: Psalm 139

Scarcity vs. Abundance..Christine Perry

 Scarcity vs. Abundance   

By Christine Perry

"And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Has the Lord's arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.’” Numbers 11:23 NKJV

In Numbers 11, the Israelites were not only complaining but were wailing every day for meat. They grumbled, complained, and threw a conniption because they were tired of manna and the wilderness. They wanted to go back to Egypt. Moses had it with them. He tells the Lord in Numbers 11:12-13, "Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,' to the land which You swore to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, 'Give us meat, that we may eat.'"

The Lord answers Moses in verses 16-20, "Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. 

Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. Then you shall say to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, 'Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.' 

Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, 'Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?'"

Moses then asks God how He will provide. He reasons that it wouldn't be enough even if they were to kill all their animals. That's when God responded, “Has the Lord's arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.”The next day, the Lord sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day's journey on both sides of the camp. It says the people stayed up all that night and the next day gathering quail.

Before I continue, I want to make something clear. The Israelites were wrong in complaining. However, God was still kind enough to answer their cries for meat. George Müller, who saw over 50,000 answers to recorded prayer, said this, "God is pleased continually to vary His mode of dealing with us, in order that we may not be tempted to trust in donors, or in circumstances, but in Him alone, and to keep our eye fixed upon Him."

Intersecting Life and Faith 
We tend to live in a scarcity mindset. For example, if someone has a piece of pie, it leaves less for the rest of us. God doesn't operate this way! He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. God created our entire world out of nothing. I don't think He has a hard time providing anything we may lack. Psalm 34:10 says, "The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing."

The Lord is able. His arm is not too short. What is impossible for man is possible with God. He lives in abundance. However, He wants us to come to Him for our needs. He wants us to depend on him like a child does their parent(s). Why not take a moment today to first acknowledge God's power? Then confess sin — known or unknown. Then humbly share your concerns with Him. He already knows what we need and what we will say before we speak a word (Psalm 139:4). Trust Him. God always knows what He is doing, even if it seems impossible for us. 

How to Carry Christ into Every Room You Enter..Rachael Adams

 How to Carry Christ into Every Room You Enter (Ephesians 3:17-18)

By Rachael Adams

Today’s Bible Verse: “Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is (Ephesians 3:17-18).”

In the interest of keeping an orderly home, when I was growing up, my parents taught me to tidy throughout the day. Because there was always something in any given room that needed to be taken back to its original location, we would pick up things as we moved from one room to the next, transferring them to their rightful place.

While walking through the living room, we would grab a mug left on the coffee table and put it in the kitchen sink. While passing by the front door, we would pick up stray shoes and return them to the shoe rack. While visiting a bedroom, we would gather discarded clothing and hang it in the closet.

Now that I have a home of my own, I find myself trying to instill this mindset into my own children. Rather than waiting to tidy until the mess becomes overwhelming, this habit of continuously cleaning keeps the household running smoothly.

I got to thinking about how this concept applies to our personal and spiritual lives as well. What if every time we walked into a room of people we scanned the faces to see if there was anyone that looked a bit out of place? Perhaps someone who needed to be “picked up” emotionally? Possibly even taken to the Lord—the original place where they belong? Simply initiating a conversation with someone sitting on their own, lending a helping hand to someone busy in the kitchen, or offering to pray for someone who has revealed a problem in their life can bring harmony to an otherwise disordered situation.

Considering what we can “clean” in the room is only part of the equation. We need to also be mindful of what we bring into the room. Are we adding to the mess, or are we leaving the room and the people in it better than when we first entered?

Because we have Christ’s Spirit residing in us, we carry His peace, joy, comfort, and love wherever we go. Through Him, we can change the atmosphere in any room, making it warm and inviting for all to come and stay.

I’m reminded of how Jesus modeled this behavior in His life and ministry. Throughout Scripture, we read how He simply walked along, noticing the people in His path—along the road, in the synagogues, in homes, in banquet halls, beside wells, and in the upper room. Even on the cross, He noticed the needs of the people around Him, promising to bring them into paradise with Him.

When we make room for God in our hearts, He always leaves us better than we were before. I pray we do the same as we carry Him with us into every room and try our best to leave it better than how we first found it.

A Prayer for God to Turn Hearts Back to Him in America..Lynette Kittle

 A Prayer for God to Turn Hearts Back to Him in America

By Lynette Kittle

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”—Acts 3:19

Many might agree that America is currently in a state of distress, with Christian values being tossed by the wayside. Although various politicians and organizations diligently work to keep Christian beliefs within our national foundation, only so much can be done to try and transform people with policies and laws. Real transformation only comes from the inside out, when the hearts of Americans are softened and turned toward God.

Without real heart changes, just like the law of the 10 Commandments didn’t keep people from straying away from God, only hearts transformed and made new by the gospel of Jesus Christ turn back to Him. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 describes the transformation that takes place, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Because real change comes only from within, what does it take for hearts to be turned back toward God?

Turning hearts back to God takes prayer. First and foremost must be prayer. As 1 Timothy 2:1 encourages, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.” 

Turning hearts back to God takes repentance from sin. In Acts 26:20, the Apostle Paul describes the process for people to turn back towards God.

“First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.”

Likewise, 2 Timothy 2:25 explains how “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.”

Turning hearts back to God takes believing in Jesus Christ. Again, Paul explains what needs to happen, “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:21).

Turning hearts back to God takes humbleness before God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 urges, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Turning hearts back to God takes seeking God. To “seek” God doesn’t mean to do so in a half-hearted kind of way, expecting God to put forth all the effort but rather, to seek Him until we find Him, being unwilling to give up until we do.

Deuteronomy 4:29 explains, “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Let’s pray:

Dear Father,
Thank you that 1 Timothy 2:4 tells us Your desire is for all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Today, we come to You, as Your word instructs us to do, making prayers, petitions, intercessions, and thanksgiving for the people in America.

We repent from the evil and wickedness pervading our nation for the sinful, rebellious attitudes and actions against You and You alone. Move across our land, O Lord, to soften and transform hearts to believe and receive the forgiveness, You so freely and generously give to all who come to You through Jesus Christ. In humbleness, we turn away from sinfulness and turn towards You, seeking You wholeheartedly, as Your word commands us to do.

Thank You that in Ezekiel 11:19, we find that when we return to You, You will remove the stones from our hearts and give us a heart of flesh.
In Jesus' name, Amen