Faith and Trust.. Craig Denison Ministries

Faith and Trust

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

God’s goodness over our lives far exceeds anything we’ve experienced. We’ve only yet splashed around in the shallows of God’s deep love and mercy. In order to dive deeper into the fullness of life available to us, we must learn how to posture our hearts. May your relationship with God be enriched this week as you position yourself to receive all your loving heavenly Father has to give.

Scripture:“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

Devotional:

Where we place our faith and trust is like the currency of our hearts. We have a limited amount of faith and trust to invest and real returns to gain or lose depending on where we choose to invest them. Scripture is clear that we cannot place our faith and trust in both God and the world. We cannot choose money and God as our anchors of hope. We cannot choose both the opinion of man and God’s opinion. We cannot choose our own will and his. We must, moment-by-moment, choose where we will invest our limited, valuable currency of faith and trust.

If we as children of God truly believe that his word is truth, a vast reservoir of peace and joy is available to us today. The Bible is clear about what we get in return for placing our faith and trust in God alone. Jesus said in Matthew 6:30, “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” And then later in verse 34, Jesus said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” What would it look like for us to truly have faith in God to the level that we really didn’t worry about tomorrow? What kind of peace would it bring to truly place the cares, burdens, and stresses of this world squarely on the shoulders of the Almighty, all-loving God?

To go deeper into the fullness of life available to us in Jesus requires putting our faith and trust in God alone. We will never experience the peace of heaven if our hope is in this earth. We will never experience the power and help of the Holy Spirit if our hope is in our own abilities, talents, and strengths. We will never fully experience the satisfaction of truly being loved if we place our hope of affirmation in the opinions of others. The only path to truly experiencing the abundant life available to us in Jesus is placing our faith and trust in him alone.

Jeremiah 29:13 promises, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Choose to place your faith and trust in God alone today that you might seek him with “all of your heart.” Place your hope in him alone for he alone is faithful. Do as 1 Peter 5:7 commands and “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (NIV). You will never find a return on your investment of faith and trust in anything of the world like you will in God. God will take your faith and trust and multiply it until your life is a perfect reflection of his loving-kindness. May you find true satisfaction, peace, and joy in God today as you crown him King of your heart.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of placing your faith and trust in God alone.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

2. What have you been placing your faith and trust in other than God? What have you put your hope in? Where have you been storing up treasure on earth rather than with your Father in heaven?

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:20

3. Confess those sins to God, and place your faith and trust in him alone. Receive his love and rest in his faithful presence. Allow him to reveal his heart for you that you might know the wonders of his amazing hopes and dreams for you.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

“That they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:27

To place your faith and trust in God alone is not to free yourself from the need to act, be responsible, and work, but rather to position yourself to receive empowerment, guidance, and grace for every action, responsibility, and work. To place our faith and trust in God alone is to humble ourselves before God as our King, Shepherd, Helper, and Provider so that all we do is done through him. May your life be filled with his loving presence, guidance, and power as you place your faith and trust in him alone.

Extended Reading: Hebrews 11

Our Divine Teacher..Dr. Charles Stanley

Our Divine Teacher

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 2:9-16

One of the reasons that many people—including believers—don’t read the Bible is because they can’t understand it. We would expect that to be the case for those who don’t know Christ, but why do so many believers fail to comprehend the truths of Scripture? Maybe it’s because they haven’t asked for help from their divine Teacher. One of the Holy Spirit’s chief responsibilities is to enable Christians to understand the things of God.

When looking at believers who know more than we do, we’ll sometimes think, I will never be able to reach that level. The issue, however, isn’t how much knowledge you have right now, but whether you are growing in your understanding. The Spirit will teach you what you need to know, not necessarily what others know. Because He wants to make us godly people, He’ll give us enough truth each day to change our lives. He will interpret the meaning and give an application designed specifically for each person.

The Spirit’s goal is not to fill your mind with information but to bring you to a deeper level in your relationship with the Lord. He wants you to understand the truth so you will fall in love with Jesus. Then you’ll long to spend time in the Word, thereby getting to know Him even better.

But all these treasures of God’s Word could remain out of reach if you never ask the Teacher to unlock them. Each time you read your Bible, ask the Lord for understanding. A wonderfully intimate love relationship with Christ awaits those who let the Spirit reveal to them the thoughts of God.

Let Him Lead..Meg Bucher

Let Him Lead

By Meg Bucher

“Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior! For each day He carries us in his arms!” - Psalm 68:19 NLT

The scene raced in front me: the lake, trees, and dark blue track faded into the back of my mind as my body illustrated what it felt like to go 90 mph down a hill. I took one deep breath after another, loud and long enough to assure myself I was still conscious until my vision matched my present reality. By the time my whole self was in sync again, the ride was halfway over.

“But mom, please?!?!?!” My daughter begged, “There’s no line!!!”
“I can’t,” I said …defeated, “I don’t like the way that made me feel.”

The psalmist didn’t understand what it was like to ride a roller coaster, but he clearly knew what it felt like to be carried through something he felt helpless to take himself through. Raising teens, to me, feels like blacking out on that roller coaster at times. I find myself asking a lot of questions, often unable to sync reality with what I am seeing or hearing. Savior, in the original Hebrew text it was written in, means “salvation, deliverance, help, rescue from a dangerous circumstance or harmful state by a savior; divine salvation usually has its focus on rescue from earthy enemies, occasionally referring to salvation from guilt, sin, and punishment.” (NIV)

Life can feel akin to being strapped into a rollercoaster going 90MPH, with no way to call for help or stop the ride if something goes wrong. In those moments, we call out to our God, who is faithful to save us. The definition refers not just to physical danger, but guilt, sin and punishment. Before Christ, we were strapped in by sin with no escape from it. When Jesus defeated death on the cross, He saved us from the punishment of sin which is death.

The prophet Isaiah wrote: “Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” Isaiah 46:4 NLT

Intersecting Faith and Life:
When I got off the roller coaster that day, I was thankful for all of the basics: breathing, seeing, walking, and living. Everyday, God’s mercies are new. Everyday, He yanks us back from the edge. There are times in our lives, we will look back and wonder how we got through the season we just came through. Every one of us can look back and see the tracks of God’s faithfulness in our lives. He is for us, not against us. He created each of us with unique purpose on this earth, to bring glory to His name through His will for our lives. We can trust, when we black out at 90mph, He is still with us. He is never surprised, and always providing what we need in life. Rescue looks different from His perspective. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. Praise Him for who He is. Our Savior. The One who carries us in His arms.

This season of my family’s lives has been the hardest to date. With the diagnosis of my oldest daughters type 1 diabetes, and the passing of my father-in-law, we have been riding the 90mph roller coaster. There have been many days I don’t know how I get through. Days in which my vision did not line up with reality. In pressing seasons, we often feel we can’t keep up. We are tired, and every resource seems to be depleted beyond explanation. It’s then, God carries us.

To allow God to carry us when we cannot stand, means to live in submission to His authority over our lives. Its obeying His commands and the wisdom in His Word, one right decision and disciplined step at at time. Allowing God to carry us requires us to follow His lead on our lives, even when we know it will end in discomfort and challenges we’d rather not face. He is faithful. He is merciful. And there is power in the name of Jesus.

Further Reading

Let Us Fear God..Mark Altrogge

Let Us Fear God

By Mark Altrogge

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. (Ps 147:10-11)

What does it mean to fear God? Consider the words of Psalm 147:10-11.

I have a friend who describes his grandfather as a cantankerous old man who would sit in his chair all day and thwack him and his cousins with his cane anytime they walked in front of him. Is this what God is like?

Sitting in his chair, trying to keep people from having fun? A cosmic grouch?

God commands us to fear him and says that he takes pleasure in us when we fear him. Why? Does he enjoy us being afraid of him? I know I don’t want my children to be afraid of me. I want them to love me and enjoy being with me.

A Humble Fear Of God

So, in what sense are we to fear God? The “fear” that brings God pleasure is not our being afraid of him, but our having a high and exalted, reverential view of him.

To “fear him” means to stand in awe of him: “Let all the earth FEAR the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world STAND IN AWE OF HIM!” (Ps 33:8).

To fear the Lord is to stand in awe of his majesty, power, wisdom, justice and mercy, especially in Christ – in his life, death and resurrection – that is, to have an exalted view of God. To see God in all his glory and then respond to him appropriately. To humble ourselves before him. To adore him.

We tend to be in awe of worldly power, talent, intelligence, and beauty. But these things don’t impress God because “His delight is not in the strength of the horse (mighty armies, worldly power) nor his pleasure in the legs of a man (human strength).”

But God delights in those who fear him – those who stand in awe of him – and instead of trusting in their own human abilities or resources, “hope in his steadfast love.”

The Wicked Do Not Fear God

By way of contrast, the wicked person doesn’t fear God – he doesn’t stand in awe of God. The wicked has a low view of God:

Transgression speaks to the wicked

deep in his heart;

there is no fear of God

before his eyes.

For he flatters himself in his own eyes

that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;

he has ceased to act wisely and do good.

He plots trouble while on his bed;

he sets himself in a way that is not good;

he does not reject evil.” (PS 36:1-4)

The wicked person has such a low view of God and such a lack of awe for God that he doesn’t think God can find out his sin or hate it. He doesn’t act wisely or do good because he doesn’t view God as holy and just and serious about punishing sin. He trusts in his own wits and strength. Obviously, the Lord doesn’t find any pleasure in the wicked.

The wicked refuses to fear God.

So let us fear God – stand in awe of him, take refuge in him, and hope in his steadfast love. For it brings the Lord pleasure when we trust in him for strength and help, not our own wits and resources.

A Prayer When You Need to Believe the Good News..Betsy de Cruz

A Prayer When You Need to Believe the Good News

By Betsy de Cruz

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” Mark 1:14 – 15

This may sound blasphemous, but I don’t like the word repentance. Perhaps I don’t like to think of my own sin. I’d rather think of myself as someone who has it all together than someone who desperately needs God’s mercy. Wouldn’t you? Surely, repentance is for thieves, drug dealers, and murderers, right? Not for good people like us.

Yet Jesus’ first recorded message in Mark begins with: “The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus calls us not only to repent but also to believe. We must believe Jesus died for our sin so we can turn to Him for forgiveness. Repentance ushers us into God’s kingdom, but it also paves the way to closer fellowship with God every day of our Christian lives. When we turn from our sin, unbelief, and desperate attempts to control our lives, we humble ourselves and make room for God to work in us.

Maybe each morning is a new opportunity to repent and believe. Consider the CEV translation of Mark 1:15, which puts Jesus’ first message in everyday English: “Turn back to God and believe the good news!” When we repent, we not only turn away from sin towards God; we also turn away from unbelief to choose faith, and we open the door for God to renew our hearts.

Where do you need to turn back to God today, my friend? If you’re like me, maybe you need to turn away from the tight grip of control and surrender your circumstances to God instead. Maybe you need to turn from unbelief and choose to trust your Heavenly Father who loves and cares for you.

What good news do you need to believe? Perhaps you need to believe your loving Creator rejoices in you and sees the righteousness of Christ when He looks at you. You might need to believe His promises to show you steadfast love and faithfulness, or maybe you need to remind yourself His power can do far more than you can ask for or imagine.

Each day is a new opportunity to repent from unbelief, turn to the Scriptures, and choose to believe the promises and encouragement we find in our Bibles. Let’s ask God to remake us and renew our minds today.

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus, I choose to repent and believe today. Forgive me for trying to handle life on my own and forgetting your presence and power. Forgive me for relying on myself rather than trusting You. Forgive me for fearing the worst instead of resting in faith. I choose to believe your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life because you have said so in your Word.

Lord, Your Word says I am your beloved child, living under Your watchful care. The Bible says You promise to show me steadfast love and faithfulness all the days of my life. You are my Shepherd and Guide; You will make a way for me. Scripture says the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me. I have a Helper today and the hope of everlasting life with you.

I repent and I believe. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Acknowledging Our Need.. Craig Denison Ministries

Acknowledging Our Need

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Scripture:“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26

Devotional:

The greatest place for our hearts to be is in constant acknowledgment of our need for God. Our God never forces his help on us. He never forces us to follow his perfect, pleasing will. And he never forces us into the encounters with him we were created for. But, as soon as we acknowledge our need of him, his love comes rushing in, satisfying every dry and weary place of our heart.

In Luke 10:38-42, we find one of the most important lessons in all of Scripture. The Bible says,

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.”

Jesus’ words here draw me to a higher calling. I long for the “good portion” that won’t be taken away. I see here a truth I so often don’t pursue. The absolute best thing I could “do for God” is to sit at his feet. The thing he most desires of me is to simply open my heart and let him love me, teach me, heal me, and be with me. Mary acknowledged her need of God and sat at the feet of Love. Mary looked to Jesus as her source, not the opinion of her sister, and got the affirmation of God himself.

How often do we allow the temporal, fleeting parts of this life to be enough? How often do we settle for so much less than what’s available to us? How often do we allow the fickle affirmations of man to be enough when we can know the thoughts of our heavenly Father toward us (Psalm 139:17-18)?

Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Let’s pursue that which is lasting and truly satisfying. Let’s set aside the ways of this world and spend our days living for the presence of God. Let’s center our lives around Jesus. Let’s acknowledge our need of God that we might receive all the love, help, healing, and transformation he longs to provide today.

Take time in guided prayer to choose the good portion and spend time at the feet of your loving Savior.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of acknowledging your need of God.

“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.” John 15:5

2. Where have you been self-sufficient? Where have you been allowing the things of the world to be enough?

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26

3. Cast aside the things of the world, its worries, stresses, and fears, and take time to sit at the feet of Jesus. Ask Jesus to make you aware of his nearness. Ask him to fill you with his presence. Take time to rest in his goodness.

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

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

May Matthew 11:25-30 guide you to the rest available to you anywhere, anytime. May you experience peace that surpasses all understanding:

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Extended Reading: John 15

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