Trustworthy..Craig Denison Ministries

 Trustworthy

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Trust is something we are not created to give away lightly. We value trust like we value our own lives, constantly scrutinizing others to see if they're worthy of our trust. But still we are made to do life with help. We are made to place our trust in that which will provide us with more life, joy, and peace. I pray that this week you and I will discover how trustworthy our heavenly Father is. I pray that we will willingly hand over control of our lives to a capable, loving, and near God. And I pray we will experience the abundant life that can only come through placing our trust in a God who gives up everything for relationship with us.

Scripture:“In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” Psalm 22:4-5

Devotional:

Trust is foundational to experiencing the incredible life God offers us in relationship with him. Trust is a commodity of the heart that is only truly given when someone or something proves itself trustworthy. I can only trust you to the measure that I believe you are trustworthy. I can only trust my vehicle to the extent that I believe it will get me somewhere safely.

Scripture makes powerful declarations about those who choose to place their trust in God over the world or themselves.  Psalm 22:4-5 says, “In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” Isaiah 40:31 says,“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” And Jeremiah 17:7 says simply,“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.”

We serve a God who is perfectly trustworthy. We serve a God who “so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God has already given us everything. He has done enough to earn our trust. But no matter how trustworthy God is, we still must make the decision to trust him. And no more important decision could be made.

To place our trust in God is to found our lives on the unshakable, powerful, loving, and resourceful character of our heavenly Father. He alone has the ability to provide for us, heal us, love us, empower us, and save us. He alone is one to trust. When we place our hope in him, we anchor our lives, emotions, finances, relationships, and future in a God who wholly cares for us, loves us, and promises to provide for us.

God promises you in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” You do not have to go through life on your own. You do not have to carve out your own way. You do not have to work to be loved, liked, or provided for. When you place your trust in God, give him your heart, and follow him, you will discover a wealth of abundant life unseen by those living for the world. The Creator of all, the Author and Perfecter of your faith, is beckoning you to place your trust in him alone. He is beckoning you to stop looking to the world and yourself for that which only he can truly and consistently provide. Place your trust in him alone today and experience a peace and joy that comes from casting off the weight you were never made to carry.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the trustworthiness of your heavenly Father. Allow Scripture to stir up your faith to place your trust in God alone.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

2. Who or what are you placing your trust in? Who do you see as your provider, source of happiness, or foundation for your future?

3. Place your trust in God alone. Cast the cares of your life on his shoulders and receive his sustaining peace. Rest in his wonderful presence in faith that he will truly take care of you.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:7

“In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” Psalm 22:4-5

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8

May Matthew 11:28-30 lead you to a lifestyle of rest and peace through trust in your good Father:

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: Psalm 107

The God Who Rebuilds.. Emma Danzey

 The God Who Rebuilds

By Emma Danzey

Nehemiah 4:6 says, “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.”

So We Rebuilt the Wall
Is there rubble and brokenness around you somewhere in your life? The book of Nehemiah reminds us that the Lord redeems and rebuilds. We can often see destruction and discouragement in these moments; however, in God, we can always have hope that He can work things out for His glory.

In response to the opposition of what they were going to be doing for the name of God and out of recommitting their lives to Him, the Israelites faced a lot of mocking and hatred from others. Suddenly we read in verse 6 of Nehemiah 4 the word so. In other words, in response to these threats and persecution, the people of God rebuilt the wall. They did not allow the chastisement from the enemy to hold them back from fulfilling the will of the Lord to restore the broken.

In what area of your life do you feel the Lord is doing a new work of restoration but the enemy is mocking you and trying to get you down? The truth is that we have to take action with the help of the Holy Spirit to ignore the words of the opposer and to take steps of faith with Christ to accomplish rebuilding for His name.

Till All of it Reached Half Its Height
Half its height indicates that during this verse, the wall was not completed. Maybe you are in a season where you feel that God is not done with you or your loved ones or your ministry project. What I love is that the Lord is in the process. He is always working and providing meaningful lessons within the journey.

Even though you might feel that you are at half height right now, we can know with confidence that our Lord is the God who brings everything to completion. Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Jesus gives us salvation and then refines and molds us more into His image through the Holy Spirit. We are all on spiritual journeys. We know that we will not be completed on this side of heaven, but one day we will be fully whole with God forever. And that work is already happening now as we celebrate His forever presence with all who believe.

For the People Worked with All their Heart
I heard recently that obedience never leads to love, but love leads to obedience. When we encounter the love of Christ, it changes us. Our hearts become His, and we belong to Him forever. There is confidence and joy in being children of God. The Israelites knew how far they had fallen and how often they and their ancestors had rejected the Lord and run to idol worship. Because of His great redemptive love, they were motivated to work with all their hearts for Him. We, too, can have this kind of motivation. Christ cares so much for us, and He gives us strength to accomplish His kingdom work.

What are you working towards? Remember that the Lord needs to be an active part of your service to Him. Anything we do in our own efforts is in vain. We are to be resting in Him and delighting in Him to know His ways. As individuals, as families, and as communities, we are invited to work for God with all of our hearts. This removes the duty mindset and welcomes us to join in the work that Christ is already doing. It takes away our sense of pride or arrogance and humbles us that the Lord would include us in His plan. Jesus changes our hearts, and out of the work of the Holy Spirit, we can have clarity of direction as He calls us to rebuild.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
What is God rebuilding in your life or those around you right now? How has the voice of the enemy tried to get you down lately? How can you find joy in the process in the midst of the work? In what ways can you find delight in Jesus to work from a place of His love?

Further Reading:

• Psalm 127:1
• Matthew 7:24
• Philippians 1:6

5 Lessons from Joshua to Help You Overcome Discouragement..Kristi Woods

 5 Lessons from Joshua to Help You Overcome Discouragement

By Kristi Woods

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: "Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Joshua was a man who faced many battles. The term “leader” was pinned on his lapel. But I often wonder if discouragement tried to become chums with Joshua. After all, one of the first things God spoke to him after he became Israel’s leader was to not be dismayed or discouraged. Let’s take a look at our friend, Joshua, in order to gain fuel for our journey in overcoming discouragement.

1. Remember the Commander

Joshua’s battle with Jericho is widely known. There was a victory. But there was also a beginning, when the victory wasn’t known. Hop back to the beginning of the book of Joshua:

"Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

God reassured Joshua that He was with him – even before the battle began. When we walk where we’re led and hear fear roaring, remember God and His words: Be strong. Be courageous. Haven’t I commanded you?

2. Ask for Help

Oftentimes we need others to stand alongside us in the battle. Joshua experienced this with Moses.

"So Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset." Exodus 17:10-12

Whether prayer warriors, mentors, pastors, counselors, or even a simple set of listening ears or a truthful tongue come alongside us, asking for help is often necessary.

3. Follow God’s Counsel

Yahweh said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. All of your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him.” Joshua 6:2-5 WEB

I don’t know about you, but I might have questioned a seven-day march. But that’s what it took to overthrow Jericho. Joshua was wise. His counselor – God, was even wiser. The end result of Joshua’s obedience to God was an overthrow and victory.

4. It’s About More than Us

“Be strong and courageous; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them." Joshua 1:6

When loser status hits, think big. The situation is likely about more than simply us. Darkness loves nothing better than to single us out, reminding us that it’s only about us. That’s not true. Our lives intersect with others’ – that’s God-ordained for His purposes. This battle and its outcome are about more than just us.

5. God is with Us

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you.  Joshua 1:5

Joshua had just taken over the leadership role. Mighty and humble Moses was gone. Joshua had big shoes to fill, and with God’s help, he did.

Sometimes we have big shoes – or even little ones - to fill as well. There may be bumps along the way, but let’s promise each other to keep this verse solidly before us, okay? God isn’t in the business of failures. He’s not an absent Father, either. No, when we feel like a loser, it’s okay to tell those feelings to take a hike, to set them in prayer at the throne of the Almighty. After all, God is with us.

A Prayer for Kindness..Emma Danzey

 A Prayer for Kindness

By Emma Danzey

Proverbs 31:26 says, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”

Kindness seems to be a lost art in our culture today. Although it is promoted a lot, true kindness can only come from the Holy Spirit. Sure, a person can do an act of kindness, but a person can truly only be kind because of the Holy Spirit in life. We are all by nature going to fall on the side of unkindness in heart, in mouth, and in action, but Jesus changes everything. He transforms our sinful states and gives us the ability to live like Him.

Do you struggle with showing kindness to others who are different from you? Do you have difficulty using kind words with loved ones? Are there unkind thoughts festering in your heart and mind? We can come to the Lord today in prayer, asking Him to transform us from the inside out.

Let's Pray:

God, You are perfectly kind. Thank You for Your lovingkindness that has been continuously shown to us. Thank You for Your help and Your encouragement to us when we have been undeserving. Would You please meet us in the areas of unkindness in our lives? Would You please help us to say no to our flesh and yes to the Spirit? We pray that the fruit of the Spirit's kindness would flourish. We ask that You would reveal ways we can grow.

Forgive us for not being kind to the people around us, for not being kind to ourselves even, and for neglecting this powerful way of living that honors You and blesses others. Remind us how to love well by being kind.

God, we know true kindness is not indifference and tolerance but sharing the truth in love. Help us to present hard truths when needed in compassionate ways with gracious words. We know that we all fall short of Your glory, and we pray for Your eyes in moments of difficult conversations to be able to communicate lovingly. For those who we disagree with, help us be kind. For those who we do not know, help us be kind. For those who we are closest with who see our worst, help us be kind. Lord, we cannot do this on our own; we need Your help.

Lord, You say in Galatians 6:9-10, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Part of showing kindness and living out this fruit of the Spirit is extending forgiveness to others. Would You please enable us to have softened hearts to show kindness to others when they let us down or hurt us? We have been forgiven so many times over by You, Jesus; help us to remember that as we grow in forgiving others.

We pray for kindness to young people. So often, it is easy to separate ourselves from children. Please help us to model Your love in the way we talk and act towards the least of these. Remind us that we have a ministry opportunity to point them to you by the kindness we show to them. Please give them insight into Your saving love through the ways that we treat them. Remove any temptation to be short-tempered as they are learning and growing. Take away any unkind thoughts or words that we are tempted to think or say to young people. Give us hearts for them as You have for them.

We ask lastly that You would help us to show kindness to those who are not kind to us. To those who hate us or treat us poorly, give us strength. Reveal ways that we can show genuine kindness by Your Holy Spirit. May the ways that we love them point to Your ultimate sacrifice for them. We pray that they would see You through our kindness because it is not natural; it is only from God.

Thank You for the gift to be kind. Thank You for the beauty of showing love and care for others. We pray that we would represent Your name well today and always. Amen.

Gratitude Changes Everything..Sharon Jaynes

 Gratitude Changes Everything

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

“Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).

Friend to Friend

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and so I’ve been thinking about gratitude a lot lately. What is it? When should we show it? What does God say about it?

Paul wrote the Thessalonians, “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Most read that verse and think it rather nice. So we slap a sloppy coat of thanksgiving on life and go about our day. In reality, most of us are thankful for very little.

Notice the Bible doesn’t command us to feel thankful in all circumstances. Instead it commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” When I begin to praise God in a difficult situation, even if I don’t feel like it, many times the scales fall from my eyes and I begin to see glimpses of His glory sprinkled on the black backdrop of the situation like diamonds on black velvet.

Sometimes I don’t see glory in tragedy, but I still can praise God because I know He is there.

Gratitude changes the lens through which we see the circumstances in our little slice of time. Thanksgiving changes our perspective despite broken dreams, broken relationships, tumultuous circumstances, and unfulfilled longings.

As you praise God for who He is and thank Him for what He’s done, your perspective of Him grows larger and your problems grow smaller. As a result, you will experience a deeper sense of intimacy with God as the emotional gap between what you know to be true and how you feel at the moment closes.

On many occasions in the Psalms, David complained about his circumstances (Psalms 42; 57; 62). But more often than not, about midway through David’s laments, he begins praising God for who He is and thanking God for what He’s done. And you know what happens? All of a sudden David starts feeling better! Life isn’t so bad after all! His problems grow smaller as his perspective of God grows larger, and he begins to see God’s glory shining through the situation.

Why is that? In the writing of one little Psalm, David shifted from depression to rejoicing. He didn’t wait until God changed his situation, solved his problem, or made him feel better before he began thanking Him.

Oh friend, when we stop complaining and grumbling and begin speaking God’s love language of gratitude, our perspective will change as well. We will begin seeing moments of sudden glory through the lens of praise and thanksgiving—glory moments that were there all along, but hidden from the grumbling eye.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, I praise Your Name. I exalt Your Name forever. Even though I may not understand what is going on in my life, I trust that You are good and Your plans are good.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen. 

Now It’s Your Turn

Today, read Psalms 145,146, and 147. Take note of what the psalmist praised God for.