Hope in God’s Nearness..Craig Denison Ministries

 Hope in God’s Nearness

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:“Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” Psalm 33:22

Devotional:

As sons and daughters of the living God, faith founded on God’s nearness should be at the core of our hope for next year. Psalm 139:7-12 says,

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. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

There is no greater source of hope than God’s resounding declaration of his nearness. Jesus paid the ultimate price that you and I might be no longer separated from God. His presence now dwells within us through the Holy Spirit. And that fact brings a pervasive hope that has the ability to profoundly impact every aspect of our lives.

As you look forward, know that the God who dwells within you knows every little thing that will happen next year. He dwells within all of eternity. Time for him is not as it is for us. And he promises to be with you in the midst of any trial, pain, victory, or defeat. He longs for you to know his presence moment by moment in everything you will do.

Your heavenly Father says, “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). You can have the fullness of hope for next year because the God who fashioned time is “your God.” He will help you and be there for you. He will never “leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

While the rest of the world sits in fear and worry over what the future holds, your God is leading you in the path of peace that comes from trusting in his presence. But the choice is yours. Will you place your hope in yourself, others, the world, or in God? If you try and build your hope on the foundations of this world, you will find yourself tossed about by the ever-changing waves of man’s opinion. But if you choose to found your hope on the rock of God’s nearness, your life will be filled with all the goodness and mercy of God’s steadfast love.

Take time right now to place your hope in the loving nearness of your heavenly Father as you enter into guided prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Allow Scripture to fill you with hope founded on the nearness of God.

“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. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” Psalm 139:7-12

“And he said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” Exodus 33:14

“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

2. Where do you need the peace and comfort that comes from knowing God is and will always be near to you? What are you worried about for next year? What unknowns are causing you stress or fear?

3. Take time to place your hope in the nearness of your heavenly Father. Place your trust in him that he will always be with you through thick and thin.

“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

Why do we live as if God isn’t near to us? Why do we fumble through life on our own when Jesus paid the ultimate price that we might have restored relationship with our loving Creator? God has made available a better way of living and has called us to walk in it. He wants us to know his will, love, and power moment by moment. He wants our thoughts, emotions, and actions to be fully founded in his unshakable nearness. Paul’s prayer in Romans 15:13 is my prayer for you today: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” May your day be filled with the peace that comes from trusting in God’s nearness.

Extended Reading: Psalm 139

What Does Compassion Feel Like?..Meg Bucher

 What Does Compassion Feel Like?

By Meg Bucher

“Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 14:14 NLT

Pictures of life jackets covering the ground came to my mind when my family started talking about a movie about the Syrian refugee crisis. As we watched, my daughter went through a gamete of emotions, imagining what it must have been like for the young girls featured in the movie. They were swimmers, just like her. They had a family and a home they had to flee. When other people hurt, we often hurt, too. Especially when those people are close to us or we relate to them on a specific level or shared experience. The closer the proximity, the more acute the empathy and compassion we feel for them. It’s a pit of the stomach feeling. A gut feeling. An emotion that brings forth physical symptoms. 

Jesus was compassionate to the people He met while He walked the earth. Particularly for His apostles and for those who followed and listened to His teachings and asked for healing. The verse above prefaced the miracle made famous by the loaves and fish. Jesus already had compassion for the people and followed through in His care for them by making sure they had enough to eat, too. “But we only have five loaves of bread and two fish!” His disciples pointed out to Jesus. (Matthew 14:17 NLT) The apostle Mark records today’s verse this way: 

“Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” Mark 6:34 NLT

There were many other times recorded in Scripture when Jesus had compassion enough to perform miracles. When asked by a leaper if Jesus was willing to heal him, the apostle Mark recorded His response: “Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be healed!’ (Mark 1:41 NLT) 

When a funeral procession crossed Jesus’ path, and He learned a boy, a widow’s only son, had died, he had compassion on the grieving mother enough to raise her boy from the dead! “When the Lord saw her,” Luke wrote, “his heart overflowed with compassion. ‘Don’t cry!’ He said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. ‘Young man,’ he said, ‘I tell you get up.’ Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.” (Luke 7:11-15 NLT)

Compassion is compelling! It is love in action. The movement of our heart is connected to the will of our minds and the physical reaction to our bodies. We are propelled into action by the compassion we have for each other. Life within the love of Christ Jesus makes us especially sensitive to others when we are willing. Willing to listen, pray, give of our time and treasure, and support one another selflessly.

Interesting Faith and Life:

“Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” John 20:25 NLT

Jesus is love. The compassion overflowing in His heart for the people He came to save was displayed in all kinds of miracles! However, I imagine the comfort of His presence was miraculous as well, for those who had the privilege to befriend Him on earth. The apostle John was Jesus’ earthly best friend. And He wasn’t shy about it either! He refers to himself often as “the one whom Jesus loved.” In a final moment of compassion on the cross, Jesus tells John to take care of His mother, Mary. 

In our everyday lives, there are people God has placed in our paths to care for. It’s important for us to move throughout our lives with awareness for others so that we can lend the same compassionate care to them Jesus does for us daily. His heart is moving on our account. The cross is all the proof we’ll ever need to remind us how He compassionately saved us for eternity. 

Further Reading: 

• Matthew 15:32
• Mark 8:2
• John 6:5-13

2 Ways to View Our Diets With a Biblical Perspective..Jennifer Waddle

2 Ways to View Our Diets With a Biblical Perspective (Genesis 1:29)
By: Jennifer Waddle

And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.” Genesis 1:29

Thousands upon thousands of searches for the word “diet,” are Googled each month. And every new year, resolutions are made to go on a diet and lose excess weight. It may be surprising to some, but the Bible actually has a diet plan as well. God instituted it in Genesis chapter one and then expanded it in Genesis chapter nine.

“…every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.” Genesis 1:29

“Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.” Genesis 9:3

Some would argue that the original plan of a plant-based diet is best, while others would insist that eating meat is essential for good health. But no matter what our personal preferences are, God never intended for us to take food to the extremes that we have.

Food is simply nourishment for our bodies, so that we can carry out the work of the Lord. It was designed to be enjoyed and savored by the tastebuds God created. We, however, have become so focused on the particulars of our diets, we’ve lost perspective. Here are 2 ways we can view our diets from a Biblical perspective.

1. Choose wisely and move on.

Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider, supplies the sustenance our bodies need. Jesus told His followers not to worry about what they would eat or drink. In that day, it was more about having enough food to eat. Today, even though most of us have food in abundance, we still worry far too much about food. We can still make wise choices about our diets without the hyper-focus and worry.

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26

We are valuable to God. He provides for us because He loves us. Our worries about food are fruitless. We can and should make wise choices—choices that will fuel our bodies for the work God has purposed in us, but then, we should move on to the more important things in life.

2. Trust God and enjoy the food that He made.

Unfortunately, the diet industry has hindered our enjoyment of food. The nagging guilt that follows every piece of birthday cake, and the time-consuming reading of every package, has knocked the joy right out of eating.

However, if we simplify our diets and eat the foods that God made, all the guess-work is eliminated. It’s OK to search for the best quality of foods, but in the end, it all comes down to trust. Do we trust God or the promises on the food label?

With thankfulness, we can receive our portion, the portion God so lovingly provides. We can trust Him to strengthen us and bring enjoyment of His provision. And, we can have a Biblical perspective of our diets that will free us to do exactly what He created us to do.

A Prayer of Surrender to Jesus’ Calling..Kristine Brown

A Prayer of Surrender to Jesus’ Calling
By Kristine Brown

“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.’” (Mark 8:34 NLT)

Sometimes my life feels like a back-and-forth battle with control. One day I’m easily relinquishing my own way in favor of God’s plan. Other days I have to keep surrendering over and over because the pull of being in control is just too strong.

“Give up your own way…” Those five simple words Jesus spoke to the crowd may be the ones I wrestle with the most. I get attached to my own way of doing things. Soon self-sufficiency rises and I start making decisions in my own strength, trying too hard, and wearing myself out. I end up exhausted instead of welcoming the peace Jesus offers.

Surrender. It’s a hard concept for us to grasp because God gave us the will to choose. Surrender means to give up complete control. To yield to the power of another. Surrender is an amazing gift offered to us. Wouldn’t we rather hand over control of our lives to the One who holds power over all things? Then why do we struggle to surrender when Jesus calls?

God designed us to hope, dream, create, and build. We long to do great things and make an impact on our world. So we must pray and find our purpose using the gifts God gave us, while daily surrendering our lives and hearts to Him.

Mark chapter 8 tells us about Jesus’ ministry—from feeding four thousand people to healing one blind man. After a private word with his disciples, Jesus turned to a crowd and explained how to surrender. Jesus said, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8:35-36)

In our efforts to do good, let’s not forget the presence of our Holy God. Today let’s pray this prayer of surrender. Jesus is calling us to release control and follow His ways instead of our own.

Let's pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,
I hear your precious son Jesus gently calling me, yet I realize I’ve let the temptation of control keep me from responding to his voice. Forgive me for trying to do things on my own when I know your ways are best. I surrender to Jesus today.

Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to draw me back to you in those times when I’ve relied on my own strength. Your Word in John 14:26 says, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Thank you for reminding me that if I want to follow Jesus, I need to release my own way.

I have felt your Holy Spirit tugging at my heart. So I am laying down my own plans, desires, and goals. I replace those right now with total surrender to your will. I am grateful for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and that Jesus never stops pursuing a deeper relationship with me.

Your will be done in my life, Lord. I will follow where you lead me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.