The Longing to be Enjoyed..Craig Denison Ministries

 The Longing to be Enjoyed

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

All of us have insatiable longings that can only be satisfied in communion with our heavenly Father. The longing to be enjoyed, fascinated, to gaze upon beauty, and to be someone great are driving forces within each of us. The longing to experience intimacy without shame, to be wholehearted, and to make a deep and lasting impact resound within each of us at the foundation of who we are. God created these longings knowing that they can only be fully satisfied in him—that they would be avenues to deeper relationship with him. As we look at each of these longings individually, I pray your heart would find its fulfillment in the loving nearness of your heavenly Father.

The titles and main concept for this week are all derived from The Seven Longings of the Human Heart by Mike Bickle and Deborah Hiebert.

Scripture:“As a bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you.” Isaiah 62:5

Devotional:

The human race has no greater driving force than the longing to be enjoyed. Most of us have spent our entire lives working to be enjoyed by others. We’ll go to whatever length necessary to prove ourselves worthy of being liked or loved. Some work tirelessly at a talent or skill hoping to impress with their abilities. Some devote countless hours to their appearance hoping the way they look will attract others and satisfy their longing to be enjoyed. Some hope that money and possessions will cause people to like them or to want to spend time with them. Regardless of how we seek to be enjoyed, if we’re honest, we will discover this longing is a driving force in all of us.

Think back on your life. Think back on yesterday. What did you do so that people would like you—so that people would enjoy you? I could name lots of ways I strive for people’s affection or adoration on a daily basis! I long with everything in me to be enjoyed. I cringe at the thought of feeling cast out, loved by too few or none—unenjoyable. You see, we can’t help our need to be enjoyed because God created each of us with longings that match avenues he's created to lead us back to his presence.

Our Father created all of us with a longing to be enjoyed by him. The Creator of all things, the only one who knows everything about you, longs for you to know that he deeply enjoys you. You, just being fully you, are loved. You, with all your failures, victories, sins, and quirks are enjoyable to God. God made you the way he did for a reason! He enjoys talking with you, and watching you work. He longs for you to live the life he’s laid out for you and experience the fullness of joy he has richly provided you. Of course he hates when we sin. He can’t possibly enjoy something we’re doing that’s harmful to us and others. But even in our failure God pursues us. Even in rebellion God longs for us to turn our hearts toward him so that he can run out to meet us and clothe us with grace. Out of his unconditional love, he wants to throw a celebration in honor of restored relationship with you (Luke 15:11-32).

Seek fulfillment for your longing to be enjoyed in the arms of your loving Father. See him as your Father running out to meet you that you might be fully enjoyed by him. Let his love sink into the depths of your heart that your longing to be enjoyed may be fully satisfied in him. May your time in guided prayer be marked by the joy your Father has over you.

Guided Prayer:

1. Open your Bible to Luke 15:11-32 and meditate on the story of the prodigal son.Put yourself in the story and place your perception of God in the character of the father. Ask the Spirit to help you see yourself in the story, to believe God's word about yourself.

2. Now ask the Spirit to show you how God feels about you right now.Ask him to show you how God the Father rushes towards you and longs to wrap you up in his arms.

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

3. Receive the enjoyment of your heavenly Father.Rest in the love of God and let it fill up the depths of your heart.

“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

When you feel the urge to do something to gain the approval of man today, stop and receive God's enjoyment again. Doing life out a place of already being enjoyed is the only way to live emotionally fulfilled. You have an abundantly full reservoir of love available to you at any time. God is always pleased to show you how much he loves you if you will simply turn your heart toward him and receive. May your day today be marked by the limitless love of your heavenly Father.

Extended Reading: Luke 15

Will God Really Work All Things Together for our Good?..Lynette Kittle

 Will God Really Work All Things Together for our Good?

By Lynette Kittle

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”—Romans 8:28

Do we really believe when things don’t go our way, that God will work all things together for our good in our lives? What is our reaction, and where do our thoughts lead us when a major household appliance breaks down? Or, how do we handle it when a store overcharges us a large amount of money and we have to wait 7-10 days for a refund? After a car accident, when we’re left without transportation, do we believe that somehow it will all work together for our best?

In all these situations where we suffer losses and are inconvenienced, where we feel drained of energy and resources, exhausted dealing with the hassles involved in the losses, replacements, and so forth, do we really believe God will work these things together for good in our lives?

Trusting God to Keep His Word
What if instead of letting the situations and our emotions lead our responses when something unexpected or unpleasant happens, we choose to correct ourselves by remembering what God’s Word says about His working all things together for our good? Rather than letting angry, fearful, disappointed thoughts lead us astray, what if we purposely turn our thoughts and words to trust God’s Word over the situation and circumstances? What might we experience if we choose to go the opposite way our emotions try to take us?

Philippians 4:6-7 describes what we can expect to happen when we choose this route over fear, anxiety, stress, and distress. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

What about Major Heartbreaks?
Even more so, what about more difficult things that happen in life, such as devastating tragedies like losing a loved one, experiencing a natural disaster, or all at the same time? Is it even possible for us to believe God can bring good from horrific events and losses? Human emotions are quick to rush in and often take over in such heartbreaking situations. When they do, how do we respond? Are we quick to readjust our frail and vulnerable first responses to line up with God’s word rather than our situation? Or do we let the circumstances run away with us and take us off to dark places with our thoughts and emotions?

Leaning into Him During the Deepest, Darkest Hours
Trusting God and believing what His Word tells us is true takes time and practice to develop within us. It also takes a commitment to know His word and let it lead us in our responses. Turning to God and His promises rather than our own fears brings comfort and relief, freeing us from distress, panic, and doubt. Even if it looks impossible for an event, situation, or circumstance to ever be worked together for our good, we can choose to trust Him. We can resist trying to second guess or figure out how God could possibly weave it together in a good way.

Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Even in the deepest, darkest hours, we can lean on Him. We can trust His Word, His truth, even when it doesn’t seem to fit or make sense to us at the time.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Is there a situation or circumstance in your own life that has you wondering how God could ever work it all together for your good? If so, choose to trust Him today and let go of your fears and doubts, believing He will do what His Word promises He will do.

A Prayer for Hungering for the Things of God..Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer for Hungering for the Things of God

By Emily Rose Massey

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NIV).

Years ago, I was involved with a ministry where we would fast and pray for certain periods of time together. One time, we all spent a week fasting on just liquids leading up to a big ministry event we were attending. By the time we got to the event, I was so hungry and tired that I knew I needed to sleep or eat if I was going to have any energy to make it through that weekend. We all chose to break the fast together after seven days with a large meal together that satisfied my deep hunger. Next up for me was a long nap before we made our eight-hour drive back home. I don’t remember ever feeling that weak in my body and mind. If my body wasn’t longing for rest or a meal after not eating for a week or getting much sleep because of travel, we would think there was something seriously wrong going on with my health. It is healthy for your body to hunger and desire rest; This means your body is working properly. 

This type of desperation for physical sustenance reflects what our spiritual hunger for the things of God should look like. When we can go days, weeks, or God-forbid, even months without reading the Bible or praying, and we don’t find ourselves desiring to seek the Lord and His righteousness, we need to pause and ask ourselves why. As believers, this should concern us. 

Jesus gives us a promise in what is called “The Beatitudes” in the Sermon on the Mount regarding those who hunger for the things of God. When we pursue the Lord and His righteousness, we will never starve; God will fill us with His sustaining life:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NIV). 

If we find ourselves no longer hungry for spiritual things, our spiritual health may be in great danger. We need to find out why we have stopped being hungry for pursuing God’s Word and Kingdom pursuits. Have you stopped attending church or fellowshipping with other believers regularly? Is your prayer routine on life support? If you are malnourished spiritually, it will begin to affect other areas of your life. We must abide in the Vine if we are going to bear fruit for Christ. Apart from Him, we cannot do anything (John 15:5). We must become desperate to remain connected to Christ and His Word; His Word is Spirit and life. Jesus says that those who are hungry for Kingdom pursuits are blessed and promises to fill us and sustain us. This type of hunger cannot be conjured up in our own strength. We cannot make ourselves hungry; We need God’s help and supernatural grace. We need to ask the Lord to stir our hearts to make us hungry and thirsty again for Him so that we can mature in the Lord and be filled up with His abundant life that can overflow to reach others for His glory. 

Let’s pray:

Father God,
I must admit that I have reached a point in my spiritual journey with You where I may have grown complacent. I find myself not longing to pray or read my Bible. I have not been very consistent with fellowshipping with other believers. Help me get rid of distractions in my life that may have kept me from Kingdom pursuits. Social media and other entertainment can very quickly become spiritual junk food that does not truly nourish my soul. Will you help me prioritize these things in my life so that You are primary? Help me to see the things or people in my life that may be keeping me from growing in my relationship with You, Lord. Strip away my comfort, my pleasure, and my pride, and make me hungry for You and Your righteousness. Fill me up with Your abundant life. I want to pursue You, praise You, read Your Word consistently, stay committed to my local church, learn of Your ways, and learn more about You, and I know I need Your help to stay on the narrow path. Thank You for leading me in Your righteousness and maturing me.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

3 Ways Jesus Showed How To “Die Daily” ..Emily Massey

 3 Ways Jesus Showed How To “Die Daily”

By Emily Massey

“I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31)

As Jesus’ disciples, we are called to follow Him. That was Paul’s mission in life – to imitate Christ. And it is what he and the rest of the apostles literally gave their lives to preach to the world through their words and actions. We may not ever get the honor to literally die for Jesus Christ because of our faith in Him, but by God’s grace, we can imitate His selflessness every day.

How do we imitate Christ in our everyday life? Here are three ways Jesus lived a selfless faith on earth.

1. Jesus humbly approached the Father through prayer.

Even though Jesus was God in the flesh, He still leaned upon God the Father for everything He said and did while He walked this earth. Jesus would rise early to pray and seek God for His will for the day.

2. Jesus obediently submitted Himself to the will of the Father.

Each day, we are faced with the temptation to satisfy our flesh and go outside the boundaries of God’s perfect will. We discover what that will is when we read the Bible and study it for ourselves to learn God’s ways. We are not perfect, but thankfully Jesus was, and because of His sacrifice on the cross, we have been given the precious gift of the Holy Spirit as born-again believers.

We read in Luke 22, when Jesus was praying in the garden on the night before His crucifixion, He cried out to the Father: “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22: 42).

At His most desperate hour, He yielded His life to God’s plan, even when it meant that He was going to die a very painful death. Yet, He knew that wasn’t where the story ended; there would be a resurrection.

3. Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve others.

Jesus ministered to thousands upon thousands of people during His time here on earth. John 21 tells us that if all the things Jesus did were all written down, the entire world could not contain the books that would be written!

Who is God asking you to serve? What selfish desires do you need to lay aside to put someone else’s life before your own? Are you too busy or too distracted to serve others?

Getting in Shape for the New Year This devotional was written..Robin Dugall

 Getting in Shape for the New Year

This devotional was written by Robin Dugall

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. —1 Corinthians 9:24

Well, it’s that time of the year again for people to begin their New Year’s diets and exercise plans. If you’ve ever made a resolution to get in shape and haven’t been able to stick with it, you understand how difficult it is and just how diligent you need to be to make progress. Well, growing as a Christian is something that is a lot like working out. We are training to become more and more like Jesus. It doesn’t just happen. It takes persistence. From the earliest centuries, Christians have identified certain practices that have been helpful to the "disciple in training.” Here are some that you might want to work on as we begin a New Year:

PRAY- Try always to remember that God is not out there someplace. As a Christ-follower, we have the assurance of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. Prayer is not just talking to God but living and breathing with an awareness of His presence. For years, some Christians have formed the habit of praying, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me" throughout the day. Not difficult or complex, this prayer manages to capture the humility that is to mark Christ-followers everywhere.

FASTING– Everybody eats. Restricting foods by simply declining favorites for a time of prayer or spiritual focus is a way to physically demonstrate your humility and devotion. As an additional benefit, fasting can strengthen your "willpower muscle" – and who among us wouldn’t benefit from that? An athlete doesn't lift weights just so he can lift more weights. Those healthy muscles are ready for any situation. Turn down a doughnut today and tomorrow you might be able to resist calling the person who cut you off on the freeway an idiot.

BITE YOUR TONGUE- Yes, not calling someone a fool, jerk or idiot is a frequent theme in Scripture and early Christian writings. Both place great emphasis on controlling anger. “Sticks and stones” may not break their bones but they do affect our hearts. Sometimes it is best just to keep our mouths shut.

MIND YOUR THOUGHTS- Jesus said that to lust in the imagination is the equivalent of actually committing adultery. I find that extremely challenging! Nearly all sins begin with thinking about sin. Control the thoughts and you’ll have a better handle on your behavior. You may not be able to keep thoughts from popping into your brain but you can decline to entertain them.

When the Apostle Paul wrote that we should be “working out our salvation with fear and trembling,” he was not trying to discourage us but to motivate us. This year, as we exercise our faith and trust in Jesus our faith will grow stronger.

GOING DEEPER:

1. In the spiritual disciplines mentioned above, which area do you need to work on most? What steps will you take today to begin focusing on that area?

2. Pray, asking God to give you wisdom and persistence as you seek to stretch your ‘faith muscles.’

FURTHER READING:

Philippians 1:3-11, Philippians 2:12-18, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Life in Surrender..Craig Denison Ministries

 Life in Surrender

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Why should we spend time alone with God? Why is meeting with God in the secret place so important? Until we gain an understanding of the immense value and availability of encountering God, we will never consistently engage in this foundational, vital practice. As we discover God’s heart to meet with us in order that we might experience the depths of his love, I pray that your life would be marked by a new grace to consistently and powerfully encounter the living God.

Scripture:“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”Matthew 7:13-14

Devotional:

There is a life available to us as believers that few find—a life free from burden, fear, boredom, and emptiness. The problem is that the road to life requires a complete sacrifice of ourselves. The road to purpose, passion, joy and freedom requires that we die to ourselves every hour of every day. Jesus made the way to freedom open and clear for us. Scripture serves as the perfect practical handbook to walk that narrow road. And the Holy Spirit serves as the perfect guide and friend along the way. We have everything we need available to us;, however, most of us lack a willingness to sacrifice fully so that the seeds of our surrender lead to the fruition of an abundant life.

Jesus charges us to lose our lives in order to gain life with God. In Matthew 10:39 he says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” The only way for you to truly find abundant life in God is to surrender your life for his sake. In fact, all of creation testifies to this truth. Think for a second of those trying to find their lives on their own instead of in God. Humans have an insatiable lust for affection, purpose, security, and love. No matter how loved a person is by society, it’s never enough. No matter how much money a person makes, they could always make a little more. No matter how driven a person is, there is always more they could be doing. We are lost without God.

Seeing these people makes me evaluate my own life and search for areas I haven't surrendered to God yet. Thinking about their insatiable lust for more makes me look for my own. I need my life to have purpose. I need to be loved, to have freedom, and to feel satisfied. I experience satisfaction only inasmuch as I have surrendered my life to God. God will not fill what is closed off to him. He does not force his will upon us. Rather, he waits patiently, quietly beckoning us to lose our lives so that he can lavish on us a life greater and more filled with his goodness than we could have ever imagined.

Our Father longs for us to be loved completely. He longs for us to be completely secure by trusting him. He longs for us to be fully satisfied. Will you answer his beckoning today? Will you choose to trust him? He is so faithful—more faithful than you will ever fully know. You cannot count all the ways in which he desires to love you. The immense depth of his love is bottomless. But will you spend your life trying to search it out? Proverbs 25:2 says “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” Will you search out the depths of God’s love today? Will you make as much room in your heart as possible for him to come dwell? Will you lose your life today so that you may find it in him? The road is narrow. It will take work. It will take sacrifice. It will take everything. But you will gain immeasurably more in return.

Listen to the Spirit today as you enter into guided prayer and respond in whatever ways he leads you.

Guided Prayer:

1. Take a minute to quiet your heart and mind. Open your hands as a sign of being ready to receive anything God would show you.

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

2. Ask the Lord to show you anything in your life that isn't in his will. Pay attention to anything that comes up in your mind. It could be a person, place, thing, habit, recurring thought, etc.

3. Surrender anything in your life that isn’t God’s will for you. Confess any sin that’s holding you back from the fullness of life available to you in Jesus. Ask God for wisdom on how to end a relationship or a commitment. Ask him for grace and help to mend any relationships that he desires to heal. Surrender the entirety of your heart that you would be fully his today.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

You can only experience the fruit of the Spirit through things born of the Spirit. God cannot bless sin and selfishness because it isn't good for you. If God were to bless something that wasn't best for you, you would keep doing it! If a dating relationship isn't blessed, if it isn't born of the Spirit, get out of it. If a friend leads you away from God instead of to him, stop hanging out with him or her. If a lifestyle choice you are making doesn’t have the peace of God in it, quit doing it. Surrender seems to cost so much at the time, but it will be the best decision you ever make. Set your life on the narrow path God has laid out for you. Live your life in response to the Spirit and to his word. The life you find in God will be immeasurably greater than any life you could find on your own.

Extended Reading: Matthew 7