Delighting in God's Love..Craig Denison Ministries

 Delighting in God's Love

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview

This week we'll spend time stirring up our affections for God through the renewing of our minds. Your mind is the gateway to your affections. What you think is worthy of your affections is what will receive them. So, as we grow in our understanding of God’s overwhelming goodness we will naturally give him our hearts. May you be stirred by the unconditional love of your heavenly Father this week as his perfect nature is revealed to you in greater, more transformative ways.

Scripture:“I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:26

Devotional:

John 17 is an incredibly significant passage of Scripture for Christians today. Jesus prayed perfectly in accordance with the will of the Father, in submission to him during his time on earth. Therefore, everything Jesus prayed, God will accomplish. Part of the beauty of their oneness is shared desires. In John 17:26, Jesus prays to the Father, “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Imagine that! Jesus says we can have the same love in us with which God the Father loved Jesus. Think of the magnitude of love the Father has for his Son, and now think about God having that same magnitude of love for you! You are his beloved, his prized possession. Your heavenly Father gave up his own Son to have a personal relationship with you, to be able to pour his vast love out on you.

The Bible describes David as a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). He was a man who delighted in God's love and experienced the joy of his presence throughout various seasons of life. In Psalm 16:5-11 David wrote, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” When I read David’s words I can't help but desire his joy and security. I am filled with a desire to know that kind of love in my own life. Psalm 16 makes me desire to have God as “my chosen portion,” and I wholeheartedly want to experience “pleasures forevermore.” What about you?

Allow your desires be stirred to experience for yourself the immeasurable love with which God has loved Jesus. Know that it’s not only your desire to experience love, but the desire of your heavenly Father as well (John 17:26). In what areas of your life do you need to “set the Lord always before” you? What areas do you need him to be “at [your] right hand?” In the Lord, there truly are “pleasures forevermore.”

Take time today to simply delight in your God, and allow his presence to flood the dry, weary places of your heart. You are his chosen portion, the apple of his eye. God gave up his only Son for the chance to meet with you right now. Simply open up your heart and delight in the love of your heavenly Father. 

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on John 17:26. Allow Scripture to give you a better revelation of the depth of God’s love for you.

“That the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:26

2. Where do you need to delight in the love of God today? Where is your life not marked by the fullness of joy David described in Psalm 16?

“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

3. Now simply delight in the love of God for you, the very same love that he has for his Son, Jesus Christ.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Every day is a battle to root yourself in the love of God. But it is a battle worth fighting. It's a battle waged within the depths of your soul—the fight between what God and the world says matters. When you make more space for God to fill by ridding yourself of the ways of the world, his heart and mind will become your own. What matters to him will begin to matter to you. Keeping his love in perspective will become as natural as breathing. The fullness of relationship with him is meant to be our source, portion, strength and desire. Give way to his loving kindness today, and let the cares of the world go in light of his goodness and grace.

Extended Reading: John 17

How to Lead Well When Underqualified..Ashley Moore

 How to Lead Well When Underqualified 

By Ashley Moore

“Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. - 1 Kings 3:9-10, NLT

Have you ever felt underqualified? Maybe you are encountering Imposter Syndrome? You are lacking skills compared to others, and you’re still learning the ropes of a new task. For example, a recent nursing graduate may experience this phenomenon for the first several times she engages with patients at her new job. Or a writer may experience this syndrome when asked to present the material from their book at a conference. 

Whatever the case, imposter syndrome can be debilitating, paralyzing, and sometimes even derail people completely from entering into new ventures prompted by the Lord. New experiences come with steep learning curves and often reveal our weaknesses. When we are accustomed to proficiency, it can feel intimidating to be a beginner again.

Yet, the Lord illuminated through Scripture many accounts of calling His people to new roles and responsibilities for the good of His people and His glory. That’s the context and backdrop leading up to today’s key verse. Solomon, son of the mighty King David, was called from childhood to take over his Dad’s role as King of Israel (1 Kings 3:5-10). I imagine Solomon experienced imposter syndrome as He stepped into his father’s shoes, however, we can learn a thing or two from his response. Here are two takeaways from Solomon’s request for an understanding heart and wisdom.

We Can’t Lead Alone 
Solomon was about to be the King. This was a role with many responsibilities and would require Solomon to make decisions about military matters, economic matters, public disputes, and anything and everything in between. And as if leading people wasn't tough enough, Solomon was called to rule God's chosen people! And he realized rather quickly how impossible the task would be if all the weight of that responsibility rested on him and him alone (1 Kings 3:9). 

But how many times have we taken on tasks and tried to accomplish them with our own strength? Not realizing this is a grave miscalculation of our ability and a missed opportunity to grow the Kingdom of God. Working together in a team has innumerable benefits. As Solomon pointed out, it takes many people to govern. Having a variety of people around you who are equipped with certain giftings and various experiences and connections will only serve you and bless the people you serve. Working as a team with fellow believers has a wonderful way of sanctifying us all into the image of Christ. Like Proverbs 27:17 says, As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. May we listen to advice and take instruction from others so we may have wisdom for all of our days (Proverbs 19:20).

We Can’t Lead Well Without God’s Help
Solomon understood that, as a human, he was very capable of making the wrong decisions. Still, he desired to lead God’s people well (1 Kings 3:9). He understood it would be impossible to successfully lead the people without God's guidance and direction. God needed to change Solomon's heart to one of understanding, teaching him to fully grasp the difference between right and wrong.

We need that too. Whether we are office admins, ministry leaders, or parents, the people God gives us to steward belong to God. And without His help, we can’t lead them well. We can’t know for sure if we are making good decisions unless we are gaining wisdom and understanding from the One who is all-knowing–God. 

The Bible says even if our own hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything (1 John 3:20). We can lead well when we go to the One who knows our hearts and the hearts of everyone we lead. He promises that when we seek Him with all of our hearts, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13, James 4:8) And He promises that we can ask for wisdom. He will give it freely without finding fault, just like He did for King Solomon (James 1:5). 

Maybe imposter syndrome is God's way of exposing our lack of wisdom, uncovering the heart posture we need to lead well. The truth is we can’t lead God’s people well by ourselves and certainly not without God’s help. But we can find what we need to lead with a heart of understanding when we turn to God for wisdom. 

Intersecting Faith and Life:
How do you react to spiritually stretching seasons? Do you shy away from new challenges because they expose weaknesses, or do you tackle new experiences with grit and sheer willpower? The next time you feel the growing pains of change, say a quick prayer asking God to give you wisdom and understanding to accomplish His purposes for you well. 

Further Reading:

• James 1:1-16, ESV

A Prayer for Peace in Unstable Times..Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer for Peace in Unstable Times

By Emily Rose Massey

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3, ESV). 

My husband and I are each the first-born children in our families. Although there isn’t any science behind first-born personalities, psychologists have taken note of the common traits regarding those who have been born first among their siblings. 

In general, firstborn children have been found to be responsible, assertive, task-oriented, perfectionistic, and supporters of authority. With all of those leadership characteristics, a great amount of weight can be placed upon the shoulders of the individuals prone to be the rule-follower and goal chaser. This can often lead to much stress and anxiety if not constantly kept in check. When two firstborns marry each other, they can run together with fervor to achieve dreams and become very productive as a family, but the home also needs peace to reign in it most of all. And not just a “problem-free” type of peace - a peace that passes all understanding regardless of what is happening. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can offer us this kind of perfect peace.

In God’s providence, one of the reasons we named our firstborn child, Isaiah, was because of a very special verse found in the book of Isaiah regarding this kind of perfect peace that my husband and I know that we need every single day. Right in the middle of a prophecy regarding the land of Judah, the prophet Isaiah uttered these beautiful words about the Lord and His peace in chapter 26:

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3, ESV). 

For many of us, these last few years have felt a bit unstable. We have all experienced some form of worry, stress, and anxiety from the unknown future. From viruses, suddenly losing loved ones, empty store shelves, job losses, rising home prices, and hefty grocery bills week after week - we have all needed to find perfect peace. Our answer is found in fixing our gaze upon the Lord and anchoring our minds to His unwavering truth. No matter what is going on around us, we can find unshakable confidence in the Lord because He is ever-faithful to us. This is why staying in the Word consistently is so important when experiencing stressful or unstable times. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17) and the more we are studying the Scriptures, the stronger our trust in God becomes.

The Word of God is so powerful, and the more we study and meditate upon it, the stronger our foundation will be in Christ, and we will continually know how to look to Him any time stress and anxiety try to overtake us. Let us always be quick to ask the Lord for His sustaining grace and help in our time of need, looking to Him always because He cares for us. No matter what is going on around us, even if it seems like everything is falling apart, we must remember that God holds the entire universe in His hands. He is completely sovereign. Nothing passes through His hands by accident. He is in total control and has a great plan regarding all of it; We can trust in Him and rest in His great, perfect peace. Let us set our mind upon Him.

Let’s pray:

Lord, thank You that You want us to set our minds upon You at all times. Thank You that there is nowhere I can go that You are not there with me. Thank You for having a hold of my life, even as I feel like everything is crumbling around me. I confess that I have let stress take a hold of my life rather than You. I have tried to control things in my life, and at the same time, I have let anxiety control my mood, my attitude, and my actions. Lord, I repent of this! 

Please Father, help me see what is stressful or worrisome in my life and hand it over to You. Help me actively think about Your goodness to me. I am so hopeful for my eternity with you, Lord, where the presence of sin and fear will be no more! Help me look back on all the ways You have rescued me from my fearful moments and remember where You have always been faithful to me in the midst of great trials. Help me to rest in the truth of Your goodness and power today. Thank You, Lord, for Your perfect peace.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

7 Suggestions for When God is Silent..Ron Edmondson

 7 Suggestions for When God is Silent (1 Kings 18:1)

By Ron Edmondson

After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” - (1 Kings 18:1)

Elijah had been used of God to hold back rain from the people for over three years, because of their sins. Obviously, he was not well liked as a preacher. I can imagine the stress he experienced during those years.

Something strikes me, however, that seems to further complicate Elijah’s situation.

Consider 1 Kings 18:1: “After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”

According to a couple New Testament passages, this “After a long time” was actually three and a half years. The famine was three and a half years long. For three and a half years, the people apparently continued to sin, Elijah continued to hold on by faith, but God said nothing. God was apparently inactive… not speaking… even to His great servant Elijah during this time.

Have you ever been there? Has the silence of God in your life ever been eerily strong?

Imagine you had been faithfully serving… God is using you… you are in constant communication with Him… and then suddenly… everything is quiet. You have to wait.

The separation must have seemed unbearable. Elijah is not liked and unpopular. He’s an outcast from the people and the One he trusted most was seemingly absent.

God would soon do a miracle through Elijah… one he couldn’t even imagine… certainly not script, but during this period all Elijah could do was wait.

If you have been follower of Christ very long, you have had periods where it seems God is nowhere to be found. We often call them periods of spiritual dryness. Sometimes I refer to it as being in a spiritual funk.

What should we do during the times of silence, before the miracles of God come through for us?

If you are like me, you can figure out how to celebrate a miracle. You don’t need much help doing that. The tough part of life is figuring out what to do during the years of silence… during the years when miracles are seemingly nowhere to be found.

What do we do during the spiritually dry periods of life when we don’t hear clearly the voice of God?

Here Are 7 Things You Can Do When You Think God Is Silent:

Don’t ignore the silence – Some of the biggest moves God has made in my life have come after a period of spiritual dryness… when it seemed like God was doing nothing in my life. Stay very close to God and watch for Him to eventually display His power. He will in the fullness of time.

Confront known sin in your life – This wasn’t the problem of silence for Elijah, but the problem for the Israelites was that they were chasing after other gods and living lives in total disobedience to God. Sin may not be the reason you don’t sense closeness to God right now, but if you have known sin in your life it will affect your intimacy with God.

Go back to what you know – Get back to the basics of the faith that saved you. You’ll do it 100s of times in your life, but you must remind yourselves of the basis of faith… which is the very character and promises of God. God is in control. He really is… even when it doesn’t seem that He is anywhere to be found.

Make a decision… Choose sides – You can’t adequately serve God and the world. (Consider Joshua 24:15.) Something happens in life, often sin, busyness, boredom, or a tragedy… but if we are normal, we have periods where we grow away from our close relationship with God. God hasn’t moved, but if you’ve shifted in your obedience, get back securely on the right side.

Trust More… Not less – Times of silence may be filled with fear, but ironically, these times require more faith. Times come in our spiritual life when our enthusiasm isn’t as real as when we began our walk with God. That’s not an indication to quit… it may be that God is using that time for something bigger than you could have imagined… but whatever is next will most likely require a deeper level of trust.

Listen and Watch Closely – Some day God is going to make His plans known to you. Don’t miss them. He may come to your personally, through His Word, circumstances, or another person. You’ll need to be in a position to know that God is moving. (Read THIS POST if you need help discerning God’s will.)

Get ready to receive – God will break the silence some day… and when He does it WILL be good. If you mope around in your sorrows, you’ll be less prepared to receive the good things to come. Not because of your circumstances, but because of your faith, clothe yourself in joy as you wait for God to bless you after the period of silence.

Are you in one of those periods of silence today? How do you handle these periods of time?

God our Father..Craig Denison Ministries

 God our Father

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview

This week we'll spend time stirring up our affections for God through the renewing of our minds. Your mind is the gateway to your affections. What you think is worthy of your affections is what will receive them. So, as we grow in our understanding of God’s overwhelming goodness we will naturally give him our hearts. May you be stirred by the unconditional love of your heavenly Father this week as his perfect nature is revealed to you in greater, more transformative ways.

Scripture:“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” 1 John 3:1

Devotional:

As a follower of Jesus you have been brought into the family of God. Take a moment to let that truth sink in. Think about what it means to have God, the Creator of the universe, the embodiment of Perfect Love, as your Father. So often we lose sight of the fact that God is our Father and view him through perspectives not aligned with Scripture. We view God through lenses the world and unfortunate experiences have given us rather than a revelation of him as a good Father given to us by the revolutionary teaching of Jesus.

In Matthew 7:9-11 Jesus teaches us, “Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” You have a Father who loves to give you good gifts. So often we think of God as a harsh disciplinarian who never lets his kids enjoy life. We assume he will say no to anything that gives us pleasure as if he only wanted us to go to church more, pray more, or give more time and money. But that’s not the heart of your Father. Your God is the author of joy, pleasure, happiness, and good gifts. He longs for your life to be filled with the perfect gifts he has planned for you every day. John 10:10 says, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” As your perfect Shepherd, God will faithfully guide you to and supply you with all you need to live marked by fullness of life.

In Matthew 19:14, Jesus displays the heart of the Father when he says, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” As our Father, God longs for us as his children to simply be with him. He longs for us to know his love and embrace—to let it be the foundation of everything we do. More than God desires any task of you, he longs for your heart. So great was his desire for just the opportunity of relationship with you that Jesus displayed the fullness of God’s unconditional love by willingly laying down his life for you. There is no room in Scripture to view God as anything but perfectly loving and good. View God as the good Father he is, and run to him with open arms and an open heart that you might find fullness of life in his eternal embrace.

Take time in guided prayer to allow God’s presence to overcome misconceptions you might have about him. Often if we’ve been in church for long enough we stop at a theological understanding of God the Father and don’t allow time and space for him to heal our hearts and transform our lives.Don’t let that happen today! You have a good Father who loves and longs to simply meet with you. Spend time with him today getting lost in the sweetness of restored relationship.           

Guided Prayer:

1. Receive God's presence as you meditate on Scripture.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”1 John 3:1

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14

2. Ask God how he feels about you. Listen and quiet your soul to receive a revelation of his heart.           

“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”Augustine

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17

3. Where do you need to apply God’s character to your life? In what ways are you living as if God was a taskmaster rather than a good Father? In what ways are you seeking to provide for yourself rather than working to receive provision God has already promised?

“Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9-11

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33

In every trial and circumstance you face today, God has a plan to lead you perfectly. He is not a God who sits back and watches as we try to figure life out. He wants to get involved in all that you do, just as a perfect father wants to help his children succeed and live with joy. Ask God what he thinks about what you’re doing. If you run into a problem today, ask for the Spirit’s guidance. Doing your day with God is the absolute best way to live. He knows everything and has a perfect plan for you! Take time today to listen to God and trust his leading.

Extended Reading: 1 John 3