Daily Devotions
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Made Perfect through Suffering – Part 1 - May 25, 2013
Made Perfect through Suffering – Part 1
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Hebrews 2:10
None of us has come close to experiencing what Jesus endured on the cross, yet we run from suffering. A lost job, a debilitating illness, a painful divorce—none of us escapes. Even ‘Jesus…had to suffer before he could learn what it really means to obey God’ (Hebrews 5:8). Pain is a learning experience. The Bible says, ‘God…made Jesus perfect by suffering.’ Philip Yancey writes: ‘God understood physical pain, having designed the nervous system that carries it to our brains…But had a Spirit ever felt physical pain? Not until the Incarnation. In thirty-three years on earth Jesus learned about…family squabbles…social rejection…verbal abuse and betrayal. And he learned too about pain. What it feels like to have an accuser leave the red imprint of his fingers on your face…to have a crude iron spike pounded through muscle, tendon, and skin. On earth, God learned all that. And because of Jesus, God hears our groans differently. The author of Hebrews marveled that whatever we are going through, God has gone through: ‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but…one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin’ (Hebrews 4:15). We have a high priest who graduated from the school of suffering and ‘…is able to be gentle with those who do not understand and who are doing wrong things’ (Hebrews 5:2)…We need no longer cry into the abyss, ‘Hey, [God], are you listening?’ By joining us on earth, Jesus gave visible, historical proof that God hears our groans and…groans along with us.’ What a comfort!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, Help me to learn from Your suffering knowing that You have experienced all that I go through. Thank you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
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Reading God’s Word Every Day - May 24, 2013
Reading God’s Word Every Day
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17
If you are wise, when God talks you’ll listen. And He will talk to you through the Bible. The reason the Bible has outsold every other book is because it is God’s Word on the issue. It takes approximately fifty-six hours to read the Bible through. If you read forty chapters a day you would complete the Bible within a month. If you read nine chapters of the New Testament each day you would complete it within thirty days. But you must read it systematically, regularly, and expectantly. When Satan attacked Him in the wilderness, Jesus quoted the Scriptures to him. That’s why the Psalmist said, ‘Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee’ (Psalm 119:11). The book of Proverbs has thirty-one chapters. Here’s an idea: since there are thirty-one days in most months, why not read a chapter in this wisdom book every day. Can you imagine what you’d learn? The Word of God will build your faith. ‘Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ Your faith grows when you hear God speak, and it works when you do what He says. If you struggle to lead a victorious Christian life, read these words carefully: ‘How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word’ (v. 9). The solution to every problem you face is contained in Scripture. To be wise you must study it. To be strong in faith you must believe it. To be successful in life you must practice it.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me take the time and get into the habit of reading Your Word each day so I can have direction and purpose in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
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Drifting Off Course - May 23, 2013
Drifting Off Course
Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; Psalms 26:2
The story’s told about a guy called Bill who telephoned his boss and said: ‘I believe you’re looking for an experienced, talented, hard-working manager for your front office. I’d like to apply for the job.’ The boss replied, ‘We already have someone in that slot and he’s doing an excellent job. By the way, your voice sounds familiar. What’s your name?’ The guy replied, ‘It’s me, Bill; I was just checking up on myself!’ You need to check up on yourself regularly. The Bible says, ‘We must listen very carefully to the truths we have heard, or we may drift away from them’ (Hebrews 2:1). That word ‘drift’ should set off alarm bells. It doesn’t happen overnight, but slowly and imperceptibly you drift off course and end up in places you never thought you would be—places you may not be able to get back from. An airplane flying just one degree off its assigned flight plan can end up hundreds of miles from its destination. And if it’s out of fuel, it’s only going one place—down. Knowing his propensity to drift and to turn a blind eye to his defects of character, the Psalmist prayed: ‘I have tried to keep your laws and have trusted you without wavering. Cross-examine me, O Lord…test my motives and affections too. For I have taken your loving-kindness and your truth as my ideals’ (Psalm 26:1-3). Notice the words ‘cross-examine’! Cross-examine what? 1) Your motives, or your reasons for doing things. 2) Your affections, or the things toward which you are being drawn. Are you drifting off course?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to do a check on myself to make sure I am steadily on course – and for the courage to correct myself if off. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
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What Kind Of Example Are You? – Part 7 - May 22, 2013
What Kind Of Example Are You? – Part 7
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12
This word ‘purity’ refers to that which is not polluted. Pollution causes disease and death. The products on the grocery store shelf may be beautifully packaged, but when food-borne illness results, we must go back to the source and find the problem. What is it? Careless, cost-cutting methods that not only permit disease but promote it. Consider this: some of the things that entertain us today would have shocked our parents and grandparents. Is that because we are more enlightened? Look around you and judge for yourself! While living under his father’s authority the Prodigal Son was well off. But in search of enlightenment and entertainment, he ended up in a pigsty. Yes, he was forgiven and welcomed back home, but he lost a lot in the process. Today the world of politics, education and entertainment are battling for your mind, your attention and your allegiance. So here’s a Scripture you need to think about carefully: ‘Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 2:5). In other words, submit your thoughts to God. If He approves them—they’re okay. Paul writes: ‘We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). If you don’t ‘capture’ wrong thoughts and submit them to the test of scriptural truth, they’ll lead you in the wrong direction.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, guard and protect me from the pollution in this world that tries to corrupt the Truth of Your Word and Your life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
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What Kind Of Example Are You? – Part 6 - May 21, 2013
What Kind Of Example Are You? – Part 6
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12
Having the faith required to get answers to your prayers is an important truth. But that’s not what Paul is speaking about here. He begins the chapter saying, ‘…some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits…’ (1Timothy 4:1). He warns, stay anchored to the truth, or you’ll be caught in the undertow of error.’ Here’s a fact that should alarm us: 90 percent of all those who end up in cults started out in mainline churches. How come? Because they weren’t grounded in the truth of Scripture! They are like the guy who was asked, ‘What do you believe?’ He replied, ‘The same thing my church believes.’ When asked, ‘What does your church believe?’ he replied, ‘The same thing I believe.’ When asked, ‘What do you both believe? He replied, ‘We both believe the same thing.’ Bottom line: he didn’t know what he believed! You say, ‘But doesn’t God have more truth to reveal to us?’ Yes. ‘The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day’ (Proverbs 4:18). But God doesn’t destroy the foundations of truth, He builds on them. Sometimes Bible teachers with fresh revelation act like ‘the party started when I arrived!’ That’s ego, not anointing! We are not called to be tasters of experience, but testers of truth. We must honor the ministry, but understand that just because a preacher says it, doesn’t make it so. The Bereans ‘…received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so’ (Acts 17:11). You must do that!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, keep me anchored in Your Word so I can sort out what is Truth and what is opinion. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
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