Solid foundation

Proverbs 22: 6

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

How did you learn about God?  For many of us, we were taught as children.  Some of us, I’m sure were not and had a friend or someone else that loved us enough to share God’s love with us.  No matter how you found God, now that you know him, my prayer is that you will never turn from Him. 

For any of us that were raised to know God or have children of our own, it is so amazing to watch God blossom in the life of a small child.  I grew up in the church and I know my mom loved watching as I would learn new Bible verses or new songs about God.  I love now seeing that in my son.  Just this week he started saying the Lord’s Prayer all by himself.  We’ve been doing it as a family every night however earlier this week he told my husband and I, “No, I do it.”  He wanted to show us that he could say it all by himself.  I loved this!

Sometimes when this verse comes up, some will talk about people who were raised in the church then went off to college and stopped going to church.  Can that happen?  Of course it can.  It’s not that uncommon as someone wants to “find themselves”.  However the seeds that were planted years before do grow and at some point, that person finds themselves needing God again or wondering is what they were taught truth.  This isn’t to say that no one ever departs from God.  God did give us free will.  However when a child starts off on the correct path, they have that foundation and the foundation that we have is typically what we turn back to in times of need or trouble. 

Matthew 7:25

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

Are you building a solid foundation in your life and the lives of those that you impact?  You don’t have to have your own children to impact the lives of others.  

Thurs Devo: Patience in Evil

Like we talked about last week, the “plagues” from Revelation chapters 6-9 are warning signs to the inhabitants of the earth. God is getting everyone’s attention. He is offering multiple additional opportunities for people to repent, turn to Him, and worship Him for who He truly is before He completely destroys this earth. How do you think people will respond?

Revelation 9:20-21    ²⁰ The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.²¹ Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

We can’t make people repent and believe, but we can be prepared ourselves.

II Peter 3:10-15 ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.¹³ But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

It can be frustrating to live in a world where evil continues to grow and increase. The delay in God’s final judgment and destruction of this world, though, means He’s giving additional opportunities for others to accept His way of salvation. He displays His grace, mercy and patience as we wait for evil to be avenged.

Will you and I remember that when evil seems to prevail, God is patiently granting more time for others to repent and turn to Him?  

Alice

Unbreakable Faithfulness

We look at faithfulness, and when times are good, it is relatively easy.   However when darkness comes and the storm batters and beats us, we begin to waver.  We question if God is with us.  We wonder if He hears our cry, and if things do not go our way soon, some will even begin to wonder whether He exists.  It’s hard.  I know what it is like when you feel like there is no hope in sight, and you feel like there is nothing you can do.  I’ve been there when a bill was due and the checking account was empty.  Then you fall on your knees crying to God, “I can’t do this!”  And then when the check from comes out of nowhere, you realize He was there all along. It is then you are assured that God is most faithful.  When you are distraught and there seems to be no end, He is a comforter.  But to find this, you have to be willing to look to God with utter and complete vulnerability and say I cannot do this on my own.

God is faithful whether at your best or your most vulnerable worst.  The verse of today is not of divine wisdom.  It is of simple truth, and it is often said that the simplest things are the most powerful ones.  For example gravity is simply stated as what goes up must come down.  As children of God we are assured that God is always faithful. It does not say that life is always filled with rose pedals and sunshine.  In fact throughout the Bible there are stories of heartache and tragedy. However, God always restored and often provided in abundance for those who believed in and were faithful to Him despite their obstacles.  We often find ourselves in situations where there seems to be nowhere to turn to, and even when we pray, we feel like there is no answer.  However instead of question or doubt, be assured in the knowledge that God is with you, and He is will provide for you in ways you may not have even imagined.

We are called realizing that we are not perfect, but through Jesus Christ, we are enough.  His faithfulness reassures us that we can make it through anything.  The apostle Paul speaking of God’s power once said, “My grace is all you need.  My power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9a)  Let us throw down our pride and whatever barriers that may separate us from God in our hearts and minds.  Vulnerability is an opportunity to let God’s strength shine.  Will you admit to God your weakness and vulnerabilities?  How will His faithfulness reassure you in your times of struggle?  My prayer is that we remember the faithfulness and love God has for us for will never be broken.  Amen.

Tues Devo: What do you have to lose?

Psalm 50:10-12 “For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for he world is Mine and all that is contains.” (NASB)

Hello,

I was involved in a conversation yesterday – and I found myself mentioning that sometimes my choices are driven by fear of a particular response. While it never came out in that conversation, it got me thinking later – what is it that I am afraid of losing? I have been nothing in this life except that which God has provided or allowed. Nothing is taken from me without His knowledge. If I am covering my choices in prayer and conversation with God, what do I have to lose?

I challenge all of us today to take a look at our choices – are we trusting God with how we choose? Where can we improve in this area?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

RLD Week 2 - What is a Disciple?

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  Luke 9

This was the biggest thing that stood out to me during this study.  What is the definition of a disciple, and could I really be that?  Everything seemed out of reach when I started this journey so long ago.  A disciple had to go to school, or had to be able to speak any bible verse by memory at any time, or had to always be comfortable talking about Jesus with anyone they meet, or had to be a leader in the church, or any number of things that are not required.

Jesus makes it easier to understand.  Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow him.

Follow him with your body, deny yourself.  It's denying yourself of those sins that you've fallen victim to.  You'll fall again, but you have to repent and turn away again.  It isn't easy, it's never complete, but it is a constant action.

Follow him with your mind, take up your cross daily.  This is to make the point in your head that you'll be obedient to his will.  He'll speak to you, and he speaks to everyone through different means, and it'll be up to you to hear and to take up that cross.  This isn't an occasional event, but again is a constant action - daily.

Follow him with your heart, follow him.  It does not good to only listen, but you must act.  You must try to make every action you take be one that is pleasing to God and reflective of how Jesus would handle that situation.  I've never been a fan of the WWJD fad, but it applies.  If Jesus sees someone hurting, wouldn't he stop to comfort them?  If he saw someone sick, wouldn't he care for them?  If he saw someone was thirsty, would he not give them something to drink?  

If we see someone is alone, do we comfort them or judge them?  If someone shares their struggle with sin, do we provide support or do we scoff at their weakness?

Follow Jesus, with your whole body, mind, and heart.  To do so, makes you a disciple.