God's Control And His Plan

The discussion of the environment has become a hot topic of late (no pun intended).  I would not want to discuss what many would consider a political discussion for a devotion, but something I heard pulled me and my beliefs right in.  A congressman put God in the middle of the discussion.  He said, “As a Christian, I believe that there is a creator in God who is much bigger than us. And I’m confident that, if there’s a real problem, he can take care of it.”  That makes sense for we know we serve an almighty God who can do anything.  We could very well take the approach of Jesus speaking of worries saying, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:31-33) 

However, there is another side of the argument that says we are not to absolve ourselves from just standing around and doing nothing.  When we see something is wrong, Jesus tells us to act.  The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of many examples (see below):

“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. ³⁴ Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.  The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”  Luke 10:33-37

We are to remember that our faith calls us to act when God calls upon us.  There are those who may take the approach of not worrying about things for there are other things that God has called on them to do.  That is not an issue.  We must be careful to not to just simply believe that God will take care of all things for there will be times God calls on us to be His advocate.  Whether it is feeding the needy, caring for the homeless, teaching bible study, or (yes) protecting the environment, all are worthy callings of God.  To say ‘God will take care of a problem’  is irresponsible.  That does not mean there will be times we need to leave things in God’s hands.  It means we are to prayerfully go to Him and ask what His will would be for us, and then respond.   Furthermore, the scriptures about worrying mean to worry about what God calls you to do.  Not ignore what is right in front of you.

We cannot turn a blind eye to those things God would call on us to do.  There are many things beyond our control, and God can indeed handle anything.  One of my favorite pastors once said that we are called to go out and do what God calls us to do.  Let us make sure we follow what God instills in our heart and be encouragers of those who God has called to serve in ways that may not be as we are called to do.  What calling has God placed on you to act upon?  What prayer must you have to meet God calls upon you.  My prayer is that we can discern between God’s control from God’s plan for our lives.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Know your role

Psalm 25:1-7 “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your loving kindnesses, For they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your loving kindness remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.” (NASB)

Hello,

When I reflect back on times that I have struggled, I can see where I have placed my time and emphasis on things I should not have – they were not my job. I doubt I am alone in this. When we put our focus in areas that are not our job, we naturally get distracted. We then are putting our efforts into things which we are not in charge of or cannot control – leading to frustration. Do you see that spiral?

When we look at the psalmist, his prayer shows good alignment of where his focus was to be placed. His job was to focus on God, give his concerns to God in prayer, learning God’s ways and being obedient. He was leaving the fate of his enemies, direction choosing and ultimate ending fate in the hands of God.

I hope today as you read this portion from Psalm 25 that you are encouraged to play your role well, and leave God’s role to God!

Will Hill

Cast your cares

Psalm 55:22

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Have you ever had a time in your life where you just weren’t sure where God was leading you?  Maybe it was in searching for a spouse.  Maybe it was trying to find the right job.  It may have even been looking for the right church. 

It is during times like these that we are instructed to cast our cares on the Lord.  While we have free will, the Lord does have a plan for our lives.  He knows exactly how our life will play out and he will never let you be shaken as long as you are following him.

Today, my prayer is that you will turn to the Lord in all aspects of your life.

Thursday Devotional - Prayer for You

While my sister and I were running together one Monday night, my sister mentioned what an encouragement John 17 is.  Jesus first prays for God to be glorified through His life and death, then He prays for His disciples, and then He prays for all believers!  

Did you know Jesus prayed for YOU 2,000 years ago???  In fact, He took the time to pray for you and me just hours before his arrest (see John 18:1-14).  Jesus’ prayer was that we would be one in unity. 

John 17:20-23      ²⁰"My prayer is not for them [the disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²²I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: ²³I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

The disunity among believers, in churches, and between denominations certainly hurts our witness to the rest of the world.  It is so easy to get caught up in our own opinions and ideas and lose sight of our purpose – to bring glory to God.  

Being part of different ministries, it’s also easy for me to get caught up in the details. I definitely pray about the details, and desire to reflect God well by performing my leadership responsibilities with excellence. However, Jesus’ prayer reminded me of my need to regularly pray for the unity among our leadership in addition to direction for all the practical details. If we are well organized, but not unified or relational, then we won’t be as effective at reflecting God.    

How about you? Do you spend more time praying for direction regarding practical details? Or do you pray for your relationships and unity in Christ?

You and I can pray as Jesus prayed for us, that we would live in unity with those furthering God’s kingdom, so that He is glorified through our actions and activities.

Alice

Tues Devo: Act on it

Matthew 8:5-11 “And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” (NASB)

Hello,

Talk is cheap (especially on social media…) – we have heard this many times in our lives. We think about it when it comes to people bragging and boasting about what they can do, or have done. We want to see if there is proof – can things be backed up? I think we need to ask that of ourselves when it comes to our faith. We believe in the power of God – but do we back that up? We say that our relationship with Him is the most important – but do we back that up with how we spend our time?

The centurion showed what is was like to act on his faith – and Jesus called that out to everyone around.

How is your faith? Where is your trust? Are you acting on it?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Times of struggles

Samuel 22:17-20

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.
 He brought me out into a spacious place;
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.”

Have you ever been at a place mentally that just wasn’t good?  You weren’t happy with what you were doing or didn’t feel like you belonged with those around you?  Maybe you felt like you were just drowning.  I know I have been.  It’s a dark place that isn’t good. 

I’ve known a few people who have also been in that place.  Some of whom sadly did not find a way out.  This place is a scary place to be, especially if you do not know Christ.  If you do know Christ, you can take comfort in knowing that you do have support.  It is the Lord who will rescue you from these times. 

I ask all to pray today for those that are struggling.  To share Christ with those who may not know him.  

Thursday Devotional - Prayer for Protection

Do you pray for protection frequently? Maybe it’s for yourself as you drive next to all those people texting. Maybe it’s for your family and friends as they are also on the roads with those distracted drivers. Maybe it’s for loved ones travelling overseas. Maybe it’s for yourself as you walk to your car at night or go home to an empty house. Maybe it’s for your children as they go off to school or play outside.

In parenting 2 toddlers, I’m more and more amazed anyone survives to adulthood! It is a miracle! At the park the other day, James and Sarah were playing on a movable bridge. James is excellent at climbing and decided to show me how he could climb on the outside of it! As I was jogging around the perimeter of the play area, I started praying for their physical safety but then immediately thought of Jesus’ prayer for His disciples in John 17. He prayed more for their spiritual protection than their physical earthly protection.

John 17:10-19 ¹⁰ All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. ¹¹ I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. ¹² While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

¹³ “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. ¹⁴ I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

As I thought of Jesus’ prayer, I moved from praying for James and Sarah’s physical safety to their spiritual growth and protection. Jesus’ prayer is such a wonderful example of what we can pray for others:

• unity in Christ (vs. 11)
• protection from Satan (vs. 15)
• knowledge of God’s truth (vs. 17)
• sanctification (growth in holiness; set apart from the world and for God) (vs. 17-19)

The next time you and I pray for physical protection, let’s remember to pray for these spiritual aspects of protection for ourselves and others.  

Alice

Stay Woke

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.  1 Peter 5:8-9

The world has always be an uncertain place, and as an American, it feels like things are more uncertain now than ever.  There are many who worry in fear, but other worry not because they are afraid.  They worry because they see those around them fully accepting of what is happening in the world as ‘the new normal.’  It is a world where lies are acceptable, apologies are viewed as weakness, and we listen only if we agree with what is being said.  There are some who have adopted a calling by refusing to fall for the fallacies of current day times.  Their saying is simply, “Stay Woke.”  It is a reminder to always be alert and willing to stand up to wrongful things even if others will simply ignore or try to normalize it.  In thinking of this saying, it reminded me of our faith and how our staying comfortable in our faith can be very much like accepting a ‘new normal,’ and we too must always be on the alert.

We must be willing to become uncomfortable in our journey of faith so as to maintain spiritual alertness to what God is doing.  Spiritual growth is never about staying in the same place of comfort.  Furthermore, it is not about being successful all of the time.  It is about following God to learn about His will for our lives and getting up and continuing our walk if we falter.  We must stay alert to have an awareness of God’s intention for us.  It could be as simple as helping a child at Sunday school or as complex as adopting a child.  It may require a moment in your day to share the gospel or a drastic change in your career to answer God’s calling.  Regardless of God’s prompting, we must respond in order for growth to occur.  Failure to do so means we are subject to attack from an enemy who seeks to keep us stagnant where our spiritual journey will abruptly end as we our ‘devoured’ by the world as we know it.

None of us suffer in vain for God is always watching.  Today’s verses serve as both encouragement to stay strong in our faith and a warning to be aware of ways of the world.  God always maintains a light where we can see in the darkness, and He listens to our prayers.  So do not be afraid to move from where you are.  God is with you each and every step you take.  Trust that He will catch you if you fall and reward you abundantly for being faithful to His will for your life.  Keep alert to all that God is calling you.  What is it that He seeks from you today?  How can you ensure you are alert to what God calls you to do?  My prayer is that we push for our spiritual growth by choosing to ‘Stay Woke.’  Amen.

Take Heart

John 16:29-33

Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.  Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied.  “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The last verse there, verse 33, has to be one of my all-time favorites.  This world is not a place where many of us really find peace and comfort.  There is a lot of stress and turmoil.  We are always worried about what the future holds or attacks on our country. 

I, however, find peace and comfort in verse 33.  Christ already said we would have trouble so when it comes, it should not come as a surprise.  Instead, we should realize that these things are going to happen and embrace the promise that Christ has overcome the world.  This world is only temporary for those of us that believe in Christ Jesus. 

My prayer for you today, is that you will have peace no matter what is going on in your life.

Thursday Devotional - Revealing God

Sharing the Gospel with others can be overwhelming, especially if we do it in our own strength or out of guilt, instead of a natural outflow of our love for God.  In studying the book of John this year, I noticed how Jesus shared the truths of God. He didn’t insist on continuing a conversation to convince someone of the truth. He did answer questions and He did initiate conversations. Also, most of His teaching was to a select few – the 12 disciples. He revealed God and “discipled” them so they could then go out and share the truth with others who would share the truth with others.

John 17:6-9     ⁶ “I [Jesus] have revealed you [God] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. ⁸ For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹ I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

God gave Jesus 12 men to lovingly disciple for 3 years. Who has God given to you? Whether it’s a circle of friends, family, co-workers or neighbors, He has uniquely placed us in those relationships. We have the opportunity to reveal Him to those closest to us! Jesus took His responsibility seriously and faithfully prayed for and shepherded His disciples.

As a new parent, I realize what an awesome responsibility it is to pray for and reveal God to my children. It’s such a huge blessing to watch them grasp different aspects of who God is! James has really understood the fact that he can talk to God at any time about anything and take all his cares to Him. A couple weeks ago James (and I) were getting nervous the day before his major surgery. We had definitely prayed about it many times together, but as he was thinking about it in the car on our way home from my sister’s he asked if he could pray. Of course! So, he prayed!

Who will you and I pray for today? How can you and I reveal attributes and characteristics of God to them?

Alice