Tues Devo: Intentional creation

Hello,

I was contemplating this past weekend about the coming Christmas season and about our relationship with God. I was reminded that we as humans were an intentional choice by God. We see in Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (NASB)

Now, while the familiarity of those verses to many of us may not feel too impressive, it was us (mankind) that He chose to have a relationship with. We see in chapter 3 after Adam and Eve made their choice to sin that “they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…” and realize that Adam and Eve knew the sound of the presence of God. It was familiar, they shared together on a regular basis.

God desires that relationship and fellowship with us. As we head towards Christmas, please keep this in mind. Be thankful for your relationship with Him, seek to draw closer in fellowship with Him and eradicate the things that get in the way of that fellowship.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Thankful For Grace

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.  Romans 3:23-26

Over the years, I have given thanks to many things.  From family to friends, God to pastors, and fellow devotion writers to you, all have provided me strength, inspiration, courage, and love for my writing.  In as much as I am thankful for those things, I want to give thanks this year for one thing God gave us and certainly gave me.  Without it, we would have no relationship with Him, and with it, we have a freedom we could never imagine.  This Thanksgiving, I am most thankful for God’s greatest gift; grace.

God’s grace is indeed enough.  For me, I lived a life years ago that was unworthy of God’s love or anyone else’s for that matter. This is why God’s grace is so amazing.  I could have continued to do anything as I pleased, but without grace, I felt empty.  With grace, I felt empowered, strengthened, and able to take on the world.  When the world bore its weight on me, God lifted and carried it so that I can move forward. This is why I am grateful to this wonderful God inspired gift.  Perhaps you had that very same feeling as me.  Some of you have had struggles different from mine.  Today, you might be either dealing with sin on something very trivial or fighting something major that seems overwhelming and impossible to overcome.  Grace is the ONLY thing that can make us clean.  It frees us to serve Him, and grows us to strive to do better than we could imagine on our own. 

You are a valued gift to God.  You are wonderful, prized, and redeemed by Jesus Christ.  He did so because He saw so much in you.  He had to because He saw something in me.  It’s something that allows me to write about how wonderful it is to serve an amazing God who gives me love and hope along with so many other things.  But before I knew all that existed, He first had to give me grace.  Let us all give thanks this season for what God has given us, and let us also share this gift with others who so desperately need to know that it’s not too late.  God is still there waiting and loves them so very much.  Who do you know is in need of grace?  How can this gift heal your unforgiving pain?  My prayer is that this Thanksgiving as we say grace, we spend a moment giving thanks for the wonderful gift of grace.  Amen, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Tues Devo: The new Thanksgiving question

Hello,

As we are in the week of Thanksgiving here in the US, most of us will be asked multiple times to share what we are thankful for. While I am not against that question and conversation, I do wonder if it is the real right question. Is it challenging enough? Should instead we ask a different question? Perhaps we should be asking one another this: “What actions are being driven by your thankfulness for _____ (fill in the blank)?” or “What you are doing differently that shows your thankfulness for ______ (fill in the blank)?”

It is easy to say we are thankful – but if we are truly thankful, it likely should drive something different from us. It may or may not be our actions and could also be a change in our effort level, involvement of others, approach etc.

This brings to mind the 10 lepers that Jesus healed.

The account in Luke 17:11-19 “While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”” (NASB)

The one who returned didn’t just quietly say thanks – he publicly glorified God and went out of his way to return to give his thanks. He also did this as a Samaritan, knowing Jesus was a Jew.

I challenge all of us this week as we contemplate what we are thankful for, ask ourselves how we will show that thankfulness in our actions/choices.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Give thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Yesterday was a bad day for me.  I had been wronged by someone and I was very upset.  This left me with an attitude that was not so present.  I’ll be honest, I was a little rude to a few people because of this this.  Once I finally realized that I was paying back wrong for wrong, I had to go and apologize to the people that I was rude with.  I had realized that I had an attitude and it was not right.  I had to really work to improve that attitude. 

It was during some down time that I started praying and trying to focus on the blessings I have that I finally realized that in all things, I need to give thanks.  Yes, someone may be attacking you and making you feel horrible, however it’s important to remember not to allow the domino effect to take place. 

Today I just want to encourage you to rejoice always and pray continually.  Even when being wronged, there is something you can be thankful for.

Thursday Devotional - Glorifying God

Romans 1:21-23            “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.”            Romans 1:21-23

So often I read through passages like this thinking it doesn’t apply to me because I know who the true God is and I don’t worship idols. There is a difference between knowing and glorifying God, though, as verse 21 indicates. I know who the true God is, but I don’t always glorify Him.

We glorify God by growing in a personal relationship with Him.

We glorify God by adoring Him.

We glorify God by worshiping and praising Him for who He is.

We glorify God by giving Him the credit for all of our accomplishments.

We glorify God by thanking Him for all of our blessings and sufferings. 

We glorify God by exalting Him above anyone and anything else.

This week, what mortal thing have you and I placed above our relationship with God? (possession, person, project, plan, player, etc.) Our relationship with God is eternal and the most important.

One of the hymns I sang with the kids last night was “To God Be the Glory.” Let’s give glory to God rather than exchanging it for glorifying something mortal!

Alice 

Love Never Fails

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails.  1 Corinthians 13:4-8a 

There is so much going on in the world today.  The world has always been a place with uncertainty that surrounds us, and we at times feel that we are destined to succumb to it at some point.  However, I’m reminded at church that through it all, we must be shining examples as Christ.  Many do not understand it.  At times, I do not know if I understand others.  However, I lean on the power of Jesus to inspire inside of me that which is good and to keep me on the righteous path.  How?  The answer is simple. Love.  It is the one thing that I can always draw on that keeps me strong.  It is the endless reservoir of hope that always seems to keep those around me feeling it will be alright.  It’s kept my wife and me together through thick and thin.  It never fails. 

We must continue to fall back on the love Christ has for us and share it with others.  There have been many things that love has been characterized as.  Often, it is referred to by others as soft, a sign of weakness, and unnecessary in times of uncertainty.  However, I would argue that it is quite the opposite.  It is strong when others are feeling weak.  It is difficult to display when you must love one undeserving of it.  And yes, it is entirely necessary in times of uncertainty because when everything else is uncertain, God’s love for us is certain.  As the first part of verse 8 says, “Love never fails.”  Never. 

There is nothing that is more powerful than God’s love.  Lynne Hybels was troubled by some of the things happening with a group of women that were rescued from the terrorist group ISIS.  In hearing their story, she wrote: 

As a Christian, I feel compelled to combat the distortions of twisted religion, misused power and entrenched and evil patriarchal systems with the loving and liberating way of Jesus. 

The loving and liberating way of Jesus is the answer against all the hurt and evil that at times seems to attack our sense of morality nonstop.  We must fight with both the courage and love of God.  That is how we overcome a world determined to destroy others.  Let us not be faint of heart.  Let us push forward with ‘the loving and liberating way of Jesus.’  What is suppressing your ability to love more today?  How can you let God’s love fill your heart to share with others?  My prayer is that we are willing to have the strength to love for God’s love never fails.  Amen. 

Tues Devo: Talker

Proverbs 13:3 “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” (NASB)

Hello,

There are a bunch of verses that I could have referenced for this today, as this is a common topic in the Bible. In our culture we certainly don’t lack the opportunity to be heard. We have ways to have our voice heard, opinions recorded and messages delivered. But we need to slow down and ask one important question – why? OK, perhaps we need to ask more than one….

Why 1) – Why is it that constant running of our mouths leads to ruin?

Why 2) – Why do we feel compelled to keep talking?

I do not intend to directly answer those here, I think they are great questions for us to meditate on in our hearts and through reading Scripture.

But I will say this – do we trust God in the heat of the moment? That is where I know I tend to get into trouble – the quick moment of emotion or pressure. We look to vent/strike/defend – but when we do it so quickly we are not doing so in the strength and guidance of God, we are driven by self.  We need to pause before we start talking. During that pause, I encourage all of us to take a moment and ask God if we doing this through ourselves only, or allowing God to truly drive our decision to speak.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Thursday Devotional - Rainbow Revelation

We live in an area where many people deny even the existence of God.  They suppress the truth.  However, God has revealed Himself to all people through creation.  Without having or knowing God’s Word, we can still see His existence, creativity, intelligence, and power.

Romans 1:18-20            “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” 

Romans 1:18-20 

A few weeks ago, after one of our rain storms, the kids and I went outside to play frisbee. As we were playing, I looked up and saw a full rainbow! It was beautiful! We all stopped and looked at it for a while. James, the most active one, stopped and looked at the rainbow the longest. While Sarah and I resumed playing frisbee, I overheard James spontaneously say “Thank you, Jesus, for making the rainbow!”

Later that night, Sarah thanked God for the rainbow during her prayer before bed. It’s such a blessing to watch James and Sarah recognize God through His creation and then thank Him for it! 

How has the truth of God been revealed to you this week? Are you looking for it?

How did you respond?

Did you keep the truth to yourself, or have you shared it with those around you?

Let’s look for God’s power around us, praise Him for it and share it with others!

Alice

Detour

“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!  And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:14-15 (NIV)

We try our best to make good decisions.  Some of them are very simple like getting up from bed and taking a shower before work.  Others might be a bit more challenging like wearing the right clothes for an interview or deciding on which washer and dryer set to get from the appliance store (Yes, my wife and I did that once).  However there are some decisions where we tend to overcomplicate things.  Some of these can lead to dangerous results.  For example, a gambler will risk his mortgage payment trying to make up for losses earlier in the day.  Their thought?  I need to make up for the money I lost.  But why would one risk their home just because they lost earlier?  I never have gambled, but I’ve heard the ugly stories when someone did.  It’s always the impulse of ‘I can win this time!’  When conflicted with what God expects and my own wants, I have to avoid focusing on temporary and impulsive happiness in exchange for long term spiritual growth and abundance of joy God offers.  Of course the latter is better, but I must discipline myself not to fall for an immediately gratifying but unfulfilling detour.

We should always maintain our focus on God’s long term plan toward joy rather than our own temporary pathway to short-term fulfillment.  I saw today’s verse pop up on my Bible app today.  Normally, I write something God inspires me to throughout the week.  However, I realized I had never written on these verses albeit one of my favorites.  A Christian song that I love to hear speaks of it saying, “As for me and my house, we will serve you Lord.”  In reading the verses, it feels like one of those arguments where you are willing to listen to discussion, but you already know what your answer is.  For example when Jesus is being tempted in the wilderness after 40 days and nights of fasting, the devil tries to tempt Jesus, but we already know how Jesus was going to respond, right?  “People do not live by bread alone,” and “You must not test the Lord your God.” (Matthew 4:6b, 7b)  Like God said to the people in Joshua, we can all grow comfortable in our surroundings, but we must always remember the God we serve; the one who carries us when we are weak and was always there for the Israelites from Abraham through Moses and Joshua.

God is always on our side.  We not only have plenty of stories throughout the Bible but also our own experiences when God displayed His faithfulness pulling us through crisis after crisis.  We will always have to deal with temptation to take what may seemingly appear to be an easy way out, but we know the right choice as God laid out to Israel in today’s verses.  Don’t take the easy route!  Trust in God’s long term plan for your life.  What is tempting you to divert from God’s long term plans for you?  How can you stay on course when temptation hits at your time of stress?  My prayer is that we are able to seek the long term joy God has in store for our lives and not fall prey to the short term detour.  Amen.

Tues Devo: To risk or give

 Hello,

This past Sunday in church the Pastor during communion made the comment that Jesus didn’t risk His life – He gave it. That really stuck with me. What is our mindset when we think about doing things for God in our lives? Do we think about what the risk is, or just do what we should out of love back to Him? You see thinking about risk has a natural selfish component to it – we balance the possible good outcome against what could happen to us. If Jesus would have come to risk His life, He would have played it safer and tried to mitigate the pain to Himself to try and achieve the same outcome. But His focus was not on Him – it was on us. We know from His prayer in the garden that He wasn’t looking forward to it – He asked the Father one more time if there was another way – but He put all of that aside and out of love gave Himself fully for us and our redemption.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (NASB)

What in our lives do we need to stop risking for the God, and start giving?

Will Hill