Tues Devo: Need or practice

Philippians 4:19-20 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (NASB)

Hello,

This weekend I did some praying and reflecting on the needs we have as we face daily challenges. We pray for patience, wisdom, peace, endurance etc. But what do we mean when we pray for those things? Do we pray for them and then sit back and wonder if they will be given? Or, do we pray expectantly – trusting that God will do what he says in Philippians 4?

What struck me the most was that while I do pray expectantly, I miss the second part…..the part where I act on it. Sometimes I believe we get focused on our need for patience/wisdom/peace/endurance and forget to trust in God’s provision by action. I think about the patience thing with my kids. I pray to be patient, but find myself 5 minutes later ready to bite their heads off! Did God provide patience? Was His supply enough? He did supply it – I have to practice using it. I didn’t have a need deficit, I simply didn’t use what was given to me.

I hope this makes some sense to all of you, and encourages us to trust in God’s provision of our needs – and practice using what He has given.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Thursday Devotional - Where's Your Zeal?

We often describe James as very eager. He is zealous and passionate about so many things! However, he often needs redirected. 😊

Last week we saw how Paul grieved (in the first part of chapter 9) over the Jews’ lack of belief. Here, he continues to share his heart’s desire and prayer for their misdirected zeal.

Romans 10:1-4       Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. ² For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. ³ Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. ⁴ Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

(Romans 9:31-32   but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. ³² Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.)

Paul says Israel pursued righteousness by the law instead of by faith and submission to God. They were zealous, but not with the right focus!

Do you know anyone who is eagerly and passionately striving for something you know they will never attain or master? Maybe they have the wrong focus. Maybe it’s a kid with a particular sport. Maybe it’s a teen or adult pursuing a relationship that won’t turn into anything or won’t satisfy like they think.

What are you and I zealous about? If we eagerly and passionately pursue God through faith in Christ, our zeal won’t be wasted. He will give us lasting satisfaction!

Alice

Understanding The Process

So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?  You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years.  I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.  Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.  Galatians 4:9-12a

When I was a child in elementary school, I learned how to do algebra quickly.  In fact, I got so good at it that I would do it in my head.  That carried me all the way to freshman year in high school, where I started to struggle.  The thing was I could figure in my head the answer because it became second nature to me.  However, I was not able to understand why that was the correct answer.  I had to learn the process that went with it.  Thus, I was slower than my peers that year.  However, once I understood the process, I was doing college level math by my senior year.  This very much reminded me of my journey with God.  When I was saved, I became His child, but I did not jump from ‘saved’ to Heaven.  I needed to understand why He valued me and to serve Him out of love and not obligation.  We know Heaven is the final destination and ‘answer to our math question,’ but we still must go through the process of learning His purpose for our lives here in this world.

We must focus on process of growing through Christ.  Many accept the gift of grace failing to go further to understand who He is.  They carry on just knowing that He saved them, but focus on doing things as an obligation toward salvation.  In those cases, we fail in our relationship with Christ because we do not deepen it or to Paul’s point, “earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years.”  Others focus on feeling emotionally connected with God without building enough substance Biblically.  They experience little change in their life, and thus, they eventually fall toward spiritual stagnation, which eventually diminishes the emotional connection altogether.  However, a true life changing spirit filled journey is not only action-oriented but also creates a transformative change of heart.  Paul was bringing this awareness to the Galatians.  He encouraged them to live a life free from the bondage of obligations and to replace it with one of love for God.  If we love God, we surrender ourselves to Him, but it is not surrendering to bondage.  Instead, it is freedom from the bondage of sin, guilt, disappointment, sorrow, and any other inhibitor of joy you can think of.  We become selfless driven to act on His behalf and love others as He loves us.

To know God is simply not enough.  We must be willing to invest our time and energy into growing that relationship.  Paul’s fear was clear in today’s verses.  We should not settle for a life continuing as is and just accepting grace, and we should not do what God says just because it is written.  Let us live free focusing on learning more about who God is and letting our love for Him drive us toward obedience.  What steps in your journey might you have ‘skipped’ past?  How will you continue to build on your foundation of Christ to forge a deeper relationship with Him?  My prayer is that we embrace our journey of faith looking to understand the process.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Memory

Hello,

The memory is a powerful thing. Our memory influences decisions about what to do or not do again. Clear memory adds in motivation, and an aligned rationale (true whether we are influenced to start or stop – and whether it is good or bad). We can use our memory to help us push through challenging times. We can use it to not lose sight of whom we are aligned to, and where we are going. There are several instances in scripture of God remembering. I know He can’t forget, but I see this term with Him as meaning “taking action because He didn’t forget”.

Some examples:

Genesis 8:1 “But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided.” (NASB)

Genesis 19:29 “Thus is came about, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived” (NASB)

Genesis 30:22 “Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb.” (NASB)

I pray we are all encouraged to spend some time remembering whom we follow and what He has done for us today.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Hiding behind laughter

Proverbs 14:13

Even in laughter the heart may ache, and rejoicing may end in grief. 

A friend of mine shared this verse this morning and I thought it was perfect timing.  Many people really know how to hide behind a smile or a laugh even when going through a tough time, yet at the end of the day, it does not help them through what they are going through.  Yesterday, was a very rough day for me.  My husband had to be to church an hour early as he was doing the sound, so we planned to take two cars.  My son was not wanting to listen to me at all.  I had all I could take and there was no way for me to hide behind a smile or a laugh.  Instead, there I was at church, tears flowing from my face.  I had one lady that stopped to try to comfort me and said that someday I would look back at all of this and laugh. 

While at the moment, her words just added to the heartache, today I can thank God that he has given me that child and while there will be days where I want to hide behind laughter, I have a God that holds me through all of it and things do not have to end in grief. 

My prayer today is that you will know the love of Jesus Christ so that you do not have to hide behind laughter and end with grief.

Thursday Devotional - Advantages Appreciated?

Sarah is much better at entertaining herself than James. When she thinks to play with a particular toy, then sometimes James decides that’s the toy he wants to use, too! Funny how that works, no matter how many other toys are available!

 

As adults, we sometimes don’t appreciate and use the advantages and blessings we have. In fact, can you think of someone who has received numerous blessings and lots of advantages but doesn’t recognize, appreciate or use them? Paul could.

Paul wrote the book of Romans to primarily Gentile believers in Rome. God had appointed him to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 15:16). Yet, in the following passage Paul grieves over the Jews’ lack of belief, despite all their advantages.

Romans 9:1-5          I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— ² I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, ⁴ the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. ⁵ Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

The Jews had so many advantages, but didn’t recognize, appreciate or respond appropriately.

What advantages has God given to you and me? How are (or will) you and I appropriately use them for God’s purposes in our own lives and the lives of those around us?

Let’s take time to recognize the advantages He has provided and give Him thanks!

Alice

Finished

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”  A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:28-30

“Are we done yet,” asks my daughter as we go down the path of her impending punishment. This is the conversation we seemingly have over and over again.  We discuss something along the lines of, “You need to take responsibility for your own actions,” or, “It’s not about what you want.  It’s about what we expect from you.”  We try to be careful realizing one day this strong-willed child will be a force for good.  But yesterday, I simply wanted the little girl who tried to please her Dad with little tears running down her face.  So, we get to her punishment, and then, we are finished.  She storms upstairs frustrated that I have been harsh (in her eyesight), and I am hopeful she understands the right things to do in the future.  While we are finished with the conversation, it is part of the bigger picture of helping one young girl become a young woman.  My wife and me understand one of our purposes is to help her make that transition from young girl to a God-fearing woman, and we pray she will one day appreciate that.

Trusting God is key to ensure His purpose for our lives is fulfilled. This past week, I kept reflecting on today’s verses on Jesus’ crucifixion.  Why did He say, “It is finished,” when He knew He would rise from the grave?  Jesus had done all that He needed to do on earth.  He showed He was the Messiah through teachings and miracles.  He gave the hope of the Good News to come.  He took on all that the world could offer, and most important of all, He gave His life in sacrifice for us.  He submitted His free spirit to God.  There was nothing left for Him to do.  So, His work here on earth was … finished.  But we know it was not the end.  How often do we continue to fight and claw through a situation without an end in sight?  Perhaps now is the time to focus both intently and with clarity what God’s next move is for your life.  Our work or efforts in a situation may be indeed ‘finished,’ but we must remember that just because our work is finished does not mean it is the end.  Only God makes that determination for as written in the book of Isaiah, “When He opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them.” (22:22b)

God has a purpose for everyone.  Sure, the journey may seem endless, and sometimes, we may not even feel like we know where we are going.  But if we trust in God, we know there is a bigger plan.  So let us focus on continuing to both seek and fulfill our purpose such that when the end is truly in sight, we can speak as Paul wrote:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8

What Godly purpose do you have left unfulfilled?  How can you make steps toward finding God’s purpose for your life?  My prayer is that we continue to follow God unconditionally until we can say to Him, “It is finished.”  Amen.

Honoring your Mother

Proverbs 23:25

May your father and mother rejoice;
    may she who gave you birth be joyful!

I know it is the day after but to all of you Mother’s out there, Happy Mother’s Day.  For those who are not Mother’s, maybe don’t even have any children or you’re a guy, you might not think all too much about Mother’s Day any more.  I have been guilty of not doing much more than sending my mom something and a quick phone call. 

This year was different.  My mom, sisters and I took a weekend trip.  We didn’t get home until rather late last night so we did not get to spend much time with our own kids however it was a complete joy to spend the weekend celebrating our mom and watching her be filled with joy.  She wasn’t showered with lavish gifts at all.  We just spent a great weekend together. 

We often think about the commandment to honor our father and mother.  While that does mean to obey them, that is not all.  Honoring them is so much more.  It brings them joy when you honor them. 

How can you honor your mother, whether she is near you, miles away or even no longer with us? 

Thursday Devotional - No Separation from God's Love

Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39 

Last night James thanked God for His love for us and that He always loves us. What a difference it would make if we could all remember that all the time!!! Nothing can separate us from His love. Believers aren’t exempt from troubles and times of suffering, but we know that in the end we will be more than conquerors through Christ who made it possible for us to have eternal salvation!   

Do you ever feel like the world is against you? What about family members, friends, co-workers, etc.? 

When feelings like this surface, how can you and I remind ourselves and claim the fact that God always loves us? 

What encouragement will you and I receive by remembering that NO ONE and NO THING can separate us (who are children of God) from God’s love?

Alice

Each And Every Day

And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”  1 Samuel 7:3

When I got married, I was convinced in every word that was said in our wedding vows.  To love and cherish.  To have and to hold.  In sicknesses and in health.  Until death do us part.  All that stuff was about Loretta and me.  We didn’t get there overnight.  We had ups and downs, and times where family and my own silliness pulled us apart.  But we always ended back up together.  She stood above all as the best thing that ever happened to me.  I couldn’t say that back when I was going through it with her.  But now, it is crystal clear.  She is worth every fight, argument, disappointment, and tear that we went through to get to today.  And the funny thing is our love grows every day.  This is who we are, and we are committed to making our love for each other better.

When we have a relationship with God, we are bound to a relationship that will continue to grow and have value.  We always think of our relationship with God as at times ‘hot and cold.’  The people of Israel were in their ‘cold’ stretch, but this one lasted for twenty years!  Ouch!  Samuel’s words were to help the Israelites understand that those things that divided them from God were within their control (FYI – Ashtoreths were idols representing the Canaanites goddess Ashtoreth – see https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/ashtoreth/ for more details).  Shortly after following Samuel’s instruction, God defeats the Philistines when they attempted to attack Israel.  When reading the chapter, it should serve as a reminder of our commitment to God.  If we are too proud or focused on things that detract from Him or His will for our lives, we are destined to be in the cold stretch like Israel.  However if we remove those obstacles that could separate us from Him, we will have our great and awesome defender who will move mountains and protect us from harm.  We must ask ourselves, “Why is this so easy to understand and yet so hard to attain?”  The commitments that we have in our lives range from ‘what shirt to where’ to ‘do I want to be saved.’  How difficult the commitment is to God boils down to one thing: Who are you committed to?  Are you committed to the Lord, or are you committed to yourself?  Only you can answer that question, and it is only you who can make the decision.  Any great relationship has struggles.  Whether it gets repetitive or we see something more exciting or new, we can get distracted.  But if we focus on what matters to God, we will always find His faithfulness reassuring and His wisdom filled with something new.

God is constant.  Yes, there will be times where we do not make sense of what He wants from us, and we may stray away.  But whether it be for a day, a month, or even years, He is always there.  Waiting.  Loving. Saying to you as Jesus said to disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”  (Matthew 16:24b)  Let us remove those things that inhibit our connectivity to our one true God.  What obstacles inhibit your connection with God?  How will you focus on what God wants above what you want?  My prayer is we recognize our relationship with God, and commit to growing our love for Him each and every day.