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

The 11th Commandment

 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.  John 13:34-35

We live in a world with so much discourse and nonbelief in each other.  The conversations have become too hot to handle, and we talk to each other with such venom and emotion that at times it becomes impossible to hear the other side.  Those feelings can just overwhelm you, and recently, I too have dished it out with anger and frustration.  However, I once again discovered it was only through Christ that I could find my center again and a strength to love those who would wish ill will of me.

It is only through love of each other that we can reveal the love Christ has for us to others.  In reading today’s verses, we are given the hope of a better society that is attainable.  However, love, contrary to what you may have heard, is not easy.  Just like when you were asked to eat the vegetable you did not like because your mother said so, anything that is commanded never comes without a level of self-sacrifice.  It’s not just about the love for a child or spouse, and not for just God.  It is love for all who you would come in contact with.  Whether they act, look, think, or talk like you or not, we can only show ourselves to be true Disciples of Christ when we show love.  For in the end, those who love always come out ahead. 

Love is hard, but anything worthwhile is never easy.  So when someone says something you may not agree with, don’t jump to your initial reaction to be right.  Pause, and then reflect on the love God has for you.  Then, show that in your response.  That’s what this commandment is all about.  How can you focus on God’s love for you when challenged?  Will you let go of past anger, hurt, pride, or other inhibitors of love and pursue a more loving path toward others?  My prayer is that we take up Jesus on His new commandment; The 11^th Commandment.  Amen.

Tues Devo: But they

Hello,

I have been doing a lot of thinking this past week or so about how we justify our poor choices. Man is it easy. It is also a large trap. You see, it starts with justifying to ourselves. As we talk with ourselves (yup…not just you that does that!) we become more committed to our support of the bad decision. The more committed to the bad support of the bad decision we become, the tougher it is to be self-aware and see the impact.

It got me thinking about the Sermon on the Mount, and how in His calls to action there was nothing about how others acted to produce our responses – it is just that we are to respond well in our circumstances.

Matthew 5:1-12 “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (NASB)

I hope this encourages you today, have a blessed day.

Will Hill

Refresh

Psalm 23

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Right from the beginning of time we see that everyone needs down time.  Even the Lord took a rest after creating the heavens and the earth.  This week, my family has taken time to refresh.  We have been on vacation all week, spending time enjoying each other, seeing God’s beauty and simply relaxing. 

In this Psalm, David shares how the Lord leads him to relax and refresh.  When we allow the Lord to lead us and refresh us, we do better!

Are you taking time to relax and refresh yourself with the Lord?  My prayer today is that you are doing just that. 

God and Us

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.  So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.  Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.  Jonah 4:1-6

We often focus on how God is loving and righteous. Other times, we discuss His discipline or forgiveness.  However, one thing that God is that I at times fail to acknowledge is merciful.  The other day, I was upset over something, and I vowed to not follow something I knew God told me to do in scripture.  I was being totally honest that my heart was not into it, and spoke out.  While my comments did not hurt anyone, I know God would have a legitimate issue with what I was saying.  Yet, God was neither vengeful nor did I fall under His righteous discipline.  He just listened, and let me talk to Him.  After a timely debate with . . . well God and me, I was able to reset and follow what He asked of me.  It was then that I remembered the story of Jonah.  Reading it put things in perspective.

God know exactly what we need when we need it. In the story of Jonah, Jonah fully expects God’s wrath to come down on the city of Nineveh for their sinful ways.  However, God shows mercy when He sees the city “had put a stop to their evil ways,” and “He changed His mind.” (Jonah 3:10)  Jonah, apparently disappointed because there was not the fireworks show he expected, was angry feeling God had somehow let him down.  That felt similar to where I was the other day.  However instead of totally lighting into Jonah, He displayed mercy on Him for a moment.  Then, He educated Jonah to understand His righteous mercy.  The story is a great reminder to all of us for we too will have moments where we just do not like what God is saying to us.  However, just as He was to both the city of Nineveh and Jonah himself, God is full of mercy and compassion for His people.  As such, we are to always remember this when those around us lash out and deserve punishment or their just due.

Having compassion for others is a sign of God’s strength in us. It shows that we understand there is something bigger and more important than ourselves.  God shows us at times mercy for our wrongs, and offered His only Son as a shining example for us to follow.  Yes, we can be whacked on the knee when we don’t ‘get it,’ but God is patient with us.  Along those lines, we too should practice mercy and compassion toward others.  That makes for a better relationship with both God and others.  Where can you show greater compassion toward others?  How will you respond when God shows you mercy?  My prayer is that we are filled with God’s mercy when He allows us to have a talk between . . . God and us.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Support

2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.” (NASB)

Hello,

This verse has always been one of my favorites. I tend to focus on God proactively looking to help, and the need for use to put our hearts completely after Him. But what stuck out to me this time was the word ‘support’. You see, we don’t have to take support that is given. We need to acknowledge it’s existence, acknowledge our need for it, and then actually choose to use it.

He wants to support us as we give Him our whole heart – will you use the support?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hil

Change

Hebrews 13:8 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

This week has brought with it a number of changes for my family.  At first it was some stuff that was new and exciting, then things quickly turned to be scary and unpredictable and after that, more changes that are settling into a more comfortable place.  When we face changes, it is often a time that we turn to God to give us guidance.  While we certainly should be turning to him all the time to give us that guidance, it is during the times of change in our lives that I think we are most comforted by the fact that Christ does not change.  He is the same yesterday and today and forever. 

What has changed in your life that makes you grateful that Christ does not change?  When things aren’t changing, are you still seeking his guidance for your life? 

My prayer for you today is that you will always look for the unchanging love and security that you have in Christ.

In Remembrance

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.³ Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.  After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.  Hebrews 12:1-4

When we are alone, we are never truly alone.  There was a time that I felt utterly by myself.  No one to understand me and no one to care.  That sounds extreme because I had loving parents and a large family who lavished me with love.  However somehow, I had worked myself into this mental trap where I felt useless to those around me.  This was me at nineteen (Am I the only one hearing ‘Steely Dan’ in my head?).  Lost.  Feelings of failure and hopelessness ran through my mind.  Then a voice said to me in song, “Put the weight on my shoulders.”  This was the first time that I truly knew there was a God.  It was then I knew everything would be alright.  Thirty one years later, He’s still there, and has never left me.  Yes, I’ve grown in my faith by leaps and bounds, but it is good to always remember where God’s presence affected your life because it strengthens you knowing where He can take you if you trust in Him.

We must always look past our current circumstances by remembering how faithful God has always been.  Paul spoke to the Hebrews about God’s righteous discipline of His children and how we are to embrace it with enduring strength by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.  Think of how tough a sale that was!  Even though my dad past away years ago, I remember that last whipping from him like it was yesterday.  Not sure unconquerable strength was one of the virtues I got out of that one!  However, Paul was trying to prepare them for what was to come instead of remind them what had happened.  He wanted them to keep fighting for their journey of faith would not be an easy one, and God and others would test them as they struggled with the weight of their sinful ways.  Thus, his words were incredibly insightful not only for them but also us.  It is for us to remember that when things get rough, we have a savior who endured far worse circumstances.  He will be with us through our trials, and when no one cares or understands, He does!  Just hang on for as you keep your eyes fixed upon Him, strength to endure will come, and you will be victorious in the end.

Joy always comes in the morning if you can withstand the tests in the darkness.  I listened to a song that reminded me that I will eventually overcome my struggles because I serve a God who with Him I cannot lose.  But until then, I will keep loving Him.  That is what our journey of faith is about.  It’s seeing victory beyond our current circumstances, and in the meantime, keep loving God with our whole heart.  What is shackling you from focusing on Christ?  How can God’s past promises reassure you of a brighter tomorrow?  My prayer is that when faced with challenges we look to Jesus and His past faithfulness in remembrance.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Power of relationship

Hello,

As we go through our daily activities, distraction is a real thing! I am not talking about distraction from those daily activities, but how those can distract us from focus on our relationship with Christ. I wanted to quickly remind all of us that our power to accomplish things for Christ does not come from our own efforts or strength – but it comes from our relationship with God through Jesus. In Acts some guys tried to get in on the fame and authority that Jesus’ disciples were having, and discovered in a rough way that they didn’t quite have what it takes – the real relationship. While this may seem like a learning point for those who don’t know Jesus, I think it is equally as critical for us as believers to remember to put our efforts into our relationship with Christ, and let His power work through that relationship.

Acts 19:11-16 “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, ‘I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.’ Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, ‘I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” (NASB).

Have a blessed day – and spend time on your relationship with God, the source of what we need.

Will Hill