A Sense Of Confidence

If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!  In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.  2 Corinthians 3:9-12

Have you walked with a high sense of confidence before?  There are times at my job where I have this heightened sense that I know exactly what I need to do and when it needs to be done.  And once each task is completed successfully, my level of confidence just seems to grow.  Work just seems to be a great deal of … fun!  This brings me to the confidence one should have in Christ.  At times, I feel lost and distant, and each step I take is with a level of uncertainty.  Is this the right thing to do?  Have I prayed on this enough?  Will God be with me if I go down this new path?  However when I look at the times I have asked those questions and how God has come through each and every time, I step forward even sometimes blindly.  Thus, I walk by faith with that similar level of confidence I described at work knowing with each step God is with me.

Awareness of God’s omnipresence allows us to have certainty in our life.  In today’s verse, Paul is noting the difference between the covenant with God at the time of Moses and after the resurrection of Christ.  We note the weighty condemnation of the Israelites of Moses’ time.  They sinned against God, and were constantly under God’s discipline for their wrongdoings.  However, Christ saved us.  One might venture to say He understood the flaw of the covenant.  No, this is not to say God was ‘flawed’ in creating the old covenant.  Instead, He understood our struggles and challenges as His people, and realized He was the only answer toward building a loving relationship under His kingdom.  Thus, He inserted Himself as the problem solver, and as a result, created a new way that He foretold in Isaiah 43:19 (For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland).  Thus, our new way through Christ should inspire us for we were not worthy of His sacrifice, but we were given new life through Him.  Because of it, we should have an aura of confidence.  We can trust God will have our backs always through all situations.

God reassures us that He is with us each and every step of the way.  As such, we know that our walk of faith is never alone, and we can be as Paul says ‘very bold.’  The Psalms of David underline this best saying, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 KJV)  How can you casts your doubts to Christ today?  What steps can you boldly make with this heightened level of surety?  My prayer is we move forward in our walk of faith with a greater sense of confidence in Christ.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Honor

Hello,

I was thinking this week about people who are dependable. People who are not self-centered. People who live out what they say, regardless of circumstance. People who value truth. But what is the common thread? Honor is good to give  - but only when it belongs there. Honor is great to obtain, but only when deserved.

So I did a quick search on the word honor in the Bible. I found that 3 times it was paired with the word ‘humility’. Here they are (NASB):

Proverbs 15:32-33 “He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.”

Proverbs 18:11-12 ”A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility goes before honor.”

Proverbs 22:3-5 “The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, But the naive go on, and are punished for it. The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches, honor and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards himself will be far from them.”

This thread is important. I would bet that all of us want to be honorable, I hope seeing this from Proverbs provides some motivation towards humility – which comes before honor.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Power

Lately I have been using parts of the sermon series that I’ve been hearing on Sunday as my base for writing my devotions.  Today is no different.

Throughout the Bible, we read about the power of the Lord coming on people.  David was one of these people.  When we think about David, we often think about how he defeated Goliath.  That was powerful.  Here was a small shepherd boy who ended up killing a giant.  What we don’t often look at however is how power can be misused. 

2 Samuel 5:10

And he became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him.

David was certainly a king that had power.  His power continued to grow and he knew that whatever he wanted, he would get.  This is where he began to misuse his power.  One night, David was walking around his rooftop and saw a woman bathing.  He decided he wanted her.  When he inquired about her, he was informed that she was married to one of his soldiers.  He still decided to have his way with her and she became pregnant. 

At this point, he could have been humble, admitted his mistakes and yet he did not.  He arranged for this soldier to come home.  David was hoping he would sleep with his wife and everything could be covered up.  When that didn’t work, David arranged for him to be put on the front line.  He wanted his soldier, Uriah, to be killed so David wouldn’t have to worry about his mistake. 

How can you relate this to your life?  Maybe you’ve been in a position of power before.  It may have been hiring a new staff member or just as a parent.  Did you do what was really best or did you do what gave you an advantage? 

Today I want to encourage you to think about the power you find yourself with.  Are you using it to serve God or does God look upon you, like he did with David, displeased.

Thursday Devotional - Gifts to Give

There’s been lots of talk here at Thomson Reuters about breaking down silos, collaborating with coworkers, and valuing different perspectives. These aren’t new concepts. God thought of it first! He designed all of us to work together rather than individually and to use our unique skills and abilities for the benefit of all!

Romans 12:5-8       so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Believers make up Christ’s one body (the universal Church) with their unique God-given gifts. These gifts aren’t for us to keep to ourselves, save for a rainy day, or use when we feel like it.  God has given each of us unique ways to contribute to the lives of those around us to build up His universal Church.

What gifts has God given to you?

When have you and I not used them for the benefit of other believers?

How will you and I willingly and cheerfully use them for the benefit of fellow believers now and in the future, even when we don’t feel like it?

As verse 5 says, we belong to God and to each other!

Alice

Godly Chaos And Mayhem

“About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!”  Luke 15:14-17

So while on vacation, there are always these moments of chaos and mayhem.  For me, it’s when the grandchildren in Georgia come into the picture.  Four of them.  They are filled with exuberance and joy.  This should be a time of happiness for my wife and me … when I see it coming.  However when my wife says those infamous words, “Sure, they can spend the night,” and I am not consulted, welcome to chaos and mayhem.  I am no fan of these types of surprises.  However, I am yet thankful for all of them; my wife included. J I could be alone, unloved, unemployed, or with a multitude of things to be concerned with.  However, God has blessed me with this vacation where wife and children control my day.  What would my world be like without them?

We should always have gratitude for the life God has provided us.  I recently got additional insights from today’s verses from the book of Luke.  We always focus on the story of the Prodigal Son’s ungrateful ego in the beginning and humble return.  In reading to the point of his epiphany, we see a man destitute without hope.  He has nothing to look forward to or count on.  This is what a world without God looks like.  No one to trust and with no to care for you when you have nothing.  Many who choose to leave the world through suicide live in this kind of world, and this is heartbreakingly sad.  However, we DO have an awesome God.  It is the same God that when Jonah was angry with God and filled with despair, He did not desert him.  He provided shade for comfort (Jonah 4:6).  This is a reminder of who God is; a merciful who when we see nothing but despair provides us hope.  He is ever present and always there.  Furthermore, He has given us this wonderful life that in good times and bad we are to be forever grateful for.

We are to embrace life.  Not complain.  Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  Thus, is there room for us to either complain or be ungrateful? Would we prefer a world that the Prodigal Son found himself in?  Let us be as Paul said, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)  What circumstances can you give to God?  How can you be remindful of the world God has blessed you with?  My prayer is that we can be thankful of the joy God gives us even amidst chaos and mayhem.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Don't go alone

1 Thessalonians 3:1-3 “Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.” (NASB)

Hello,

Recently there was a situation I was involved with that left several confused. Turned out, someone was trying to go at things alone. As it ended, that person admitted they were doing too much on their own. How much are you doing on your own? There are many stories in the Bible of people teaming with others, but I like this one here in Thessalonians. When we think of Paul, sometimes we think of a lone wolf going through crazy trials, but look at his references to those with him. Even with sending Timothy – there were others he still had with him. Also, here we see that Paul didn’t want the church at Thessalonica to be on their own, which is why he sent Timothy to them.

Are you trying to go it alone? We were not designed to be alone, don’t fall for the lies of pride – be open with others. Lean on them, let them lean on you.

Have a blessed day,

Will

Godly Ambition

My cousin posted a good devotion this morning so I am sharing it with all of you as well.

“Delight thyself also in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart” Psalm 37:4

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25

~ The greatest rewards are those that are often overlooked--and almost always unexpected. Psalms 37:4, at first look, might seem like a statement of cause and effect. A person may read the verse by itself and quickly deduce that if he was to "delight" in God, then he could have what he wants. The problem is that the focus often shifts from the first part of the verse to the second. And so the verse is understood to tell a person that if he wants to get what he wants out of life, then all he need do is delight himself in the Lord. The result is that the person attempts to live a lifestyle that he believes will please God, so that he can have what he wants from this life. An example might be a person who, knowing that God rewards giving, decides to give twenty percent of his income to the church, feeling certain that God will give more to him than what he had to begin with. The problem with this line of thinking is when the motivation is more focused upon getting a desired reward rather than being a delight to God.

But as a person's focus is directed toward the first part of Psalms 34:7 ("Delight thyeself in the Lord"), then the rest of the verse falls into place. For as we draw near to God and delight to do His will, the desires of our heart are steadily transformed. Our ambitions, goals and aspirations begin to change--in perspective at least, if not also in direction. For what we desire moves away from selfish desire and moves toward godly ambition. We move away from pouring ourselves into doing what will bring us pleasure and seek how we might please God instead. And as we do, God grants us the desires of our heart because our desires have become a smaller reflection of His greater glory.

Jesus told us that "whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for [Jesus'] sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:25). Our greatest rewards will come when we do not seek them. As we seek to "lose" our lives, we open ourselves up to be the instruments of God's purpose, to accomplish His will on earth. Living this way will bring us great rewards, and that is because we do not seek rewards. We do not seek to store up treasures in heaven and we do not do our righteous acts so that God will reward us--we simply do them because--and we require nothing in return.

If our only reason to live the Christian life is to gain better reward then we have missed the point. Following Christ means sacrifice of our wants and giving up of personal desires so that God's greater good will prevail. ~ ❤️

Thursday Devotional - Of Little Importance?

Which part of your body would you say is the most important? Which would you say is the least? Have you ever hurt a “minor” part of your body only to realize how much you take it for granted when it works properly?

I was playing tickle monster with the kids two weeks ago and I stubbed my baby toe (or “foot piggy,” as Sarah calls it) while I was running through the house. It ended up being more than a stubbed toe. I either sprained or broke it and the pain has persisted. I’ve been wearing flops most of the time, as it’s most comfortable. Now I realize how important even my baby toe is!

Similarly, we can take for granted other members of the body of Christ (other believers).  

Romans 12:3-5       For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Who do you and I look down on, thinking our talents, gifts and abilities are better? 

Or why do you and I compare our responsibilities to those of others? 

Where do you and I need to value the different gifts of others in our family and local churches?

Paul says we aren’t to think more highly (or lowly) of ourselves as we have different functions but form one body in Christ. 

We’re all needed and of great importance!

Alice

Pleasures

Ecclesiastes 2:3; 10-11

I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;

    I refused my heart no pleasure.My heart took delight in all my labor,    and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done    and what I had toiled to achieve,everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;    nothing was gained under the sun.

As we head into the 4^th of July celebration, you often see parties with lots of drinking and sometimes people doing other questionable things that they think will bring them pleasure.  King Soloman was no different, he denied himself nothing that gave him pleasure.  He had 300 concubines and 700 wives.  He had a huge palace, yet in the end, it was all meaningless. 

I think many in the world today are very similar.  People chase after pleasures that they think will make them happy, only to find that it is a short lived pleasure, and in the end, they are left empty again. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today I want you to think about what brings you pleasure.  Is it something that in the end is meaningless?  Or are you living a life filled with pleasures that are pleasing to God?

Thursday Devotional - True Worship

I usually think of worship as something that comes from my mouth, whether I say it or sing it to God. I can praise God in prayer for His character or sing praise songs to Him. However, Paul points out that our entire lives and whole body are to be involved in worship.  

Romans 12:1-2       Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

As I was praying for my Dad that first week after his heart surgery, I wanted to know how best to help him. The surgeon had recommended a vegan diet to not just stop the rapid heart disease progression, but to hopefully reverse some of the blockage in the arteries that didn’t get stents. So, I helped make some vegan meals and decided I could join him in his new diet!

A couple different follow up doctors didn’t recommend that extreme of a diet, but did suggest an increased focus on plant-based foods. So, I haven’t kept to the original diet perfectly after that first week, but we have been much more intentional and careful about what we eat. It made me realize how difficult it is to make one small sacrifice when God has made so many sacrifices and didn’t ever quit or give up.

In addition to your and my words and songs, how else will you and I worship God with our bodies (whether it’s what we put into them, what we do with them, or what we choose not to do)?

Alice