Obey God or Man?

After being put in prison for giving credit to Jesus for healing a lame man, what would you expect Peter and John to say at their interrogation?

I’m sure they were prayerful. As such:

Acts 4:8-12    ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹ If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, ¹⁰ then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. ¹¹ Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected,
    which has become the cornerstone.’

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

I know I would be prayerful in a situation like this. However, the Holy Spirit would really need to help me be bold like Peter! He didn’t hesitate (or tread lightly), even though he had no idea what additional punishment lay ahead.

In fact, after the religious leaders conferred with each other:

Acts 4:18-20    ¹⁸ Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! ²⁰ As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Wow! Peter and John didn’t compromise.

Where are you and I tempted to listen to and do what someone else says rather than what God says? Maybe it’s to avoid conflict. No matter what the earthly consequence, we’re to obey God over and above anyone else.

Alice

Serve Others

I Peter 4:10

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Each of us has been given gifts from God that we are to use to serve others.  For me, one of my gifts is serving others.  I like to do for others whatever they need.  Sometimes that’s making meals for families that just welcomed a new baby.  Sometimes it’s watching a friend’s kid. 

We are each called to serve others.  While this looks different for each of us, it still shows God’s love when we do for others.  Think about the times that others have done something to serve you and the feeling that you had from that. 

How are you sharing God’s love with others by serving them?  Often you may not even think about it, because it’s second nature.  Today I encourage you to find a special way to serve someone who may not know God’s love.

Cloud of Witnesses

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by

so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside

every weight, and the sin which so easily

ensnares us, and let us run with endurance

the race that is set before us, looking unto

Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”

     Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)

The Bible doesn’t hide the flaws of the men and women who are depicted in Scripture.  But it can be a bit intimidating to read about the great faith they demonstrated in challenging circumstances.  They and their stories seem larger than life.  Yet it was in those very circumstances that God showed Himself strong.  So many people in recent times are part of that great “cloud of witnesses” and demonstrate that He works like that today as well.

One such example is Joni Eareckson Tada.  She became a quadriplegic as the result of a diving accident when she was a teen.  It was a crisis of faith and she understandably asked a lot of hard questions of God.  But He brought her through it and her quadriplegia has become a wonderful platform to glorify God. He has used her in a mighty way to minister to others with disabilities, their families and caregivers, as well as believers in general.  In addition, she is an accomplished artist and God has given her a beautiful voice.

When we experience a tragedy, when something happens that bursts our dreams and dashes our hopes, it’s normal to ask the “why” questions of God. But if we can get past that and ask Him “what” and “how” instead (i.e., what He wants us to learn from it and how He wants to use it), we might be amazed to find that God intends to use these difficult circumstances for His great purposes if we let Him.  God works best in our weaknesses, so surrender the circumstances to Him.  He is the author and finisher of our faith, so trust and obey Him. We can run with endurance this race with His strength and by His power.

Calming the storm

Matthew 8:23-27

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

This weekend, I experienced what, I think, the disciples must have been feeling in this passage.  We had a Cub Scout camp out.  My husband was sick, so it was completely up to me to step up and do it.  That was fine however the weather was 100% rain and 50 MPH winds.  After we went through the activities that were outdoors, we changed out of our freezing cold, wet clothing and cuddled into our sleeping bags.  It took a bit to get my son to sleep but after he was out, I laid there, listening to the winds and rain, a bit afraid of what the night would bring.  I started praying, “Lord, save us!”.  The rain was predicted to go until 8 AM so I fully did not expect to sleep at all through the night.  As I laid there praying, there was a low in the rain and winds.  I finally fell asleep for a bit. 

I woke up again a bit later, first thought being concerned again.  That’s when I felt the Lord telling me, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”  I felt some peace and knew the we would be okay.  While the winds continued a bit, the rain did stop about 2 AM. 

Through our lives, we often face different storms.  The Lord is waiting for us to trust him.  Have you seen him calm the storms in your life?  Take the time today to trust that the Lord is in control and will calm the storms at the right time.

Psalm 6--Deliverance

“O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,

Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;

O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O LORD--how long?

Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake!

For in death there is no remembrance of You;

In the grave who will give You thanks?

I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim;

I drench my couch with my tears.

My eye wastes away because of grief;

It grows old because of all my enemies.

Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;

For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.

The LORD has heard my supplication;

The LORD will receive my prayer.

Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;

Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.”

     Psalm 6:1-10 (NKJV)

God is a mighty deliverer, as many stories in the Bible illustrate.  Just think of how He parted the Red Sea to deliver the children of Israel from all of Pharaoh’s armies.  Or how He protected Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-Nego from destruction in King Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace.   Or opened the prison doors and shackles for Paul and Silas.

And God still delivers today.  From desperate situations, from fear, from sickness, from oppression, etc.  But deliverance doesn’t always come when we’d like and we have to wait.  Sometimes God uses the situation to grow our faith, to help us learn patience and perseverance, to strengthen our dependence on Him.  But we can be sure that He hears our prayers and His timing is perfect.

So don’t give up, don’t be discouraged. Press into Him; trust fully in Him.  God is rich in mercy and His abundant grace is sufficient to sustain us until deliverance comes.

Thursday Devotional - Better than Money

Does money really buy happiness?

I’m sure Jessica’s family would pay thousands and thousands of dollars to bring her sister-in-law back to life, pay for a cancer cure, etc. (see Monday’s devotional) Money doesn’t solve all our problems.

Peter offered better than money to a lame beggar.

Acts 3:6-10 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” ⁷ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹ When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

More than just physical healing, this man was offered spiritual healing! God used the physical healing to open the door for Peter to share the truths about God and Jesus Christ (as you can read in the rest of chapter 3). The beggar was so thankful Peter gave him something better than money!!!

What about you and me? Are we more focused on providing financial means for ourselves and our family? Or, are we giving those around us something better than money? Are we sharing the truths of God that can bring spiritual healing for all eternity, no matter what happens in this life?

Alice

Heart & Humility

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
       be pleasing in your sight,
       O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19:14

The topic of prayer has recently come up in my journey.  Not just from the standpoint of my own prayers but more into the thought of praying the right prayer.  When I was a younger Christian (if you consider being 40 ‘young,’ I heard a gentleman talk about prayer life saying that God is all knowing, and even if you are not good at prayer, he understands your heart.  And He will hear your prayer and request.  As I’ve grown older, I heard more complex teachings on prayer.  For example, the sermon at my church this week gave me three key takeaways.  My pastor said that prayer is defined by the entire Bible and not just a few verses.  Second, it is about connecting with God and not about what we get out of it.  Finally, it is an act of obedience and not desperation.  These points were very helpful in understanding what a prayer life should be like.  My confusion however focused on what I first learned.  If my prayers are not really good, can my prayer life be?  The answer is in the humility which you present it with.

Our words and hearts must be in alignment with each other for our prayers to really be worthwhile.  You see, you really can’t have a solid prayer life unless your heart is into it.  That is why a person who is born again and seemingly ignorant on the right way to pray to God can be more impactful than the most studied of prayer warriors.  Reading the Psalms of David are a great reminder of what a successful prayer life would sound like.  I was reading a historian’s viewpoint on David’s writing of the 19^th Psalm.  They said the chapter is twofold talking first about how great God is and how he is Lord over all things.  However, the second part is a bit of his own introflection.  David wrote:

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
    Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
    Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
    and innocent of great sin.  Psalm 19:12-13

 It’s as if to say, “I know I am not you, God.  Help me be a good man and not a worldly one.”  This shows the humility of David understanding that while he is King of Israel and a great man, he is a servant of God, and as such, needed Him to help make the right choices so that he will be blameless.  How often do we go to God with this kind of heart?  One that acknowledges His greatness and our weakness?  This was why the closing of the 19^th Psalm was perfect.  We want our prayers to fully see who God is, and to look upon Him knowing we simply cannot make it without Him.  This is the heart of a believer who is fully connected with God.

Our prayer life is a simple reminder of our relationship with God.  It keeps it real because it is above a ritual that we mark off and more personal than practical.  Do not let your prayers just be an idle act.  Make it meaningful and impactful as a true act of worship, appreciation, and adoration for the one true living God.  Are your prayers heartfelt or just going through the motions?  What changes can you make to improve on your prayers and prayer life?  My prayer is that we go to God frequently with two key ingredients; heart and humility.  Amen.

The comfort of the Lord

Psalm 23:4

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.

Over the past week, I have traveled a very dark valley with my husband and his family.  We watched helplessly as my husband’s sister, came to the end of her battle with cancer.  We watched helplessly as her husband and kids tried to understand why and how they would go on.  We watched helplessly, yet we feared no evil, as we knew the Lord was with all of us through this dark valley.  His rod and staff have been there to comfort us and we know they will continue to be there to comfort us.

What has been hardest however, is watching as some of those that loved her, do not know the Lord and therefore do not know the comfort that we have in him.  I thank the Lord that Mary was a born again Christian and loved the Lord, yet struggle with how this will impact her husband and kids that do not have that relationship. 

Today, I ask that you pray for those around you that do not know the Lord.  This world can be dark and hard to survive without the love and comfort of God. 

Storm Shelter

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

the righteous run to it and are safe.”

     Proverbs 18:10

“For You have been a shelter to me,

a strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

Selah.”

     Psalm 61:3-4

Spiritual storms come in all shapes and sizes, and none of us are immune from them. It’s been said that if you’re not in a storm right now, you’ve either just come out of one or one is heading your way.  That’s why it’s so helpful to know the many promises of refuge and shelter in the Bible, such as the two listed above.

A daily infusion of the word of God helps us prepare, so that when the storms start raging, we’ll know (or know where to find) pertinent verses to strengthen and encourage us.

I’m grateful that the Lord’s name is a strong tower and that when I run to it, I’m safe.  I’ve experienced God’s shelter under His wings and I know it brings rest and peace, even in the midst of a storm.

God doesn’t promise that we will avoid the storms, but He will be with us and help us through them.  Hide God’s word in your heart, run to Him when the dark clouds appear and know that He is a strong tower of protection for you. 

Thursday Devotional - Clearing up Confusion

At the tower of Babel (Genesis 11), God confused the people’s languages because of their disobedience. They had refused to scatter over the earth as He commanded, so He made it so they had to scatter because they couldn’t understand each other anymore. However, on the day of Pentecost, God united the different languages.

Acts 2:1-6, 11-12      When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.

⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken… ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” ¹² Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

Peter boldly answered their question by sharing the truths about Jesus.

Acts 2:32-33, 36       ³² God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. ³³ Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear… ³⁶ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

Peter then boldly called them to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and salvation. God brought all the different languages together. Jesus had died for all of them, no matter what their nationality or background. His plan of salvation is available to any who will accept it.  

Acts 2:21       And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Who do you and I know that is confused and needs clarity about God and His truths? Like Peter, we can clearly, lovingly and boldly share God’s plans with them by the Holy Spirit’s power.

Alice