All in Daily Devotional
We live in a culture that honors self-assuredness and strength in pursuit of fame and fortune over all else, but God, on the other hand, places love and humility above pride and strength. When it comes to strength, He is looking for us to have strength as it relates to our faith and character alone. So, what do we value most as we live out our lives?
Do we want to be great men and women of faith? Is our goal to be like Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, or Martin Luther King? Is working quietly in the trenches unappealing to us? Did the first sentence of our morning prayers today contain the words "give me", "make me", or "let me?" God has no desire to make you great unless it just so happens that by doing so it will fulfil His will. As a matter of fact, some of the great disappointments in the Bible have been great people (like Nebuchadnezzar and Delilah) but men like David became great despite themselves because God needed them for that purpose or example. Often (also like David) they were great in spite of themselves. So, do we really want to seek greatness for ourselves?
Are there sins in our lives that the Lord must remove by fire? Do we hold on so tightly to them, or have they become so deeply rooted, that the only way to remove them is to burn them out? I think of a couple examples today of purification by fire. The first is Isaiah who spoke unclean Things among a people who commonly did the same. When he came into the presence of God he realized he was sinful and the smell of smoke caused him great fear... because he felt as though God might destroy him for his transgression... Do we have sins that cause us to feel this way too?
We are all moved to work diligently for the kingdom when we are in the middle of an active calling, but how do we spend our time after God has called us out, after a calling is complete, and we are praying for God to reinsert us into his service? Is this simply a time of rest, do we give up and put our faith on the shelf, or maybe we find ourselves unsettled, despondent, or impatient as we cry and ask for a new assignment?
In what way do we find ourselves rejoicing? Are we taking personal satisfaction in the number of souls WE bring to God? Are we celebrating God's victories as if they were our own? Or, do we find ourselves claiming victory for the power He has given us? Would it surprise you to learn that Jesus said don't do these things?
What is our role in performing those things that God calls us to? Are we working for God, ourselves, or in concert with God? The answer might surprise you.
The result of our faith is a realignment of our lives and how we interact with those within it. Are you seeing this occur, and are you willing to let it happen? Are you being transformed into a new person?
Do we ask the right questions of Jesus, and if by chance we do, are we listening as we should to the answer... with the right heart? The apostles studied under Jesus day and night, and yet, even they struggled to ask the right questions of Him. We see this when Philip asked if Jesus could show them the Father. Was it the right question to ask? Some say no, but let's listen to scripture as Jesus replies...
As I thought about the point of my morning devotional reading by E.M. Bounds, I looked back on my own life as a Christian and could easily see the point he was making regarding action. His point was that working, and moving about, doesn’t insure that a person is advancing and becoming more devoted to their faith in God and Jesus.
How do we judge what we are contributing to the kingdom of God? Are we looking at our efforts, or the Lord’s? This is our topic for the day. When God calls us to perform His will, how do we go about determining if we will accept His calling? Do we look at our own skills and determine if it is possible for us, and then reject those things that we feel are beyond our ability? Or, perhaps we look at Jesus and say to ourselves "He could do all those things because He was the Son of God" and thus justify our silence when God calls out our weak and miserable name? Well, we should not look at our own strengths and weaknesses, but to the promises and power of God who calls us, and can do all things.
God calls us suddenly, and usually without announcement, are we ready at a moment's notice, or must we make preparations before answering His call? Will we instantly reply "Here I am!" When He calls? I find it interesting that most of the great prophets and leaders of the Bible answered instantly when God called them. There is no hesitation and no consideration as to why they were being called.
When was the last time that you instantly dropped everything you were doing and rushed to see something, or someone? Have you ever abandoned everything you owned to pursue a dream, or the hope in something? How about your faith?
Easter morning has come and gone, and the tomb of Jesus stands empty; the sorrow of Good Friday, and the solemn silence of the sealed tomb is behind us... Jesus Has Risen! We are standing at the pinnacle of our faith. Can we carry it forth with us always; even into the valleys of life?
This morning I am sifting through my life and identifying those things which God has asked of me that remain undone. For the most part I have done the big things, but what about those details that didn't seem too significant or relevant to the big picture... did I gloss over them and leave them undone? I was reading my morning devotional and Oswald Chambers struck me square between the eyes when he recalled the story of King Asa. This king brought Israel back to God in a powerful way, he even took the title of queen mother from his own mother because she was found to have an image of Asherah (that he also took and destroyed). But in all his obedience to God, he left one task undone...
What does it mean to be yoked with Jesus? This is our concentration for the day. Will we find a life of leisure, hardship, joy, or will it be suffering? What will this life we are living mean to us spiritually and physically? When we read the scripture in which Jesus invites us to become yoked with Him, we hear descriptions that sound appealing... restful, gentle, easy, and light... let's read it again: