DEVOTION - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2011

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2011

“THE NEXT CHALLENGE”

BY

TAMI WEISSERT

Acts 12:1-25    About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church...

Think about it.
What was Peter's next challenge (12:1-5)? How did he handle it (12:6)? How did the Lord handle it (12:7-12)? How did the believers handle it (12:12, 15-17)? Have you ever struggled to accept God's answer to your prayers? How did God handle the problem with Herod (12:20-25)?

the blog.
Peter finds himself in a bad situation in Acts 12. Herod has killed James. He's arrested Peter and is planning on making a spectacle of killing him as well. But, God had a different plan for Peter which included a miraculous (and I do mean miraculous) escape from prison. Now I found myself wondering why God would allow this situation in the first place and why this elaborate escape. I don't know the answer to that, but it got me thinking about what Peter and the group that was praying for him learned from this, and how were they impacted going forward? And, really, those are questions for us as well.

So what did you learn from Acts 12:1-25 about God's power and control and His way of working? What does this situation show us about relying on and trusting God? Any other thoughts about this passage?

DEVOTION - TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2011

TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2011

“STRENGTHEN YOURSELF”

BY

BAYLESS CONLEY

For today's devotional, I would like you to read 1 Samuel 30:6 again as it contains another truth I want you to see,

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters.  But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

Notice that this verse begins by saying, David was greatly distressed, but it ends this way,  But David strengthened himself in the Lord.

It is all right to weep, but when you are done, you need to strengthen yourself.  It is all right to grieve, it is all right to express those emotions, but when you are done, you need to strengthen yourself in the Lord.

You need to connect with God in whatever way you find is best for you.  If it is lifting your hands and worshiping Him, then that is what you should do.

If it is getting into His Word (which I would suggest for everyone) and spending time feeding your spirit, then do that.  If it is reminding yourself about how God has helped you in the past, you need to do that.

Personally I believe that is what David was doing when the Bible says he "strengthened himself in the Lord."  I think David was reminding himself about:

· How God delivered him from the lion and the bear;

· How God delivered Goliath into his hands; and

· How God delivered him when Saul tried to kill him.

I am confident David was thinking, "You know, God hasn't delivered me so miraculously in my past to get to this point and to let go of my hand and abandon me.  I know He is going to help me now."

David was strengthening himself in the Lord, and you need to learn to do the same thing.

DEVOTION, MONDAY, MAY 30, 2011

MONDAY, MAY 30, 2011

“ARE  YOU LOOKING THROUGH THE RIGHT EYEGLASSES??”

BY

ADRIAN ROGERS

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

People join churches today with wrong expectations. They think church membership guarantees blessings and no burdens. Some think that God is just a heavenly cafeteria. And if it doesn’t work out as they wish, they say, “Well, it’s not paying off! I thought if I gave my heart to Jesus, then He would supply everything I want. And I’d have no more worries.”

People fall away because their expectations are not met. Let me tell you what real faith is. Real faith is not just receiving from God the things you want. Real faith is accepting from God the things He gives.

How are your spiritual eyeglasses? Are you looking at life with the eyes of the Lord? And trusting that He will provide, not necessarily what you want, but what you need?

DEVOTION - MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011

MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011

“SENSING SIN”

BY

BOB COY

The seventh chapter in Joshua stands as a powerful warning of sin’s infectious effects. In short, it tells the story of a man named Achan and how his personal act of disobedience caused a national crisis.

Israel had begun its conquest of the Promised Land, and one city after another fell in their path, including Jericho. And it was there that God specifically commanded the Israelites to not touch or take any of the victory spoils, which is exactly what Achan did. He secretly snagged a few pieces of silver, a wedge of gold, and a Babylonian garment, and he buried them under his tent. God saw this and removed His hand of protection from His people.

Joshua, Israel’s commander, was unaware of what Achan had done, and went ahead with an invasion of Ai, which ended in disaster. Joshua couldn’t figure it out. Why had they been defeated like this? Had God forsaken them? Notice what happens when Joshua falls on his face and gets alone with God:

So the LORD said to Joshua… “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived…” (Joshua 7:10-11 NKJV)

In his solitude with the Lord, Joshua discovered that there was a serious sin issue in Israel. Sin was brought to light and eventually dealt with. But please note that it was one-on-one time with the Holy One that got things going in the right direction.

This example can carry over into our lives, as well. When our lives are consumed with people and relationships, it’s often hard to discern sin’s presence in our hearts. But when we are set apart and in the holy presence of God, we become more sensitive to sin that needs to be dealt with.

Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?

DEVOTION - SATURDAY , MAY 21, 2011

SATURDAY,  MAY 21,  2011

“FRIENDSHIP OF GOD”

BY

DR JAMES MACDONALD

Psalm 25:14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

It's hard to read that verse and not do a double take. You're like, "Friendship?  How does that connect with the ‘for those who fear him' part of the verse?" The Bible is full of these stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks statements. God's Word will make you think about what you think you know. This verse tells us that fear is the foundation of our relationship with God. Fear is not the life that we're living in Him today. It's the foundation of that life.

I John 4:18 says that "perfect love casts out fear . . . and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." When I'm walking in the ways of the Lord and in fellowship with the Lord, I grow up into a love relationship with God. But I'm really glad I still have that fear foundation. What if I'm tempted to be a selfish moron later today? I've got that foundation reminding me, "What will the God you fear think of this?" So you want your relationship with God to be built on a foundation of fear, but then grown up into a love relationship with God: "The friendship of the Lord."

Actually the word friendship in this verse can also be translated secret or intimate. This interesting word in the Hebrew refers to the confidential counsel that you would get from a close friend. So, the secret, intimate, confidential counsel that comes from the friendship of the Lord "is for those who fear Him." God shares His best stuff with the people who fear Him. This is the closeness of trusting God.

My dad was a big-time disciplinarian. "Wait 'til your father gets home" had real meaning in our house. Now I have a friendship with my parents. We laugh together. We cry together. We pray together. I have the most amazing relationship with my parents. But even when I talk to them about something difficult—especially with my dad—I still choose my words carefully because they're my parents.

Even in our friendship relationship with God there's still that sense of "He's God; I'm not." It's an intimacy, but it's an intimacy that has the foundation of healthy fear.
—James MacDonald