DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 6.25.22

Warsand Rumors of Wars “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must cometo pass, but the end is not yet.” (Matthew24:6) Christians are often chided because they are looking for the return of Christ rather than improving this present world. The fact is, however, that Bible-believing Christians have been largely responsible for such improvements in this world as have actuallybeen achieved (elimination of slavery, establishment of hospitals and educational institutions, founding and development of modern science, advances in political freedoms, etc.). On the other hand, Christ predicted that wars would continue despite His own death and resurrection. In fact, the prophet Daniel had prophesied over five centuries earlier that “unto the end of the war desolations are determined” (Daniel9:26). For 2,500 years the prophecies have been fulfilled and will continue to be fulfilled until Christ returns. In that day, God promises: “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.” However, it is not the misguided efforts ofsecularists and worldly minded Christians that will bring about this state of eternal peace and righteousness. “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah9:7). Our text is taken from Christ’s Olivet discourse, given in answer to His disciples’ questions about His Second Coming (Matthew24-25). Climaxing His message, He said, “Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew24:30). The wicked, warring nations of the earth all will mourn (not rejoice over!) His coming. In the meantime, He urges all true Christians to “be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew24:44). HMM --------------------------------------- Responding to Disappointment Matthew 1:18-25 To find examples of wise, godly reactions to disappointment, you’re more likely to turn to Psalms than to Matthew. But thevery first chapter in the New Testament tells the story of an upright man’s reaction to painful and disheartening news. Joseph—Jesus’ earthly father—was a righteous person. A godly man wants a wife who shares his desire to honor and obey the Lord, and Scripture indicates that Mary was exactly that sort of woman (Luke1: 45-55). So imagine how stunned Joseph must have been when Mary returned from a long visit with her relative Elizabeth and told him that she was pregnant. Moreover, she was claiming no man had touched her. Any way Joseph looked at the situation, it appeared grim. And yet Matthew 1:20 says that he “considered”—in other words, he sought awise, righteous response. God entered Joseph’s life in a dramatic way to confirm Mary’s story and put a stop to his “quiet annulment” plans. The Lord turned Joseph’s mourning into joy. Mary had told the truth—strange and startling as it was. The couple would bear the intense public censure of an early pregnancy, but Joseph stopped thinking about what others would say. God had blessed work forhim: to raise the Messiah alongside a faithful woman. Followers of Christ should seek a godly response to disappointments they face. Since the Lord always has a plan, the wisest reaction is to anticipate the good He can do and await His timing. God certainly blessed Joseph for his willingness to “seek firstHis kingdom” (Matt. 6:33). ------------------- Sing Praise to God By Emma Danzey Psalm59:16 says, “But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold And a refuge in the day of my distress.” As For Me, I Shall Sing of Your Strength Have you ever noticed how young children will sing and hum without a care in the world? It just comes naturally. When they are happy or working on something, they cannot help but sing. Children are not worried about if their voices sound on pitch or if othersare even listening, they are in their own world full of glee. Psalm 59:16 starts out saying, “As for me.” Even if the world around us is silent in acknowledging and worshiping the One true God, as for me, I will sing. We can have that child-like faith that leads us to sing and worship our Savior regardless if anyone around us even recognizes that Jesus is Lord. Our attitude of thankfulness and genuine praise will pour out regardless of what others think. We will notpeople please, we will honor God. We will sing of His strength because He is worthy of our worship and our song. Yes, I Shall Joyfully Sing of Your Lovingkindness in the Morning There is something about fresh dew, tweeting birds, and a brand new sunrise that creates a sense of hope for a new day. This Psalm reminds us that we can be joyful in singing about God’s lovingkindness in the morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” The forgiveness and mercies of our Savior give us reason tosing. He gives us hope and the encouragement to keep going and live in His grace each day. We can celebrate His great mercy towards us as we wake up each day and see just as the sun rises again, so His forgiveness remains and we can start afresh. ----------------- Enoch: A Man of Faith “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis5:24) Surely one of the most godly, as well as interesting, characters who ever lived was Enoch. He is one of only two who lived before the Flood (Noah also, Genesis 6:9) of whom it is said that he “walked with God.” He is also one of only two individuals who never died (Elijah, 2 Kings 2:11). Little is known about him, but the Bible reveals him to be exemplary among men and special to God. Notice that he was, first of all, a man of faith. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death;...he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is[i.e., that God exists], and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:5-6). Enoch had ample faith in the fact and work of God,which yielded a close walk with God. He also had faith in the caring character of God that rewards the diligent search for Him on His terms with sanctification, fellowship, and eternal life. This faith, we are told, pleased God. We find in the little book of Jude a description of Enoch’s ministry. Enoch’s faith impelled him to denounce strongly the false teaching and ungodly living of his day, prophesying the coming return of, and judgment by, the Lord (Jude1:14-15). Some have suggested that Enoch’s ministry is not yet over. All men die, for “it is appointed unto men once to die” (Hebrews 9:27), and Enoch has not yetdied. Perhaps he is one of the two tribulation “witnesses” (Revelation 11:3) whose messages are so much like those of Enoch and Elijah who will be martyred,resurrected, and taken up to heaven directly from Earth (vv. 4-12). At any rate, Enoch is certainly one of the great heroes of the faith whom we shall meet some day. JDM ---------------- Grace in Prayer By Rev. Kyle Norman “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Romans8:26) When my wife was initially diagnosed with cancer, we immediately called our Bishop. We sat in the living room as my wife spoke of her pain, the cancer diagnosis, and her upcoming journey through chemotherapy. The Bishop listened gracefully and patiently.The only question he asked her was about her prayer life. In raw honesty, she told him that she had been unable to pray since she had been given her diagnosis. She deeply wanted to pray, the words, however, just didn’t come. The Bishop responded beautifully. Instead of instructing her in a technique, or exhorting her to “try harder,” he handed some prayer beads to my wife and said, “It’s ok if words don’t come. Simply rub your fingers over these beads. It will be enough.” Forthe length of her chemo journey, and for a long time afterward, this is exactly what she did. What I hadn’t realized during the Bishop’s visit was how much I would struggle with my own prayers during this time. Each evening I would sit in my office and attempt to close my day with prayer. Although this has been my habit for years, it seemed as ifeverything had changed. Even though I attempted to use a liturgy, with words written down, the words still wouldn’t come; I felt hollow and empty. Every ounce of my spiritual energy had been used to get through the day. Each evening, I would tuck myself inbed thinking that my time of prayer had been a waste; After all, I did nothing, I said nothing, I prayed nothing. Have you ever felt anything like that? Have you ever found yourself struggling with your prayer life, feeling as if you are trying to pray through a great cosmic wall? The feeling that our prayers are hollow and pointless can be frustrating and disheartening.Our prayerlessness seems irredeemable and, in these moments, it’s hard not to condemn ourselves. The Apostle Paul knew about these experiences. He himself struggled with frustration in prayer. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells of a time when he felt afflicted, burdened by a torment that would not go away. Although he prayed for thethorn in his flesh to disappear, it remained. How disheartening. Yet amid this experience, the words of Jesus came ringing clear “My Grace is sufficient for you, my power is shown in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Grace. Grace is not reserved for the perfect and put together; it is designed for the needy. Itreaches down to those who feel low, burdened, and overwhelmed. There is no shame in claiming grace. Claiming God’s grace is not a sign of weakness or lack of faith. It is a bold and radical act of trust. We reach out to the one who sits with us, who incarnates himself in the very depths of our hurts and struggles. When we feel we cannot pray, our heavenly Father extends grace over us. When all we can do is just sit before God, running our fingers over our Bibles, or our prayer beads, it’s enough. Our time before the Lord is never a waste. After all, Jesus knows what it is like to weep in the night. He is recognising the agonizing cryof “Abba Father!” and “my God, My God why?” He is a man familiar with sorrows, and so in response to ours, he meets us where we are, not where we feel we should be. Intersecting Faith and Life: Our spiritual lives are never static, and so neither are our prayers. Yes, there are times when we are drawn into great intimacy, where we feel caught up in God’s blessing and grace. Then, there are the times when that blissful connection is less apparent.There are times when we find ourselves suffering the fallenness of life. These times are not comments on our spiritual ability or state before God. They just are part of the life we live. The good news is that grace surrounds in these moments. Grace surroundsus in every moment and so grace surrounds us in every type of prayer. Are you struggling in prayer today? What might it look like for you to claim grace? Instead of trying to push through your own silence, perhaps all that is needed is to strip away the vestiges of performance or earning and engage in the simple of actions.Just sit. Hold your bible, close your eyes, and sit with the one who sits with you. No matter what your prayers feel like, you are not alone. Jesus is with you, and he surrounds you with grace. Further Reading: •Romans 8:18-30 •Hebrews 4:14-16 •A Beautiful Prayer for Encouragement on Crosswalk.com ------------------------- The Prodigal Father “But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on hishand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry.” (Luke 15:22-23) As a number of commentators have noted, the familiar parable of the “prodigal son” is really about the “prodigal father,” for the word “prodigal” does not mean wayward or rebellious, as many think, but rather lavishly generous. The central theme of the storyis not that of the return of a lost son but rather the undying love of a forgiving father. The human father was intended by the Lord Jesus to be a picture of our heavenly Father, whose righteousness requires judgment on sin but who is always ready to forgive and receive back into joyous fellowship any who return to Him in repentant faith. Even torebellious Israel He could say, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3). It wasthe memory of his father’s lovingkindness as much as anything else that finally gave the lost son courage to return home in repentance. And when he returned, there were no recriminations from his father but only love and then a prodigal outpouring of blessing, with the robe and ring and shoes all symbolizing his full restoration as the son of his father. So it is with us. Though utterly undeserving of such honor, we are made “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). “He hath not dealt withus after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities....Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him” (Psalm 103:10,13). “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,...And [I] will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2Corinthians 6:17-18). HMM ----------------- God Is Your Salvation in the Battles You Face By Jessica Van Roekel “The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” (Exodus15:2 NIV) I needed help and I needed it yesterday. But the days kept stretching out, one after the other, never changing, always the same. I struggled through a fog of doubt and disbelief. I clung to faith by my fingertips, knowing that rejecting God would make life darker than my present. I was desperate for God’s light to shine, but what I really needed was saving. After my third child was born, the Enemy whispered that God didn’t care about my struggles. The taunts came as I struggled with resentment at the time my three little ones under the age of five demanded from my sleep-deprived self. The whispers became especiallyloud when I responded with impatience or, worse, a raised voice. I felt the Enemy closing in, but before me lay an impossible sea of overwhelm. Moses and the Israelites faced a similar problem. After years of slavery, God sent Moses as their deliverer. Through a series of devastating plagues, Pharoah finally relented and let them go. The Egyptian people gave the Israelites gold, silver, and clothingon their way out of town. The Lord led them the long way because he knew if they crossed through the Philistines' country, they might change their minds about their freedom because they were not ready for war. Instead, he brought them to the sea. And theirenemy came up behind them. As the Israelites left Egypt, they were armed for battle (Exodus 13:18) and marched boldly (Exodus14:8), but when they saw their freedom threatened by the sea and the enemy, they were terrified. They accused Moses of bringing them to the desert to die. Their bold hope evaporated at the first sign of struggle. Cries of doubt rang through the camp. Theycouldn’t see beyond their impossible to God’s salvation. I couldn’t see God’s salvation either while taking care of the needs of my three littles when my own emotional storm threatened to overtake me. It was day after day of opening my Bible and reading the words, desperate for encouragement, but it was like thewords slipped off my heart instead of sticking. Week after week I got my babies ready for church and sat through worship and teaching, wondering when I would sense the Lord nearby. But one day, on a regular, mundane, messy morning, I opened my Bible, and God’sWord pierced my heart like a pinprick of light in the darkness. My impossible sea of overwhelm parted before me and I began walking through to the other side. The Lord saved the Israelites that day. As Moses stretched his hand over the sea, the Lord drove the sea back with a strong wind and the Israelites walked across the sea on dry ground. But first, they needed to be still, to stop fretting that the Lord hadabandoned them. Moses instructed the Israelites to not be afraid, to stand firm, and to see the Lord save them. What impossible situation are you facing today? You might be hemmed in by disappointment and loss. Rejection could be dodging your every step. Maybe it’s a behavior or thought pattern that keeps you spinning like a merry-go-round. The troubles facing you seem too great, but God is greater, and he is mightyto save. You could be doing all the right things like the Israelites did when they walked boldly dressed for war and still be quaking on the inside when faced with odds not in your favor. God longs to be your salvation. Intersecting Faith and Life: Take a page out of the Israelites' book and be still. Stand strong and do not fear. We stand strong when we choose to believe in God’s ability in the face of challenging circumstances. We still our hearts by refusing to let worry rule our responses. We choose trust over fear. It helps to remember God’s faithfulness. If hedoes not give up on his unruly, undisciplined, uncommitted people, the Israelites, then he will not give up on you. Keep trusting him. Keep following him. Lean into his loving-kindness and watch him become your salvation. In him, you will find the strengthand courage to face your impossible because he can do the impossible, like part a sea and make a safe passage for you. --------------- Our Gifts for His Kingdom 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 Many people hear the word "serve" and feel that they do not have the necessary qualities to make a difference in others' lives. This is true - apart from God. But He has gifted each of us in unique ways with a purpose in mind. His plan for us involves usingthese talents to serve Him for the good of others. Satan would like us to believe otherwise. Our Enemy wants us to notice what others are doing and then to feel inferior. For instance, I have heard women say, "I am just a homemaker." They see people preaching and singing in the choir and wish they could accomplish something so great for God. Friends, there could be nothing further from the truth. An enormous responsibility rests with those who train their childrenin righteousness. In fact, the Holy Spirit has gifted each believer for specific work in God's kingdom. Scripture explains this idea by a comparison with a human body: each person has gifts and purposes that make the entire system function well. But if the heel wants the eye's role,the whole being will lose balance. Each part is crucial, even though some are less noticeable than others. Truthfully, those with less apparent talents have an advantage because pride and self-sufficiency may be less of a temptation. Notice how Peter defined himself: "a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1:1). He was no longer a man motivated by self-interest.Once He followed Jesus, he saw himself as a servant of God. We, too, are called to serve the King of Kings with whatever abilities we are given. ------------------- The Beginning of Creation “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful andtrue witness, the beginning of the creation of God.” (Revelation 3:14) This salutation in the last of the seven church epistles in Revelation contains the last of four occurrences of the distinctive phrase “the beginning of the creation.” The glorified Christ here assumes this as one of His divine names. Note that even God’s workof creation, long since completed (Genesis 2:1-3), had a beginning, and that beginning was Christ. “In the beginning was the Word....All things were madeby him” (John 1:1, 3). The first two occurrences of this phrase also come from the lips of Christ. “From the beginning of the creation God made them male and female” (Mark 10:6).This assertion by the Creator, Jesus Christ (quoting Genesis 1:27), makes it unambiguously certain that Adam and Eve were created at the beginning of creation, not after the earth had already existed for 4.5 billion years. God also wrote this plainly on the tables of the law (Exodus20:8-11). Those evangelicals who accept the geological ages evidently reject this clear statement of the creation’s Creator! Then Christ also referred to the end-times in the context of the beginning-times. “In those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be” (Mark13:19). The phrase is also used in Peter’s very important prophecy concerning the scoffers of the end-times who will argue (in willful ignorance) that “all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2Peter 3:3-4), thereby denying that there ever was a real creation or real Creator and thus rejecting Christ Himself. But He is also the “true witness” and the “Amen,” and such denials will only be “unto their own destruction” (2Peter 3:16). HMM ---------------- Expect a Test - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold�though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faithremains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. �1 Peter 1:7 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/expect-a-test/Listen No doubt Jesus could see there were a lot of hungry people in the massive crowd that had gathered to hear Him speak. It was lunch time, and they were still sitting there.So, He turned to Philip and said, �Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?� (John 6:5 NLT). Was Jesus really asking Philip for help, as if He didn�t know what to do? Clearly not. In fact, the next verse tells us, �He was testing Philip, for he already knew what hewas going to do� (verse 6 NLT). Philip basically said it would require a small fortune to feed all those people. There was no way they could do it. Then Andrew said, �There�s a young boy here with five barleyloaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?� (verse 9 NLT). This was a test. Could they trust God? Jesus already had performed miracles. They knew what He was capable of. But could they trust Him to provide food for a lot of hungrypeople? Apparently not because Andrew didn�t know what to do, and Philip didn�t know what to do. But Jesus multiplied those five barley loaves and two fish to feed 5,000 people, withtwelve baskets of food left over (see verses 10�13). We might say His disciples didn�t pass that test. Yet haven�t we been in times of testing as well? A big financial issue comes up, and we wonder how we�re going to pay thatunexpected bill. We wonder how we�re going to make ends meet. I can tell you that after walking with the Lord since the age of 17, God always has come through for me. And I believe that He will come through for you (see Philippians 4:19).But He will test us. God allows us to go through times of trial to make sure we are learning and growing. ----------------- Crisis and Character - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. �Job 1:22 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/crisis-and-character/- Listen Some people abandon God when hardship, even tragedy, comes into their lives. Yet others show genuine faith. Think of Job, whose very name is a point of reference for the worst suffering imaginable. Job was living a great life. He had a beautiful family and was very wealthy and successful.Then one day, seemingly out of nowhere, a series of calamities struck. From the Old Testament book of Job, we know that a conversation took place between God and the angels, which included Lucifer (Satan), a fallen angel. God was bragging onJob, saying, �Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless�a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil� (Job 1:8 NLT). Satan basically said, �Oh give me a break. You let me have a little time with Job, and we will see what he�s really made of.� Then God allowed Satan to bring a series of difficulties into Job�s life. And in one day, Job lost all his children and all his possessions. Yet here�s what Job said: �I came naked from my mother�s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the nameof the Lord!� (Job 1:21 NLT). The passage goes on to say, �In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God� (verse 22 NLT). That is genuine faith. You find out how strong your faith really is by how you react to adversity and difficulty. Someone has said that character is not made in a crisis; it�s revealed. So put your faith in Christ. Don�t put your faith in a person. Don�t put your faith in a church. Put your faith in Jesus Himself. He is the one who will sustain you in yourtimes of difficulty. ---------------- TheBlood of the Lamb �And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved nottheir lives unto the death.� (Revelation12:11) This is the last reference in the Bible to the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ; here, it is the overcoming blood, enabling believers to withstand the deceptions and accusations of Satan. There are at least 43 references to the blood of Christ in the New Testament, all testifying to its great importance in the salvation and daily life of the believer. Judas the betrayer spoke of it as �innocent blood� (Matthew27:4), and Peter called it �the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot� (1Peter 1:19). It is the cleansing blood in 1 John 1:7 and the washing blood in Revelation 1:5, stressing that it removes the guilt of our sins. Paul calls it the purchasing blood in Acts 20:28 and the redeeming blood twice (Ephesians1:7; Colossians 1:14; see also 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 5:9), thus declaring the shedding of His blood to be the very price of our salvation. Therefore, it is also the justifying blood (Romans5:9) and the peacemaking blood (Colossians1:20). Its efficacy does not end with our salvation, however, for it is also the sanctifying blood (Hebrews13:12). There is infinite and eternal power in the blood of Christ, for it is �the blood of the everlasting covenant� (v. 20). The first reference in the New Testament to His blood stresses this aspect. Jesus said at the last supper, �This is my blood of the new testament [same as �covenant�], which is shed for many for the remission of sins� (Matthew26:28). Let no one, therefore, ever count the �blood of the covenant...an unholy thing� (Hebrews10:29), for the blood of Christ is forever innocent, infinitely precious, perfectly justifying, always cleansing, and fully sanctifying. HMM --------------- The Work of Suffering � Greg Laurie - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ �And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God�s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering� (Romans 8:17 NLT). A while ago I read an unusual story about a man who survived a shark attack. The man actually said he was thankful that it happened. It turns out that when he went to the hospital for treatment, his doctor discovered that he had cancer. They were able to successfully remove a tumor before it metastasized.If the shark hadn�t bitten him, he wouldn�t have known that he had cancer. Who would ever think that a shark attack could end up being a good thing? In the same way, spiritual attacks and trials will come into our lives, but they are opportunities to turn to the Lord and trust Him. We never know how God will take a hardshipand use it for our good. The Bible says, �Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested,your endurance has a chance to grow� (James 1:2-3 NLT). From the original Greek, we could also translate the phrase �troubles of any kind� to read �many-colored trials.� You might be going through a hardship that�s different fromwhat someone else is going through. But even when things look bleak, God ultimately will work all things together for His glory and your good. God is in control of all circumstances that surround the believer.Remember, before Satan could bring hardships into Job�s life, he first had to get permission from God. The same is true of you. God knows what you can handle. He�s always keeping an eye on you, and His ultimate purpose is to conform you into the image of Jesus Christ (see Romans8:29). The big picture, then, God�s endgame for you, is to make you more like Jesus. No matter what you�re going through, know this: God is at work in your life. ------------------------ Requirements of Waiting Psalms 25:3-5 Waiting for God's timing is neither passive nor idle--it takes discipline and commitment. I can think of four basic requirements for successful waiting. Faith. The Lord's ways and timing are nothing like ours (Isa.55:8-9). From a human standpoint, He usually does things in a totally different way than we expect. But as we trust Him more, we'll discover that His approach isn't so strange after all. And when we live in harmony with God's will, His timing starts tomake sense. Humility. To wait for the Lord, you must be convinced of your need for Him. Submission to His divine will requires humility--you cannot charge ahead with your own plans and at the same time be fully surrendered to God. Patience. Are you willing to remain in your current position until you receive clear divine direction? Pausing for clarity from God does not mean that you disengage and allow circumstances to fall apart around you. Waiting upon the Lordis a deliberate decision that requires patience. Courage. Waiting for God often takes courage, especially when there is pressure to act. If you're not careful, you might stop listening to the Lord and follow other advice. So keep your ear attuned to the voice of Almighty God, and you wont go wrong. Waiting upon the Lord is one of the wisest, most important decisions we make in life. And contrary to popular assumptions, it is an active endeavor that requires faith, humility, patience, and courage. When you rely upon God and wait for His timing, thevarious facets of life fall into place. -------------------- God Will Never Unfriend Us By Anne Peterson �Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one�s life for one�s friends.� - John 15:13 I remember the day he hurt me. I could tell you every detail. Do you know what this shows? It shows I still had some forgiving to do. Hurting people hurt people. This was a stretch for me to think about. Because I had come from a physically abusive home, I had not learned this yet. All I thought about was what I was going through. But as an adult, I understand that statement. When someone hurts us, we could make manychoices. We could: 1.zap the person right back. 2.retreat. 3.hand the situation over to God 4.forgive the person who hurt us. Getting to number 3 and number 4, could take time. I don�t believe forgiveness is possible apart from the Lord. Not if it�s genuine. God understands our hurts. When Jesus came to earth, he was not welcomed by all. At the end of his ministry, one week he was welcomed into a city, with everyone laying palm branches down for his entry on a donkey. They shouted, �Hosanna! Glory to God in the highest.� They honored him. The following week they shouted, �Crucify him!!� Jesus was spit upon, slapped, his beard was ripped out, he was beaten, and they nailed him to a tree. Why? He claimed to be God. Jesus is God. But even though Jesus is God, when he died on that cross, he was fully man. He felt every ounce of pain. Including one we�ll never feel. God forsook Jesus when he bore our sins (Matthew 27:46). God promises us that He will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). People will let us down. God tells us we should not trust in princes (Psalm 146:3). We trust others and expect they won�t hurt us. But sometimes they do. I finallyrealized others will hurt me, and sometimes it�s unintentionally. I learned this when I hurt someone I love very much. God will work in His timing. One thing that has always surprised me in my walk with the Lord, is that God doesn�t need my help. It�s the Holy Spirit who convicts people, it�s not our job. Sometimes, instead of waiting for God to work, we run ahead of him. God tells us to keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians5:25). When my husband was in the military and marched in formation, he was told to look at the soldier to the left and right of him, to keep in step with them. Sometimes I try to run ahead of God, and other times, I have gotten behind him and tried topush him to go faster. It doesn�t work. It�s not up to us to hurry God�s work. But we can pray. Prayer softens hearts. Not only the hearts of those who hurt, but our hearts as well. God needs to keep our hearts soft, or bitterness will harden them. This happens when we replay our offenses overand over in our minds. I have done this. I know my hurts by heart. It�s like I�ve stored them in little Ziplock bags to keep them fresh. Give God your hurts. Giving our hurts to God is not simple. Instead of replaying what happened to me, I hand that hurt, to the Lord. Just like I�m told to cast down imaginations (2Corinthians 10:5). I picture myself handing my negative thoughts to the Lord, knowing He will hand back to me, the thoughts which are worthy of my time and energy. There�s also a checklist that the apostle Paul gives us (Philippians 4:8). Are our thoughts pure, true, noble, right, etc.? Theone that often stops me is praiseworthy. Many of my thoughts concerning those who have hurt me are not praiseworthy. Thankfully, I can still work on that area. Forgiveness is key. When we forgive others, we will see God working. Not only in us, but also in them. But if we hold onto resentment, things may stay as they are. We are not in charge of how long this process will take. It�s not up to us. But I can say when I do choose to forgivesomeone, God gives me grace, and that enables me to wait well. Intersecting Faith and Life: Writing these words today is easier than living them out. Has someone hurt you so deeply you can�t seem to let go of your hurts? Can you even picture yourself forgiving this person? The good news is that the things that are impossible with man are possiblewith God (Luke 18:27). Jesus said so. I�m so thankful God will never stop working in us (Philippians 1:6). God�s love toward us is unfailing (Psalm103:17). No one loves us greater than God does. He will never unfriend us. Lord, we thank you that your love is never ending. God, we know that�s true because you loved us when we were yet sinners. And you�ve promised you would never leave us nor forsake us. Thank you, Lord for your love. We pray for anyone reading this devotional.We pray that they would realize how kind and loving you are. And we pray this in your Son�s precious and Holy name. In Jesus� name, Amen. My Thoughts (�a poem�) God, my thoughts keep taking me where I don�t want to go. And they turn into worries long before I even know. Please help me take them captive, Lord, so I can learn to choose, the thoughts I should be thinking and the ones I need to lose. - Anne Peterson � 2021 Further Reading: Do a Bible study on the Philippians 4:8. Read my article on Crosswalk: A Love Letter from God ------------------- Dungeon Songs - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time. �Psalm 34:19 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/dungeon-songs/- Listen It�s easy to be happy when everything is going well, when the sky is blue and the sun is shining. But when the bottom drops out, when adversity hits and you�re still rejoicing,that is another thing altogether. In the book of Acts, we read of a time when Paul and Silas were preaching the gospel in Philippi. The authorities had them arrested, beaten, and thrown into prison. Yet atmidnight, with their feet and wrists in stocks, they prayed and sang praises to God. Then we come to this interesting detail: �the other prisoners were listening� (Acts 16:25 NLT). In the original language, the phrase means �to listen with pleasure.� Have you ever been driving along when you heard your favorite song on the radio? You turned it up. You listened with pleasure. I don�t know if these other prisoners had ever heard anyone sing songs of praise to God before. And I don�t know whether Paul and Silas threw in some two-part harmony. AllI know is that it was an unusual set of circumstances. Suddenly a massive earthquake shook the prison walls, which gave the prisoners an opportunity to escape�if they wanted to. The Roman jailer, knowing the penalty was deathfor losing his prisoners, pulled out a sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called out, �Stop! Don�t kill yourself! We are all here!� (verse 28 NLT). This hardened Roman fell down on his knees before Paul and Silas and said, �Sirs, what must I do to be saved?� (verse 31 NLT). Instead of complaining, Paul and Silas gave praise to God. Instead of moaning, they were worshiping. And as they gave glory to God, it reached other people as well. Sometimes God allows hardship in our lives so He can be glorified. When we�re suffering, we can glorify Him despite our circumstances. --------------------------------- Spiritual Toughness - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org He sent a man before them�Joseph�who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. �Psalm 105:17�18 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/spiritual-toughness/- Listen Joseph�s father, Jacob, doted on him. He favored Joseph over all his other children and even made him a special coat. But one day Joseph�s brothers got so tired of him that they decided to kill him. Reason prevailed, however, and they chose instead to sell him as a slave to a caravan of tradersthat was passing by. The traders took Joseph to Egypt, where they sold him to Potiphar, who was the head of Pharaoh�s bodyguard. And because Joseph was a hard worker and full of integrity, itwasn�t long before he was running Potiphar�s estate. Meanwhile, Potiphar�s wife tried repeatedly to seduce Joseph. He resisted her advances, but one day she falsely accused him of rape. He was sent to prison, which no doubtseemed like the worst thing of all. Sitting there in a prison cell, Joseph easily could have thought, �Serving God didn�t work out so well, did it? I�m honest. I work hard. I didn�t give in to the advances ofthat woman, and where did it get me? In prison!� But God had a plan for him. He was getting him ready for the future. Psalm 105 gives us this detail about Joseph: �They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons� (verse18 NKJV). A different translation emerges from the original Hebrew, which gives us additional insight. It says, �As he was a laid in iron, iron entered his soul.� Although Joseph was in the worst circumstances, he was toughening up on the inside. God was getting Joseph ready for something big. You may be going through a time of trial so that you will get stronger, so that iron will enter your soul. The purpose of trials is to make us stronger spiritually�so thatwe�ll develop spiritual toughness. ---------------------- The Reason We Serve Colossians 3:23-24 In His Word, God commands us to serve one another. However, there will inevitably be difficult people in life who make this mandate challenging. Thankfully, a biblical definition of service can help us obey the Lord's instruction, no matter who the recipient may be. And the reason is that God is actually the One whom we serve. When we have this motivation underlying everything we do, it will impact the quality of our work and keep us from becoming discouraged. Then, whatever our task--whether we lead a country, teach children, or do something that seems unattractive--if our goalis to glorify God, we will do our best in His strength. And we trust Him to use us for His purposes, even if our labor should appear fruitless to us or to others. When I was a child, I had to wake up before daylight to deliver newspapers. Even in rain or snow, I still had to complete the job. This was hard for me to do. Then the Lord impressed upon my heart that I was not merely bringing papers to people in my town;I was serving Jesus. As I understood this truth more, waking up and working was purposeful and doable. Truthfully, I still did not always feel like facing the work, but feelings were no longer relevant. I was serving my Maker. Whomever God calls us to serve, and whatever He tells us to do, we can obey with joyful hearts when it's done for Jesus. If this is our motivation, we won't need worldly approval or evidence of impact. We need to know only that God is pleased and promisesto reward those who serve Him (Heb. 11:6). ------------------- Handfulsof Purpose �And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, andrebuke her not.� (Ruth2:16) This verse contains the unusual instruction of Boaz to his servants concerning Ruth after she asked if she could glean after the reapers in his field of barley. Not only did Boaz allow her to do so but also commanded his servants to �let fall some of the handfulsof purpose� for her, thus making her task easier. It is interesting that the same Hebrew word, basically meaning �take a spoil,� is used twice in this verse, once translated �let fall� and once as �of purpose.� The word for �handfuls,� used only this once in the Bible, evidently refers to a hand�s �grip.� Although all the translations seem to have difficulty with it, Boaz seems actually to be saying, in effect, to his servants: �Grab as though you were taking a spoil for her from the bundles of sheaves, and leave them as a spoil for her.� This was to be a deliberateand purposeful gift on Boaz�s part, but Ruth was not to know so that she could assume she had gleaned it all on her own. Boaz, therefore, like his distant descendant (through his soon-to-be bride, Ruth) Jesus Christ, provided that which represented the bread of life as a gracious gift to his coming bride. In this, as in other ways, Boaz is a type of Christ and Ruth is a typeof each believer destined for union with Him. But the sheaves also represent the Word of God from which we daily can glean life-giving food for our souls. Our God has been pleased to leave us many �handfuls of purpose� along the way in the fruitful field of Scripture that we can stoop to gather as we go.Our heavenly �Boaz� has paid the price to take the spoil for us, but as we kneel down to glean each morsel, we �rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil� (Psalm119:162). HMM --------------------