DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 7.7.18

The Shield of Faith - By Greg Laurie -

www.harvest.org

 

In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. -Ephesians 6:16

 

Spiritual attacks will often come when you are attempting to do something great for God. But if you're floundering spiritually and never doing anything with your faith, the devil doesn't see you as a threat.

 

However, if you dare to say, "I'm going to try to influence those around me for Jesus. I want to step up my game and speak up for my faith," then you'll get hit with what the Bible calls "the fiery arrows of the devil" (Ephesians 6:16 NLT).

 

These also will come at you when you read the Scriptures. You can read any book you want, watch any television program you want, or look at any website you want. But the moment you pull out the Bible and start reading it, all hell breaks loose and the devil's arrows start flying. The last thing he wants is for you to open the Word of God.

 

That is why he will hit you with his flaming arrows, and that is why you need to hold up the shield of faith. It is faith in God's Word and in what God's Word says. It is the ability to quickly apply what you believe so as to repel everything the devil does or attempts to do to you.

 

When you are hit and don't know what to do, put up the shield of faith. Maybe it's a financial crisis, and you're wondering how you will get through it. Remember what the Bible says: "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19 NKJV). Or maybe someone has threatened you. Read Psalm 91. God promises to protect you.

 

As long as you believe God, your shield is raised. But the moment you stop believing Him, your shield goes down.

 

 

A Clean Heart

Psalms 119:9-11
Reaching our full potential begins with a clean heart--one that loves the Lord and desires to obey Him. However, each of us was born with a nature bent away from God. Jeremiah 17:9 describes the heart as deceitful and inclined towards wickedness. Pleasing self is man’s normal state.
Salvation changed our hearts and lives. Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty for our sin and broke its power over us. By receiving Christ as Savior, we each became a new creation--with a heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and a mind that strongly desires to know the Father better. We also received the Spirit’s power to deny our selfish desires and obey God. With clean hearts, we can begin to realize the capabilities our loving Lord has given us.
The best way to maintain a clean heart is by meditating on Scripture. It acts like a mirror in which we see ourselves as God does. Through it, we discover the areas where we have been faithful and also the places where we’ve veered from His path. Expressing genuine repentance brings God’s forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9).
The heart represents the seat of our mind, will, and emotions. When we strive to keep it pure, we will more easily discern the Lord’s plan, submit our will to His, and follow Him obediently.
Becoming the person God planned for each of us to be requires an intimate relationship with Him and a desire to obey His Word. Apart from Jesus, we can’t achieve anything of lasting value (John 15:5). Cooperating with the Holy Spirit’s transforming work will help us keep our hearts clean.
Formula for Personal Growth
James 1:22
Growing in Christ involves far more than just attending church, tithing, and listening to a sermon. In fact, many believers do these yet remain stagnant in their walk. There are two elements necessary for us to become more like Jesus: instruction and involvement.
The first of these, learning truth, is vital to a healthy walk with God. Our Savior proved the importance of instruction by devoting much of His time on earth to it. The apostle Paul is another example, as he wrote letters to educate Christians about godliness.
So how can we gain knowledge and understanding? One of the most important and effective ways is to read the Word of God. Scripture instructs us that just as newborns crave milk, we are to desire His Word so that we might grow. I pray your spiritual thirst will become insatiable.
Yet simply listening to the truth does not mean that we've acquired it. I know many people who love attending Bible studies and expanding their knowledge base, but their lives remain unchanged. Just as today's passage teaches, we have to apply the Word to our lives. Even so, actual growth requires more than merely inputting information. It requires action. James 2:26 states, "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."

Are we careless hearers, deceived into thinking that we're growing? Or are we listening intently and abiding in the truth? If we're truly maturing, our lives will be increasingly Christlike, and our desires will align more closely with God's heart. Make sure that you are listening and responding to His truth.
Things of the World
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” (1 John 2:15)

We must be wary of the world’s “things,” because we are “in the world,” not “of the world” (John 17:11-16). The command in our text is that we are not to love the world or its things, not that we should remain blissfully ignorant of them. We are to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

There are big things of the world like nations and kingdoms (Matthew 4:8; Luke 12:30), as well as cares and riches (Mark 4:19), that can sap our focus and drain our loyalties. And there are “rudiments” and “elements” (Colossians 2:20; Galatians 4:3) that can twist our thinking and “spoil” us (Colossians 2:8).

We are warned that friendship with the worldly lifestyle and that which espouses the “things” of the world makes us an “enemy of God” (James 4:4). That is because such people embrace the “spirit of the world” and not “the spirit which is of God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). Those people speak about the things of the world, and the world listens to them (1 John 4:5).

God’s people may be “base” and “weak”—even “foolish” in the eyes of the world (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). Since the great Creator God has chosen us out of the world (John 15:19), it should not surprise us that the world “hates” those who belong to the Lord Jesus (John 17:14). Hence, the ungodly passions that drive the ungodly behavior of the world, “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16).

Those passions and the people who embrace them will “pass away.” But “he that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (1 John 2:17). HMM III
The Moments of God
“For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.” (Isaiah 54:7-8)

This gracious promise to Israel gives a beautiful insight into both God’s character and the relation of time to eternity. God can be a God of wrath, for He must punish unforsaken sin in His people, but He is much more the God of mercy. His prolonged judgment on His chosen people of Israel is only “for a small moment” compared to His “everlasting kindness” toward redeemed Israel in the ages to come.

This theme occurs a number of times in Scripture. “For his anger endureth but a moment,” said David, “in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). To the people faithful to God during a time of judgment against their nation or against the world, God says: “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers . . . hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast” (Isaiah 26:20).

Thus, a time of testing or judgment may extend over many days, or years, or even centuries, but this is only a moment in relation to the endless ages of blessing yet to come.

As applied to Christians, this concept is stated explicitly in the only occurrence of the Greek parakutika (“moment”) in the New Testament. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. . . . They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 65:17, 25). May God give us eyes of faith to see these “moments” of God in their eternal setting. HMM
Look Back
“Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.” (Isaiah 51:1)

While it is not good to dwell too much on the past—whether in pride of past accomplishments or despondency over past failures or grieving over past losses—it is well never to forget what God has done for us. In this passage, Israel is reminded of Abraham and Sarah, who had been lifted out of the pit of paganism and cut out of the rock of idolatry, and whom God had greatly blessed.

David, looking back, had written that God “brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay” (Psalm 40:2). Paul looked back and said: “In time past . . . beyond measure I persecuted the church of God. . . . But when it pleased God, who . . . called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me . . . they glorified God in me” (Galatians 1:13, 15-16, 24).

Whatever our own background may be—bigoted skeptics, or flagrant sinners, or self-righteous hypocrites—God has indeed, if we are now saved by His grace, lifted us out of a pit and set us on a solid rock. We were “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). But God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13).

“Such were some of you,” wrote Paul of such gross sins as fornication, idolatry, homosexuality, adultery, and thievery, as well as covetousness and drunkenness. “But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 6:11). An occasional look back will help us to remember more often to look up in humble thankfulness for the grace of God. HMM
True Freedom
“As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16)

We who live in what the song writer called the “sweet land of liberty” have a great responsibility to preserve that freedom which our forefathers obtained for us at great cost over two centuries ago. At the same time, we must not turn liberty into license. It would surely hurt those brave and godly men if they could see how we now use “freedom of choice” to justify murdering multitudes of innocent children before they are born, and how we use “freedom of speech” to warrant fouling the eyes and ears of our children with widespread pornography and to promote all kinds of immoral behavior in our society in general. No nation can remain free very long after such practices become widely accepted by its citizens. We need to pray for revival!

The same warning applies to the abuse of our spiritual freedom in Christ. As the apostle Paul said and repeated: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient” (1 Corinthians 6:12; also 1 Corinthians 10:23, where he added that “all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not”).

As Peter says in our text, even though we are “free” and have real “liberty,” we are nevertheless “servants of God,” where the Greek word doulos actually connotes “bond servants,” or even “slaves.” Our liberty in Christ is not freedom to sin whenever we so choose, but rather freedom from our former bondage to sin. “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:18).

Although our nation is rapidly becoming anti-Christian in belief and practice, we Christians can still best serve our nation and our Savior by practicing and proclaiming Christ’s wonderful saving gospel of free salvation from sin and regeneration unto righteousness. HMM

 God Knows What We Don't Know
“I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.” (Psalm 119:75)

One of the most perplexing aspects of the Christian life is trying to understand God’s purpose when defeat or affliction comes into our lives, thereby hindering or even halting our ministry and testimony for Him. Many have been the servants of God who were sincerely working for Christ, seeking to obey His will and His Word as best they understood them, but then suddenly were laid aside by sickness, or had their ministries stopped by the enemies of God (sometimes even by fellow Christians), or for some other reason, and could not discern why God allowed it.

What then? When affliction comes, we must simply trust God, knowing that whatever He does is right and that our affliction is invested with His faithfulness. He is our Creator and, through Christ, has also become our heavenly Father: “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9). He knows what we don’t know, therefore we can “know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

This verse (Romans 8:28) is one of the most familiar and most wonderful promises in the Bible, but it is one of the most difficult to believe in time of affliction or loss. Nevertheless, it is God’s promise, and “all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

God knows the end from the beginning, and in that wonderful day when Christ returns, “then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Until then, we must simply trust Him. HMM

 

Our Caring and Able Father 2 Chronicles 20:1-4
Everyone faces challenges in life. Whether our struggles are financial, vocational, relational, or physical, we can be certain that nobody is exempt. Fortunately, we serve a God who is both interested in our problems and able to take care of them.
When trouble looms, prayer is always a good first step to take. But having a foundation upon which to build our prayers also makes a difference. Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, faced an enormous challenge. Three different tribes--the Moabites,Amonites, and Meunites--simultaneously waged war against him. Most leaders would have crumbled under such pressure, or at the very least taken drastic measures, but Jehoshaphat was a wise king. Though afraid, he did not strike out against his enemies.Instead, knowing that God was interested in his dilemma, he "turned his attention to seek the Lord" and proclaimed a fast throughout the land (2 Chron. 20:1-3).
Jehoshaphat also knew that God, who was greater than any earthly problem, had done miraculous things for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Daniel. That same God would help him, too, in his hour of need. We should never underestimate the Lord's interest in our affairs. He helped our ancestors in the Bible, and He can and will help His children today.

It's easy to think our problems are unimportant in the eyes of God, but He doesn't feel that way at all. Whatever concerns us concerns Him. If we, like Jehoshaphat, turn right to God and proclaim His power, He will intervene. And no matter how great our challenges are, God is greater.
Waiting on God
Psalms 37:1-9
Waiting on God is an important spiritual discipline in our walk of faith. King David’s life teaches us about the value of following the Lord’s plan and the danger in moving ahead of Him.
When David was a young shepherd boy, the prophet Samuel anointed him as Israel’s next king. Yet he did not become the ruler for many years. Waiting for the Lord to place him on the throne was made more difficult because the current king, Saul, turned against David and repeatedly tried to take his life. Despite the opportunity to take matters into his own hands and kill his enemy, David held back. He wouldn’t allow anyone else to attack Saul either (1 Sam. 24:1-7). He waited on God and was greatly blessed for his obedience.
King David also knew what it was like to move ahead without the Lord. One year he chose not to join his troops in battle, even though that was one of his duties (2 Sam. 11:1). During the time he stayed home, he noticed Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, and he coveted her. Acting upon his desires, he conceived a child with her and then tried to cover up his sin. What a mess he made of his life. Instead of following the Lord’s plan and being blessed, he experienced divine chastisement and much heartache.
As believers, we want to obey the Lord, but there may be situations when intense desire propels us forward without waiting for His direction. Like David, we will experience the blessing of obedience or the heartache of disobedience. Be sure to seek out God’s plan before you act.
 The Helmet of Salvation - By Greg Laurie -

www.harvest.org

 

We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. -2 Corinthians 10:3-4

 

Have you ever noticed that you can't think two thoughts simultaneously? If you're thinking a pure thought, you cannot simultaneously be thinking an impure thought. If you're thinking a loving thought, you cannot be thinking an unloving thought at the same time. One replaces the other.

 

The Bible tells us, "Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. . . . Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:13, 17 NLT).

 

The helmet of salvation protects our minds. It protects our thoughts. That is where the devil will attack. If you were to trace the beginnings of a sin you committed, I think you would discover that it started in the realm of your mind.

 

Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (NKJV). Our minds, our thoughts, and our imaginations must be guarded, because it is there where temptation generally starts.

 

The devil is sly. Like the car salesman who says, "Why don't you take it for a test drive?" or the bakery employee who offers you a free sample, he'll say something like, "I know you would never do this because you're so spiritual . . . but just for fun, take it out for a test drive. Go ahead and run this temptation through your mind . . . just to see what it's like."

 

This is why we have to guard our minds. And this is why we want to fill our minds with truth. It starts in the mind. It is not enough to simply not do something. You shouldn't think about it, either. The enemy will hit us in this area, so we must keep our guard up at all times.

 

The �Light� Equation
�God is light.� (1 John 1:5)

The biblical text is rich with metaphors and similes, one of which often appears in John�s writings. God is said to be �light��the most constant, clearly observable, and all-pervasive experience in our universe.

God�s life is the light of men (John 1:4).
God�s light is not conquered by darkness (John 1:5).
God�s light attracts men who love truth (John 3:21).
Jesus is the �light of the world� (John 8:12).

John�s emphasis in his epistle is focused on the application of the �light� in our lives. Since God is light (our text; see also 1 Timothy 6:16), we can never be a participant in the life of God apart from the light of God (1 John 1:6). If we claim fellowship with God, we must �walk in the light, as he is in the light� (1 John 1:7). Since God is the �true light� (1 John 2:8), we are not part of His family if we despise those He loves (1 John 2:9).

It is equally obvious that since God is holy (Psalm 99:9) and righteous (Daniel 9:14), the light that we are to �shine� (Matthew 5:16) must be a �radiant� righteousness visible to all who come in contact with us (Proverbs 4:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).

Our breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14) should �blind� the ungodly with the brilliance of our lifestyle of holiness�so much so that even if we are spoken against by those who hate God, they will be forced to glorify God (�adorn with luster�) because of our good works (1 Peter 2:12).

Because the God of our salvation is �the light of the world� (John 9:5) and we have been made �the children of light� (Ephesians 5:8), �ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light� (1 Peter 2:9). HMM III

 

Leaving a Lasting Impact Matthew 5:13-16
On this Independence Day, consider the question, How do you use the gift of freedom? God gives all believers true liberty through His Son Jesus Christ. Do you squander that blessing or share it with others? The problem is, some people are so focused on their own needs and desires that they fail to impact even their closest neighbor.
Think about the people you see every week. Do you know how many of your neighbors are sick? Are there people in your church who struggle to make it from day to day? Do you know if any of your coworkers are going through hardships? Most likely, there are individuals all around you who could use assistance. But being self-focused limits our ability to notice those people, let alone reach out to them.
Jesus taught His disciples, �You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men� (Matt. 5:13). In order for salt to remain useful, it must maintain its purity and potency. Likewise, we must endeavor to lead holy, humble, and loving lives, focusingon the Savior�s will rather than our own.
God has prepared the good works that we are to walk in (Eph. 2:10). Our job is to choose to do so.
Whether or not we affect our world positively depends on the focus of our heart. Do you look inward to consider how you can do more to get ahead and add to your lot in life? Or do you look outward and think about ways that you can do more to serve others?
 Eternal Life
�. . .that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.� (1 John 5:13)

Although this powerful, five-chapter letter from the apostle John is full of vital insights into the Christian life, it is written to �little children� (1 John 5:21) so that they might �know� the majesty and wonder of eternal life.

John begins his epistle with a reminder that he �knew� this Jesus from whom the promise of eternal life came (1 John 1:1-3). John was an eyewitness to Christ�s resurrection (John 20), which is the most powerful proof of the claims and promises of the Lord (Acts 17:31).

Much of that which is applied in John�s epistle is based on the precise teachings of the Lord Jesus Himself, heard by John and recorded in John�s gospel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (John 20:31).

Those who believe will �not perish� (John 3:15-16).
The �water� of Christ springs up to �everlasting life� (John 4:14).
Whoever has everlasting life �is passed� from death to life (John 5:24).
Those who come to Christ will �never hunger� (John 6:35).
No one is able to �pluck� the believer out of the Father�s hand (John 10:28-30).
�Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die� (John 11:26).

Based on the Word of God, John gives us several experiential tests by which we can know that we �live�:

We love and keep His commandments (1 John 2:3).
We know and love the truth (1 John 2:20).
We love the brethren (1 John 3:14).
We have God�s Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13).

HMM III