DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 7.23.22

The Word Made Flesh “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) This is the definitive verse on the divine incarnation, when “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19), and the wealth of truth implied therein is beyond human comprehension. We can never understand how the infinite God could become finite man, but where the intellect fails, faith prevails. It was the Word who “was God” and by whom “all things were made” (John 1:1, 3), yet He made His own human body, in the womb of Mary, and therein “dwelt among us” for 33 years. The Greek word here for “dwelt” is unusual, literally meaning “tabernacled.” How could this be? “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Timothy 3:16). This is, indeed, a great mystery, “but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). God made a body for Adam; surely He could also make a perfect body in which He Himself could “tabernacle.” He was made “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3) and “was in all points tempted [i.e., tested] like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Since “God cannot be tempted with evil” (James 1:13), and since the Word, who was God, was merely tabernacling in the likeness of sinful flesh, this testing was to demonstrate to man (not to Himself) that He was without sin and therefore able to save sinners. Therefore, John could testify, “We beheld his glory!” Jesus Christ is, indeed, true man—in fact, He is man as God intended man to be. Yet, neither in the womb of Mary, nor on the cross, did He ever cease to be God. HMM --------------------------- No Other Name “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) There are many famous names in the history of religious thought—names such as Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, Joseph Smith, among a host of others. Each has a multitude of followers who pay homage to his name. But there is only one name that saves eternally, the Lord Jesus Christ. The words of our text were spoken by the apostle Peter. In his epistle, John also stresses this fact: “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:12). The apostle Paul wrote that all those “that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ...shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). This exclusivity necessarily results from the fact that there is only one God and Creator of all men, and that all men have rebelled against Him. God Himself has become Redeemer and Savior, dying for the sin of the world and rising again. There can, therefore, be no other Savior than God Himself. The Lord Jesus repeatedly stressed this truth. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). “If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24). It is urgent, therefore, that anyone desiring forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation come to God through Jesus Christ. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). HMM ----------------------- The Lord Our Maker “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalm 95:6) In the first chapter of Genesis we are told that God was to “make man in our image,” and also that He “created man in his own image” (Genesis 1:26-27). Similarly, on the seventh day God “rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:3). God is, therefore, both Creator and Maker of all things, including the image of God in man. These two terms are not synonymous, though they sometimes seem to be used interchangeably. “Creation” is calling into existence entities that previously had no existence. No one except God is ever the subject of the verb “create.” The work of making, on the other hand, is that of organizing created entities into complex systems. It is interesting that God is called “Creator” five times in the Bible, whereas He is called “Maker” 16 times. God created His image in men and women, but He also made them in that image. That is, He called into existence the spiritual component of man’s nature, not shared in any degree by the animals. He also organized the basic material elements into complex human bodies, the most highly organized systems in the universe, and these were made in that image that God Himself would one day assume when He became an incarnate human being. In this way, He is both Creator and Maker of His image in each person. That image has been marred because of sin, but through the work of Christ we have been “renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:10), and our bodies will “be fashioned like unto his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). Created and newly created, made and remade, let us humbly kneel before the Lord, our Maker and Creator. HMM -------------------------- Open Doors “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” (Colossians 4:3-4) This was Paul’s prayer request of the Colossian Christians, that God would open the door for His testimony. Paul had written earlier about “when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 2:12). The purpose of an open door is thus to preach the gospel of Christ and to speak the mystery of Christ. Furthermore, these passages indicate that such doors are opened by the Lord, not by human devices. In fact, Christ Himself is “he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth” (Revelation 3:7). Doors of testimony are opened by the Lord in answer to prayer, but He also specifies three criteria for keeping the door opened. “I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8). These conditions mean, literally, having little strength of one’s own and thus depending only on God, jealously guarding the integrity of God’s Word, and upholding the name of Christ as Creator, Savior, and coming King. Even when the door is kept open by God, there is no assurance of ease in entering it. Paul wrote that “a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). This is the reason prayer is needed, relying on God, not man! The Lord is also seeking an open door into churches that think they “have need of nothing....Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:17, 20). HMM -------------------- Guarding the Word “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” (Psalm 119:2) In the remarkable 119th Psalm, there are 176 verses (the longest chapter in the Bible) and 176 references to the written Word of God. Eight different Hebrew words are used for the Scriptures, respectively translated (in the King James Version) “law,” “testimonies,” “precepts,” “statutes,” “commandments,” “judgments,” and two words translated “word” or “words.” Furthermore, this psalm contains 28 admonitions to “keep” the Word, and these are applied to each of the above eight aspects of the Scriptures. The first is in our text, where we are exhorted to keep His testimonies. Note the others also in the following examples. “Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently” (v. 4); “O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!” (v. 5); “Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word” (Hebrew dabar, v. 17). “Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law” (v. 34); “I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments” (v. 60); “I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments” (v. 106); “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Hebrew imrah, v. 67). This means much more than simply obeying His commands, though this is certainly included. Both words translated “keep” or “kept” in the 28 admonitions noted above basically mean “guard” or “preserve,” as in Psalm 41:2, where both words are used: “The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive.” In these verses and many others throughout the Bible, therefore, we are commanded not merely to obey and proclaim God’s Word, but also to guard, preserve, and defend it against all its many enemies. HMM ---------------- The Consequences of Drifting Hebrews 3:12-13 Spiritual drifting--the gradual wandering away from God and His will--takes place when a believer ceases to steer toward the Lord. Like an empty boat set loose upon the waters, he or she makes a slow and lazy glide away from good practices like disciplined obedience, regular Bible study, prayer, and assembling with fellow Christians. And there are consequences for casting yourself on uncharted and dangerous waters. A life adrift is outside of God's will and therefore in sin. The Holy Spirit pricks a believer's conscience to send a message when he is off course, but the drifter is prone to ignore such warnings. If a Christian continually excuses his wandering ways and denies sin, then his conscience gradually numbs. A person who becomes desensitized to wrongdoing has paved the way for more sinful behavior with less guilt. Can you imagine a more dangerous situation? As the drifting believer's conscience becomes anesthetized, his spiritual ears are also deadened--truth cannot gain entrance because he has invited wrong attitudes and philosophies into his thinking process. What's more, his heart hardens to the things of God. Shrinking away from testimonies about divine power, grace, and mercy, he avoids situations that might reawaken the conscience and stir his spirit to repentance. People drift from God in search of more--more freedom, choices, and pleasure. But since the consequences are a hard heart, a numb conscience, and dead ears, what they end up with is less. The drifting believer sacrifices the victorious life in Christ for an existence devoid of permanent satisfaction. ---------------------- Be Strong and Courageous By Amanda Idleman "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9 God gave Joshua this command as he was being called to take a huge leap of faith. Moses had died, and the Israelites had not yet made it to the promised land. Joshua had spent many years as Moses’ assistant but now had to step up to lead the Israelites into the land of Canaan. Joshua was commanded to have boldness by God. God’s words to Joshua actually highlight his weakness. They point to Joshua’s need for strength, bravery, confidence, and faith through this unsure time. God graciously spoke directly to Joshua’s inner fears. This mighty leader needed encouragement. In order for Joshua and the Israelites to make it to the promised land, they had to physically walk forward into a new place. It was then that the people were able to experience the fulfilled promise of God. Breakthrough requires a step of faith. Sometimes it’s physically moving from one place to another. Other times it’s doing the work to find healing through counseling or through forgiveness. It can be a stretching gift. It’s saying ‘yes’ to the unknown, even when you are afraid because you know the Holy Spirit is leading you forward. You trust him with the outcome. In order to see God’s plans come to pass in our lives, we have to be willing to partner with him. God uses those bold steps of faith to bring Heaven down to Earth! Thankfully, God promises to be with us every step of the sometimes very scary way. His word days in Joshua 1:5, “ I will not leave you nor forsake you.” You are never alone, out on that limb! Without those faith-stretching moments that propel us forward, we may never get the chance to see the fullness of what God has for us in our lives. God promises to be with us, but he doesn’t promise that things will be easy. I like to call these 'trust falls' into God’s arms our sloppy starts! We don’t have all the answers, yet we enthusiastically lunge forward toward God’s best for our lives. God may be asking you to embrace a ‘sloppy start’ in order to get unstuck in your spiritual life. God doesn’t require perfection for him to move in our lives, but he does ask us to present ourselves to him as living sacrifices for his will to be done. Notice that in the passage from Joshua, God doesn’t say move forward Joshua and I promise that everything will work out perfectly. God’s commands were aimed at Joshua’s character. He knew the strength Joshua needed to be faithful to God’s plan. Are you waiting for God to tell you the end result before beginning? As people, we want assurances. We are willing to act if we know what we are getting. God usually does not work this way. He tells us how to be; he may even show us how to start, but usually doesn’t tell us what is going to come. This can make being a Christ follower very frustrating! We feel God moving us toward a new direction for our lives, but our fear holds us back because in our minds, the fear of failure is something that keeps us from moving. Yet, we serve a God that calls us to be faith-filled, not successful. The goal is to get to the end of our lives and hear “well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23), not “way to go, you won at life, you made the money and enjoyed success.” Living a life with faithfulness as the goal and not success as our primary goal is radical. Intersecting Faith and Life: Where in your life is God asking you to take a step of faith? What is holding you back from entering his promised land for your life? How has God asked you to be ‘strong and courageous in the midst of so many scary unknowns? Write a list of how God is speaking to you about these things. Pray over it and begin to take one step forward toward God’s best for your life with his help. Further Reading •Joshua 1 •Bible Verses about Faith •What Did God Mean “Be Strong and Courageous”? ------------------- The Lord Our Maker “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalm 95:6) In the first chapter of Genesis we are told that God was to “make man in our image,” and also that He “created man in his own image” (Genesis 1:26-27). Similarly, on the seventh day God “rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:3). God is, therefore, both Creator and Maker of all things, including the image of God in man. These two terms are not synonymous, though they sometimes seem to be used interchangeably. “Creation” is calling into existence entities that previously had noexistence. No one except God is ever the subject of the verb “create.” The work of making, on the other hand, is that of organizing created entities into complex systems. It is interesting that God is called “Creator” five times in the Bible, whereas He is called “Maker” 16 times. God created His image in men and women, but He also made them in that image. That is, He called into existence the spiritual component of man’snature, not shared in any degree by the animals. He also organized the basic material elements into complex human bodies, the most highly organized systems in the universe, and these were made in that image that God Himself would one day assume when He becamean incarnate human being. In this way, He is both Creator and Maker of His image in each person. That image has been marred because of sin, but through the work of Christ we have been “renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:10), and our bodies will “be fashioned like unto his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21).Created and newly created, made and remade, let us humbly kneel before the Lord, our Maker and Creator. HMM -------------------------- Open Doors “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” (Colossians 4:3-4) This was Paul’s prayer request of the Colossian Christians, that God would open the door for His testimony. Paul had written earlier about “when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 2:12).The purpose of an open door is thus to preach the gospel of Christ and to speak the mystery of Christ. Furthermore, these passages indicate that such doors are opened by the Lord, not by human devices. In fact, Christ Himself is “he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth” (Revelation 3:7). Doors of testimony are opened by theLord in answer to prayer, but He also specifies three criteria for keeping the door opened. “I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8). These conditions mean, literally, having little strength of one’s own and thus depending only on God, jealously guarding the integrity of God’s Word, and upholding the name of Christ as Creator, Savior, and coming King. Even when the door is kept open by God, there is no assurance of ease in entering it. Paul wrote that “a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). This is the reason prayer is needed, relying onGod, not man! The Lord is also seeking an open door into churches that think they “have need of nothing....Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:17, 20). HMM -------------------- Guarding the Word “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” (Psalm 119:2) In the remarkable 119th Psalm, there are 176 verses (the longest chapter in the Bible) and 176 references to the written Word of God. Eight different Hebrew words are used for the Scriptures, respectively translated (in the King James Version) “law,”“testimonies,” “precepts,” “statutes,” “commandments,” “judgments,” and two words translated “word” or “words.” Furthermore, this psalm contains 28 admonitions to “keep” the Word, and these are applied to each of the above eight aspects of the Scriptures.The first is in our text, where we are exhorted to keep His testimonies. Note the others also in the following examples. “Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently” (v. 4); “O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!” (v. 5); “Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word” (Hebrew dabar, v. 17). “Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law” (v. 34); “I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments” (v. 60); “I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments” (v. 106); “Before I was afflicted I went astray:but now have I kept thy word” (Hebrew imrah, v. 67). This means much more than simply obeying His commands, though this is certainly included. Both words translated “keep” or “kept” in the 28 admonitions noted above basically mean “guard” or “preserve,” as in Psalm 41:2, where both words are used: “TheLORD will preserve him, and keep him alive.” In these verses and many others throughout the Bible, therefore, we are commanded not merely to obey and proclaim God’s Word, but also to guard, preserve, and defend it against all its many enemies. HMM ---------------- The Consequences of Drifting Hebrews 3:12-13 Spiritual drifting--the gradual wandering away from God and His will--takes place when a believer ceases to steer toward the Lord. Like an empty boat set loose upon the waters, he or she makes a slow and lazy glide away from good practices like disciplinedobedience, regular Bible study, prayer, and assembling with fellow Christians. And there are consequences for casting yourself on uncharted and dangerous waters. A life adrift is outside of God's will and therefore in sin. The Holy Spirit pricks a believer's conscience to send a message when he is off course, but the drifter is prone to ignore such warnings. If a Christian continually excuses his wandering waysand denies sin, then his conscience gradually numbs. A person who becomes desensitized to wrongdoing has paved the way for more sinful behavior with less guilt. Can you imagine a more dangerous situation? As the drifting believer's conscience becomes anesthetized, his spiritual ears are also deadened--truth cannot gain entrance because he has invited wrong attitudes and philosophies into his thinking process. What's more, his heart hardens to the thingsof God. Shrinking away from testimonies about divine power, grace, and mercy, he avoids situations that might reawaken the conscience and stir his spirit to repentance. People drift from God in search of more--more freedom, choices, and pleasure. But since the consequences are a hard heart, a numb conscience, and dead ears, what they end up with is less. The drifting believer sacrifices the victorious life in Christ foran existence devoid of permanent satisfaction. ---------------------- Be Strong and Courageous By Amanda Idleman "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9 God gave Joshua this command as he was being called to take a huge leap of faith. Moses had died, and the Israelites had not yet made it to the promised land. Joshua had spent many years as Moses’ assistant but now had to step up to lead the Israelitesinto the land of Canaan. Joshua was commanded to have boldness by God. God’s words to Joshua actually highlight his weakness. They point to Joshua’s need for strength, bravery, confidence, and faith through this unsure time. God graciously spoke directly toJoshua’s inner fears. This mighty leader needed encouragement. In order for Joshua and the Israelites to make it to the promised land, they had to physically walk forward into a new place. It was then that the people were able to experience the fulfilled promise of God. Breakthrough requires a step of faith. Sometimesit’s physically moving from one place to another. Other times it’s doing the work to find healing through counseling or through forgiveness. It can be a stretching gift. It’s saying ‘yes’ to the unknown, even when you are afraid because you know the Holy Spiritis leading you forward. You trust him with the outcome. In order to see God’s plans come to pass in our lives, we have to be willing to partner with him. God uses those bold steps of faith to bring Heaven down to Earth! Thankfully, God promises to be with us every step of the sometimes very scary way. His worddays in Joshua 1:5, “ I will not leave you nor forsake you.” You are never alone, out on that limb! Without those faith-stretching moments that propel us forward, we may never get the chance to see the fullness of what God has for us in our lives. God promises to be with us, but he doesn’t promise that things will be easy. I like to call these 'trust falls'into God’s arms our sloppy starts! We don’t have all the answers, yet we enthusiastically lunge forward toward God’s best for our lives. God may be asking you to embrace a ‘sloppy start’ in order to get unstuck in your spiritual life. God doesn’t require perfectionfor him to move in our lives, but he does ask us to present ourselves to him as living sacrifices for his will to be done. Notice that in the passage from Joshua, God doesn’t say move forward Joshua and I promise that everything will work out perfectly. God’s commands were aimed at Joshua’s character. He knew the strength Joshua needed to be faithful to God’s plan. Are you waiting for God to tell you the end result before beginning? As people, we want assurances. We are willing to act if we know what we are getting. God usually does not work this way. He tells us how to be; he may even show us how to start, but usually doesn’t tell us what is going to come. This can make being a Christfollower very frustrating! We feel God moving us toward a new direction for our lives, but our fear holds us back because in our minds, the fear of failure is something that keeps us from moving. Yet, we serve a God that calls us to be faith-filled, not successful. The goal is to get to the end of our lives and hear “well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23), not “way to go, you won at life, you made the money and enjoyed success.” Livinga life with faithfulness as the goal and not success as our primary goal is radical. Intersecting Faith and Life: Where in your life is God asking you to take a step of faith? What is holding you back from entering his promised land for your life? How has God asked you to be ‘strong and courageous in the midst of so many scary unknowns? Write a list of how God is speakingto you about these things. Pray over it and begin to take one step forward toward God’s best for your life with his help. Further Reading •Joshua 1 •Bible Verses about Faith •What Did God Mean “Be Strong and Courageous”? ------------------------------------- Togetherin Christ “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew18:20) This is a wonderful promise. Whether believers come together in church or a home Bible study or even just two together (like husband and wife) to fellowship around the name of the Lord Jesus, He is there also! The Scriptures often speak of our togetherness with Him and therefore with one another. When we followed Him in baptism, we were “planted together in the likeness of his death” (Romans6:5). Similarly, when He rose from the dead, God “hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians2:5-6). One day, we are told, “if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans8:17). In our Christian walk right now, we are being “fitly framed together” as a “holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians2:21-22). We ought, therefore, to be “knit together in love” (Colossians2:2), “perfectly joined together in the same mind” (1Corinthians 1:10), and “striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians1:27). Then one day, when Christ returns and the dead in Christ are raised, “we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1Thessalonians 4:17). So, when we are together with Him through the indwelling Spirit of Christ, whether in a congregation of thousands or just together with one or two Christian companions, we rejoice in His presence, for He is our mighty Creator, our loving Savior, our caringComforter, our unerring Guide, and our soon-coming King. HMM ---------------------------- When Faith Wavers James 1:5-8 If we believe that God is who He says He is and will do what He has promised, why do so many of us habitually waver in our prayers? Instead of exercising bold faith, we come to the Lord “hoping” He will hear us and answer our requests, but we’re just notsure He will. With this kind of thinking, we cannot expect to receive anything from Him. One reason we are so prone to doubt is that we fail to see God at work in our circumstances. We asked, and nothing happened. But the Lord is not some cosmic bellhop who jumps in response to our requests. He sees past, present, and future and knows the righttime for every answer. His invisible hand is already at work on our behalf—arranging situations to accomplish His will, opening hearts, and preparing us to receive what He wants to give. Another cause for uncertainty is ignorance. If we don’t know God’s ways, we will be disappointed in His response. All too often our prayers are accompanied by expectations of how He will work. When He fails to intervene according to our timetable or anticipatedmethod, we start to doubt. But placing our faith in the Lord and trusting in His good and perfect ways gives us stability as we wait for His answer. To overcome doubts, spend time in the Word to learn God’s principles and ways. Then you’ll begin to grasp what He wants to achieve in your life and how He goes about it. Examine your past from a biblical perspective—faith will grow as you see the unexpectedways He answered your prayers. ----------------------- Seasoned in Prayer by Rev. Kyle Norman “When Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened to Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” (Daniel6:10) The Book of Daniel is filled with exciting tales. Daniel stands before kings proclaiming the sovereignty of God. His friends are cast into fiery furnaces, and he himself is fed to the lions. Yet through it all, Daniel remains unharmed. Daniel’s life standsas a testimony that faithfulness overcomes fear. God’s power is mightier than the power of would-be kings and tyrants. Of course, the secret of Daniel’s life, and the strength within his faith, is his heart of prayer. Daniel pours his heart out to God in prayer, passionately and consistently. Daniel’s prayer life, therefore, serves as a model for our own. It is Daniel’s dedication to prayer that gets him in trouble with the Babylonian straps and administrators. We read about this in Daniel 6. Daniel is an old man at this point, well-seasoned in life and in prayer. In fact, Daniel’s life of dedicated prayer was well known. It was public knowledge. We read that Daniel prayed three times a day “as he had done before.” Daniel had longestablished himself as a man of prayer. This was one of the reasons why his advice and counsel were so sought after. People knew that Daniel communicated with the Lord, that he enjoyed an interactive relationship with his God. Daniel spoke to God, and Godspoke to Daniel. True, Daniel’s prayers occurred in private; he knelt down in his room with a window opened towards Jerusalem. Yet while his prayers were private, they were not hidden. This is how Daniel was caught defying the King’s decree. It is no surprise that Daniel responds to the King’s decree with prayer; it is the way he responds to all things. Scripture describes the scene this way, “When Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went to his upstairs room. . .three timesa day he got down on his knees and prayed.” Daniel knew that the decree meant trouble for the faithful Israelites living in Babylon. He wasn’t the only one who remained faithful to Yahweh. Daniel, a man gifted with interpretation, knew what the decree meant.King Darius had been manipulated by the Babylonian administrators. He had signed a decree that all in Babylon must bow down to the king in prayer, an act which violated God’s first commandment. The trap has been set, and all the faithful Israelites could nowbe targeted and sent to the lions. Do we respond to life’s difficulties in prayer? When we find ourselves caught unawares by the twists and turns of life, do we drop to our knees? Or, instead, do we try to meet the challenge head-on, trusting in the strength of our will and the sweat of ourbrow? How deep does our reservoir of prayer go? Daniel could have acted from strength and power. He could have leveraged his own political clout; he was, after all, third in power over all of the Babylonian kingdom. Or, he could have chosen to bide his time. After all, the decree was only good for 30days. Daniel could have refrained from prayer for a season, thus ensuring his safety. Daniel, however, was a humble man. He didn’t combat manipulation with manipulation, politics with politics, or power with power. Daniel was a man of prayer, and his prayerfulconnection to God could not be sacrificed. And so, Daniel knelt and called out to God. His prayer was timely and specific. Scripture records that “The administrators went as a group and found Daniel, praying and asking God for help” (Daniel6:11). In response to the obstacles before him, Daniel sought the one he knew could protect and save. Intersecting Faith and Life: How might we follow Daniel’s example? It can be easy to view our prayers as something so intensely personal that we rarely speak about it. True, Jesus does teach that “when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen” (Matthew 6:6). This is exactly what Daniel models. And yet, as private as his prayers were, they were also public. They were known. How might you make your life of prayer known? What might it mean for others to know that you begin or end the day in prayer? Like Daniel, could your reliance on prayer be so integrated into your life that it becomes the very foundation of who you are andhow you live in this world? Of course, this doesn’t have to occur in a self-aggrandizing way. Jesus warns his followers about praying out of a desire for human praise (Matthew6:5). Yet this verse doesn’t mean that our dependence on prayer, especially in the difficult moments of our life, cannot be public knowledge. Daniel’s example proves that the life of prayer testifies to the strength of prayer. Like Daniel emerging from the den of lions, people see the effect of our prayers. When others know that we respond to the events of life prayerfully, they are able towitness the result of prayer. And maybe, like Darius, they will praise the Lord as a result. Further Reading: •Philippians 4:6 •Matthew 6: 5-14 ------------------------------------------ Behind the Fa�ade - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord �Acts 3:19 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/behind-the-facade/- Listen As a 17-year-old kid, I was searching for God. I had tried to find truth through alcohol and partying, but I knew that wasn�t the answer. I tried to find it through drug use,and I knew that wasn�t the answer either. But I was searching. I would hang around Newport Beach at night, leaning against a wall, and I would watch as Christians walked around handing out religious literature. They looked at me and keptwalking. Occasionally they gave me something to read, but they wouldn�t engage me. I remember thinking, �Why won�t you talk to me?� They bought my fa�ade, the appearance that I didn�t care. But I did care. And I was waiting for someone to enter my worldand show me the way. That is what Jesus did with the woman at the well in Samaria. He said, �Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again� (John 4:13 NLT). He was using the wellas a metaphor for life. You�ll be thirsty again if you drink this water. We could write that over the well of materialism or over the well of fame. We could write it over the well of so many things. The woman, however, wasn�t getting what Jesus was saying, so she started to argue with Him. But Jesus called her out. He engaged her and told her what she needed to do. When we�re sharing the gospel, we need to appeal to a person�s spiritual thirst, but we also need to tell the truth about sin. They need to know that sin separates them fromGod, and the solution is a relationship with Jesus Christ. The problem is sin. The solution is Jesus. People are hiding behind their fa�ades, but they�re really waiting for someone to show them the way. Will you be that person? ----------------------- Searchingfor God �But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.� (Matthew6:33) These are days when few people seem satisfied. Everyone seems to be searching for something�for riches, power, health, adventure, fame, peace, conquests, or escape. Shamefully, even few Christians seem to realize that the permanent fulfillment or redirectionof such desires can only be found in the Lord, the One who created them and designed them to operate in a particular, satisfying way. While it is true that in an ultimate sense �there is none that seeketh after God� (Romans3:11) for salvation without the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Christian (and indeed the entire human race) is enjoined again and again to seek God. Note the following passages of encouragement. �If from thence [i.e., captivity due to disobedience] thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul� (Deuteronomy4:29). �If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever� (1Chronicles 28:9). �One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple� (Psalm27:4). �O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee� (Psalm63:1). �I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me� (Proverbs8:17). �And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart� (Jeremiah29:13). As in our text, our search should be for God and His characteristics. All of man�s desires will either be fulfilled or reoriented as we find Him, and according to the several verses quoted, we will find Him if we truly seek Him. JDM --------------------- The Greatest Sacrifice of All - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all asgarbage, so that I could gain Christ �Philippians 3:8 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-greatest-sacrifice-of-all/- Listen Telling your story, or sharing your testimony, is a powerful bridge for the gospel message. Your story is also known as your testimony. You tell people how you came to faith,because sometimes, nonbelievers don�t realize we weren�t born this way. When you share your personal story, however, don�t glorify or exaggerate the past. The testimonies of some people get more dramatic with the telling. Don�t make your pastsound better than your present. Someone might be listening to you and thinking, �I want your old life, not your new one.� I love the perspective that the apostle Paul had on his past. He was a very intelligent, accomplished individual, yet he dismissed all of it. He said, �Yes, everything elseis worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ� (Philippians 3:8 NLT). Paul was effectively saying, �I�ve dumped it all in the trash so I could embrace Christ and be embraced by Him.� Don�t talk about what you gave up for Jesus. Talk about what Jesus gave up for you. Whatever you gave up is nothing compared to what God has done for you. So talk about howJesus died on the cross for your sin and made the greatest sacrifice of all. Here�s an acronym to remember for sharing your faith: BLAST. B is for build. When you�re talking to people about Jesus, start building a bridge. L is a reminder to lovinglyenter their world. Take an interest in them. A is for ask. Ask questions, and then listen. S is for share. Share your testimony. That brings us to T. Tell them how to come to Jesus. Remember, it is not about you; it�s about Him. Tell your story to build a bridge to His story, the greatest story ever told. ---------------------- Praiseat the Incarnation �Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an hornof salvation for us in the house of his servant David.� (Luke1:68-69) These words of praise, uttered by Zacharias the priest at the birth of John the Baptist, comprise one of seven great doxologies given by men and women in connection with the entrance of the Savior into the human family. Even before this was the testimony ofHis mother Mary in her Magnificat: �My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour� (Luke1:46-47). But the first was uttered by Elizabeth: �Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb....And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord� (vv. 42, 45). Then, when Christ was born, there were the shepherds who, after seeing Him, �returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them� (2:20). At His dedication in Jerusalem, the aged prophet Simeon �blessedGod, and said...mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel� (vv. 28, 30-32). The prophetess Anna �gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spakeof him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem� (v. 38). Finally, perhaps two years later, Gentile wise men, after a long journey from the east, �fell down, and worshipped him� (Matthew2:11). Humble Jewish shepherds and great Gentile scholars joined with priest and prophet and three godly women to praise the Lord for the gift of His Son and to worship Him. Can we do any less? HMM --------------------- The Basis for Discernment Hebrews 4:12-13 Since spiritual discernment is the ability to see life from God's perspective, it requires that we know how He thinks and acts. The Bible is His unchanging, infallible revelation of Himself. However, the Lord doesn't simply give us a list of facts about His character and ways. All throughout the pages of Scripture, He illustrates who He is and how He operates. Although the Bible is ancient, it's not a dead book. It's alive and as fresh as if He were speaking directly to you. The stories may have taken place centuries ago, but the principles and applications are current and relevant. It's our instruction book abouthow to live. Guidance for decisions and discernment about situations are found from Genesis to Revelation. God's Word is active and piercing. The words don't simply sit on the page. They penetrate our hearts and judge our thoughts and motives. This convicting quality is why some people don't like to read the Bible. But self-discernment is essential if we don'twant to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Some Christians live on a surface level, never understanding why they react to situations the way they do. But if we'll approach the Word of God with an open spirit, it will bring to light our hiddenmotives and reveal unrecognized sins. Spiritual discernment involves seeing not just our circumstances but also ourselves from God's perspective. Have you learned to embrace the piercing sword of Scripture, or have you avoided doing so because it makes you uncomfortable? Remember, God's Wordcuts only so that it can heal.