Ephesians 3:16
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.
Now that we are in the Spring season, my mind starts to think about hiking. I love to get out and walk the Appalachian Trail. In order to be ready, I have been either walking or riding my bike each morning. I want to strengthen those lazy winter muscles.
Strength is a necessary part of the outdoors experience. When my wife and I started to add children to our family we stopped hiking because of the limited time we had. Since I have started back up again I have lost 30 pounds. (Pounds that I had “found” up till that time!)
I can tell you by experience that out of shape people cannot enjoy hiking as fully as those used to the rigors of trail life. I remember well the pain in my legs and back when I first started. I had to stop every few feet while going uphill, just to breathe. Thank God, I am starting to get in shape again!
More important than physical condition, however, is the shape of your inner being. The spiritual trail you are on is far tougher than any wilderness trail. God wants to strengthen you for that journey.
It is going to take quality time spent in the presence of the Lord. That is why your time in the presence of the Lord is so beneficial. It builds you up internally. To do this you must free yourself from distractions so that you can concentrate on Christ.
Let Him strengthen you today. Spend time before Him just drinking in His Spirit. Take the time necessary so that your inner man is ready for the road ahead, no matter how rough the path.
Tags: Appalachian Trail, Bible, Christian, devotion, distractions, encouragement, Holy Spirit, inner growth, inner man, inner strength, intimacy, out of shape, path, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, problems, spring, strength
Abraham was an intercessor. He was concerned about people he didn’t even know. The following passage takes place when the Lord told Abraham about His plans to judge the cities around Sodom.
Genesis 18:22-24
The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?”
There was a Bible scholar, Dr, Joseph Parker, who had some insightful things to say about the intercession of Abraham. He made four observations (I will put them in bold type) that I think are very applicable to the church today.
1. “God holds inquest upon the moral conditions of cities.” I believe that even though we, as individuals, live under grace, God treats cities and nations differently. Many times a city will sow injustice and reap disaster. That’s why I call all believers to pray for the USA. As a nation we cannot keep telling God to keep out, and then expect Him to protect us from catastrophe.
2. “God is accessible to earnest human appeal.” That is the basis of intercession. We need to be spending quality time in prayer for our families, friends, neighbors, and officials. That’s when we see the miraculous happen. When God’s people join with God in His work.
3. “The few can serve the many.” Sure, there are very few Christians that take the call to prayer seriously. Just look at the difference in attendance between a church dinner and a prayer meeting. The fact is, it doesn’t take a lot. God only looks for a few committed intercessors who are willing to “stand in the gap” for those around them.
4. “Human prayers fall below Divine resources.” One thing I know beyond a doubt – our prayers never even scratch the surface of God’s ability. From our perspective the task looks so daunting. The problem seems insurmountable. Yet to God, it is a simple thing for Him. He specializes in the impossible. Our prayers don’t even come close to challenging Him.
Answer the call to intercession. Our cities and nation are in desperate need of a move of God. Be on the cutting edge of the Lord’s work. Cry out to Him and see His power manifest in our lifetime.
Tags: Abraham, Bible, calling, Christian, church, devotion, disciple, encouragement, God's will, intercession, intercessor, intimacy, prayer, presence of the lord, revival, Sodom, sowing and reaping, victory
James 1:18
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
This verse is referencing our Heavenly Father. In the book of James He is called the Father of Heavenly Lights. It is His light shining on us that brings us life. In His love and wisdom He sent Christ into the world to bring us life.
This verse is clear. We have been given a new birth. A birth that was not of flesh and blood like our original entrance into this world. This birth was through the Word of Truth. I believe that James is referring to something more than the Bible, as wonderful as that Word is. It is a Word that speaks to our inner being.
One of the names of Christ is the Word made flesh. He was not a matter of ink and paper coming alive. He is the living and enduring Word of the Most High God. Christ said of Himself, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” He is the direct expression of the Word of Truth.
It is through this Word, Christ Himself, that we have been given new birth – if we have accepted the free gift of His salvation. He did this so that He could begin the renovation of the human race in us. That is what the last part of this verse is all about. The firstfruits of all He created.
This is the beginnings of the kingdom of God manifest on earth. Right now it is difficult to see. It is taking root in the hearts of men and women throughout the world. But they are changing, becoming what God intended them to be. His Kingdom is starting in us.
The more time I spend in the presence of that Word, the more I become like Him. Don’t ever take the presence of the Lord for granted. It is a privilege to have access to the throne room of God. It was paid for by the precious blood of Christ. Let the living Word do the work in you that only He can do. Spend quality time with Him today.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, firstfruits, God the Father, God's word, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, living word, new birth, overcoming, presence of the lord, revival, testimony, word, word of truth
2 Corinthians 1:8-10
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.
It is my hope and prayer that you are never in a life-threatening situation. I know, however, that weather, accidents, and natural disasters can come when least expected. It seems like everyday there is something going on in the United States that could have tragic results. If and when that occurs, you will be faced with a choice – do you despair and give up or do you continue to put your hope in God?
I have been in that kind of situation. I know what it feels like to be trapped by an unforeseen incident with no way out and no help in sight. It is truly in those times of need that God proves Himself faithful. I can say, without hesitation, that God has never abandoned me to my problems.
The key to making it safely through a future problem is to make the choice now, that whatever happens, you will not abandon your trust in God. You will find that He is always there with you to help you in your time of need. In your prayer time today, reaffirm your trust in the Lord to take you through the hard times. Place your life fully in His hands.
Tags: accident, Bible, Christian, Christian witness, deadly, despair, devotion, encouragement, fear, God's faithfulness, God's love, hope, hope in God, natural disaster, overcoming, peril, prayer, prepare, problems, protection, strength, trust, victory, weather
1Thessalonians 1:2-3
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith, hope, and love – they are the three things that the Bible says will be with us eternally. Too often we think about them in spiritual terms. We get the idea that these are just good feelings that Christians should enjoy. Like they are wonderful gifts that should be tucked quietly away in our hearts.
NO WAY!!! Faith, hope, and love are the sparks that ignite our ministry before God. There are three different things that happen as a result of their influence on us.
First, faith produces our work. That word literally means your assignment. It is the task that God has given you. As you go before God in faith, He gives you grace for the calling He has placed upon your life. Faith causes you to stand in your assignment.
Then comes love – it prompts us to labor. That word means to use up your strength in performing a task. Without the love of God, we will never pour ourselves into the calling He has placed upon us. We are called to work with all of our strength. Without love, that will never happen.
Finally, hope inspires endurance. It’s easy to start out strong, but it’s how we finish that matters the most. Hope is the biblical word for expectation. If I do my part, then I can expect God to show up and do His part. That’s what keeps me going even when I don’t feel like it. Hope gives you the endurance to persevere to the end.
Let faith, hope, and love give you more than just a warm feeling. Let them spur you on to accomplishing your destiny in the Lord’s Kingdom.
Tags: assignment, Bible, calling, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, encouragement, endurance, expectation, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, hope, labor, love, ministry, prepare, strength, victory, work
Exodus 13:20-22
After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
God was everything that Israel needed in the desert. By day He was a pillar of cloud to shield them from the desert sun. By night He was a pillar of blazing fire to warm them in the cold night air. But even more than that – night or day – they could see God clearly and follow the path He was marking out for them.
God will go before us in our lives as well, if we let Him. Our job is to look for the signs of His guidance. He wants to make the path clear before us. Even when we go through dark times – when it seems that we can’t go on, He will make a way for us to come through victoriously.
As drivers, many of us put our complete trust in the GPS receiver on our dashboards. We will turn any direction it tells us to go. If only we would follow God’s Word the same way, we would have a life that was truly worth living.
Turn your path over to God today. Let Him be your daily guide. Enter into the freedom that comes from knowing that the road ahead has already been mapped out. Commit yourself to following after the only true Guide of our souls.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, direction, disciple, encouragement, freedom, God's faithfulness, God's leading, God's will, GPS, guidance, guide, Holy Spirit, path, prayer, presence of the lord, victory
Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
We all want to be a success. Solomon, who wrote these nuggets of wisdom, understood what it took to be successful. He gives us advice that is timeless – as true today as it was the day it was written.
In this proverb, he gives us two contrasting truths, one negative and one positive. The first deals with pride. Please understand, we all need a healthy amount of pride to be able to function correctly. Taking pride in your work is what helps you to advance. This is not the pride he is talking about here.
The pride that hurts me is the view that I’m better than everybody else. I guess it could best be described as arrogance. The rejection of any help from others is a symptom of this condition. After all, why would we need help from this rabble – they all need our help.
The problem with this kind of thinking is that it leads to disgrace. What that word literally means is that your opinion is largely ignored. Have you ever noticed that people who act like they know everything, are rarely gone to for advice. Solomon tells us that quickest way to being ignored is through arrogance.
Humility is just the opposite. It understands that there are people you need to go to for advice and help along the way. There are those who know more than you on certain subjects. As you listen to them and learn from their experience, you start to grow in wisdom and knowledge.
Eventually, people start seeing those same qualities in you. They come to you for advice. Humility is the road to advancement in the kingdom of God.
We all have the choice. Do we want disgrace or wisdom? The road we take determines our destination. If you want to be a person who influences the lives of others, then choose the path that leads through humility – it reaps the best rewards.
Tags: advancement, arrogance, Bible, Christian, devotion, disgrace, encouragement, help, humility, pride, proverb, Solomon, success, successful, wisdom
Isaiah 64:8
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
There was a preacher in the early 1900’s by the name of Adelaide Pollard. She had a traveling ministry that was quite successful. But, she desired to do more. She wanted to take a missionary trip to Africa – that was her heart’s desire.
In order to fulfill this dream, she tried to raise the support needed to send her there. In spite of all of her efforts, the money was just not coming in. The more she thought about it, the more discouraged she became. It was almost to the point of depression.
One night she decided to attend a local prayer meeting. As she was there, Adelaide began to listen to the prayers going up to the throne of God. One in particular caught her attention. It was a simple request spoken by an elderly believer.
“It really doesn’t matter what you do with us, Lord, just have your way in our lives.”
When the would-be missionary heard those words, they arrested her. She couldn’t shake the grip of the Holy Spirit speaking to her heart through them.
Later on, when she was home, Adelaide read the words of Jeremiah chapter 18, speaking of his trip to the potter’s house. Suddenly it all came into focus for her. It wasn’t about the money or the trip to Africa, but about God’s will for her life. That night, before she went to sleep, she had the entire hymn written.
This is a lesson that we all need to learn, as believers. It is not our agenda that is important. Our goal should be to let God have His way in our lives. After all, we are His people, He has redeemed us. And, it is His plan that will ultimately bring about the victory in our lives.
Go before God with this attitude today. It is not about my will, but Yours, Lord.
“Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, after thy will. While I am waiting, yielded and still.”
Tags: Adelaide Pollard, Bible, calling, Christian, cross, devotion, disciple, encouragement, faith, God's faithfulness, God's will, have thine own way Lord, Holy Spirit, holy worship, hymn, missionary, overcoming, prayer, prayer meeting, presence of the lord, trust, victory
Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’”
At one point in Jesus’ ministry, His disciples came to Him with a question. They understood the power of Christ was based upon His prayer life. They wanted to learn how to walk in that kind of intimacy with God. So, they came to Jesus for His word on the matter.
Of course, the Lord was more than willing to show the disciples the starting point for a rich relationship with God. Yes, I said starting point. The so called Lord’s Prayer is not the ultimate prayer we can offer. It is the first baby step that Christ gave to His followers so that they might walk the path of prayer.
This short glimpse into the realm of prayer is the foundation for all of the things we converse with God about. It is so rich in truth that I will have many future posts dedicated to this teaching of Christ. But for now, I want to talk about the focus of this prayer – the One to whom it is addressed.
OUR FATHER! Some of the most amazing words in Scripture. Jesus didn’t say, “My Father.” He called God “Our Father.” This is something that the people of God need a fresh revelation of. The God of Heaven, Creator of the universe, Savior of all mankind, allows me to call Him “Father.”
There is a lot of blessing tied up in that name. He is not a god far off and unconcerned with our needs. Our Father cares about us, no matter how great or small the matter we bring before Him. He is not a god looking for a reason to destroy us for any little fault. Our Father loves us and wants the best for us – leading us with His hand of mercy and grace.
Spend some quality time getting to know our Father today. Meditate upon this all encompassing truth. Let it reshape your prayer life so that it is something you look forward to each day.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, faith, fellowship, God's faithfulness, God's love, intimacy, Jesus Christ, Lord's Prayer, Our Father, prayer, prayer life, prepare, presence of the lord, relationship
Romans 1:20-23
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
The first part of this passage is why I love the outdoors! To see the beauty of a mountain vista, fall colors, lake, sky, and wind. They all combine together to give a sense of awe and wonder. All of Creation seems to cry out that it is the work of someone vastly more intelligent and powerful than you or I.
This verse reminds us that not everyone credits God for His work. There are those who see a vastly different picture. Evolution and chance are the gods of this world. There are many people who overlook the obvious in order to avoid giving account of themselves to God. The fact remains that God has revealed Himself in the context of His Creation.
What about God’s people? How should we respond to the world that we see around us? One thing I do know is that we must not be found guilty of the sin of ungratefulness. Never take the majesty of the Lord’s Creation for granted.
Make sure that you give God praise today. Thank Him for the beauty of His Creation. Thank Him for allowing us to share it with Him. And thank Him for His marvelous presence that helps us to enjoy His handiwork all the more.
Tags: Bible, chance, Christian, creation, devotion, encouragement, evolution, glory, God's faithfulness, God's love, holy worship, mountain, outdoors, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, thankful, ungratefulness
The Spirit and the Word 