Tag: faith

How Galatians 1:10 Challenges Us to Please God, Not Please Other People. Galatians 1:10

Galatians 1:10 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When was the last time you asked yourself, “Am I pleasing other people or am I pleasing God?”

I would argue that the root of people pleasing is idolatry.

It is making a “god” out of ourselves and being accepted by others.

It is the idea that our greatest hope is that other created beings would approve of us and like us.

Today, we are going to be learning from Galatians 1:10 to please God above all.

Everyday Challenges to People Pleasing

Galatians 1:10 Amplified Bible

10 Am I now [a]trying to win the favor and approval of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please someone? If I were still trying to be popular with men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

We face this every day.

Are we going to parent our children so they like us, or discipline and guide them because we love them?

Are we going to do what the boss and the company is asking us to do even though we know well that it is unethical, or will we risk our job for integrity?

Young people have to make these choices as well.

Are they going to bully that other kid in school, befriend or stand up for them? 

Seeking to please or appease others comes from a desire to be loved, known, and accepted.

However, when we are operating out of our true identity as believers, we are reminded of these five biblical truths:

we are chosen (1 Peter 1:2),

12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to [a]look.

we are loved (John 3:16),

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His [a]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

we are sons and daughters of God (John 1:12-13),

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were [a]born, not of  [b] blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14),

13 For You formed my [a]inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for [b]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

and we are secure in Christ (Isaiah 41:8-10).

8 “But you, Israel, My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of Abraham My friend,
9 You whom I have [a]taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts
And said to you, ‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Will we act like the world to be loved by the world, or will we be set apart as a witness to Jesus?

Will we honor family, friends, or even ministries more than honoring Christ?

Will we use our words to puff others up, will we declare them the truth in love?

What Then Is Love?

Matthew 22:35-40 New American Standard Bible 1995

35 One of them, [a]a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and [b]foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

We are called to love God first with everything.

I am a married man.

I am not partially married to my wife.

I am not only married to her on the weekdays and “take off” on the weekends.

I am forever hers, this side of heaven.

She is my covenant woman.

However, she is not Jesus.

I am not Jesus.

Jesus is my One and only First true Love.

He is the One in whom I rest in my salvation.

He is the only One who is worthy of my worship.

My marriage is a picture of Christ’s marriage to His church, however, it is a broken picture of it.

We do not have the ability to love God like Matthew 22:37-39 says, apart from the power and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

It is impossible. 

Hebrews 11:6 says, “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

If our desire in life is to please God, Hebrews makes it clear that we do this by having faith in Him.

This is only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

To love God also means that we obey Him. 

John 14:5 says, “If you love me, keep my commands.”

We have failed at every single command from the Lord.

We know that we cannot always love Him nearly as well as He always loves us.

However, with His Spirit, we can love Him with the whole finiteness of all of our whole hearts and obey Him.

How does this affect our other relationships?

This means that our main priority in life is to please the Lord.

Does this mean that we do not love others well?

No, we are also called to love people in Matthew 22.

That means we live by the Spirit to love them well.

We invest time and energy into building community, we are connected to the church body locally, we are intentional with our time with family and friends, and we willingly choose self sacrifice to help others and care for them well.

However, any time a person or a thing creeps its way up into the throne of our hearts, we have made an idol.

It is impossible to worship God and someone else, just like it is impossible for me to be fully devoted to my wife but to “take a break” on the weekends.

We serve an all-in God.

An example of this is seen in Matthew 6 when Jesus discusses serving money and worldly possessions versus Him:

Matthew 6:24 New American Standard Bible 1995

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [a] wealth.

God Disciplines to Yield Fruit

Paul tells it like it is in Galatians 1:10.

He says, “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

He is well aware that he has lived to please others in the past, but his new desire is to honor Jesus, his Savior, with his life.

What is your biggest struggle when it comes to pleasing others instead of God?

Think about some practical ways you do this.

It might seem small, such as, “I jump in when others gossip at work to fit in.”

Or it might be something large like, “I never tell my boss not even when I have to prioritize work over my family and faith community time and time again.”

Whatever we are struggling with right now, whatever you have struggled with in the past or whatever you are currently working through with the Spirit and God’s Word, remember through the struggles, that we are all being sanctified.

We do not have to work so hard to remain in our “people pleasing” mindsets that lead us into negative spirals – we can choose to live life in true freedom.

The beautiful part is that when we please God, there is blessing that follows.

No, it does not mean that people will not disagree with us, laugh at us, gossip about us, or even hate us.

However, we will have a confidence rooted and established on that Rock, our Fortress, our Anchor: Jesus Christ.

Psalm 18:1-3 GOD’S WORD Translation

For the choir director; by David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord when the Lord rescued him from all his enemies, especially from Saul. He said,

18 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my Savior,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the strength of my salvation,
my stronghold.
3 The Lord should be praised.
I called on him, and I was saved from my enemies.

We will know that we are living lives with internal peace and joy because we suffer with Him and for His name’s sake.

We will also love better.

We will be able to have our priorities and people in the correct places in our hearts.

This means that we will be better husbands or wives, better parents, better siblings, better children, better friends, better workers, and better people.

This might seem like a simple concept, however it is also very complex.

Psalm 139:23-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [a]hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

As we come to that place of surrendering our hearts and minds to the work of the Spirit, may we ask Him to search us, to test us, to reveal anything in us that is not of Him – that He might lead us onto the correct path unto His eternal life.

May we live out no other gods but Him.

Exodus 20:3 New American Standard Bible 1995

3 “You shall have no other gods [a]before Me.

May we find our identity in being children of God, may we actualize His worth far and above over our own, maximize pleasing our Heavenly Father above all.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained;
4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the [g]beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“O Lord, how many are my foes? Many are now rising against me!” Psalm 3

Psalm 3 New American Standard Bible 1995

Morning Prayer of Trust in God.

A Psalm of David, when [a]he fled from Absalom his son.

3 O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
2 Many are saying [b]of my soul,
“There is no [c]deliverance for him in God.” [d]Selah.

3 But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
4 I was crying to the Lord with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy [e]mountain. Selah.
5 [f]I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me round about.

7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God!
For You [g]have smitten all my enemies on the [h]cheek;
You [i]have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8 [j]Salvation belongs to the Lord;
Your blessing [k]be upon Your people! Selah.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When Opposition Comes (and It Will)

Of all the things that are uncertain in this life, there is something we can be sure of—opposition.

Opposition will always come, in one form or another, and we won’t always be prepared for it.

In the work place, it may come as a challenge to our ideas or strategies.

In our families, it may be against our parenting styles, it may be a retaliation against our principles, it may be the children demanding their own bedtimes.

And in faith, as Jesus lived, opposition may come as a mockery or even a threat.

King David truly knew the severity of opposition and experienced it regularly throughout his reign. More than once, he fled into the mountains, fearing for his life. Frequently, he cried out to God over the extreme opposition he faced.

The title of Psalm 3 is “A Psalm of David When he fled from his son Absalom.”

“Many are my foes! Many are rising against me!”

David’s experiences with his adversaries were most likely far greater than anything we have experienced or will experience.

But no matter what, we can be sure of this: God is our Great Defender.

There is no greater defense than that of our Father in heaven.

And He urges us to allow Him to deal with our opposer instead of taking matters into our own hands.

Faith—Overcoming Evil

Romans 12:17-21 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. [a]Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but [b]leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to jump into “defense” mode.

It can be difficult to let things roll off my back, especially when I feel wronged.

Yet, so often in my rehearsed plans of retaliation, I sense the gentle voice of the Spirit saying, “Peace…be still. Let Me go before you in this.”

It began as a peaceful march to protest the killing of George Floyd.

But as the darkness deepened, it became a dark night of riotous behavior.

Images of angry people smashing store fronts, of police cars ablaze, and of businesses going up in flames brought me to my knees in earnest prayer and disturbed my anxious sleep. What I saw was way beyond bad, frightening, evil.

In the morning I checked as much of the news as I could access by internet.

The rioters were gone, but they had left a disturbing mess: smashed windows, burned cars, rocks and bricks and vile graffiti, sad ruins in the heart of the city.

A reporter surveying the damage approached a young mother with two children.

He asked her, “Why are you here this morning?” She said, “We saw the news; we decided that this city needs someone to show the love of God.”

Others were there too—sweeping glass shards, trying to restore order to chaos.

The mom and her children, who were perhaps about 5 and 7 years old, were there with buckets, their brushes and soap, trying to erase stubborn graffiti.

To me, they sacrificed their time, they brought some light into the darkness, some of God’s love into a broken place where the evidence of evil was very real.

In that mother and her little ones, I saw the presence of the resurrected Jesus.

She and her children were being the church, Christ’s body—overcoming evil by doing good.

As I watched, my anger was transformed, replaced by warm and grateful tears welled up from within me in a prayer of thanks to God.

When we surrender our will to the Father, no matter how justified we feel, there will be an unexplainable peace that comes.

Surrendering all of our “fists-in-the-air” attitudes and plans of pay-back will always result in a better outcome—an outcome that is surrounded by certainty that reminds us, “God’s got this.”

The more we live out our faith in Christ, the more people will oppose what they don’t fully understand.

It’s a way of retaliating against something that challenges them in some way.

If you and I are actively living out our faith, walking in the fruit of the Spirit and showing God’s love, that will be a challenge for some.

And in that challenge, we may find ourselves greatly opposed.

Harsh words, divisive questions, and rude comments might be the ways in which people come against us.

But just as David, in Psalm 3, took those oppositions to the Lord, we, too, can release them to our Mighty Defender.

Psalm 3:3-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

3 But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
4 I was crying to the Lord with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy [a]mountain. Selah.
5 [b]I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me round about.

For in the end, as David knew from vast measures and degrees of experience his whole life long, God, and only God, can right those wrongs of unjust opposition.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 121 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord the Keeper of Israel.

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will [a]protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
8 The Lord will [b]guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28-30 New American Standard Bible 1995

28 “Come to Me, all [a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is [b]easy and My burden is light.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Making and Taking An Opportunity to Learn

What does a parent ask their children after they come home from school?

Some will ask, “Did you learn anything today?”

But many more will say something like, “Did you have fun outside today?”

With regard to schooling, perhaps it does not matter much which question is asked and which priority is therefore being revealed.

But the same question is often asked about church: Did we have fun at church today? What did we enjoy church today? Did God bring us our happiness today?

Instead, we should be asking, “What are we learning of and from Jesus?”

Jesus gives us the great privilege of having the opportunity to learn from Him.

Throughout the Gospels, He speaks in a way that addresses life’s big questions:

Who am I?

Where did I come from?

Why am I here?

Where am I going?

Does life even matter?

Why does life even matter anymore?

Studying Jesus through the Word of God for His Children, Praying to God the Father, knowing Christ as personal Lord and Savior changes the way someone approaches and thinks about these big topics which rest on everyone’s mind.

It refreshes, transforms their perspective on time, on resources, on career, on that kind of person they want to marry or the kind of spouse they want to be.

It does this because to know Jesus truly is to invite Him to be the authority in your life, your family’s and friends. Everything changes as we learn from Him.

Ours or anyone else’s coming to Jesus begins with learning that Christ died for sins once and for all, the righteous (that’s Him) for the unrighteous (that’s us), to reconcile us to God (Romans 5:8-10, 1 Peter 3:18)—and responding to that.

Simply having a head knowledge of this is not sufficient nor equal to believing it, utterly trusting it, and being happily yoked to the one who offers us all this.

Surely, we all know people who are trying to unscramble the riddle of their lives, putting the pieces of the largest jigsaw puzzles in all history together as best they can, and we’ve all been in the same position looking at all our pieces.

But until we are willing to learn from God, the pieces will not fit.

But now we can truly know God, not because of our intellectual prowess but because God chooses to make Himself known through the truth of His word.

Are you and I fully willing to learn from Jesus in every area of our lives?

Do you see it as a privilege, and not a burden, to follow His teaching and place yourself under His authority?

Be sure to seize every opportunity to learn real gospel truth, and may it cut deep into your soul, satisfy your heart’s longings and transform your life day by day.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Stuck in Life? Never Give Up through the Unanswered Prayers! Luke 18:1-8

Luke 18:1-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

Parables on Prayer

18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘[a]Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4  For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will [b] give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will [c]wear me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, [d]and will He delay long over them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [e]faith on the earth?”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Have you ever been stuck?

Not behind a massive traffic jam, or in the mud or a blizzard or snow drift – but stuck in life – you cannot go backwards, the present is super glued to the floors.

Imagine you have an adversary who is making your life extremely difficult.

Certified letters come in the mail, and you are summoned to a court hearing.

You receive a letter in the mail and it is the tax man wondering about the math.

You are in a job, there is either no or very limited prospects for advancement.

You are a Pastor and your church is not growing, the congregation is dwindling, the building is in need of uncountable numbers of both minor and major repairs and there is little to no prospect of the budget supporting repairs and the salary.

Pick your own scenario and create that one worst possible story surrounding it.

You have prayed, and it seems that God is not acting on your behalf.

You ask God, “If you are my Father, why don’t you help me?”

In the court room, the judge adds insults to your injury and has no empathy for you – you know the tax man will not be any kind of empathetic or sympathetic.

Where do you turn?

Jesus told a parable about a woman in a situation like that, to show his followers that they should “always pray and not give up.”

The woman wanted what was rightfully hers.

And yet she appeared to be powerless, without money or connections to bail her out, and she lost case after case – but she still continued to bother the judge.

This harsh judge, who didn’t care what God or people thought, relented, finally surrendered and acted on her behalf, and she received what was rightfully hers.

In the midst of hopelessness in this world, Jesus promises hope in a far greater courtroom, where he defends his own.

He says,

“Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

Followers of Christ are called to be persistent in the midst of adversity, for we have a mighty Advocate who comes to our defense!

Never Give Up through Unanswered Prayers

Luke 18:1-8 The Message

The Story of the Persistent Widow

18 1-3 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’

4-5 “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”

6-8 Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

Some believe if you ask God once, you don’t need to ask Him again.

However, Jesus taught His disciples to always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1).

In one of His parables on prayer, Jesus proposed what you might do if a friend comes to you in the middle of the night seeking food for an unexpected guest.

You might be tempted to tell him to go away because it’s late, and you and your family are in bed.

However, because he’s your friend and has so boldly approached and asked you for help, you most likely will get up and give him all He needs (Luke 11:5-8).

Luke 11:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Then He said to them, “[a]Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [b]and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his [c]persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

In summing it up, Jesus said, 

“So I say to you; Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; know and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11: 9,10).

Jesus tells in another parable of a godless judge’s dealings with a widow who refused to accept his unwillingness to grant her justice from her adversary.

After relentlessly pursuing the judge with her case, he gave into her merely because she refused to give up.

To His followers, Jesus reassures that if an unjust judge who doesn’t fear God will bring about justice to a widow simply because she kept bothering him, how much more will God do for His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night?(Luke 18:2-8).

Philippians 2:1-4 New American Standard Bible 1995

Be Like Christ

2 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any [a]affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete [b]by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing [c]from [d] selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind  regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Jesus also urges in Matthew 7:7 to, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

So instead of seeing unanswered prayer as a reason to stop praying, view it as a motivator to not ever give up.

As Romans 12:9-13 admonishes us …

Romans 12:9-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; [a]give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12  rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the [b]saints, [c]practicing hospitality.

As Thessalonians 5:17 encourages, “Pray continually.”

Keep Praying!

If you’ve been struggling with unanswered prayers, find comfort in knowing God has not forgotten you.

So instead of withdrawing from Him when it seems like He isn’t answering, consider what He might be teaching you during these times, knowing as you draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to you (James 4:8).

How Can We Get Close to God?

James 4:8 New American Standard Bible 1995

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

What do you do when you can’t find God?

The Christian author C. S. Lewis searched for God during the illness of his wife without finding him.

In his book A Grief Observed, Lewis wrote, “Meanwhile, where is God? … Go to him when your need is desperate … and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double-bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away.”

Many believers have searched for God without being able to find him.

David, who wrote of the wonderful comfort of God in Psalm 23, also cried out in Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus said those same words on the cross (Matthew 27:46).

If for some reason you can’t seem to find God, let him know you can’t find him—and then listen.

God is right where he always is.

C.S. Lewis found that perhaps his own cries deafened him “to the voice [he] hoped to hear.”

He wrote later, “I have gradually been coming to feel that the door is no longer shut and bolted. Was it my own frantic need that slammed it in my face?”

Accept God’s invitation: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

Come as you are, empty handed, with weary souls, and with a simple prayer.

Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

God is where we are.

Says Jesus in John 6:37, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

It’s a sure promise!

Do You Believe This?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 13 New American Standard Bible 1995

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us hope in our dark times as we wrestle against adversaries. Hear our prayer and act quickly on our behalf. Lord our God, show us your presence in our lives. Savior Jesus, Help us to trust that you will never let go of us. BFF Jesus, As you have always promised, you will never forsake us. Alleluia Amen

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Seek An Undivided Heart. Psalm 86:11

Psalm 86:11-13 New International Version

11 Teach me your way, Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
    I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me from the depths,
    from the realm of the dead.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In today’s societies very few people have an undivided heart.

They seek many different things all at the same time.

Often they are loyal to something for a moment, then a few days later they drop that loyalty and begin to be loyal to something else.

Pick up any magazine at the drug store, notice the incredible diversity of their titles and their incredible efforts at maximizing their front cover graphics to draw your attention only to them – fads come and go constantly with change.

These can be found in the multiple things people do, play with, listen to, or use.

What is popular today, soon becomes old tomorrow because of divided hearts.

People will genuinely struggle with what they really want to aim for.

They want a little bit of everything and often end up with a whole lot of nothing, because they are uncertain of their priorities, badly divided in their loyalties.

Psalm 86:11 David prayed to God, David wanted God to teach him His way, so that he would be able to know and rely solely upon God’s great faithfulness.

Considering all of the intrigue which surrounded his day to day life, He wanted to have a undivided heart that would be fully dedicated to God and God alone.

While the world struggles with divided hearts, many believers also struggle.

They struggle with whether or not to fight for things to provide for themselves and have their kind of fun, or to follow, trust in God alone for what they need.

The sinful nature inevitably rises up inside of many, causing them to become impatient with themselves and God and so want to go back to old sinful ways.

They become divided in their hearts, seeking to find success, or pleasure in sinful ways, rather than seeking purpose and life in God and His ways alone.

Going back and forth like this, causes a divided heart.

Directional Faith

James 1:5-8 New International Version

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

God has a way of changing us deeply through various crisis points in our lives.

But what happens when God strings together a long series of crisis points?

Eventually the trail of change-points will lead somewhere, like stepping-stones crossing a river.

As we realize this, our collection of snapshot crises starts to become a movie with a story line.

But how does one tell where the story is supposed to be going?

That’s not easy.

God assures us that he has plans for our lives, but it can be hard to tell where those plans might lead.

Sometimes it would be nice to have a burning-bush episode like Moses had—something concrete we could see through the fog of life’s busyness (Exodus 3).

Why is it so difficult to determine God’s direction for our lives?

Sometimes it’s simply because we forget to ask.

It’s surprisingly easy to charge into the events of a day without bothering to ask God what he wants from us that day.

Sometimes that can prompt God to allow a minor crisis to pop up as a wake-up call to pull our attention back to him.

When was the last time you asked God to show you his plans for your day?

How about asking him right now?

Why?

Because …

A divided heart make a person lukewarm, whom God will in the end reject.

The believer needs to be sold out to God alone, focused on serving Him alone.

Jesus said there cannot be two masters, but only one–God.

Examine your life and see where your loyalty lies.

What is it that you are focused on, you are aiming towards?

Seek to know God and His way for your life.

Trust in His faithfulness alone.

As you find satisfaction in serving God, you will be able to live for God alone. 

In living for God alone, you will no longer have a divided heart that goes back to the old sinful ways.

Temptation to live in sin will lose its grip upon you when you are sold-out to God alone. 

Ask God to reveal His faithfulness to you and to give you an undivided heart that will be loyal to Him.

I pray today that you the reader will know the faithfulness of God; that God will reveal His path for your life; that you the reader will trust in God alone; that you will have a heart sold out to God; and that God will give you an undivided heart. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Works and the Word of God.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be [e]blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Practices that Sustain Community: Living Truthfully. Psalm 86:11-13

Psalm 86:11-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the [a]depths of [b]Sheol.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

It’s another beautiful day to gather together, to connect, to learn, and to grow in our faith.

This devotion explores the importance of embracing and living in truth, as it shapes our lives, guides us, and ultimately sets us free.

Today, we are here to talk about living with truth and authenticity in our Christian lives.

Now, I know that’s a big topic.

It’s something we all grapple with, in big ways and small.

But it’s also something that’s so crucial to our faith, to our walk with God, and to our relationships with each other.

The late great Christian author, Ethicist, Dr. Christine D. Pohl said it well:

“We don’t always notice how profoundly our expectations, desires, and practices are … shaped by our culture. We bring the values of self-actualization, individual success, consumption, and personal freedom—and the choices that result from them—to church life, just as we bring them into family and work. . . This is not a promising recipe for strong or lasting communities.”

And how true that is.

We bring many false narratives from the world into our community here.

We bring the values and the ideologies of a culture that is far from God into a community that is meant to represent the nature of God.

A community of forgiveness, kindness, and truth-telling.

Let’s take a look at the Scriptures that will guide our devotion today.

The first is from Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”

The second is from John 8:31-32, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'”

These passages remind us that truth isn’t just something we know.

It’s something we live.

It’s something we hold to.

It’s something that shapes us and frees us.

It’s something that God teaches us, and something that we’re called to live out in our lives and in our communities.

So, let’s talk about the importance of living truthfully…

The Importance of Living Truthfully

Living truthfully is a calling that echoes throughout the Scriptures.

It’s a calling that’s woven into the very fabric of our faith.

It’s a calling that’s as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago.

It’s a calling that challenges us, that shapes us, that frees us.

When we think about living truthfully, we often think about honesty.

We think about telling the truth, about not lying or deceiving.

And that’s certainly part of it.

But living truthfully is about so much more than just honesty.

It’s also about authenticity.

It’s also about integrity.

It’s about being true to who we are, to who God has created us to be.

In Psalm 86:11, the psalmist prays, “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”

This is a prayer for truthfulness.

It’s a prayer for a heart that’s undivided, a heart that’s fully committed to God, a heart that’s authentic and true.

And then in John 8:31-32, Jesus tells his followers,

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Here, Jesus is talking about a truth that’s more than just facts or information.

He’s talking about a truth that’s lived, a truth that’s embodied, a truth that unleashes us, a truth sets us free.

So, what does this look like in our lives?

How do we live truthfully?

First, living truthfully means living with integrity.

Integrity is about being the same person in all situations.

It’s about being the same person on Sunday morning as you are on Saturday night and continuing being that self same person on Monday thru Friday too.

It’s about being the same person in public as you are in private.

It’s about living in a way that’s consistent with our beliefs, with our values, with our faith.

Second, living truthfully means living authentically.

Authenticity is about being true to who we are.

It’s about not pretending, not putting on a mask, not trying to be someone or something we’re not.

It’s about being gut honest with ourselves, with God, and with others about our strengths, our weaknesses, our successes, our failures, our hopes, our fears.

Third, living truthfully means living transparently.

Transparency is about being open, being vulnerable, being real.

It’s about letting others see us as we really are, not as we wish we were. It’s about sharing our struggles, our doubts, our questions, our joys, our victories.

Finally, living truthfully means living faithfully.

Being faith-filled, faithful to God, the Father, God the Son, and Holy Spirit.

Faithfulness is about being true to our commitments, our promises, our word.

It’s about being reliable, being trustworthy, being dependable.

It’s about showing up, sticking it out, staying the course.

Living truthfully is not even minimally easy.

It’s not even minimally comfortable.

It’s not even minimally convenient.

But it’s absolutely, maximally, utterly, worth it.

It’s worth it because it’s what we’re called to do.

It’s worth it because it’s what brings us closer to God.

It’s worth it because it’s what sets us free.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you today, eager to learn, eager to grow. We ask that you would guide our conversations, that you would open our hearts to your truth, and that you would help us to live it out in our lives. We ask for your wisdom, your guidance, and your love as we study, talk about these important topics. Amen.

A Psalm of Supplication and Trust.

A Prayer of David.

86 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me;
For I am afflicted and needy.
2 Preserve my [a]soul, for I am a godly man;
O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You.
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord,
For to You I cry all day long.
4 Make glad the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
7 In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You,
For You will answer me.
8 There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours.
9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.
10 For You are great and do [b]wondrous deeds;
You alone are God.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the [c]depths of [d]Sheol.

14 O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,
And [e]a band of violent men have sought my [f]life,
And they have not set You before them.
15 But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and [g]truth.
16 Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your handmaid.
17 Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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God Promises Freedom. Galatians 5:1

Galatians 5:1-15 English Standard Version

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified[a] by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers,[b] still preach [c] circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Freedom Found in Faith

As we immerse ourselves in the profound wisdom of Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we are immediately confronted with the idea of liberty.

This liberty, Paul tells us, is not a worldly freedom, but a spiritual one.

It’s a freedom that Christ has granted us, a freedom that we are urged to stand firm in.

This is not a freedom that comes from our own efforts or deeds, but a freedom that is found in faith.

In the world we live in, we often associate freedom with the ability to do as we please.

But the freedom that Paul speaks of is not a license for self-indulgence.

It’s a freedom from the bondage of sin, a freedom from the law, a freedom that allows us to live in the Spirit.

This freedom is not something we earn or achieve, but something we receive through faith in Christ.

Paul warns us not to become entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

This bondage, he explains, is the law.

The law, in this context, refers to the Old Testament laws that the Jews were required to follow.

These laws were numerous and meticulous, covering every aspect of life.

But they were also impossible to keep perfectly.

As a result, those who tried to live by the law were constantly in a state of guilt and condemnation.

But Christ has set us free from this bondage.

Through His death and resurrection, He has fulfilled the law on our behalf.

We are no longer required to live by the law, but by faith in Christ.

This faith is not a passive belief, but an active trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross.

It’s a faith that acknowledges our inability to save ourselves and our total dependence on Christ for salvation.

As we live by this faith, we experience a freedom that is both liberating and transforming.

We are liberated from the guilt and condemnation of the law, and we are transformed into the likeness of Christ.

This transformation is not a result of our own efforts, but the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

As we yield to the Holy Spirit, we begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit, which includes these: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

This freedom, however, is not an excuse for self-indulgence.

Paul warns us not to use our freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.

The flesh, in this context, refers to our sinful nature, our natural inclination to sin.

If we use our freedom as an excuse to indulge in sinful behaviors, we are not truly living in the freedom that Christ has given us.

Instead, we are abusing this freedom and turning it into a form of bondage.

Instead, Paul urges us to use our freedom to serve one another in love.

This is the essence of Christian freedom.

It’s not freedom for self, but freedom for others.

It’s a freedom that compels us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to put their needs above our own, to serve them with the love of Christ.

This is the freedom that Christ has called us to, a freedom that is found in faith, a freedom that is lived out in love.

True Faith Leads to Freedom Leads to Humble Service

Galatians 5:13-15 The Message

13-15 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

Paul was astonished at how quickly the Galatian believers were giving up on the gospel he had brought.

And it wasn’t for an easier freedom; people were going back to being burdened with rules and rituals.

Apostle Paul’s message: the freedom bought by Christ’s blood must not be forsaken so quickly and so readily.

It’s infinitely too precious!

It’s a freedom designed to lead to showing Christ’s love to others by humbly serving in whatever ways we are gifted.

Living as people who are freed in Christ, we’re called to walk the “narrow road,” avoiding the ditches of legalism on one side. lawlessness on the other.

Either ditch leads us astray.

Either ditch leads us directly into the stagnant waters and the mud within it.

There might even me a million mosquitos per square inch and a snake or two!

Freed from sin’s yoke, we’re free to serve neighbors—showing Christ’s love!

In doing so, we humbly honor God for the precious freedom we have in Christ.

When we serve one another in love, we’re following Christ’s example and we are obeying his command (John 13:34-35).

John 13:34-35 New American Standard Bible 1995

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This can include a willingness to literally go the extra mile and take someone to an appointment for example.

Or to mentor a teenager, young adult, or do outreach, or teach Sunday school.

Or to serve in another way we are gifted.

Fueled by grace, our freedom leads to serving others gracefully.

Led by God’s Spirit, we’ll find ways to express our freedom by being a blessing.

And in doing so, we too are blessed!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 40 The Message

40 1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God.
    At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
    pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
    to make sure I wouldn’t slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
    a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
    they enter the mystery,
    abandoning themselves to God.

4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
    turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,”
    ignore what the world worships;
The world’s a huge stockpile
    of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
    compares to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
    and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
    account for you.

6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
    that’s not what you’re after.
Being religious, acting pious—
    that’s not what you’re asking for.
You’ve opened my ears
    so I can listen.

7-8 So I answered, “I’m coming.
    I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I’m coming to the party
    you’re throwing for me.”
That’s when God’s Word entered my life,
    became part of my very being.

9-10 I’ve preached you to the whole congregation,
    I’ve kept back nothing, God—you know that.
I didn’t keep the news of your ways
    a secret, didn’t keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
    I didn’t hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all,
    let the congregation know the whole story.

11-12 Now God, don’t hold out on me,
    don’t hold back your passion.
Your love and truth
    are all that keeps me together.
When troubles ganged up on me,
    a mob of sins past counting,
I was so swamped by guilt
    I couldn’t see my way clear.
More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,
    so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

13-15 Soften up, God, and intervene;
    hurry and get me some help,
So those who are trying to kidnap my soul
    will be embarrassed and lose face,
So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable
    will be heckled and disgraced,
So those who pray for my ruin
    will be booed and jeered without mercy.

16-17 But all who are hunting for you—
    oh, let them sing and be happy.
Let those who know what you’re all about
    tell the world you’re great and not quitting.
And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing:
    make something of me.
You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—
    but God, don’t put it off.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Taming Our Wayward Tongues: The Way We All Talk Tells Who We Are. James 3:10-12

James 3:1-12 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Tongue Is a Fire

3 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a [a]stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in [b]what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our [c]life, and is set on fire by [d]hell. 7 For every [e]species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human [f]race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both [g]fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce [h]fresh.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be [a]blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:13-14

Or at least we keep praying ….

The Psalmist here reveals that we have a high degree of personal awareness that we are each required by God to conduct our lives with godly wisdom and spiritual understanding, but the most unruly evil, which is incapable of being tamed, subdued by self-effort or rigorous training, is the taming of the tongue.

This little organ can produce the most beautiful blessings which give glory of God, while at the same time can pour forth the most un-sanctified filth and blasphemy which discredits His holy name – and these things ought not to be.

The very same mouth should not pour forth both sweet and bitter water, both blessings and curses and this is not only an admonition for the few, but a stern warning that is applicable in the public, private, revealed life of all believers.

An important key to godly speech is right thinking.

Godly words that reflect a biblical perspective are rooted in a mind that is stayed on Christ – gracious thoughts and purity of heart is a manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in a life that is well governed by God and walking in spirit and truth.

The Way We Talk Tells Who We Are

James 3:7-12 The Message

7-10 This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!

10-12 My friends, this can’t go on. A spring doesn’t gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don’t bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don’t bear apples, do they? You’re not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?

It’s sad but true.

Some Christians do exactly what James says:

they praise their Lord and Father in church on Sunday, and then the next day, at home or on the job or on the road, they curse people.

Something goes wrong, and in an unguarded moment they let loose.

Someone in a hurry cuts in front of them on the highway, or someone makes a mistake, and some Christians use a stream of language that dishonors the Lord.

James says it should not be that way.

James notes that a spring does not yield both fresh and salty water, and a fig tree cannot bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs.

Similarly it is not fitting for a person who is connected with Christ through faith to use his or her tongue to curse others.

The way we talk tells who we are.

If we have truly praised God in worship, we may not possibly use our tongues to curse others.

We have to learn to control our tongues—not by our willpower or in our own strength. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit.

As we get ready to begin each new day, we should ask the Holy Spirit to guard our tongues.

Each one of us should learn to pray the prayer of Psalm 141:3: “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

May the Words of My Mouth, Meditations of My Heart

Psalm 19:11-14 The Message

11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger
    and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
    Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
    Keep me from stupid sins,
    from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
    scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
    these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
    on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
    God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

In the course of our lives we are confronted by unfairness, by unkindness, by disagreeable circumstances, and all too often by the most disagreeable people.

Before offering a verbal response in these situations, we would do well to recall this truth learned from our Lord: our words reflect our hearts (Matthew 12:34).

Matthew 12:34-37 The Message

34-37 “You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.”

If our words are not Christlike, we must look first not to our mouths but to our hearts.

Equally, it is an indication of our Lord’s work within us when we respond to conflict and challenge with words that help rather than those that harm.

Our tongues contain immense power, and we may leverage them to help, to encourage, to affirm, to enrich, to reconcile, to forgive, to unite, to smooth, and to bless.

It is not by accident that so many of the Old Testament proverbs address the words we speak.

According to Solomon, “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life” (Proverbs 10:11).

He compares this use of words to lovely earrings that adorn the beauty of the wearer and to beautiful ornaments that enhance the loveliness of a home (Proverbs 25:11-12).

Proverbs 25:12 The Message

11-12 The right word at the right time
    is like a custom-made piece of jewelry,
And a wise friend’s timely reprimand
    is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.

Perhaps his most classic statement about the power of speech is his observation that “a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” (v 11).

What is it that makes for such life-giving language?

How can our mouths be those that bring blessing to others?

Words of blessing are marked by honesty, by “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).

Ephesians 4:14-16 The Message

14-16 No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are easy prey for predators. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.

They are thoughtful, spoken by one who “ponders how to answer” (Proverbs 15:28).

Proverbs 15:28The Message

28 Prayerful answers come from God-loyal people;
    the wicked are sewers of abuse.

They are often few and marked by reason: “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding” (17:27).

Proverbs 17:27The Message

27 The one who knows much says little;
    an understanding person remains calm.

And, of course, helpful words will be gentle words. Though it may be hard to remember in the throes of difficult circumstances, it remains true that “a soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1).

Proverbs 15:1 The Message

God Doesn’t Miss a Thing

15 A gentle response defuses anger,
    but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.

Indeed, a gentle response wells up from moral strength.

It takes far more self-control to respond in gentleness than to give way to unbridled passion and anger.

What will mark your words?

Will you commit yourself to using your tongue—that small but immensely powerful member of your body—to wash rather than muddy, to bless rather than curse, to give life rather than tear it down, and to help rather than harm?

Resolve today to use your words for the good of those with whom you interact, honoring Christ in your heart and letting His sweet aroma fill your speech.

Then humbly acknowledge that you cannot do this yourself (James 3:8), and ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit—Holy Spirit who grows peace, gentleness, and self-control both inside your heart and in your speech (Galatians 5:22-23).

Humility, grace, peace, and love are the precious spiritual fruit that should be evident in the life of all God’s children who have gained wisdom and been given godly understanding.

The Lord Jesus Himself was the embodiment of all holy wisdom, and the personification of godly humility.

The Lord Jesus was the one Who, throughout His earthly life, demonstrated how all humanity was originally designed to live, and He remains the perfect example of a Man with godly wisdom and gracious understanding for He was meek and lowly of heart, and in Him we find rest for our soul.

As children of God, we are called to live as Christ lived.

We are instructed to live circumspect lives that glorify our Father in heaven, and so we are asked: “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.” 

If we are to live the sort of life that God intends, where good behavior and godly deeds reflect the gentleness and wisdom of God, the old self must remain nailed to the Cross so the life of Christ may live in and through us, to His praise, glory.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Ley us Pray,

Father in heaven, help us to use the gift of speech to praise your name. Holy Spirit, empower us to use our tongues only in praise and honor of you. Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus’ example of how to live on earth to Your praise and glory. I pray that I would not act hypocritically, praising God in one breath and cursing Him in another, but I pray I would reflect the Lord Jesus, speaking always in spirit and in truth with all wisdom and understanding. This I ask in Jesus’ name, AMEN

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What Should We Consider Knowing While We Are Waiting For God to Act? Isaiah 40:28-31

Isaiah 40:28-31 New American Standard Bible 1995

28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who [a]wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will [b]mount up with [c]wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

A Holy Ignorance?

The people are lamenting, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God.”

Even when life appears cheerful, there is this undercurrent of sadness among the people.

It’s life in exile.

The people feel abandoned by God.

But Isaiah wants the people to reconsider what they already know, to hear what they’ve heard before.

“Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God.”

No one can even minimally fathom the mind and thoughts and the ways of God.

As a teaspoon cannot hope to take the measure of the oceans, so the ever so finite human mind of mankind cannot begin to fathom the mind of God.

There’s a vast gap between the Creator and the creation.

Life itself is full of mystery–a newborn baby, love, gravity.

Who can fully explain these things?

According to A Short History of Nearly Everything, “There are perhaps 140 billion galaxies in the still unfolding universe. If all the stars in the universe were only the size of the head of a pin, they still would fill Miami’s Orange Bowl to overflowing more than three billion times.”

Over the centuries, Christians have spoken of a “holy ignorance,” an ignorance that is deeply humbling.

It revels in the knowledge the unfathomable Lord has everything, including you and me, in his hands.

We need not fathom God’s ways in order to trust him.

It’s enough to know his heart.

But, Even In Our Ignorance We Will Still Have to Wait

A good friend often shares this reminder: 

God is never late, and rarely early; He is an on-time God. 

These are encouraging words for all of God’s people who believe in prayer and worship a sovereign God.

God doesn’t work on our timetable, but accomplishes all that He wills according to His own schedule.

No one likes waiting.

We live in an age of microwave meals, instant access to information, and next-day and even same day shipping.

The idea behind all our modern-day conveniences is that they will “save” time for us, but the reality is, we are far busier than our ancestors ever were.

We strive to accomplish more and more, to pack as much as we possibly can into the twenty-four hours allotted to each day.

And if by chance we must wait longer than we feel we should, we will grow ever more impatient, rude, and discontent.

I don’t believe this is the way God intended us to live.

Life in the Garden of Eden was simple, as Adam and Eve enjoyed the beautiful world the Father had created for them.

As each day ended, they had time to enjoy what surely was a spectacular sunset and looked forward each evening to walking with God in the cool of the day and enjoying His presence (Genesis 3:8).

Now, we’ll squeeze as much as we can out of every minute of everyday and drop exhausted into our beds, only to do it all over again the next day.

No wonder we find it difficult to wait on God.

How do you respond when God fails to answer your prayers, or your questions, or change your circumstances in what you feel is a “timely” manner?

Does it grow your faith, or challenge what you believe about Him?

Here are six things we need to consider as we wait on God.

1. Trust God Has a Path for You, Will Keep You on It

Psalm 25:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995

Prayer for Protection, Guidance and Pardon.

A Psalm of David.

25 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in You I trust,
Do not let me be ashamed;
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
[a]Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

4 Make me know Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.

Proverbs 16:1-3 English Standard Version

16 The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.[a]
3 Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:9 English Standard Version

9 The heart of man plans his way,
    but the Lord establishes his steps.

It can be frustrating when we make plans that don’t work out.

We can’t see into the future; we can only make decisions based on what we know, what we’ve experienced, the good counsel, wisdom we find in and throughout God’s Word.

As we wait, we must trust that God’s Spirit will speak to us, directing our steps, and that He is able to orchestrate events so that things work out exactly as He alone desires and has planned for us.

Have you ever found yourself in a traffic jam, frustrated and anxious that you are going to be late, only to find out later that the delay was a blessing in disguise, perhaps keeping you from a greater tragedy?

Instead of seeing a perpetual array of roadblocks and delays as frustrations or failures, trust that God is working behind the scenes for the perfect outcome, according to His plans for you.

2. Remember God Is Good, and Desires Good for You

Psalm 27:13-14 New American Standard Bible 1995

13 [a]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

We all would prefer to avoid any kind of suffering or trials.

Perhaps you’ve planned a long-awaited trip, bought the tickets, and packed your bags, only to get sick, or have something come up that demands your attention and cancels your plans.

Without a steadfast solid belief in God’s character, His divine interruptions can derail us spiritually. 

Waiting on God for healing or for any change to better and easier circumstances requires us to remember He is essentially good in His nature, that His goodness is eternal and infinite.

Romans 8:28 New American Standard Bible 1995

28 And we know that [a]God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

All His actions toward us are good and designed to accomplish good in our lives.

3. Know That God Is Aware of Your Heart’s Desires

Psalm 37:3-9 New American Standard Bible 1995

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and [a]cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.

7 [b]Rest in the Lord and wait [c]patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.

These scriptures remind us that God is not “playing” with our feelings when He causes us to wait.

He knows us intimately and designed us personally.

As our Creator, He knows what satisfies our hearts, meet our deepest needs.

Whether it’s a relationship, a job, or something more tangible and physical, trust that what God provides for you will be worth the wait.

Ultimately, He meets the desires of our heart with Himself as we deepen our relationship with Him.

4. Be Assured God Sees You, Is Thinking about You

Psalm 40:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995

God Sustains His Servant.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited [a]patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the [b]miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.

4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not [c]turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

When God isn’t answering our prayers as quickly as we’d like, it can seem like He doesn’t hear us.

We may feel forgotten, as if He doesn’t care.

According to His Word, this is never true.

God’s thoughts toward us are too numerous to count.

Speaking of His beloved city, Jerusalem, and His people, the children of Israel, God says,

“Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

All who have put their faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, are His beloved children.

God inscribed us on the palm of His hands with the scars from the nails that held Jesus to the cross on our behalf.

Never doubt that God sees you while you are waiting on Him to act.

5. Trust That God Is Present with You

Psalm 46 New American Standard Bible 1995

God the Refuge of His People.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.

46 God is our refuge and strength,
[b]A very present help in [c]trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the [d]sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. [e]Selah.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her [f]when morning dawns.
6 The [g]nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He [h]raised His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
[i]Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10 “[j]Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the [k]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

Waiting is hard at any time, but never harder than when we feel we are waiting alone.

God said it was not good for man to be alone; that’s why He created Eve, so that Adam would have a companion (Genesis 2:18).

Our brothers and sisters in Christ, our family, and our friends can make our burdens lighter as we wait, but the ultimate Helper we need is God Himself.

We must believe He is present, and that He is with us in our waiting.

Knowing and believing that God is present with us gives us hope and courage while we wait for Him to act.

Speaking to His disciples in anticipation of His return to heaven, Jesus promised, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18).

He was speaking of the Holy Spirit who would be sent by the Father to indwell His followers. God is always present with us; He is in us, and He waits with us.

6. Ponder and Meditate on God’s Word, Which Will Sustain You

Psalm 119:9-16 New American Standard Bible 1995

Beth.

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
10 With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
11 Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord;
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
[a]As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts
And [b]regard Your ways.
16 I shall [c]delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word.

Waiting patiently for the Lord to act requires occupying our minds and hearts with something greater.

Our focus must not be only on what we need God to do for us, but on who He is and what He has already done.

Waiting will not seem like waiting if we sustain our souls with the abundant spiritual nourishment we find in His Word.

Instead, we will find that the waiting becomes a place of joy and peace, trusting that our Father is perpetually working, and he will answer at just the right time.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 27 New American Standard Bible 1995

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the [a]defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I [b]shall be confident.

4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the [c]beauty of the Lord
And to [d]meditate in His temple.
5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His [e]tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices [f]with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10 [g]For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a level path
Because of [h]my foes.
12 Do not deliver me over to the [i]desire of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13 [j]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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There is Something Indelibly Special About The True Faithfulness of God! Numbers 23:17-20

Numbers 23:17-20 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?” 18 Then he took up his [a]discourse and said,

“Arise, O Balak, and hear;
Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!
19 “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
20 “Behold, I have received a command to bless;
When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Today we’ll spend some quality time simply stirring up our affections for God.

God has designed us to see him, to know his character and to let the truth of his goodness lead us into deeper relationship with him.

Augustine wrote, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”

In seeing God for who he is our hearts are naturally stirred to find rest in his goodness.

Today, may your heart be stirred at a revelation of God’s wonderful character.

Numbers 23:19 Amplified Bible

19 
“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?

Numbers 23:19 describes a foundational aspect of God’s character, being his faithfulness.

Scripture says, 

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” 

As believers, we constantly, need a continuous revelation of God’s faithfulness.

Being able to fully trust God is the beginning of living an abundant life.

If you don’t fully believe that God is faithful to lead you into the best possible life you could live, then you surely won’t seek out his will, trust him with your possessions, or be able to fully enjoy his presence.

God’s word promises us in Numbers 23:19 that God is perfectly faithful, steadfast, and true. 

Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” 

Philippians 1:3-6 Amplified Bible

3 I thank my God in every remembrance of you, 4 always offering every prayer of mine with joy [and with specific requests] for all of you, 5 [thanking God] for your participation and partnership [both your comforting fellowship and gracious contributions] in [advancing] the good news [regarding salvation] from the first day [you heard it] until now. 6 I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].

Romans 8:28 promises, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

God is wholly faithful to you.

No matter what you do, he will be there for you.

His faithfulness isn’t dependent upon your works.

All he requires is a willing heart to bring about the incredible fruit of the Spirit in your life.

You aren’t meant to live life apart from the knowledge of God’s faithfulness.

You aren’t meant to live with the weight of doing life on your own.

Man may fail you, but your God will not.

Family and friends may not be there when you need them, but your God will always be there for you.

Where do you feel on your own?

In what ways do you need a fresh revelation of God’s faithfulness?

God is unchangeable and unchanging.

Unlike men who can do an about-face, alter their opinions, break their promises, modify their plans, and speak lies with the twisted tongue of the serpent, the Lord our God is immutable.

God is perfect in all His thoughts and trustworthy in all His ways, unlike men who often distort the facts, twist the truth, and are easily tossed about like waves on the sea, God’s counsel is steadfast, His promises are sure, His Word is dependable, and His Truth lasts from one generation to another.

With God, there is no vacillation and no shadow of turning.

The book of Numbers clearly states the unalterable truth: “God is not a man. He does not lie, and does not change his mind.”

The passage then continues with a series of rhetorical questions which demand NO as an answer:

“Has He ever spoken and failed to act?” NO!

“Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” NO!

Malachi also addresses this issue by stating: “I am the Lord, and I change NOT.”

If God has said it, He will certainly do it.

God has set out His plan of the ages within the pages of Scripture, and God’s purposes for those that trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are steadfast and sure.

We have the assurance of God Himself, that His Word is to be trusted, for God has placed His Word above His holy Name.

The Lord of truth will never go back on His Word, for He is the God Who does not change and Whose Word is worthy of all acceptance.

There can be no shadow of change in His decrees, for God is merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness; and the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Praise God despite the instabilities and uncertainties of this world, and in spite of the faults and failings of men, the Word of the Lord is sure, His decrees are unalterable, all His promises are all ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ in Christ Jesus our Savior.

Heaven and earth may pass away, but the Word of the Lord stands fast forever, for God is not a man He should lie, nor is he the son of a man He should change His mind.

He is the Son of the unchangeable and unchanging God.

Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

He promises to be absolutely true to you.

He promises to absolutely see you through any situation you find yourself in. 

Isaiah 54:10 says, “‘For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” 

Faithfulness is foundational to the very character of God.

God’s steadfast love for you is more sure than the very ground you walk on.

So respond to God’s faithfulness today.

Let his promises steady the parts of your life that feel unsure.

As you step outside today, take time to look at the world around you.

Think about the things you’ve put your trust in.

And remember, God promises that his faithfulness will outlast anything your eyes can see.

May your affections for him be stirred today.

May you respond to his faithfulness with your own.

And may you experience the love and joy of a Father who loves you perfectly and completely.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Guided Prayer:           

1. Meditate on God’s promise to be faithful to you.

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” Numbers 23:19

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

2. Now reflect on your own life. 

Where in your life do you feel unsure?

What situations seem to toss your emotions around like a boat in the middle of a storm?

Where do you need a firmer foundation today? Matthew 7:24-29

3. Ask the Spirit for a revelation of God’s faithfulness in those areas. 

Ask God to help you trust in his promise of faithfulness.

Ask him how he plans on bringing peace to those areas that are disturbing you today.

Listen to him as he speaks.

Not only does God promise you his faithfulness, but he will actually reveal to you how he is working in your life.

You can ask him for his plans, and he will show you!

You can ask him how he feels about you and your life, and he will tell you!

Within his promise of faithfulness is the promise of his voice.

You will hear him speak today if you open your heart, listen to the Spirit and be alert for God to speak through whatever avenue he chooses.

Your heavenly Father loves you.

Spend your day establishing the foundation of his faithfulness in your own life.

And experience a life lived in the abundance of God’s assurance and peace.

I praise You, O Lord, for You are our trustworthy God and never-changing Savior. Thank You for the truth of Scripture and for the assurance that Your Word will stand fast for ever. Thank You that You will never let me down, despite my own faults and failings. In the name of Jesus, I pray that I may become more and more like Him, as I submit to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit in my life. Alleluia! AMEN.

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