Tag: jesus

Receiving God’s Word through our Believing and Action. James 2:14-17

James 2:14-17 The Message

Faith in Action

14-17 Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

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.

Believing and Acting

A wise person has said that we should imagine our faith and actions written up in a feature story splashed across the front page of every known newspaper.

What would that look like?

Myriads and myriads of scandals erupt because high profile Christians don’t behave like the believers they vigorously claim to be.

But the tension between our walk and our talk brings dishonor to our Lord.

There are many times when believers deserve to be called hypocrites.

In those moments, our faith and deeds show a rather severe disconnect.

James speaks bluntly to this contrast between believing and acting.

Our trust relationship with God must show itself in acts of obedience.

Just nodding in agreement to a biblical teaching doesn’t transform the way we treat our next-door neighbor.

What about your faith?

Is it authentic?

Does it show others that you have a living relationship with Christ?

Real faith turns the misunderstood contrast between faith and works into a dynamic combination of genuine faith and real action.

Receiving God’s Word through Action

Faith and action go together.

Understanding and works are tethered—joined together at salvation through the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

James 2:14-17 asks us,

Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead

14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

The poor, orphaned, widowed, and lost don’t just need a word from God.

They need us to act on our beliefs and love and serve selflessly with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Gathering together as believers to worship is just a part of what God intends for us as his children.

If we are to receive all that God has for us, if we are to walk in the abundant life God intends, we must resolve to be doers of the word.

James 1:23-25 gives us a window into the life of a believer who never puts action to his faith.

Scripture says,

23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Your identity as a disciple of Christ undoubtedly comes from relationship with God, but it is meant to be lived out in your deeds.

God longs for you to live a life of good works in response to the unconditional love you’ve been given.

He longs for you to live in selfless humility sharing with others what he’s done in you.

We’ve separated Christianity from the world.

We’ve separated Sunday from Monday, the sacred and secular.

Jesus lived in line with God’s love every minute he was here.

He broke the rules in healing on the Sabbath.

He ministered almost completely outside of the walls of the synagogue.

He brought the good news of God’s grace to all who would believe everywhere he went.

His life was in no way segregated.

Jesus’s turning the water into wine at a party was just as holy and spiritual as his standing up, reading of Isaiah in the temple, proclaiming his fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the Messiah.

His love was put into perfect action through every word, miracle, step, glance, and prayer.

With Jesus as our perfect example, let’s live in accordance with God’s will.

Let’s blur the line between faith and works until the two become one.

Let’s regard meals, conversations, rest, family time, and parties as important and holy as worshipping inside the walls of our churches. Let’s live as Jesus did and reveal His love as an action instead of just an idea we talk about on Sunday. 

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

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s desire for your faith to produce good works.

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:14-17

2. Ask God where he would have you put faith into action. 

It could be the completely random act of buying flowers for your wife, or your finding a new way to honor your husband, taking your children on a special trip, or offering encouragement to someone around you at meal at work or at school.

Ask the Spirit to give you specific ways in which he desires you live out the love you have received.

3. Ask God for the strength and courage to live out his word. 

Follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit into the good works he has prepared for you today.

The Spirit has an incredible ability and power to guide a willing heart into action for God.

Receiving the knowledge of God’s love for the people around you will open up doors in your own life to better know the fullness of God’s heart.

You will be more deeply blessed by serving others than you could ever be blessed in being served.

God pours his love and grace out on those who minister in line with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

It’s truly an honor to be used by God to further the advance of his kingdom in the earth.

You were made to live out the truth of the gospel.

So choose today to act upon the leading of the Spirit.

Choose to be a doer of the word.

Psalm 100 New American Standard Bible 1995

All Men Exhorted to Praise God.

A Psalm for [a]Thanksgiving.

100 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
3 Know that the Lord [b]Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and [c]not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter His gates with [d]thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

Lord Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, renew my heart, refresh my heart, change and transform my heart so my trust in you becomes a powerful, and active display of your grace and power. Help me to serve you by serving, caring about others. Amen.

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 Speaks in Solitude. Psalm 46:10

Psalm 46:10-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 “[a]Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the [b]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. 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.

You and I have been given the invaluable gift of communication with God.

From my recent devotionals we learned about the process of making the soil of our hearts soft and more receptive to God.

In our coming devotional efforts we’ll try to learn some different ways to receive the seed of his word. May your communion with God flourish as you engage in continual conversation with your loving, present heavenly Father.

God Speaks in Solitude

Matthew 6:5-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [a]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Solitude—a time set apart where the rush, the noise, and the anxiety of the world may finally fall mute on the ears and heart of a child of God completely in need of “alone time” with God, lost inside the peace, presence of their Creator.

Solitude is a private time to be spent with your heavenly Father, free from the myriad of distractions which the world offers us at seemingly every moment.

We are made for consistent time spent in solitude.

C.S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory,

“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.”

Most of us have grown accustomed to what truly does amount to being “starved” for solitude.

We never fully realize how great our need is to be alone with our Sustainer.

Let’s take some time today to recognize our need for solitude and then learn how to best practice solitude on a daily basis.

You can know that you need solitude for one reason—Jesus needed it.

All over the New Testament we see examples of Jesus going off on his own to pray.

One example, Mark 1:35, tells us Jesus, “rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark . . . departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” 

Jesus, who practiced perfect communion with his heavenly Father while here on earth still needed to spend time in solitude.

Jesus, who loved parties, loved people, and was God and man simultaneously, knew he still needed time alone.

If he needed it, you and I can be sure we need it.

When God incarnate was up against his hardest task, the Crucifixion, he didn’t just toughen up and get through it – He spent much time alone in the Garden of Gethsemane in a deep tearful heartfelt conversation with his heavenly Father.

Matthew 26:36-46 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Garden of Gethsemane

36 Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41  Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45  Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “[a]Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

He needed solitude to accomplish his purpose here on earth and so do you and I.

Solitude is life-giving.

It’s necessary to the Christian spiritual life.

Richard J. Foster said, “Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.”

Solitude is one of the most important and life-giving spiritual disciplines.

If you want to hear God, you must practice solitude.

If you want fortitude in your life, a steadfastness that surpasses your circumstances, you must practice solitude.

You are designed for time spent in the quiet, simply, exclusively, being with your heavenly Father.

So how can you best practice solitude?

The first step is finding a place where you can spend time with God free from distractions.

Find a place where you know you won’t be interrupted.

If you live with others, find a time when they will not be around or awake.

If you live alone, designate a place and time that you will spend in solitude free from any distractions.

Second, give yourself an amount of time to spend with God just being in solitude.

It could be ten minutes or an hour.

Spend this time free from reading, free from worship or prayer  unless solitude leads you to those things.

Madeleine L’Engle said, “Deepest communion with God is beyond words, on the other side of silence.”

Solitude is a point of deep communion where words aren’t required in light of God’s glorious nearness.

Take some time today to practice the incredible discipline of solitude.

Be patient with yourself.

Be patient with God.

Fill the emptiness of silence with the satisfaction of God’s presence.

Your heavenly Father loves just simply spending time with you, enjoying deep communion with his crown of creation.

You are his beloved child.

Climb into the comforting and sustaining arms of your heavenly Father today as you enter into a time of solitude.        

One More Point: Some Thoughts About Silent Prayer

Psalm 46:10-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 “[a]Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the [b]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

Matthew 6:5-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [a]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

We might think of “silent prayer” as communicating with God not by speaking words aloud but by saying them in our minds.

But prayer does not always require words.

In fact, Jesus cautioned that using “many words” in prayer could become like babbling (see Matthew 6:7).

Matthew 6:7 New American Standard Bible 1995

7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

Being still, without using words, can help us reflect on the majesty, power, beauty, love, and other characteristics of God.

We need to be clear, though, that this is different from meditation that views silence as a way to empty the mind of thoughts, to connect with one’s “inner self.”

The command to “be still” in Psalm 46 has nothing to do with that—and is ­actually the opposite.

Notice that the words “be still” in verse 10 are immediately followed by the instruction to know God.

Prayer helps us grow in our knowledge of God, and knowing the heart of God is what enables us to be still in his presence.

As Psalm 46 indicates, God is both power­ful and kind.

Our troubled hearts are quieted when we find our refuge in him.

Some Bible versions include the Hebrew word Selah after verses 3, 7, and 11 in Psalm 46, and that may help us understand this point.

Scholars aren’t sure what Selah means, but it seems to signal a pause and also perhaps an unknown period of time of reflection.

Practice being silent in God’s presence.

Quiet reflection intensifies prayer as the mind is filled with thoughts of God.

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

Guided Prayer:

1. Find a place free from distractions. 

Ask the Spirit to calm your heart and mind and help you to spend time in deep communion with God.

2. Spend a few minutes simply resting with God in solitude.

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35

“Deepest communion with God is beyond words, on the other side of silence.” Madeleine L’Engle

3. Write down how solitude made you feel. 

If you felt uncomfortable or frustrated, that’s alright! Solitude and silence is something most of us have never practiced so have patience with yourself.

Solitude is a practice.

The more you do it the better and more fulfilling it will become.

Once you connect with God’s heart free of words and just look at him face to face, his gaze will become one of the most important parts of your life.

Knowing experientially that your heavenly Father sees you and loves you is meant to be at the foundation of everything you do.

Commit yourself to spend time in solitude with God and learn what it is to be a child simply enjoyed by the Father.

Lord, thank you for enabling me to be still in your presence. You are my strength, and I trust in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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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What Questions are we to ask when we ARE Listening for God’s Voice? Jeremiah 29:12-14

Jeremiah 29:12-14 The Message

12 “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.

13-14 “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.

“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree.

“I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you”—God’s Decree—“bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on 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.

Jeremiah 29:13 New American Standard Bible 1995

13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

The context for this verse is Jeremiah’s letter to the exiled Jews in Babylon.

This is a promise of restoration after the completion of the time allotted for their discipline.

We should read this as pertaining not only to them but to all God’s Church, even today – this was a specific promise to those Jews in exile, but it captures a basic principle of relating to our God that holds true in every generation of believers.

Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

God has made himself completely and totally available to those who want him.

He calls to us, but he does not force us to follow.

His mysterious and prevenient grace notwithstanding, it is a crucial element of our relationship and fellowship with him that we’ll actually choose to seek him, come to him and abide with and in him.

Romans 1:20 suggests that everyone, even the unregenerate actually knows this to be true, though they have lied to themselves:

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

For the Christian, it is necessary to wake up to this fact, stop running away, and begin hardcore running toward God, who has made himself apprehend able for the seeker.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Jeremiah 29:13

#1 “You will seek me,”

Jeremiah prophesied that the Jews, currently then in exile for their failure to follow God, would indeed turn to him at the right time and seek his face.

But more importantly to us, he has reserved his elect Church as those who will at the right time wake up to the truth and at the right time they will seek him.

#2 “and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

The key to finding what we seek when we seek God is to put all our heart into it.

This we will do only when we place our very highest value in our God and in a relationship with him above and beyond echelons more than anything else.

Finding him is like finding a treasure in a field that is worth selling everything we have in order to buy it.

In Luke 18:29-30, it says, “29 ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus said to them, ‘no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.’”

We must leave all behind in respect to what or who has the highest place in our hearts if we would truly find God.

What If You Can’t Find God or Can’t Hear His Voice?

Some of us have had that sour experience of feeling that God is far away and unreachable.

Even some of the psalmists wrote about times when God did not seem to be anywhere near.

In Psalm 22, David cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus himself repeated those words as he hung dying on the cross (Mark 15:34).

So what do you do when you can’t find God?

So what do you do when you can’t hear God’s voice?

Do what the psalmist did, and cry out to God.

Let him know how much you need him.

And read and reread today’s Bible passage, which assures us that when we seek God with all our hearts, we will find him.

God wants to be a part of our everyday lives, just as he showed us when his Son, our Savior was born.

Four Questions to Ask When Listening for God’s Voice

Jeremiah 29:12-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

One of the joys we experience in childhood, although we don’t see as a gift at the time, is that decisions are made for us. 

We love independence, but most of us can at least appreciate the idea of a person telling us which way to turn when the lines get blurry and a world that once seemed very black and white subtly takes on a surprising shade of grey.

One of the most common questions we have all heard asked is, “I wish I knew what God wanted me to do…how do I listen for Him or know I hear from Him?” 

I would like to suggest four questions we should consider when seeking the voice of God:

1. Am I willing to hear what He might say?

Do you believe His voice will flow out of His great love for you, even if it’s not the message you wanted to hear?

If we aren’t willing to receive what He says, we really cannot proceed.

If that scares you, and I fervently pray it does, remember that a God who loves us enough to sacrifice His own Son, who promises to never leave us, and who is gentle enough to wipe away our tears ( Revelation 21:4). His will is vastly good.

Are you willing to hear more?

2. What does scripture say?

The Bible is God-breathed, so it is here where we begin.

We might not be able to flip to the concordance and search “how to know if I should stay in this dating relationship…” or “how to respond when my co-worker says something cruel…”, however, if we develop a disciplined habit of reading, studying, praying, abiding in the Word of God, we will know His heart.

And when we get serious enough to know his Heart, we will recognize His voice.

In the hardcore quest for God’s voice, let the first most critical stop be scripture.

The more familiar we are with the heart of God, the more familiar we will be with His voice.

3. What do the people who love you say?

Before we were married, during one particular coffee date I had with her, we discussed about unhealthy dating relationships.

I asked her what her family, close friends, and spiritual mentors had to say about “unhealthy dating relationships.”

Would the people closest to her, who loved her and wanted the best for her, all warn her that staying in any relationship was dangerous and if they advised her to end it – would she, or I be honest enough with ourselves to be able to discuss.

Would we talk about the reasons behind their concerns for any length of time, when she looked at me through teary eyes and said, “I try to hear them, know what they want me to do…now, I just wish I knew what God wanted me to do.”

The people who love you…the people you trust and respect…what do they say?

Have you asked them?

Obviously, everyone should not be within your circle for wise counsel.

Ask people who have made decisions that you respect, and who love you enough to want what is best for you.

Allow their voices to enter the conversation and examine how their input is compatible with scripture and what you know to be true about the heart of God.

The Lord frequently uses the voices of others to echo what He is speaking to our hearts.

4. What does the “still, small voice” say?

You know that whisper?

That sense of what God is calling us to?

In his book, Hearing God, Dallas Willard refers to this as the “still, small voice”.

For a deeper discussion about what it means to have a “conversational relationship” with God, as Willard describes it, jump into this thought-0provoking piece of writing.

I cannot do justice to the understanding he brings to the subject.

I will say this though – it’s hard to imagine hearing the “still, small voice” of God if we don’t make listening a priority.

Our lives produce a shocking amount of noise.

Our days seem to fill themselves with appointments and activities before we even have a chance to say otherwise.

Repeatedly in scripture, Jesus left the noise. 

He got up earlier than everyone else, went away from the chaos, and was alone with His Father.

He prayed and they talked, a habit which scripture tells us He did often.

Are you positioning yourself to hear the still, small voice of a great God who wants so badly to talk with you?

These are our beacons. 

If we are in the business of seeking direction, these questions may or may not lead us to a specific answer, but hopefully they will begin the process, to help us listen more carefully discern God’s small voice in the midst of so many others.

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.

My Savior Jesus, Giver of peace, I find myself so easily distracted by the voices of the world when I’m trying to focus and hear your Holy Spirit. Help me to quiet my mind in the middle of my busy life. Help me to just pause and to make space to listen to the most important voice of all. Empower me to be a good listener to the gentle whispers of your Spirit. Help me better follow the example of Jesus, who would slip away in the evening or the early morning to be alone with you. Teach me to abide in you. Amen.

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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Habits of Faith: God’s Desire for Me is to be Getting to Know God Better. Ephesians 1:16-17

Ephesians 1:15-21 New American Standard Bible 1995

15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and [a]your love for all the [b]saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the [c]knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart [d]may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the [e]saints,  19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

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.

God’s Desire for Me

Ephesians 1:16-17 GOD’S WORD Translation

16 I never stop thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better.

First and foremost on Paul’s spirit is this – To Never stop thanking God!

Second is this – to Never stop praying to God for wisdom and revelation!

Third is this – to Never stop praying to God for His saints, for their faith or their lack of faith, or for their troubled faith to gain a spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Our own growing in wisdom is about cultivating a character that is Christlike.

If we desire that much to be growing and maturing into that spirit of wisdom, then the words of Ephesians 1:16-17 are a great discovery and encouragement.

What is striking about these verses is how they tell us we don’t have to figure this all out on our own. It’s not a project for which God gives us a textbook and tests us with a final exam at the end of life. God is not a “hands off” teacher.

In Ephesians 1:16-17 Paul explains that he prays for people to have wisdom, he prays, God to be involved in the process—because that is what God promises.

Apostle Paul goes on to mention “the Spirit of wisdom,” and he isn’t asking only for the Spirit to help us; Paul asks that the Spirit of wisdom be given to us.

Why? So that our desire is that we may each come to know God better.

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, this matter of gaining wisdom is not just about learning some Christian way of living.

Try to fathom this miracle: it is about an interactive God who wants to live in us, make His home in us and be part of our faith growth by becoming part of us.

We can simplify all that to this: God wants us to have wisdom.

So we can each make this incredible prayer our own, saying to God, “I want to have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation because I want to know God better.”

Getting to Know God Better

The Apostle Paul has been teaching the great facts underlying the Christian faith in Ephesians 1, and we turn now to his prayer.

This is a helpful revelation of the place of prayer in the Christian experience, especially in believers who are maturing, and in relationship to the study of Scripture – the revelation that this brings prayer and the Scriptures together.

Having finished a great passage in which he has set forth what the three-fold God is doing for us, now adds these words addressed to the Ephesian Christians.

That is really the major objective of a Christian life — is to know God better.

We need to ask ourselves, 

Is this happening with us?

Are we really getting to know God better?

There is a principle in the Scripture that is very important for us to understand.

We are all familiar with the phrase that says we are made in the image of God, which means in some way that humanity reflects God.

But this fact means that we cannot learn who we are until we begin to know and learn who God is.

It is the revelation and understanding of the nature of God that will tell us what we are like.

I believe that this is one of the major reasons why many people today never seem to discover who they are.

They never learn what they can do, what possibilities lie within, and what potential is theirs because they have never discovered who God is.

We reflect Him, and therefore it is extremely important that we come to know God better.

Remember that Jesus said this in his great prayer to the Father: 

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

John 17:1-5 The Message

Jesus’ Prayer for His Followers

17 1-5 Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said:

Father, it’s time.
Display the bright splendor of your Son
So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor.
You put him in charge of everything human
So he might give real and eternal life to all in his care.
And this is the real and eternal life:
That they know you,
The one and only true God,
And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
I glorified you on earth
By completing down to the last detail
What you assigned me to do.
And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor,
The very splendor I had in your presence
Before there was a world.

This is the reason that we exist — that we may know God better.

I both hope and pray this is happening to you, young and old alike.

You never get to the end of knowing more about God.

He is such a fantastic being that revelations about his character and nature keep coming to us, keep being revealed unto us, we truly discover that as we all come know him better, we suddenly blink our eyes, realize what our God is revealing is that we’ve come to a place in our spirits where we know ourselves better too.

So Paul prays for these people.

He doesn’t know their circumstances – he can’t pray for their daily problems and pressures as you can when you know somebody personally – but he can pray, does pray, they may know God better. That will take care of everything.

Will you make it your top priority to know God better?

Will you pray to this end on a daily basis?

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 100 The Message

100 1-2 On your feet now—applaud God!
    Bring a gift of laughter,
    sing yourselves into his presence.

3 Know this: God is God, and God, God.
    He made us; we didn’t make him.
    We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

4 Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
    Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
    Thank him. Worship him.

5 For God is sheer beauty,
    all-generous in love,
    loyal always and ever.

Heavenly Father, please give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Open the eyes of my heart to know the hope and power by which you want me to live. Open my souls eyes, Lord, so that I may see more of who you are. For my Jesus; sake, Amen.

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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Tilling those Soils of our Hearts: We are the Body of Christ – The Church. Romans 12:3-5

Romans 12:3-5 New American Standard Bible 1995

3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of 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.

One of the key realities of Christianity is belonging.

I belong! I belong to God.

I belong to Jesus.

I belong to the Holy Spirit.

I belong to Jesus’ body, the Church.

I have a critically important place, a critically important purpose in that body.

I belong! I am needed!

I have a critically important job to do!

I belong!!

One of the most useful gifts God has given us for making our hearts receptive to him is each other.

The church is both a beautiful and broken group of people.

Beautiful because of the grace of God that is working in each and every one of us making us more like Jesus.

Broken because we have yet to walk in the complete fullness of what Christ did for us on the cross.

Most of us have been wounded by something that happened in a church.

Most of us have felt anger, frustration, or annoyance with a fellow believer.

But if we are to walk in the fullness of what God intends for us here on earth, we must continually forgive, ask forgiveness from each other, submit ourselves to a group of Christ followers, share life with believers in accordance with God’s Word.

The Bible is crystal clear that the best place for us to thrive is in community with fellow believers. 

Romans 12:5 teaches us that we are all “one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” 

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” 

And Ephesians 4:15-16 teaches us “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” 

We need each other.

We are joined together as the body of Christ made to function as one—both for our edification and the fulfillment of God’s own eternal purposes in the world.

In order to make the soil of your heart soft and tillable and receptive to God, you must have help from those neighbors which God has placed all around you.

We are created to worship with the body of Christ for all eternity, and that includes exactly right now!

Do not wait to live out the promises of God.

The church is not perfect, but it is God’s Bride.

His desire is for His people, and God loves to pour out His presence in unique and specific ways when we gather together and we must reciprocate – desire.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

Christian Conduct

12 But we request of you, brethren, that you [a]appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you [b] instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the [c]unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

There is edification you need that can only take place in the presence of fellow believers.

There is blessing that can only be received when you open your heart to the family of God.

We all have wounds; we all need grace; we all need each other.

The very person who most annoys you might need you the most.

Just as you need what fellow believers around you have to offer you, others need who God has uniquely designed you to be.

God asks us to humble ourselves before him and each other. 

Philippians 2:3 teaches us to “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” 

When you consciously choose to humble yourself before God, before man, you will find a true peace that is never available in living for your own ambitions.

When you submit yourself to imperfect people, you give away your sense of entitlement and find the grace of God that’s poured out on those who truly count others as more significant than themselves.

It’s in the submission to others and giving away of our own rights that the soil of our heart is made soft and receptive to God.

It’s in spending time with fellow imperfect people that we become edified and are spurred on toward spending more time with God.

Often it’s in the extending of grace and forgiveness to each other that we become most like Christ, the one who suffered and died in the ultimate act of humility to we who are unworthy.

Offer love to those who don’t deserve it.

Place yourself in community with those who are imperfect.

Open your heart to those who might not treat you with perfect kindness.

Find your unique place in the body and serve the community God has placed you in with true faithfulness so you might be fashioned into the likeness of Christ.

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

Let us Pray,

Guided Prayer:

1. Ask God to show you the community he would have you be a part of.

Whether this answer comes to us immediately or through seeking and visiting churches, trust that God will guide you to the local body he has planned for you.

2. Ask God to show you your place in the community.

This will change over time, so it’s good to continually ask God this question, especially if you feel out of place.

3. Now ask God to show you how he feels about the church.

We aren’t meant to live and love out of our own strength.

Instead, we are to seek God’s heart for his people and align ourselves with him.

God’s desire for the church is untold ages long, vast and powerful.

Isaiah 53:5-6 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 But He was [a]pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our [b]well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To [c]fall on Him.

He has loved his people in perfect faithfulness despite all our transgressions and wandering.

When we fail to show grace and love to those around us, we fail to live out of God’s heart for his people.

If you want to live a life as near to God’s heart as possible you must search him out with the rest of his body.

One day we will all be made perfect and be able to worship together face to face with the living God.

One day, every tribe, tongue and nation will declare together the wonders of God’s amazing love.

Live in light of eternity today. 

Worship here as you will in heaven, and watch as heaven invades earth around you with the glory and love of God, the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Help me, ABBA Father, to find the place where you made me to fit into Jesus’ body, the church. Until I know my exact place to serve and use my gifts, I pledge to work in all sorts of ministries so that your Spirit, and not just my own preference, will guide me into your place for me to serve. Thank you for giving me a unique place not only to belong, but also serve, be a part of Jesus’ bodily presence in the world. Jesus’ name.

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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Habits of Faith: Our Alleged Abilities to Handle the Pressures of Living Our Life. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 New American Standard Bible 1995

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not  forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but life in you.

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.

That is life, isn’t it?

Here are listed by the Apostle Paul all of the pressures common to man, not removed in the life of a Christian.

It is false that when you become a Christian everything smooths out, and you are given a membership in a flying red carpet club through life, so mysterious bridges suddenly appear over all the chasms, the hurricane winds are tempered for you, and there are no pressures or difficulties to be seen or heard ever again.

What a far cry that is from reality!

The problem is, the pressures are all always going to be there.

This is life in the raw.

Look at these categories:

Hard pressed on every side (afflictions): These are the normal trials which everybody faces, Christian and non-Christian alike.

Your washing machine breaks down on Monday morning, your vehicle breaks down on Tuesday after a long hard day at work, sickness strikes in your family, heartbreaks come, the buffetings, the beatings of life which come to everyone.

They are all so normal, so daily. I tell you, these last several weeks we feel as though we have been fighting twelve rounds a day with young Muhamad Ali!

Perplexities: This refers to all the pressing calls for decisions when we don’t know what to decide.

We are at a loss, we can’t see the end, we don’t know how it is going to turn out.

We are afflicted with fears, anxieties, worries, and uncertainties, all gathered up in this word perplexities.

Persecutions: These are the misunderstandings we all run up against, the ostracisms, the cold shoulders which are shown to us at times, the malicious actions and attitudes, deliberate slights, attacks on our character and our reputation, oftentimes, the bigoted, prejudiced, unfair practices of members of society against one another; character assassinations of modern cancel culture.

These are all shamefully part of Christian life as well as the non-Christian’s.

Struck down: These are the stunning, shattering blows which drop out of the blue into our lives — fired without cause, financial ruin, accidents, acute, fatal illnesses, war, earthquakes, famine, riot, insanity — the terrible episodes which shatter a family or an individual, leave us so very stunned, frightened, baffled.

All these things and more too are all definitely part of normal Christian and non Christian experience.

There is no change in the problems, the pressures, enormity of the challenges.

But look at how the Apostle Paul describes the reactions to those challenge: 

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 

There is a power within, a transcendent power, different than anything else, which keeps pushing back with equal pressure against whatever comes from without, so that we are not destroyed, not crushed or despairing.

That is what the Christian life is intended to be.

There is no question about it.

We are called to this kind of victorious experience.

Perhaps every one of us who knows Jesus Christ has experienced something of this at times.

Romans 5:6-10 New American Standard Bible 1995

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; [a]though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified [b]by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [c]by His life.

Hebrews 12:1-3 English Standard Version

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do Not Grow Weary

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

But thanks be to God who is our our Creator, we know how our Savior Christ can undergird us in times of sorrow and strain, but usually it is in the big things, the big shattering things, that we each experience something of the reality of this.

But this is intended to be a constant, continuous experience.

We are to meet the pressures with an answering inner pressure, the life, death and resurrection of Christ not only in the big things but the little things as well.

What Perplexities Did the Apostle Paul NOT Face?

How was Paul able to keep pressing on in the midst of all kinds of affliction?

The most important reason was because he was convinced that God was with him, and that God would open up a way for him in the midst of his troubles.

When you are faced with all sorts of pressure, learn to entrust these things to the Lord and come before Him with an expectant heart.

Just like Moses when he stood by the Red Sea, declared to the people of Israel, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.”

The God whom we believe in is a God who can turn crisis into opportunity.

The disciples panicked when a storm started while they were out at sea.

The sea calmed down once Jesus came.

At the wedding in Cana in Galilee, there was no wine left for the banquet, but Jesus turned water to wine.

Jesus turned the shame of the cross into a glorious symbol.

As long as we entrust our lives to Him and ask God to help us, and as long as we choose to have faith instead of choosing to be negative or complaining, we can see what God can accomplish.

On the other hand, consider this: Paul was able to overcome pressure in the midst of troubles because he had good spiritual companions to support him.

In verses 8 and 9, Paul refers to “we”.

When he was preaching the gospel throughout the region, Timothy and Silas were his co-workers.

When he was in prison, he was accompanied by Epaphroditus and Luke.

It is important to have good spiritual companions in the Christian life.

When in that moment of moments, we are under extreme pressure, what we need the most is not others tell us what to do, but a person whom we can trust and who will understand us and listen to us and constantly remain at our sides.

God put us in the church, so that we can find our spiritual companions in the Lord, with whom we can run the race heavenward together.

May the Spirit of God guide us, help us, to take the initiative to find our spiritual companions in fellowship.

In this way, we can support one another, and learn to lean on God to overcome all kinds of troubles.

Someone once said the pressures within your heart are the driving forces for growth.

But this is only true on one condition — if you are absolutely certain that the Lord is with you and that God will make a way for you.

Right now more than ever, you are really in need of a spiritual companion who can support and encourage you to go forth onto the furnace and move forward!

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.

Lord, I pray that I may learn to accept gladly, cheerfully, and understandingly the experiences which come my way, which force me to rely upon your grace. Lord, we thank you because no matter what circumstance we are in, as long as we have Jesus, the storms can be calmed and our needs can be met. May your Holy spirit give us the passion to live for you and help us find a spiritual companion to walk alongside us. We thank you and pray in the victorious name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!

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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Habits of Faith: How Daily Time with God Will Certainly Change Your Life. Proverbs 8:32-36  

Proverbs 8:32-35 New American Standard Bible 1995

32 “Now therefore, O sons, listen to me,
For blessed are they who keep my ways.
33 “Heed instruction and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
35 “For he who finds me finds life
And obtains favor from the Lord.

36 “But he who [a]sins against me injures himself;
All those who hate me love death.”

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.

We often let so many practices of our faith slip between the cracks after so many years of being a Christian.

We sometimes feel “mature” enough to go without consistent habits like fasting and observing the Sabbath, which we adhered to when first coming to the Lord, a perpetual excuse of the business of living and daily distractions.

For me, daily time with God is one of the first to go, right up there with fasting and memorizing the Word.

Starting your day out with God not only dispels the instant chaos assaulting our brains within a minute of consciousness – finding all of the “permission to live” forms and impending deadlines – but places everything under God’s authority.

It is trusting him to the max to see you through every circumstance, knowing he is celebrating with you through the minor successes of the day, and letting him know that, unequivocally, He alone is the Lord of your life. (Psalm 46:10-11)

It’s amazing the difference quiet time makes, though I’m not sure why we’re surprised how spending time with the creator of the universe could positively impact our day.

I’m a more patient sort, a more positive husband, more effective ministry leader, and I’m even nicer to my neighbors when I start out with the Lord.

I believe the number one way to be your “best self” is by remaining close to God – My daily Me + God = a significantly better version of Me. 

Whenever friends share about being frustrated at home (or anywhere, really), I always try to ask them how their daily quiet time with the Lord has been lately.

Because I have personally found that it’s so hard to find a quiet anything, let alone an actual sliver of time actually spent in the Word of God and prayer. 

It’s easy to convince ourselves we’re spiritually mature enough to make it days, even weeks, without extended, dedicated times of being in the Word and prayer.

It is just another crafty lie from the enemy that affects our inner peace, loved ones, and home life more than anything.

Reserving alone time for God can seem nearly impossible when you’re sleep-deprived or a working full-time parent, but overall, it’s definitely worth it.

Even if you only have quiet time in your car, praying and worshiping, and then reading an online verse or a daily devotional when you get to your workspace, do whatever you can do, short of getting yourself fired, to truly make it happen.

In a time when distractions, chaos seem at an all-time high, I believe the key to having the best 2024 possible is committing to spend more time with the Lord.

This means literally dedicating time each day to quiet our hearts, being still in silence, praying, and, most importantly, just listening to what He has to say.

When we take time to be still and soak in God’s presence intentionally- not when we’re in the we not only receive direction, but we’ll receive all the other benefits from His presence that make such a major difference in our lives.

When we’re in tune with His heart, we’re simply more grounded and focused.

By heeding Wisdom’s words, we’re reminded of how much we’re loved and how truly precious this life is, and we become more of the person we’re meant to be.

Somehow, Wisdom knows all the things that matter rise to the surface, and the “things of the world” take a more rightful, lowly place in our hearts and minds.

Wisdom reveals in these verses that the problems, irritants, and stressors in life diminish, and we’re able to operate above the fray, not distracted or tempted by the myriad of things that come against us by the day or the hour, if not minute.

And how can they not?

How can marital tension, or that pending deadline, or financial strain or health undo us when we are in constant communication with the one who has power and victory over every area of life? They really cannot exist in the same space.

It can be tempting to skip out on quiet time when running the kids out the door every morning, driving to work and falling to our pillows like bricks on cement, muttering “yeah, right, night Lord,” if that. Some days, it’s bound to happen.

But if we are really serious about heeding Wisdoms advice, really want more breakthroughs, changes in habits, and victory in areas we have been praying about for years, we have to daily commit to being still and hearing God’s voice.

We might have to give something up to make the change, like no email or social media before 9 am or a few less episodes of our favorite television or streaming service during the evening, but by God, it will, of course, be more than worth it.

Do you crave wisdom?

A great life and God’s favor depend on it.

Are you eager to hear wisdom taught?

Do you seek it every day?

Do you wait with excited anticipation for any opportunity to learn?

Eager seekers are blessed with life and God’s favor (Proverbs 8:35).

There are rewards for those who seek and find wisdom – the blessing of life and favor of the LORD (Proverbs 8:35).

“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding” (Proverbs 3:13-18).

Proverbs 3:13-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than [a]jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 [b]Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.

What a glorious proposition!

What hinders you today from hearing wisdom?

What hinders you today from seeking wisdom?

What hinders you from discovering wisdom?

Do you watch for her every day?

Are you waiting at the posts of her doors?

She loves those who love her, and those who seek her early will find her (Proverbs 8:17).

I am praying for a year of experiencing Wisdom’s abundance for us all in 2024.

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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Tilling the Soils of Our Hearts With Our Worship of the Lord. Psalm 29:2

Psalm 29:1-2 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.
A Psalm of David.

29 Ascribe to the Lord, O [a]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due to His name;
Worship the Lord in [c]holy array.

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.

One of the most powerful ways to till the soil of the heart is through worship.

Authentic worship is a powerful exchange of God pouring his love out on us and us giving him our hearts in return.

In worshiping through music, our hearts naturally become soft and receptive to God’s presence and love as we encounter his goodness and engage in a reverent adoration of the only One who is completely, utterly, worthy of our affections.

God created music with an innate ability to affect us at our core.

Psalms, Music, have the power to fill us with peace, joy, and anger; it can cause tears to well up in our eyes and even make the most mundane events beautiful.

Martin Luther said, “Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.”

By consistently engaging in worship through beautiful music, we each provide a framework for the Holy Spirit both to till the soil of our hearts and to fill us with the seeds of God’s presence and perfect character.

The Bible is brimming with admonishment to worship through song.

Paul tells us in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” 

Hebrews 12:28 says, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence  and awe.”

Scripture is so clear about the importance of worship because God longs for us to be a people marked by consistent reminders of his unconditional love.

He longs for us to live in response to his presence and his greater plans, rather than mightily struggling through life by placing our trust in the world over him.

God longs to reveal his heart to you in worship.

He longs to show up, meet us in our rooms, our prayer closets, cars, workplace, in the outdoors as we walk and bike and hike in creation, and houses of worship.

We were created to encounter all the fullness of God and engage in the cyclical act of giving and receiving love throughout our days.

When we worship here on earth, we posture our whole heart towards eternity.

Making the willful choice listen for the voice of God, to give your affections to the One you will spend eternity with, you also discover your purpose for which you were made: to live in unhindered communion with your heavenly Father.

If you feel like the soil of your heart is more rock hard than tillable, your life isn’t marked by the fruit of the Spirit or you can’t escape from a temptation—simply take some time and pick up the Word of God, encounter God in worship.

God’s presence is wholly available to you today.

His love and grace are steadfast towards you.

May your time in guided prayer be marked by the awareness of, nearness of, and power of the Holy Spirit as you encounter the unconditional love of God.

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

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on what Scripture says about worship through music and reflect on how beautiful music moves your heart.

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5

“And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.” 1 Samuel 16:23

2.Engage in worship in whatever way moves your heart. 

Receive the presence and love of your heavenly Father and give him your heart in response. Remember the importance of giving and receiving love in worship.

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!” Psalm 57:7

“I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13:6

3. Journal about the effects worship has on your heart. 

Reflecting on and writing down the things God is doing in our lives helps us to actualize that which is often left internal and forgotten.

Psalm 104:33 says, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.” 

Until your life is devoted to worshipping God, you will never find total rest.

When we give ourselves to the things of this world it repays us with stress, burden, and cares rather than unconditional love.

It’s only in devoting yourself to God alone that you will find satisfaction and reciprocation for your love.

Live today in full devotion to God.

Do everything as an act of worship.

And find that God repays your adoration ten fold by pouring out his wealth of affection over you.

May today be filled with the presence, power of God as you give, receive, love.

Psalm 29 The Message

29 1-2 Bravo, God, bravo!
    Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!”
In awe before the glory,
    in awe before God’s visible power.
Stand at attention!
    Dress your best to honor him!

3 God thunders across the waters,
Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—
God, across the flood waters.

4 God’s thunder tympanic,
God’s thunder symphonic.

5 God’s thunder smashes cedars,
God topples the northern cedars.

6 The mountain ranges skip like spring colts,
The high ridges jump like wild kid goats.

7-8 God’s thunder spits fire.
God thunders, the wilderness quakes;
He makes the desert of Kadesh shake.

9 God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing
A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.
We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”

10 Above the floodwaters is God’s throne
    from which his power flows,
    from which he rules the world.

11 God makes his people strong.
God gives his people peace.

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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Habits of Faith: The Business of Tilling Those Soils of Our Hearts. Matthew 13:22-23

Matthew 13:22-23 New American Standard Bible 1995

22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the [a]world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

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.

Sower, Seeds, Soils

Jesus begins this Parable of the Sower with a farmer scattering seed.

The seed is good seed, the message of the kingdom of heaven.

The seed falls into many different soils: pathway soil, rocky soil, thorn-infested soil, and good soil.

Though Jesus carefully explains this parable to his disciples, we still wonder about many things.

What exactly does it look like when the seed, the message, falls on good soil and produces a crop, “yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown”?

The reader, the listener, wants to know if they are the good soil, they are then working the other soils and so producing the bountiful harvest Jesus describes.

Throughout his ministry Jesus gives many clues on what a life that produces a significant harvest might look like, but we can also consider the mission Jesus claims in Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the ­prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.”

Because we are called to be like Jesus, his mission is our mission and the Holy Spirit has been given to us, so we are called to go out to work and do the same.

Tilling the Soil of the Heart

Today, we’ll look at a vital spiritual practice to all those seeking to grow in God: tilling the soil of the heart.

Jesus spoke in Matthew 13 of two different types of soil—hard and soft.

God longs for us to till the soil of our hearts that we might be receptive to the seed of his Word and bear fruit.

Today, may our heart become more responsive to the presence, will, and love of God as we learn a bit more cultivating good soil with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 13:22-23 Amplified Bible

22 And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit. 23 And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.”

The concept of good and bad soil is something Jesus’s listeners would have easily understood well.

Planting in good or bad soil meant having food or going hungry. It meant having money or not. For their agrarian culture it was a matter of survival.

While Jesus’s parable might not have as direct a correlation to us, its principle remains just as relevant.

We all have spiritual soil.

Through our mindsets and postures of the heart we can receive the seed of God’s Word which will in turn yield life-giving fruit.

Or, we can allow the soil of our hearts to become hardened by the messages of the sinful world to make us unreceptive to the powerful work God in our lives.

It’s incredibly important for us to understand God never forces his desires on us, but that He waits patiently—beckoning us to open our hearts fully to him.

He gently shows us his love, whispers his perfect plans to us, and waits for us to trust and surrender and with the grace of God, we can till the soil of our hearts, living receptively and surrendered to his loving kindness and perfect will.

If we will work, if we will look inward and acknowledge before God a hardened heart, to cultivate a willing heart, God will mold and shape us into children free from the cares of the world and empowered to live Christ-like, fruitful lives.

The question though always remains: Take time today to assess our own lives?

What parts of your heart are hard to God?

Where do you feel unreceptive to his goodness?

Where do you need to say yes to God today in a fresh, transformative way?

The season of Lent is just around the corner, God is calling you to a lifestyle of trust and surrender that He might lead you to green pastures and still waters.

There is abundant life for you in store in these days as you cultivate good soil.

“Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!” May the Holy Spirit help you look honestly at the true postures of your heart today as you enter into a time of guided prayer.

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

Guided Prayer:

1. Take some time to receive God’s presence.

Open your heart to feel the peace and rest that comes from encountering him.

“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you ways in which you aren’t fully open to God.

How are you not fully saying yes to God?

In what ways are we living our life apart from the leadership, presence of God?

Where don’t you fully trust him?

Where aren’t you bearing the fruit of the Spirit?

“But the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

3. Confess those things to God. 

Receive His love and forgiveness as you repent and turn away from hardness of heart and spend time resting in God’s presence and experiencing the new found peace that comes from having your heart more surrendered, receptive to God.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Tilling our hearts into good soil is an important daily exercise.

The more often you do it, the more you’ll realize the need to have good soil.

Having our hearts fully open to God takes the mundane and makes it wonderful.

It takes sunsets, conversations, prayers, work, and church and fills them with life, value, beauty, and joy.

Take what you’ve learned today and continue to put it into practice.

Choose to live a life positioned to receive all that God has in store for you.

May your day and your days ahead be marked by the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, thank you for your Word! Thank you for your Spirit! I pray that my life will produce an abundant harvest for you, and that I may serve in your name. Amen.

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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Habits of Faith: Tilling the Soils of our Hearts With our Thankfulness. Psalm 107:1

Psalm 107:1-3 New American Standard Bible 1995

BOOK 5

The Lord Delivers Men from Manifold Troubles.

107 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary
3 And gathered from the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the [a]south.

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.

Beauty Lost and Restored

One way for us to understand the beauty that God created is to understand its opposite: the ugliness, sorrow which comes from being separated from God.

Because of our sin, this world is not the way it ought to be.

Sin has brought hardship and ugliness into our lives and into this world, though God designed it all to be beautiful.

We know that God has restoration in mind because we don’t feel “at home” in a world broken because of sin.

We are homesick for a world of peace and beauty.

We are homesick to be with God.

When we’re stuck in brokenness and facing the ugliness of this world of sin, we feel homesick for God’s world of goodness and beauty.

Psalm 107 points out the sorrow and longing of this homesickness.

The world can feel like a wasteland, providing no place where people can rest, no place where they can settle and be at peace.

But the Lord, whose “love endures forever,” (verse 1) offers redemption.

The Lord hears his people cry out in their trouble caused by sin, and he delivers them from distress.

God brings them to a place where they can settle and live in peace.

“He satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry with good things.”

Psalm 107:7-9 New American Standard Bible 1995

7 He led them also by a [a]straight way,
To go to [b]an inhabited city.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His [c]wonders to the sons of men!
9 For He has satisfied the [d]thirsty soul,
And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.

From throughout the Psalms, ultimately we know that all of life’s goodness and beauty will be restored when Jesus comes again, and, all of our thanks be unto God, the new life he provides us even now gives us hope for eternity with God.

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.

Tilling the Soils of Our Hearts: Thankfulness

Thankfulness is one of the most powerful tools in making our hearts both soft to the seed of God’s word and filled with abundant joy.

Thanksgiving aligns our thoughts and emotions with the reality of God’s goodness in a world wrought with lies about the character of God.

It breeds joy and trust rather than entitlement and negativity.

With each declaration of thankfulness you dig a shovel into the hard, rocky soil of your heart and churn it over until it becomes receptive to the fullness of God and filled with the fruit of the Spirit.

The Bible is laden with commands to be thankful. 

Ephesians 5:20 tells us to be “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by  prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” 

But my favorite command on thankfulness is Psalm 107:1, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

You see, it’s important to understand that the Bible doesn’t suggest that we give thanks, but rather commands us to always be thankful.

And in God’s command he reveals his heart.

We learn in Psalm 107 that our thankfulness is meant to be a response to the steadfast love of our heavenly Father.

Thankfulness is meant to be the overflow of remembering, encountering and mulling over how our God is abundantly faithful and filled with unconditional love for us.

I used to read Scripture commanding me to be thankful and think,

“Sorry God, I know I need to be more thankful. I know I’m so provided for and loved. I’m sorry for not thanking you more.”

But after meditating on Psalm 107:1, I realized that my lack of thankfulness is a symptom of not spending enough time encountering God’s wonderful character rather than a core issue in and of itself.

Tilling the soil of my heart through thankfulness requires that I set aside time to simply experience God’s goodness and love. Because everything he does is by grace, my natural response to his character will always be one of thanksgiving.

Take time today to reflect on the faithful and loving character of your heavenly Father. Allow his goodness to cause great thankfulness to well up within you.

May your time in guided prayer be filled with truly transformational encounters with God, may they cultivate good soil that bears the fruit of an abundant life.  

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

 Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on the faithful and loving character of your heavenly Father.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 40:28

“This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” Psalm 18:30

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5

2. Now respond to God’s character with thankfulness.

Take Scripture and thank God for who he is.

Look at your life and thank God for any good gifts he’s given you. Allow his goodness to stir up thankfulness within you.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1

3. What changed in your heart as you engaged in thanksgiving? 

Journal about the power of thankfulness. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see how God is at work in your life today and offer thanksgiving in response.

If you start to feel your heart begin to harden because of something that happens today, simply reflect on the goodness of God and give thanks.

Negativity and sin have an incredibly harmful effect on our hearts.

Decide to put away any form of slander, impurity and anything negative at all, and instead focus on the goodness of what God is doing.

Choose to love today and align your thoughts and emotions with faith and trust in who God is.

To walk in relationship with God is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit at all times.

If you get off track for a bit, simply ask the Spirit to lead you back to the perspective and posture of heart he desires for you!

God’s grace is abounding and powerful.

He longs to walk in relationship with you all day today.

May your day be filled with peace, joy and a passionate pursuit of bringing his kingdom to earth all around you.

Lord, we feel alone and homesick for you and for your peace when we struggle with the hurt and brokenness of this world. Pray! Bring us all near to you, we pray. Amen.

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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