The Reward of Letting Go

http://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/the-reward-of-letting-go?firstItem=195c4abf-f221-4f9a-9c69-85013ec7a2e0

Today’s scripture reading:

Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.

Genesis 22:1-3

Today’s devotional:

While it’s often a struggle to put everything on the altar, one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand how God will accomplish His plans. All He asks is that you surrender your will to His and trust that He will show you the way forward (“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Prov. 3:5-6). Abraham’s willingness to give up what was most precious to him came from his unyielding faith in the Lord’s trustworthiness.

However, if you tell God no because He won’t explain why He wants us to do something, we are actually hindering His blessing. But when we say yes to Him, heaven opens to pour out His goodness and reward our obedience. What matters more than material blessings are the things He is teaching us in our spirit. But don’t mistake His way of rewarding as being like a parent who withholds a treat until the child does as he’s told. Rather, obeying the Lord naturally positions us to receive what He is already trying to give us and accomplish in our lives. So, when we fail to trust Him and refuse to do what He says, we are the ones choosing to close ourselves off from those good things.

What has God asked you to do? Have you only partially cooperated? Or have you, like Abraham, given up your need to understand and then obeyed completely?

If the Lord says to give more than you think you’re able to give, know that He will provide. Whether things are running smoothly or the bottom has dropped out, He is always trustworthy. You can count on almighty God to keep His everlasting Word.

The Freedom of Letting Go

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Today’s scripture reading:

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Today’s devotional:

Our heavenly Father is interested in every detail in our life. If we want Him to work in a particular area—whether relationships, finances, vocation, habits, or something else—we must be willing to let go of our control and give over to Him whatever He asks of us.

We may think we have no attachments that come between us and the Lord, but He knows our hearts. One Sunday as I was about to preach a sermon along these lines, He showed me something I hadn’t yet surrendered. I realized I needed to deal with it, or I wouldn’t be able to preach the sermon. So I was glad when the choir’s song took a while, because I had time to come to a place of being able to say, “Lord, if that’s what You desire, I commit it to You. You have the right to claim it at any time, so it’s Yours right now.”

It’s difficult to be completely obedient if we’re holding on to something too tightly. The Lord wants our attachment to be exclusively to Him. You may have multitudes of things that God has blessed you with, but the moment any of it has a hold on you, His work in your life will be blocked. But when you open your hands, gripping nothing, you will be totally free as the Holy Spirit’s power flows through you.

Is there anything you feel you could never give up? Think about whatever captivates you, and honestly consider whether it also holds you captive. I challenge you to release that relationship or situation to the Lord right now so He can give you the freedom you’ve been craving.

God’s Provisions in Adversity

http://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/gods-provisions-in-adversity?firstItem=e5b3f3fd-c9fa-4383-a054-f7e4edecd261

From the CANON on this blog:

Solutions

1.    God is omnipotent and therefore can solve any problem.  He may choose to use the solutions listed below, but he often provides in ways you could have never imagined.  The poor should cry out to God for help, rather than depending on Baal.

 

Today’s scripture reading:

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Today’s devotional:

As we determined yesterday, if you are not going through a difficult time, you likely will encounter one soon. Jesus assured us that we’d have many hardships in this life (“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33).

As unpleasant as trials are, there are still many reasons for giving thanks. Yesterday, we looked at three provisions believers can count on during adversity: God’s presence, a pathway through the trouble, and potential to grow. Today, let’s explore two more.

1) Protection. God doesn’t necessarily keep believers from suffering or disappointment. Stopping the storms may be our goal, but from His point of view, the adversity may be necessary to mature us spiritually. However, the Father offers protection by staying with us in the struggle. Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, we are promised that God’s Spirit indwells us and will never leave. What’s more, we have assurance that nothing can separate us from His love (“I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^p neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. References for Romans 8:38

Footnotes

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:38-39). So our ever-present God walks with us through the hardships, providing guidance and speaking truth into the situation.

2) Peace. While difficulties cause many people anxiety, God’s peace is available to His children. This inner serenity does not depend on whether circumstances improve. Rather, it’s a result of our relationship with Him. Our main focus shouldn’t be on fixing the problem; rather, we should concentrate on our dependence upon God.

As we recognize the Lord’s provision during trials, we can genuinely express gratitude. We often don’t know what the purpose is for each ensuing difficulty, but we do know that our God is good and trustworthy.

The LORD is my helper

http://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/through-the-trials?firstItem=1a59bf45-dc2a-4e6c-93e5-151b6767a980

From the CANON on this blog:

Solutions

1.    God is omnipotent and therefore can solve any problem.  He may choose to use the solutions listed below, but he often provides in ways you could have never imagined.  The poor should cry out to God for help, rather than depending on Baal.

 

Today’s scripture reading:

Matthew 14:22-34

Today’s devotional:

No one gets through life without trials. Realistically, you are currently in a storm, just getting out of one, or about to enter a turbulent time. That is the bad news. Thankfully, we serve a good God who provides—even through dark times.

Today’s passage tells of a stormy night on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus provides for us today just as He did for His disciples in that unsettling situation. Today, we will focus on ways that He does this.

• The Father offers Christians His presence and the promise that He will never leave (Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Footnotes

So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”^c Heb. 13:5-6). To the extent we are mindful of these wonderful provisions, we are able to live with a sense of comfort and courage, regardless of our circumstances. What an amazing gift!

• The Lord blesses His children with a pathway through trouble. He is in total control of our storm and will use the trial for His purpose. We may not understand, but we can trust His hand to guide us and accomplish good. Sometimes the reason or benefit of a difficulty becomes obvious, while in other cases, it may never be clear.

• The Father offers believers the potential to grow. Hardships serve as exercises in trust, and they allow us to learn more fully how great God’s power and love are.

No one enjoys trials. But remember to express gratitude for God’s hand in your life. Hardships offer the chance to trust your Creator and know Him better. Even though they are painful, don’t waste the opportunity trials offer to become all the Lord has planned for you.

The Patience of God

http://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/the-patience-of-god?firstItem=2f461992-386d-4cd3-b779-f16413c3c5bd

Today’s scripture reading:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

 

1 Timothy 1:12-16

Today’s devotional:

If God were impatient, we would all experience immediate wrath for sin. Imagine living in constant fear of doing something wrong! But fortunately for all of us, God possesses great patience.

One reason that the Lord shows mercy is because He knows we have a fallen nature. Just as a toddler has to learn obedience, God’s children also must learn to walk in His ways. He takes pleasure in watching us do what is right and wants to help us when we go wrong.

Paul appreciated God’s patience. His life demonstrated that because the Father is slow to anger, unbelievers have a much greater opportunity for salvation (1 Tim. 1:16).

In Romans 2:4, the apostle affirms that our heavenly Father’s kindness and mercy lead to repentance. But in the following verse, he warns those with stubborn hearts that they will experience judgment. In other words, the warning is that God’s patience will at some point run out if someone continuously sins against Him, submitting to unrighteousness instead of to the Father.

In the Old Testament, Israel repeatedly experienced this painful truth. The people turned away from the Lord and did evil in His sight by worshipping idols. God patiently tolerated their waywardness, giving them ample opportunity to choose obedience. Eventually He’d withdraw His protection until they would cry out and return to Him. Ultimately, even when the Lord allows calamity to reach His children, it is still drenched with His love and purpose.

Is there unconfessed sin in your life? Be thankful that the Lord is slow to anger. And be wise: Do not test the limits of His tolerance.

The Godly Quality of Generosity

http://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/the-godly-quality-of-generosity?firstItem=59071971-3453-435a-8b74-dd0070a7083f

From the CANON on this blog:

Solutions

3. Christians are called to give.

 

4. Family members are called upon to help other members.

 

5. Friends are called upon to bear one another’s burdens.

 

Today’s scripture reading:

Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:24-25

Today’s devotional:

When I was a child, I lived with my mother in a single-room home. She made just enough money for food, clothing, and rent. Most Saturdays, this one boy would come to the door and ask, “Do y’all have anything to eat?” I’d look in the icebox and see perhaps a piece of fruit or a few eggs and a little bacon, and not much else.

But my mother always found some food for that boy.

Generosity is an attitude of sharing gladly whatever we might have, regardless of wealth. Scripture reveals liberality is an attribute of God (“The LORD will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them.”  Deut. 28:12, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Eph. 3:20). And as part of His transformative plan for believers, the Father desires that we develop a generous spirit.

A bighearted approach to our time and material goods starts by giving ourselves to God. When we accept that He owns everything, we can hold our small share with an open hand. But the choice to nurture generosity is based on our trust. Instead of adding figures to see what little amount might safely be set aside for charity, Christians should give sacrificially by faith. Hebrews 13:16 (NIV) tells us, “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” The Lord responds by supplying enough to cover the gift and our own need (“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.^c” References for Luke 6:38

Footnotes

Luke 6:38). Only through giving do we learn that we can never outgive God.

Some believers choose selfishness and rebellion, but God promised a form of poverty—whether financial, emotional, or spiritual—to those who do. Instead, make a decision today to cultivate a generous spirit for the Lord.

The God to Whom We Pray

http://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/the-god-to-whom-we-pray?firstItem=3321c229-6de3-4222-9654-79d17469975e

Today’s scripture reading:

Nehemiah 1:1-11

Today’s devotional:

Nehemiah demonstrates power in prayer. As a servant to King Artaxerxes of Persia, he had no right to request leave to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, much less to requisition materials and protection. Yet knowing the nature of the God he served, Nehemiah did not hesitate to act boldly and ask the king for what was needed.

His prayer began, “I beseech You, O lord God of heaven” (Neh. 1:5). Lord, when it appears in all capital letters, denotes the word Jehovah (a form of Yahweh, the Hebrew name for God). It means “God who is eternal in His being”—conveying that everything everywhere is in His presence. So, when God makes a promise, He knows how He will keep it. That is why Nehemiah called Him “the awesome God who preserves the covenant.” He knew God was committed to bringing repentant Israelites back to their homeland to dwell in His presence (Neh. 1:9).

Another Hebrew name used to refer to God, Elohim, is translated “He who is absolutely sovereign.” If He spoke the world into being, then He is certainly more than able to provide Nehemiah with supplies, some time off from work, and favor from the Persian king.

There are many other names for God, such as Adonai (“master”), Jehovah-Jireh (“provider”), and Jehovah-Rapha (“healer”). Since the Hebrew language is precise, it can help us to better know who He is—when we need solace, we call upon the God of comfort; in our confusion, we have the God who teaches. Just as knowing one’s audience affects which words we choose to speak, the way we view God impacts how we pray.