What Would Jesus Do?

Devotion:  1 Chronicles 13-14

Do you remember seeing bracelets and necklaces with WWJD inscribed upon them?  As I read today’s passage from 1 Chronicles 13-14; it crossed my mind that I would have done the same thing as Uzzah, to try and keep the sacred ark from falling to the ground.  Why do you think God struck him dead?

The ark was holy unto the Lord.  God had mentioned beforehand that no one was to touch the ark.  That was why it was to be carried on poles.  David did not understand the Lord’s anger against Uzzah; however he accepted what the Lord had done in killing him.

God gave David specific instructions to attack the Philistines and He would hand them over to David.  Their idols were burned in the fire.  God told David to listen for the sound of the Philistines marching in the trees.  As David went out to do battle against them and was able to strike down the army of the Philistines.

Isn’t it interesting that David’s fame preceded him through out the lands?  The Lord warned the nations to be terrified of him, one little man.  One man can do a lot with God on his side.

David was a man after God’s own heart.  God loved him so very much, even when he sinned against the Lord; God protected him continually.  David became stronger and stronger physically, emotionally and spiritually as he grew in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord.  He was such a wise leader and king, chosen and appointed by God for this particular role and season.

Remember David was the last to be chosen out of all the sons.  He was the youngest in his family and was a shepherd boy God chose to anoint as king for His honor and glory.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, before I act or react, in any given situation;  may I always ask; “Jesus, what would You do?”    I believe we would react much more wisely in any given situation.  I love You Lord!  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

Useless or Useful

Devotion: 2 Timothy 4:11

Have you ever been called useless?  That’s such a horrible thing to say about someone.  God doesn’t consider anyone useless.  In fact; He created every single person on the earth for His own good pleasure.  That’s just what He does.  What you do with that information is between you and God.  You are either glorifying Him or you are not.

God longs for you to be useful for His kingdom.  He does not want you to be used by anyone other than Himself.  Our God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly beyond what we could ever ask or think or imagine with an obedient son or daughter.

Just as John Mark was useful to Paul; we long to be useful to God’s kingdom.  What has He called you to do for His honor and glory?  Has He ever asked you to do something outside of your own abilities?  Did.you obey or did you say no, I’m not equipped to do that?  Many in the Bible declared themselves unfit for God’s calling on their llves.

What God calls you to do; He obviously will equip you to carry out.  He longs for you to trust Him that He will do it in and through you.  That’s just how He operates.  If it were possible with you;  He probably wouldn’t have called you in the first place.  He wants you to trust Him to do it.  You are His vessel.  He loves showing His children what He can accomplish when we follow Him.  Let Him make you useful!

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, I want to be a useful tool in your hands all the days of my life.  Here I am totally and completely yielded to You.  In Your Name I offer up this prayer.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

Under Compulsion by the Flesh or the Spirit?

Devotion:  Galatians 5:17

Do you ever feel compelled to do something for someone?  Is it prompted by the Holy Spirit or is it out of guilt to make yourself feel good?  Many times I believe we need to make ourselves feel good about our own goodness.  Good grief!  That lasts about a minute or two if we did something to pat ourselves on the back.  It’s so silly!

I long to do things for God’s glory, whether it is sharing the gospel or doing a good deed for someone.  May all we do be done out of love for others and obedience to our Savior.  As the bride of Christ; we long to please Him because He is our everything, our all in all.

If we are compelled by Christ to do anything; it is a proper compulsion.  If we are compelled by our own flesh; the pleasure won’t last very long.  In fact; It will wane rather quickly.  We long to please the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength.

Our fleshly bents and compulsions can get us into trouble, lead us down dead end streets that drain the very life out of us. When we are compelled by our own flesh, our satisfaction is fleeting to say the least.  To be compelled by God’s Holy Spirit; fills us with His strength, HIs courage and clarity of direction.  What a vast difference between the two.

The flesh and the Spirit are polar opposites.  If you are inhabited by God’s Holy Spirit, You will be convicted of your sin.  The repentance part is more than being sorry. for getting caught.  It involves not giving into the fleshly desires no matter how strong they are.

I think you would agree it’s much better to operate under compulsion of God’s Holy Spirit versus your own “stinkin” flesh.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus; help me to operate under the power of your Holy Spirit and not in my own flesh.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dying Because of Unfaithfulness

Devotion:  1 Chronicles 10:13-14

I wonder how many people die because of their disobedience or unfaithfulness to the LORD and His Word?  We need to ask ourselves; do we keep our Lord’s Word?  I would say He takes it pretty seriously when we do not.  I know we all sin and fall short of the glory of God..  We fail to glorify Him 24/7.  We want to; however, we still live in our fleshly bodies.

God says “There is  therefore now no temptation but such as is common to man; but God has made a way of escape.”  That escape is through His Son Jesus Christ.  He died for the sins of the whole world.  “If we confess our sins; He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Our God remains faithful even when we are not; however, we should never remain in a state of unfaithfulness to the One with whom we made a covenant vow.  If we truly surrendered our hearts and lives fully to Jesus Christ; we should routinely ask Him “to search our hearts and see if there be any wicked way in us.”  He will lead us into the way everlasting.

Confession and repentance are critical to our relationship with Him.  He says; “If we regard iniquity in our hearts He will not hear our prayers.”  An unrepentant heart is an unfaithful heart.  We are in essence disobeying or rejecting God’s Holy Spirit who dwells inside of us.  I don’t know about you; but I do not want to die because of my unfaithfulness to God.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord, You alone are faithful.  I pray You will forgive me for all the times I have sinned against You proving myself to be unfaithful.  I long to be faithful to You until death do us part.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

Nothing Like Being There

Devotion:  Revelation 21:21

While speaking with a man who had just come back from a mission trip to Uganda; he shared that people cannot begin to grasp the poverty levels or lifestyles of these dear people.  We both agreed that until people go they cannot begin to grasp what it’s like to be in a foreign country, especially a third world country.

Even the poorest of the poor in America are rich compared to the people in Uganda.  We are in the ninety percent above  what Ugandans would consider rich.  They will  proudly invite people into their humble huts.  They love having people in and sharing whatever they have to eat or drink.

In their eyes; there are no sub-par living places which means there’s no judging, no haves or have nots.  Ugandans just love people where they are, how they are and what they are.  There are many who work hard to make a better life for themselves and their children, through better education, as well as by the sweat of the brow.

My mom used to say, “Waste not, want not.”  These dear people waste nothing.  They rarely complain and have an attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving.  Oh that we would display a thankful heart.  Lord Jesus, we rely upon You solely and long to display gratitude toward You from this moment until we come into Your kingdom.

Prayer in Motion:

Jesus, may I always remember to “Count it all joy.”  I am forever grateful to You for how You’ve blessed me beyond what I could ever ask or think of imagine.  There will be nothing to compare with what we will see when we see Jesus.  Heaven is for real.  There will be nothing like being there.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Where Vision Meets Reality

Devotion:  Acts 12:5-12

This passage is chocked full of miracles.  Oh dear reader; I long for us to be so filled with God’s Holy Spirit that there are times when we don’t know if what we are experiencing is a vision or reality.

The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”  My prayer for you is that the vision God gives you will become your reality.  The Bible talks about in the latter days; “Old men will have visions and young men will dream dreams.”  God must still consider me young because from time to time He gives me spiritual dreams.  (I am now seventy years young.) I hear you laughing!

Did you see the miracle of right on time deliverance?  I am sure Peter was blown away how God rescued him.  Through the fervent effectual prayers of righteous men and women; God brought deliverance.  The chains fell off Peter’s hands.  He walked right through two guards.  The iron gate opened like a modern day garage door, only God was pushing the button.

God hears the cries of your heart on behalf of a lost loved one or an impossible situation.  He delights in answering prayers, even when you feel as if you’ve been praying forever and are tempted to give up.  Remember Who you are praying to.  He is working even when you don’t see He is working.  Trust Him!

My prayer for you dear reader is that you and I will experience “right on time deliverance!”  I pray our vision will become our reality.  Do not take lightly your dreams or visions that come from God.  I am praying”You will live to see the goodness of God in the land of the living;”  that your visions or dreams will meet reality.

Prayer in Motion:

Oh God, I trust You alone to accomplish what concerns me.  May my vision meet Your reality for me.  I do not want to perish without vision.  Father; please open my eyes to all You have ordained for me.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

Life is Like a Vapor

Devotion:  James 4:14

God told us in this passage that “Life is like a vapor.”  Sometimes a person’s life seems to get snatched away too soon.  Other people live their latter days in a vegetative state of being.  That’s no way to live either.

Whether we acknowledge it or not; God is still in control.  When all of life looks out of control; God is still on His throne where He’s been all along and He knows what’s going on.  He thought of you even before the world began.  He created you to have fellowship with Himself.

Every single God given breath is a blessing.  Life really does come at you fast, so we need to live it strong and courageous for the Lord.  There is no need to be afraid because if God is for you, who can be against you?

A vapor disappears in a nano second and if you think about it; that’s how our life seems in comparison to eternity.  When you are a child, you are always looking forward.  When you get on the more mature side of life; you still look forward; however, there is a lot of looking back, a lot more remembering, days gone by.

Each day, believers get one day closer to heaven.  When life is over, we just long to hear; well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master.

Live every moment to its fullest.   Do all you can, for as long as you can, all to the honor and glory of our Lord.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, I want to live my life to the fullest and always be pleasing to You Jesus.  Thank You for creating me for fellowship with You.  I love You Lord.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

How Long Oh Lord?

Devotion:  Psalm 13:1-2

How long oh Lord?  Even David, a man after God’s own heart; questioned how long God would take to answer his prayer, to divinely intervene on his behalf.  How long have you been praying for that person or that circumstance?  Has it been days, months or even years?  Are you tempted to lose heart and give up?

The Lord your God has promised I will never leave you nor forsake you!  Our God is always working in our brokenness.  He’s right there in the midst of all of it.  Every single part of what is transpiring in your life right now is part of what God is doing in your life.  It is all part of God’s plan for your life.

Your God is teaching you and training you in righteousness.  He is transforming you from glorifying Him on earth as He is glorified in heaven.  He longs to transform you while you are waiting, yes even longing for Him and to see Him move in your life and the lives of those you love.

Many of us were set off course when “that thing” happened.  You alone know what “that thing” is in your life.   It settled in your spirit and tried to take over, steal your joy and rob you of your hope.  It was more than you could handle; however, it did not take God by surprise.

Remember with God, “a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day.”  With Him,  it’s however long it takes to do a transforming work in the lives of His child, as well as the one(s) for whom you are praying.   God longs to do a transforming work in you my dear reader.  While you are waiting; will you allow Him to do that?

Prayer in Motion:

Lord, I trust You with the timing of doing a work in me.  I know and trust that You are doing a work in those for whom I am praying.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

Sharp Disagreement

Devotion:  Acts 15: 36-41

Have you ever had a sharp disagreement with anyone?  One of you will say “We will just have to agree to disagree.”  There’s no coming to terms of agreement because you cannot seem to see eye to eye.  You both have different view points on whatever the disagreement is over and never the twain shall meet.  There are no grey areas.

What was your most memorable sharp disagreement about?  Who was it with?  What started it?  How did you try and settle it?  Disagreements usually either get settled quickly or when left unresolved can develop into bitterness on both sides.

Paul and Barnabas had such a sharp disagreement over taking John Mark with them on a missionary journey that they had to go their separate ways.  Sometimes, in order for the work of the  ministry to move forward; a separation has to take place.  Although hard for those who have served together to part; it’s the best for the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom purposes.  God can take the sharpest of disagreements; what Satan meant for evil, and turn it out for our good and His glory.

My husband and I call sharp disagreements, intense fellowship.  Most of the time; we can come to a resolution however; there are times we just agree to disagree.

Sharp disagreements can lead to the salvation of others who are lost but are trying to find their way.  That was true when Barnabas and Paul had their disagreement.   It led to many more salvations in different places.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord, many times, You have allowed sharp disagreements to come between people in my life for their good and Your glory.  I hate confrontation but sometimes it’s absolutely necessary to accomplish God’s kingdom purposes.

 

 

Evening, Morning and Noon

Devotion:  Psalm 55:17

Daniel had the habit of praying evening, morning and at noon.  Praying three times a day would be a great discipline for the Christian.  We are known by what we do and how we live in front of the world.  What a wonderful way to celebrate our life in Christ.

One can be very creative in the way they spend their prayer times.  Prayer is the most powerful way to communicate with the Lord.  You do not have to  close you eyes or even get in a certain posture.  All that really matters is the posture of our hearts.

When you talk to Jesus; He listens and wants to talk to you as well.   The more You talk to Him; the better you get to know Him.  Although His ways are higher than ours; the more you converse with Him,  the more readily you will hear His voice the next time.

There is just something about talking to the God of the universe through His Son Jesus.  His whole reason for doing that was so He could have a relationship with you, talk to you every evening, morning and noon.

God never slumbers nor sleeps.  He should be the One who knows your going out and coming in from this time and forevermore.  He should be your very best forever friend, Do you know His voice?  I want to talk to Him more than three times a day.  I want to listen with the ears of a disciple.

Let’s be ready to talk to Him and listen anytime and all times.  Be ready in season and out of season to pray at all times and not lose heart.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus; I want to thank You for talking to me in the evening, in the morning and at noon time.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.