Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

December 6, 2012

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   

"My Rainbow in the Cloud"
 
I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth -Genesis 9:13
It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn't God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn't God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is- will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.

Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won't do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God-a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don't believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, "Now I believe." There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, "Look to Me, and be saved . . ." (Isaiah 45:22).

When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement- no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
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Mistreated?

1 Peter 3:13-18 are verses that are a great encouragement,

And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?  But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled."  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.  For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.

Jesus was not guilty.  He suffered for things He did not do, and the result is that we came to God.  What Peter wants us to understand is the importance of showing forgiveness and a Christlike spirit, even when we are being mistreated.

What it can do is reach the hearts of your persecutors for God.  If you keep a Christlike spirit, your good conduct can make them ashamed, even though they are hassling you, and bring them to the place where they will ask you a question for the hope that is in you:  Why are you the way you are?  What's this deal going on in your life?  Why do you react the way you react?  And you can tell them about Christ.

But if you lash out, and if you dish out the same kind of abuse that you are receiving, God is not revealed at all.

Patiently endure whatever your mistreatment, and ask God to use it to reach those who need to know Him as Savior

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A Picture of Brokenness

(2 Corinthians 1:

A picture of brokenness is that of a wild stallion wanting its independence but being ridden for the first time. It does not want to submit, and it does not want to do what it is told to do. It enjoys a cowboy feeding it, keeping its trough filled with fresh water, and allowing it to go out and nibble grass in the sunshine. The problem comes when the saddle is tossed on its back and the harness is placed over its head.

However, if you have watched a horse being broken, you know the cowboy has more sense than to take a new horse that has never been ridden and toss a saddle on its back. For days, the animal may be led around a pen as it adjusts to the pressure of wearing a harness and the conditions surrounding its changing lifestyle. Then the saddle coes out of the tack room and is placed on the horse's back - but without a rider. Finally, the cowboy puts a foot in one of the stirrups.

There are many steps in between these, but we can form a mental picture of the process used to break a horse and prepare it to be ridden. When the cowboy climbs into the saddle, the initial shock of having someone on its back is frightening and irritating. The animal begins to buck and rears its head before it begins to settle and trot around its pen. Some horses refuse to be broken and risk being sold. Others, in time and through proper care, are broken and begin the enjoyment of a lifetime of service to their owners.

When God begins to work in your life, He doesn't immediately toss a saddle on your back or seek to break you through the circumstances of life. Instead, He works with a plan and goal in mind. Bit-by-bit and inch-by-inch, He brings you to a place where He can train you to live a life that glorifies Him and is a blessing to others.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   




Repentance
 
Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation . . . -2 Corinthians 7:10

Conviction of sin is best described in the words:

My sins, my sins, my Savior,
How sad on Thee they fall.

Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:. And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person's conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person's relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God- "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight . . ." (Psalm 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, "I have sinned." The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes- a reflex action caused by self-disgust.

The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man's respectable "goodness." Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person's life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses- repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for "the gift of tears." If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.


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Dealing with Sin

I want to follow up on yesterday's devotional by pointing you to 1 Peter 2:18-23,

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.  For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.  For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently?  But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.  For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:  "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth"; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.

The Goodspeed translation says, "He committed His cause to Him who judges righteously."  Now these verses are pretty clear:  God is a righteous judge.  And even if you are being mistreated for doing right, if you will commit things to God, He has a marvelous way of turning the tables in your favor.

You have to maintain three things if God is, indeed, going to use you in such a situation.

1.      You have to maintain a right spirit.  You have to keep a good attitude.  You cannot get bitter.  You have to stay kind.

2.      You have to keep right speech.  Do not dish out the same kind of abuse.  Do not start saying things that are going to create division.

3.      You have to maintain right service.  Even if you are being mistreated, continue working hard for the Lord.  Do not sabotage things.

If you will do these three things, just watch what God does through your difficulties!
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THE HOPE OF SURRENDER

(2 Corinthians 1:9)

Luke writes, "Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (Luke 2:52) We know very little about the years that Jesus spent growing into manhood. However, we can surmise that He grew emotionally, mentally, and physically. Like us, God's Son had to develop, and we can imagine that while He was sinless, He learned how to live through the circumstances of life.

There are many people today who are suffering - not because they have sinned or resisted God, but because the Lord has chosen to develop their lives through difficulty and hardship. In the first chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul does not gloss over the fact that he suffered. At one point, he believed there was a strong possibility that he would die. However, God spared his life, and Paul was able to write about the hardships he faced with such hope that many who read his letters also declared faith in Jesus Christ.

God cannot mold and shape our lives unless we are willing to surrender and to be transparent before Him. These are prerequisites to experiencing a breakthrough in our trials and sufferings. We have no idea of the difficulties that Christ faced as a young man - the Gospels do not record them. Yet, we know that as an adult, He suffered and died on the cross for our sins so that we might have eternal life. He was not ashamed of the calling that God had given Him. Now, all glory is His, and He is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding in prayer for us each day.

Stop looking at the trials of your life with thoughts of regret and horror. Learn to rest in God's care, and allow Him to work in your life to the fullest. When you do, you will discover that He has a tremendous blessing waiting for you. Not only will you grow to be like Him, you will be a testimony of His grace and hope to a troubled world.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


The Offering of the Natural
 
It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman -Galatians 4:22

Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God's perfect will, but His permissive will. God's perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.

Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to "present [our] bodies a living sacrifice . . ." (Romans 12:1). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.

If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, "Well, I wasn't taught to be disciplined when I was a child." Then discipline yourself now! If you don't, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.

God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19).


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Whom Do You Trust?

In Psalm 118:8-9, we are told this,

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.  It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

There are a lot of applications to this passage, but let me talk to you about just one.  And that is this:  You do not want to trust the state of your eternal soul to any man.

Ma'am, maybe your husband prays.  Maybe he has a "real deal" relationship with God.  Do not expect that to gain you any merit or to somehow get you to heaven.  You have to have a relationship with the Lord yourself.

Sir, perhaps you have a praying wife.  She is on fire for God.  Do not expect that to get you a seat at the marriage supper of the Lamb.  You must be born again.  You have to be trusting in the Lord yourself.  You have to have your own living, breathing, walking, talking, relationship with the Savior, or you will not get in!

When I was in my early twenties, there was a plethora of gurus and eastern mystics people were following.  Some of my friends gave up all of their earthly possessions and became disciples of certain "holy" men.

But you know what?  If you follow a man, when he perishes, you will perish just like him.  Psalm 146:3-4 says,

Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.  His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish.

If you put your trust in men, you will perish just like they do.  But if you put your trust in God through His Son, Jesus Christ, you will gain eternal life.

Put your trust in God alone!
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TRUSTING GOD IN TIMES OF DARKNESS

(Habakkuk 3:17-18)

The people of Judah were on their way into captivity, and Habakkuk was just one of the prophets that God used to deliver His message of judgment and repentance. Judah's sin and disobedience had grown to such a proportion that God knew He had to do something to stop their downward spiral. The nation needed to turn back to the Lord and begin to worship Him as their only God. Therefore, He allowed them to face captivity in a foreign land. As promised, Judah was invaded, and most of the people were deported to Babylon. It was there that King Nebuchadnezzar ruled over them.

Like many of us, Habakkuk felt the weight of what was about to come, and he was not settled with the matter at all. In fact, he became anxious and cried out, "How long, O LORD, will I call for help, and You will not hear?" (1:2) As long as life runs along well, we rarely feel the need to ask God for help. However, the moment the skies of our lives turn dark and stormy, we immediately cry out to Him.

You may be a Christian who has worshipped the Lord most of your life. In fact, you consistently take time to be with Him in prayer and praise. However, difficulty has come, and you wonder what you will do. Not all suffering is the result of sin. It is true that Judah needed a course coreection or they would have totally abandoned their faith. This was not God's desire for the nation He loved. Nor was it on track with His promise to Abraham and David.

Other times, suffering comes in order to prepare us for an even greater blessing. While the storms of life may descend on us without warning, God always has a rainbow planned for those who turn their lives over to Him and trust Him even in the most difficult circumstances.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


Individuality
Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . .' -Matthew 16:24

Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God's created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.

The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, "I can't believe," it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, "I will not surrender," or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to "be reconciled to your brother" (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. ". . . let him deny himself . . ."- deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.


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Key #1 to Effective Prayer - Being Specific

Over the next number of devotionals, I want to walk you through the keys to effective prayer.  To start, I want to focus today's devotional on Mark 10:46-52 where we find a very intriguing story.

Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

The question Jesus asked, "What do you want Me to do for you?", seemed obvious, didn't it?  Everybody present knew Bartimaeus needed his eyes to be healed.  Why would Jesus ask this question?

He wanted us to understand how important it is to be specific when we ask something of God.  Bartimaeus' faith had to become specific before it made him well.  It was after he said, "Lord, that I might receive my sight," that Jesus said, "Your faith has made you well."

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LEARNING TO WAIT GOD'S WAY

(Psalm 18:6)

David was the anointed king of Israel, but before he could enjoy the realization of God's promises, he had to go through a season of testing and waiting. During this time, he was forced to hide out in caves and literally run for his life. King Saul, who was bent on David's destruction, continually hunted for him. Perhaps the Lord has given you a promise through His Word. You are ready to see it unfold, but it hasn't happened yet. Though you have waited, it seems that there is no hope on the horizon. Remember, God's timing is perfect.

He knows what you need, when you need it. He knows that if we are going to learn how to walk with Him in the daylight or the good times, we must learn first to trust Him in times of darkness.

At some point, each of us has waited for God's promises to come. David may have wondered when the Lord would open the door to blessing. However, he never allowed his thoughts to turn to doubts. In fact, in Psalm 18:17, 19, he praises God for the victory he knew would be his one day. "(God) delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me ... He brought me forth also into a broad (or spacious) place, He rescued me, because He delighted in me."

When God delivers you from trial and trouble, you can be sure that He will bring you out into a spacious place of joy and delight - one that also will glorify Him and add encouragement to your life. Have you been pushing and shoving in an effort to move God on to the place where you think you should be? If so, stop and be determined to wait on God. The time you spend waiting in darkness will one day be rewarded by the Father of lights (James 1:17).

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   

Intercessory Prayer
 
. . . men always ought to pray and not lose heart -Luke 18:1

You cannot truly intercede through prayer if you do not believe in the reality of redemption. Instead, you will simply be turning intercession into useless sympathy for others, which will serve only to increase the contentment they have for remaining out of touch with God. True intercession involves bringing the person, or the circumstance that seems to be crashing in on you, before God, until you are changed by His attitude toward that person or circumstance. Intercession means to "fill up . . . [with] what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ" (Colossians 1:24), and this is precisely why there are so few intercessors. People describe intercession by saying, "It is putting yourself in someone else's place." That is not true! Intercession is putting yourself in God's place; it is having His mind and His perspective.

As an intercessor, be careful not to seek too much information from God regarding the situation you are praying about, because you may be overwhelmed. If you know too much, more than God has ordained for you to know, you can't pray; the circumstances of the people become so overpowering that you are no longer able to get to the underlying truth.

Our work is to be in such close contact with God that we may have His mind about everything, but we shirk that responsibility by substituting doing for interceding. And yet intercession is the only thing that has no drawbacks, because it keeps our relationship completely open with God.

What we must avoid in intercession is praying for someone to be simply "patched up." We must pray that person completely through into contact with the very life of God. Think of the number of people God has brought across our path, only to see us drop them! When we pray on the basis of redemption, God creates something He can create in no other way than through intercessory prayer.


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How to Stay Connected

Yesterday we discovered the second key to effective prayer is to stay connected to God.  The critical question is:  How do we do that?

While there are many things we can do, I want to focus on two things.  First of all, if you want to have a close relationship with God, it is important to realize just how much He desires to have a close relationship with you.

This is an amazing truth when you stop to think about it.  He is Almighty God, and yet He wants to have a close relationship with you.

Romans 5:11 in the New Living Translation says, Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Through Jesus, God made us to be His friends!  So connecting with God starts with remembering He desires to be your closest friend.

Second, you need to practice His presence.  Right now God is with you.  He is everywhere you go.  He is at your job; He is at your home; He is with you wherever you might be, even in the hardest time of your life.

The last part of Hebrews 13:5 says, For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

There was a monk in the seventeenth century named Brother Lawrence who wrote a book called The Practice of the Presence of God.  In the monastery there were chimes that rang every hour, and Brother Lawrence would use that as a reminder to connect with God.

If you have a PDA or a wristwatch or a cell phone, you might consider setting it to go off throughout the day to remind you that God is with you.  Each time it goes off, spend a few moments communing with Him.  Practice His presence.  That will help you  stay connected to God.
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OVERCOMING SPIRITUAL DRYNESS

(Ezekiel 37:3)

Spiritual dryness comes when we overextend ourselves and become too involved with life to take time to be alone with the Lord. Sin is another reason we feel dry and distant from God. The nation of Judah struggled with both of these problems. They were too busy, and they began to worship pagan gods - knowing all along that the Lord had told them, "You shall have no other gods before Me." (Deuteronony 5:7) Yet they ignored His command and suffered for it.

Yielding to sin and being too busy to worship God quickly leads to a divided mind and heart. If we continue along this track, we will begin to spend more and more time doing other things and less time in prayer with the One who loves us the most and died for our sins. Before we know it, we will feel tired, drained of energy, and just plain worn out. This is when Satan's forces begin to tempt us with sin.

Even in a world of turmoil, God wants to spend time with you. Relationship is at the core of His very being, and He desires your fellowship. How long has it been since someone has told you that he or she wants to be with you - just to talk and listen to what you have to say? God wants to do this for you.

Like our nation today, the nation of Judah was in desperate need of a revival. However, in order for this to happen, the people must express their need for God and, most of all, their desire to know Him in a personal way.

Do you feel spiritually dry? Maybe you have tried unsuccessfully to revive yourself through a home Bible study or an occasional visit to church. Or perhaps you go to church every Sunday, yet you feel dry inside. If this is the case, know that you can experience a personal revival the moment you confess your need to the Lord. His care for you is unconditional. The instant you do this, He will turn on heaven's shower of refreshment and breathe new life into your heart and soul.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


The Great Life
 
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled . . . -John 14:27

Whenever we experience something difficult in our personal life, we are tempted to blame God. But we are the ones in the wrong, not God. Blaming God is evidence that we are refusing to let go of some disobedience somewhere in our lives. But as soon as we let go, everything becomes as clear as daylight to us. As long as we try to serve two masters, ourselves and God, there will be difficulties combined with doubt and confusion. Our attitude must be one of complete reliance on God. Once we get to that point, there is nothing easier than living the life of a saint. We encounter difficulties when we try to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own purposes.

God's mark of approval, whenever you obey Him, is peace. He sends an immeasurable, deep peace; not a natural peace, "as the world gives," but the peace of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, wait until it does, or seek to find out why it is not coming. If you are acting on your own impulse, or out of a sense of the heroic, to be seen by others, the peace of Jesus will not exhibit itself. This shows no unity with God or confidence in Him. The spirit of simplicity, clarity, and unity is born through the Holy Spirit, not through your decisions. God counters our self-willed decisions with an appeal for simplicity and unity.

My questions arise whenever I cease to obey. When I do obey God, problems come, not between me and God, but as a means to keep my mind examining with amazement the revealed truth of God. But any problem that comes between God and myself is the result of disobedience. Any problem that comes while I obey God (and there will be many), increases my overjoyed delight, because I know that my Father knows and cares, and I can watch and anticipate how He will unravel my problems


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Key #3 to Effective Prayer - Praying From the Heart

Today we will look at the third key to effective prayer.  This key is found in Romans 10:9-10 where it says,

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Prayer must come from the heart.  These verses in particular teach us that if a person is going to pray a prayer of salvation, the heart and the mouth must get together.  It is not good enough to just have the words.  Your heart and mouth must be in agreement.

I believe this truth applies to every kind of prayer.  It is not good enough to just use eloquent words.  There has to be heart behind them if you are going to realize results from your prayers.

I think only those things that burn brightly within our hearts truly touch the heart of God.

When I was young, I would go fishing with my cousins.  At night, the bats would come out and my cousins would take a lure, and they would cast it up in the air.  Every once in a great while one of the bats would hit the lure and get snagged.

I think when we pray, it is like casting lines up into the heavens.  But it is only the prayers that come from our heart that ever hook onto anything in heaven.

Effective prayer comes from your heart.


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A Breath Of Life

(Ezekiel 37:5)

A couple of years ago, the southern half of the United States went through a time of drought that led to a widespread crop damage. At the same time, the western part of the country was also experiencing an extensive drought, and wildfires threatened the lives and homes of countless people.

When dryness comes, it is easy to shrug our shoulders and think, "It will rain soon." However, after a few weeks with no sign of rain, we begin to wonder if we will ever see wet pavement again. The spiritual drought that hit Judah lasted for years. The people were spiritually dry and failing in their development to God. Yet they were the ones to blame because they had abandoned their devotion to the Lord.

God led Ezekiel to a valley where a mighty battle had taken place. Dry, sun-bleached bones littered the landscape, and the prophet felt hopeless at the sight. However, God reminded him that He had not abandoned His plan for the nation. Once again, He would breathe life into the nation, and even the bones in this valley would rise to new life.

When we open the door to sin, our lives become dry. When we ignore it, they become even dryer. When we refuse to heed God's warning by turning away from the very things that separate us from Him, we become dryer still.

Spiritual dryness leads to complacency and apathy. It brings a sense of deadness to our souls and turns us away from the things of God. Satan loves to entice us away from spending time alone with God in prayer and Bible study each day. He knows that if we fail to read God's Word, our lives will become dry, and we will lack the right kind of refreshment that brings life, hope, and joy to our souls

God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


Redemption- Creating the Need it Satisfies
 
The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him . . . -1 Corinthians 2:14

The gospel of God creates the sense of need for the gospel. Is the gospel hidden to those who are servants already? No, Paul said, "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe . . ." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The majority of people think of themselves as being completely moral, and have no sense of need for the gospel. It is God who creates this sense of need in a human being, but that person remains totally unaware of his need until God makes Himself evident. Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you . . ." (Matthew 7:7). But God cannot give until a man asks. It is not that He wants to withhold something from us, but that is the plan He has established for the way of redemption. Through our asking, God puts His process in motion, creating something in us that was nonexistent until we asked. The inner reality of redemption is that it creates all the time. And as redemption creates the life of God in us, it also creates the things which belong to that life. The only thing that can possibly satisfy the need is what created the need. This is the meaning of redemption- it creates and it satisfies.

Jesus said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" (John 12:32). When we preach our own experiences, people may be interested, but it awakens no real sense of need. But once Jesus Christ is "lifted up," the Spirit of God creates an awareness of the need for Him. The creative power of the redemption of God works in the souls of men only through the preaching of the gospel. It is never the sharing of personal experiences that saves people, but the truth of redemption. "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63).

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Key #4 to Effective Prayer - Consistent with God's Will

In order for your prayers to be effective, they need to be in line with God's Word and will. That is the fourth key to effective prayer.

This means you must have knowledge of God's Word.  In John 15:7, Jesus says,

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

If you abide in God and His words abide in you, your desires will line up with His will.  How important it is for us to know the Word of God!

As Hebrews 4 reminds us, the Word of God is living and active and powerful. It is spirit; it is life. It's not just pages on a piece of paper. And as you are in the Word of God, I believe the Holy Spirit will paint heaven's pictures, heaven's thoughts, and heaven's ideas on the canvas of your heart and your mind.

As you read the Word of God, you will have confidence in your prayers because you will have God's heart. And when you have God's heart, He is going to answer your prayers because that is what He desires.

I also want to point you to 1 John 5:14 which says,

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

His will, of course, is His Word.  So if you ask anything according to His Word, He will hear you. And if you know that He hears whatever you ask, you know you have the petitions you have asked of Him.

This means you and I need to know what the Bible says so that our prayers will be answered. Effective prayers are those that are in line with God's Word and will.


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RELIEF FOR A WEARY SOUL

(Ezekiel 37:14)

How has our nation become so dry in its devotion to God? The answer is simple - we have gone to other things for refreshment. We have sought ways of encouraging ourselves without God. We have turned and walked in the opposite direction, thinking that we will try something new and it will satisfy our needs. We will the emptiness of our lives with people instead of God, and immediately they become like gods to us. Then, before we know it, they have done something to disappoint us, and we immediately feel betrayed and defeated.

In a nation that has the greatest material advantages, we want more and expect to get it. We're no longer satisfied with simple things - we have to have the latest flat-screen television. We have the newest computer that plays more songs and that does more that we will ever use, and still we cry out for more. We have flashier cars, larger homes, walk-in closets with shelves filled with clothing that we cannot even remember buying. We repaint rooms in our houses, purchase new furniture, and still feel empty, alone, and in debt.

Only God has the ability to satisfy the deepest longing in our hearts. Sure, it is fun to wear a new shirt and feel as though you are looking your best. God is not against this. In fact, He wants us to do well in this life. However, He wants us to love Him above all things. He gives good things to His children, but when the good things become objects of worship, we find that we are headed for trouble.

God will allow us to drift until we wake up and realize that our needs cannot be satisfied by anything or anyone other than God Himself. A new marriage or a new baby will not relieve the pressure. Many times it only makes it worse.

You can stop the dryness in your life by telling the Lord what you are facing and how you feel. He understands your needs, but He also knows that the only way you truly will find refreshment and hope that lasts is by living your life for Him.


God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


Test of Faithfulness
 
We know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . . -Romans 8:28

It is only a faithful person who truly believes that God sovereignly controls his circumstances. We take our circumstances for granted, saying God is in control, but not really believing it. We act as if the things that happen were completely controlled by people. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, or object of our faith- the Lord Jesus Christ. God may cause our circumstances to suddenly fall apart, which may bring the realization of our unfaithfulness to Him for not recognizing that He had ordained the situation. We never saw what He was trying to accomplish, and that exact event will never be repeated in our life. This is where the test of our faithfulness comes. If we will just learn to worship God even during the difficult circumstances, He will change them for the better very quickly if He so chooses.

Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else; just don't ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers.

The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsibilities on us. He expects no complaining on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use us as He used His own Son


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Key #5 to Effective Prayer-Endurance

The next key to effective prayer is the need to be patient.  You need to be willing to endure.

Hebrews 6:11-15 says,

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you."  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

Do you realize that once God gave Abraham and Sarah the promise of having a child, it was 25 years before Isaac was born?  There was some patient enduring that took place before they obtained the reality of God's promise in their lives.  And so it must be with us.

Perhaps you have been praying for things in your life, and you are getting discouraged.  You must remember that God does not always work things on our timetable.  He works according to His.

I just want to encourage you today:  Be patient.  Patience is that long-lasting quality of your faith.

A number of years ago I heard one person say that faith is like your hand and patience is like your arm.  When you exercise faith, it is like holding up your hand against the problem, and as you do, things are being worked out.  But if you take your patience down, your faith comes down with it.
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REMEMBER GOD'S FAITHFULNESS

(Exodus 15:23)

A man attending a Bible study requested prayer because he had gotten a promotion at work. While he was ready to rejoice over his new position, he also felt apprehensive. A woman who had been with the firm much longer would not report to him. He said, "I know God has placed me in this position. However, this is going to be a bitter pill for this woman to swallow."

Most of us dislike taking medicine. If it is bitter, it is even worse. Many of us also have found ourselves in similar situations. We may have received a promotion and placed in charge of a group of people who have been with the company longer than we have. Or perhaps a new manager, whom we feel lacks ability, steps onto the scene.

Regardless of the scenario, remember that God has a plan for your life. He has chosen this point in time for you to shine and not to appear dark and gloomy. He may place you in a role of leadership where you are forced to make decisions you never thought you could or would make. Or He may have allowed you to be bypassed for a promotion you believed was yours.

At times, each one of us can view life from an unrealistic perspective. We see ourselves climbing social or corporate ladders without hitting a snag or facing many problems. In our dream, if we do come up on problem areas, we tell ourselves that we are equipped to handle each one. However, we can't, and God knows it. He allows us to face extreme difficulty in order to teach us that we need His help and strength.

A bitter person becomes critical and unwilling to work with others. A godly person accepts God's will, knowing that up ahead there will be another opportunity for him or her.

When God asks you to swallow a bitter pill, be willing to do it. In the end, this one act of surrender could turn into a tremendous source of blessing and hope.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


The Focus Of Our Message
 
I did not come to bring peace but a sword -Matthew 10:34

Never be sympathetic with a person whose situation causes you to conclude that God is dealing harshly with him. God can be more tender than we can conceive, and every once in a while He gives us the opportunity to deal firmly with someone so that He may be viewed as the tender One. If a person cannot go to God, it is because he has something secret which he does not intend to give up- he may admit his sin, but would no more give up that thing than he could fly under his own power. It is impossible to deal sympathetically with people like that. We must reach down deep in their lives to the root of the problem, which will cause hostility and resentment toward the message. People want the blessing of God, but they can't stand something that pierces right through to the heart of the matter.

If you are sensitive to God's way, your message as His servant will be merciless and insistent, cutting to the very root. Otherwise, there will be no healing. We must drive the message home so forcefully that a person cannot possibly hide, but must apply its truth. Deal with people where they are, until they begin to realize their true need. Then hold high the standard of Jesus for their lives. Their response may be, "We can never be that." Then drive it home with, "Jesus Christ says you must." "But how can we be?" "You can't, unless you have a new Spirit" (see Luke 11:13).

There must be a sense of need created before your message is of any use. Thousands of people in this world profess to be happy without God. But if we could be truly happy and moral without Jesus, then why did He come? He came because that kind of happiness and peace is only superficial. Jesus Christ came to "bring . . . a sword" through every kind of peace that is not based on a personal relationship with Himself.


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Key #6 to Effective Prayer-Humility

Humility is a very important key to effective prayer.  In 1 Peter 5:5-6 we read this,

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.  Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.

God resists the proud.  He gives grace to the humble.

Humility, more than anything else, is an attitude of the heart that says, "I recognize I am not self-sufficient.  I am open, I am teachable, I am thankful.  God, I am willing to bow my heart before You and confess that I am in utter need of Your assistance."

Contrary to what some people say and think, humility is not to be equated with lack of courage.  In fact, it takes great courage for a person to admit they have need.  Meekness is not weakness.  Meekness is a sign of strength.

King David said in Psalm 18:35, Your gentleness (or Your meekness) has made me great.  Moses was called the meekest or the humblest man on the face of the earth, and yet we don't think of him as a weak person.  He is one of the greatest leaders to ever step out of the pages of the Bible, and very few people in history have had power with God in the place of prayer like Moses did.

Jesus, our Savior, said, "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart" (KJV).  Friend, that ought to be one of the hallmark qualities of our lives- especially when we are praying.  It is a key to effective prayer.
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REMEMBER GOD'S FAITHFULNESS

(Exodus 15:23)

A man attending a Bible study requested prayer because he had gotten a promotion at work. While he was ready to rejoice over his new position, he also felt apprehensive. A woman who had been with the firm much longer would not report to him. He said, "I know God has placed me in this position. However, this is going to be a bitter pill for this woman to swallow."

Most of us dislike taking medicine. If it is bitter, it is even worse. Many of us also have found ourselves in similar situations. We may have received a promotion and placed in charge of a group of people who have been with the company longer than we have. Or perhaps a new manager, whom we feel lacks ability, steps onto the scene.

Regardless of the scenario, remember that God has a plan for your life. He has chosen this point in time for you to shine and not to appear dark and gloomy. He may place you in a role of leadership where you are forced to make decisions you never thought you could or would make. Or He may have allowed you to be bypassed for a promotion you believed was yours.

At times, each one of us can view life from an unrealistic perspective. We see ourselves climbing social or corporate ladders without hitting a snag or facing many problems. In our dream, if we do come up on problem areas, we tell ourselves that we are equipped to handle each one. However, we can't, and God knows it. He allows us to face extreme difficulty in order to teach us that we need His help and strength.

A bitter person becomes critical and unwilling to work with others. A godly person accepts God's will, knowing that up ahead there will be another opportunity for him or her.

When God asks you to swallow a bitter pill, be willing to do it. In the end, this one act of surrender could turn into a tremendous source of blessing and hope.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


The Right Kind of Help
 
And I, if I am lifted up . . . will draw all peoples to Myself -John 12:32

Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ died. If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the Cross of Christ is an absurdity and there is absolutely no need for it. What the world needs is not "a little bit of love," but major surgery.

When you find yourself face to face with a person who is spiritually lost, remind yourself of Jesus Christ on the cross. If that person can get to God in any other way, then the Cross of Christ is unnecessary. If you think you are helping lost people with your sympathy and understanding, you are a traitor to Jesus Christ. You must have a right-standing relationship with Him yourself, and pour your life out in helping others in His way- not in a human way that ignores God. The theme of the world's religion today is to serve in a pleasant, non-confrontational manner.

But our only priority must be to present Jesus Christ crucified- to lift Him up all the time (see 1 Corinthians 2:2). Every belief that is not firmly rooted in the Cross of Christ will lead people astray. If the worker himself believes in Jesus Christ and is trusting in the reality of redemption, his words will be compelling to others. What is extremely important is for the worker's simple relationship with Jesus Christ to be strong and growing. His usefulness to God depends on that, and that alone.

The calling of a New Testament worker is to expose sin and to reveal Jesus Christ as Savior. Consequently, he cannot always be charming and friendly, but must be willing to be stern to accomplish major surgery. We are sent by God to lift up Jesus Christ, not to give wonderfully beautiful speeches. We must be willing to examine others as deeply as God has examined us. We must also be sharply intent on sensing those Scripture passages that will drive the truth home, and then not be afraid to apply them.


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Key #7 to Effective Prayer - The Holy Spirit's Help

Today I want to talk to you about another key to effective prayer, and that is the help of the Holy Spirit.  I am so glad we have the Holy Spirit to help us, aren't you?

In John 16, Jesus is talking to His disciples, and He is trying to prepare them and let them know that He is going away.  In John 16:7 He tells them,

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."

Do you know who the Helper is?  It is the Holy Spirit.  Earlier in John 14:26 he had told His disciples this,

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

The Helper, the Holy Spirit, has been sent to come alongside and teach us all things.  He will teach you how to pray; He will teach you things about prayer.  The Holy Spirit will help you in that way.

Then He said, "[He will] bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."  The Holy Spirit will help us remember the promises.  The things that God has taught us He will bring to our remembrance, so we can pray effectively.

The Holy Spirit is like having a personal assistant.  A personal assistant will help you remember your appointments or show you something you do not know.  Every moment of every day He is there for us.

Take time to praise God today for His provision of the Holy Spirit.  And remember He is there to help you in prayer.
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Why We Need Revival

Scripture Readings: Psalm 85:1-13 

David cries out in Psalm 85:6, "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in You?" and as Christians we must echo that petition.  How do we know if we need a revival?  Historically, revivals are preceded by spiritual decline, such as divisiveness, anger, continuous crises, addictions and service without passion.  Simply put, the need for revival is a result of sin in our lives.

Revival is the restoration of the spiritual life of God's people and a return to the abundant life God intended for His followers.  When God revives us, we can expect real change!

If you have experienced a crisis in your life lately, examine whether God has a purpose behind it.  Perhaps God has taken steps to get your attention, and the next step is yours.   

First, you must identify the change that needs to take place in your own life for true revival.  I encourage you to spend time asking God to let you see yourself from His perspective. Let Him tell you what needs to change!

God bless