Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   

Spiritual Dejection
We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened -Luke 24:21

Every fact that the disciples stated was right, but the conclusions they drew from those facts were wrong. Anything that has even a hint of dejection spiritually is always wrong. If I am depressed or burdened, I am to blame, not God or anyone else. Dejection stems from one of two sources- I have either satisfied a lust or I have not had it satisfied. In either case, dejection is the result. Lust means "I must have it at once." Spiritual lust causes me to demand an answer from God, instead of seeking God Himself who gives the answer. What have I been hoping or trusting God would do? Is today "the third day" and He has still not done what I expected? Am I therefore justified in being dejected and in blaming God? Whenever we insist that God should give us an answer to prayer we are off track. The purpose of prayer is that we get ahold of God, not of the answer. It is impossible to be well physically and to be dejected, because dejection is a sign of sickness. This is also true spiritually. Dejection spiritually is wrong, and we are always to blame for it.

We look for visions from heaven and for earth-shaking events to see God's power. Even the fact that we are dejected is proof that we do this. Yet we never realize that all the time God is at work in our everyday events and in the people around us. If we will only obey, and do the task that He has placed closest to us, we will see Him. One of the most amazing revelations of God comes to us when we learn that it is in the everyday things of life that we realize the magnificent deity of Jesus Christ.


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What's Your Measure?

In Luke 6:38, Jesus said these words,

"Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

That is a promise of Jesus that you can stake your life on.  Give, and what happens?  It will be given to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.  Sounds like fun, doesn't it?!

But notice that He also added this,  "The same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."  If you take a serving spoon, and that is what you measure out your giving with, you will get an overflowing serving spoon.  It comes back to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing from a serving spoon.

The measure you use is what is measured back to you.  If you use a shovel, and that is what you measure it out with, that is how it comes back to you.

Wouldn't you rather have a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over shovel as opposed to a serving spoon?  The measure you use, Jesus said, that is what is used to measure back to you.

I believe many people are using a teaspoon and yet they are praying, "God bless me.  I have big needs."  I am sure God is saying, "I'm doing all I can.  You know, I'm pressing it down as much as I can press it down.  It is running over.  But a running over teaspoon is just not that much."

Are you using a teaspoon or a shovel?  Whatever you use is what comes back multiplied, but it is only according to the measure you use.


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Your Purpose and God's Glory

In His Presence: From Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36).

God is invisible, and the Bible says no man has seen God at any time. The word glory makes the invisible attributes of God visible to us. The air is thick with His presence. He is everywhere, but our eyes can't see Him. So He must make Himself visible, and that process is revealed to us as God's glory. The word glory comes from a root word meaning weighty or heavy. When God is called glorious, it is a reference to Him being the weightiest, heaviest, deepest being in the universe.

And God's glory is intrinsic. Whether you recognize it or not, He is glorious because that's just who He is. There are two created things that do not recognize God's glory: Satan and his angels, and mankind. Men tend to believe that life is all about them. But God speaks of  "everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed" (Isaiah 43:7). God created us for His glory, not for our own.

Most of us are anthropomorphic, which means we are man-centered, rather than theocentric, which means God-centered. We tend to ask, "What's in it for me?" But that's God's question, not ours. God's glory is His own passion. He is seeking the highest glory for Himself, and rightly so because He is the greatest in every way. God's glory is the chief end of all things. You will know if someone has a heart for God based on whether or not they are seeking His glory.

One Minute Please

Your growth will always be demonstrated in an increased passion for His name, His glory, and His recognition.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


The Cost of Sanctification
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely . . . -1 Thessalonians 5:23

When we pray, asking God to sanctify us, are we prepared to measure up to what that really means? We take the word sanctification much too lightly. Are we prepared to pay the cost of sanctification? The cost will be a deep restriction of all our earthly concerns, and an extensive cultivation of all our godly concerns. Sanctification means to be intensely focused on God's point of view. It means to secure and to keep all the strength of our body, soul, and spirit for God's purpose alone. Are we really prepared for God to perform in us everything for which He separated us? And after He has done His work, are we then prepared to separate ourselves to God just as Jesus did? "For their sakes I sanctify Myself . . ." (John 17:19). The reason some of us have not entered into the experience of sanctification is that we have not realized the meaning of sanctification from God's perspective. Sanctification means being made one with Jesus so that the nature that controlled Him will control us. Are we really prepared for what that will cost? It will cost absolutely everything in us which is not of God.

Are we prepared to be caught up into the full meaning of Paul's prayer in this verse? Are we prepared to say, "Lord, make me, a sinner saved by grace, as holy as You can"? Jesus prayed that we might be one with Him, just as He is one with the Father (see John 17:21-23). The resounding evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person's life is the unmistakable family likeness to Jesus Christ, and the freedom from everything which is not like Him. Are we prepared to set ourselves apart for the Holy Spirit's work in us?


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Giving to Get?

Any time I give, I expect a blessing to return.  It is a law that we find in Scripture.  It is a promise of Jesus.

But you know what?  That is not my main motivation for giving.  And that should not be our heart for giving.  Jesus says in Luke 6:32-38,

"But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.  Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you."

What is the heart of this whole thing?  Jesus said, "Don't love just to get love back; don't do good just so that good might be done back to you; don't lend just hoping to get something back."

He makes it clear that if you do those things for the right motivation, it will come back to you.  Your reward will be great.

Do not give with the motivation of just getting something back.  Non-Christians have that motivation!  How does that set you apart from them?  Give out of a higher motivation.


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All for God's Glory

In His Presence: Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity (2 Peter 3:18).

First Corinthians 10:31 tells us that even our eating and drinking should be done to the glory of God. God's glory is like a pair of colored glasses that tint everything you see. Whatever you do should be done for His glory. The question you must now ask about everything is, "How will this glorify God?"

God is intent on displaying who He is. Psalm 19:1 says: "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." The whole earth gives us a picture of the glory of the invisible God. Nature preaches us a sermon on His glory. Everything should point us to His glory, and if it doesn't, it's because we are too "me-centered" to look for His glory. And if we are centered on ourselves, we are in sin. Sin is simply falling short of glorifying God. Romans 3:23 says: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." You don't have to rob a bank to be a sinner. All you have to do is try to take the glory that belongs to Him alone. We are all cosmic thieves.

God's glory is everywhere. Revelation 21:23 says when we get to heaven there will be no need of the sun or moon because the glory of the Lord will illuminate everything. There will be no night there, for the place will be consumed with the glory of God. His glory is so awesome that it will light up our heavenly home.

One Minute Please

Our problem today is that we are not consumed with the glory of God. 

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


Is Your Mind Stayed on God?
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You -Isaiah 26:3

Is your mind stayed on God or is it starved? Starvation of the mind, caused by neglect, is one of the chief sources of exhaustion and weakness in a servant's life. If you have never used your mind to place yourself before God, begin to do it now. There is no reason to wait for God to come to you. You must turn your thoughts and your eyes away from the face of idols and look to Him and be saved (see Isaiah 45:22).

Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him. You should seek to be "bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ . . ." (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes, because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together. When you have thoughts and ideas that are worthy of credit to God, learn to compare and associate them with all that happens in nature-the rising and the setting of the sun, the shining of the moon and the stars, and the changing of the seasons. You will begin to see that your thoughts are from God as well, and your mind will no longer be at the mercy of your impulsive thinking, but will always be used in service to God.

"We have sinned with our fathers . . . [and] . . . did not remember . . ." (Psalm 106:6-7). Then prod your memory and wake up immediately. Don't say to yourself, "But God is not talking to me right now." He ought to be. Remember whose you are and whom you serve. Encourage yourself to remember, and your affection for God will increase tenfold. Your mind will no longer be starved, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.


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Rich or Poor

It is interesting that Jesus, in our devotional yesterday, did not try to keep the widow from giving all she had.  It is especially interesting considering what He said a little earlier in Mark 12:38-40,

Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."

You can hear the protection of God for widows in the voice of Jesus.  You can hear His concern, and you can hear the judgment of God on those who manipulate, abuse, and take advantage of defenseless people and widows.

Yet, right on the heels of saying that, this widow gave all she had, which means she probably didn't even have anything left to buy food for a meal that night.  With her gift of less than one penny, she had nothing left.  And yet, Jesus said she gave more than everybody else.

Jesus did not give the slightest indication that she shouldn't have given an offering.  He didn't run after her and say, "Now wait a minute, Ma'am!  You shouldn't be doing this.  You're a widow.  God doesn't want this."  On the contrary, it seems that He commended her for it, even calling her gift to the attention of the disciples.

Why do you suppose this lady would have given like that-all she had?  I reckon because of her love for God and her love for the work of God.

Which is what Jesus looks for when we give, whether we are rich or poor.


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His Glory Won't Be Shared

In His Presence: We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18).

God will share His glory with no man. If you are not passionately pursuing the glory of God, He is not hanging out with you because He won't share His glory. The reason He has saved you, the reason He elected you, the reason you are a child of God is to make you part of the community of people called the church, which exists for His glory alone.

We are dealing with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Creator of the universe, and we just give Him the leftovers in our lives. We are reluctant to adjust to what He wants. We won't redo our schedules or our plans because this is our life. But to ascribe glory to Him is to give Him recognition and authority in our lives. Jesus said in John 17:4: "I glorified You . . . having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do." Remember also that Jesus prayed before His death: "For this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name" (John 12:27-28). Christ died for the glory of God.

Can you say that in difficult times you will submit to the Lord's purpose and trust that He will be glorified? God uses all things for His glory. Once we look into the mirror of His glory, we will find that He can transform our hearts, and whatever He wants us to do, He takes responsibility for providing for it to be done.

One Minute Please

Whatever you do in word or deed, He wants you to wake up, and go to bed, with Him in mind. And if you do, He'll transform you.



God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


Are You Listening to God?
They said to Moses, 'You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die' `-Exodus 20:19
We don't consciously and deliberately disobey God- we simply don't listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them- not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him. "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been showing disrespect to God, we will be filled with shame and humiliation for ignoring Him.

"You speak with us, . . . but let not God speak with us . . . ." We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don't want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God's servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, "Well, that's only your own idea, even though I don't deny that what you said is probably God's truth."

Am I constantly humiliating God by ignoring Him, while He lovingly continues to treat me as His child? Once I finally do hear Him, the humiliation I have heaped on Him returns to me. My response then becomes, "Lord, why was I so insensitive and obstinate?" This is always the result once we hear God. But our real delight in finally hearing Him is tempered with the shame we feel for having taken so long to do so.


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Core Motivation for Giving

I want to return one last time to Mark 12:41-44 and have you consider one final thought about giving,

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

In Phillips' translation of these verses, it says that Jesus sat opposite the temple alms box.  In other words, where people gave their gifts for the poor.  This courtyard area, referred to as the treasury, actually contained thirteen trumpet-shaped receptacles for giving.  Some of them were for specifically designated purposes, and one of them was for giving alms to the poor.

If the Phillips translation is right, it makes the story all the more amazing.  This poor widow, with less than a penny, put it in to help the poor.

She gave it to touch the life of another.  Which is why I hope you will give.

Heaven is too real, hell is too hot, eternity is too long, people are too lost, and life is just too short for us not to be actively engaged-through our giving as well as other means-in reaching people.  The only thing we take to heaven with us are the precious souls we reach for Christ.

That ought to be the core motivation for us to give to God's work.


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Stewardship and Ownership

In His Presence: God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on earth" (Genesis 1:26).

The subject of stewardship causes both confusion and consternation among Christians. The issue of money is really only a very small part of the stewardship. When rightly understood, stewardship can bring true joy to the life of a Christian, and it can transform the way we live. The word stewardship refers to an administration or an economy, a way of operating. We can also call it management.

Stewardship is not only misunderstood, it is also abused. In the name of stewardship, false doctrine has arisen and caused people to confine their perception of God to a box. A prosperity heresy has deceived people about what it means to be a good steward for the Lord.

The proper definition of stewardship is given by its author, God Himself. To understand stewardship, we must understand authorship. The Bible opens up with God creating, talking, and doing. He made the earth and mankind, and therefore He is the owner of all things. God created and then He gave responsibility to man to manage His creation. We don't own anything on earth; it's all God's property. The Bible is very clear about who owns the earth and who, we are serving. In Exodus 19:5, God says: "All the earth is Mine." In Psalm 89:11, the psalmist said to God: "The world and all it contains, You have founded them." We own nothing, and the ultimate proof for this is that when we leave the earth, we won't take anything with us. God is absolute owner because He is absolute sovereign and King of the universe.

One Minute Please

Everything you have can be traced back to God's absolute ownership.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


The Devotion of Hearing
 
Samuel answered, 'Speak, for Your servant hears' -1 Samuel 3:10

Just because I have listened carefully and intently to one thing from God does not mean that I will listen to everything He says. I show God my lack of love and respect for Him by the insensitivity of my heart and mind toward what He says. If I love my friend, I will instinctively understand what he wants. And Jesus said, "You are My friends . . ." (John 15:14). Have I disobeyed some command of my Lord's this week? If I had realized that it was a command of Jesus, I would not have deliberately disobeyed it. But most of us show incredible disrespect to God because we don't even hear Him. He might as well never have spoken to us.

The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me (see John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God all the time through the devotion of hearing. A flower, a tree, or a servant of God may convey God's message to me. What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things. It is not that I don't want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. I am devoted to things and even to service and my own convictions. God may say whatever He wants, but I just don't hear Him. The attitude of a child of God should always be, "Speak, for Your servant hears." If I have not developed and nurtured this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God's voice at certain times. At other times I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things- things which I think I must do. This is not living the life of a child of God. Have you heard God's voice today?


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The Right Word at the Right Time

Proverbs 15:23 contains a powerful truth,

A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!

Notice that this verse talks about not just a word spoken, but a word spoken in due season-at the proper time.  How good it is!

It is critical for words of encouragement, words of comfort, words of counsel, words of wisdom, and even words of correction to be spoken in due season.  Timing is just as important as content.

I read once about a lady who invited family and friends over for Thanksgiving dinner.  When they received the invitation, they let her know that they were going to come.  In fact, they were looking forward to the day.

She really put on quite a spread.  She baked pies and bread; she cooked a turkey with all of the trimmings-an incredible meal.  When the time came for her guests to arrive, she lit candles and put the finishing touches on decorating the house.

The only problem was, no one showed up.

Then she remembered the calendar she had picked up from a local business.  On that calendar it said that Thanksgiving was on the 21st rather than on the last Thursday of the month as it normally is every year.  At the time she thought it was strange, but she figured that they must have moved the holiday.

She had prepared her sumptuous banquet a week early!  The content was great but the timing was not so great.

So it is with our words.  They can be just the right words, perfect for the need of the person, but if not delivered at the right time, they can fall short.

Be sensitive to pick the right time to speak as well as the right words to say.


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The Attitude of Stewardship

In His Presence: When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes (Deuteronomy 8:10-11).

Once you clarify who the author of all things is, it will clarify your attitude about stewardship. Genesis 1:28 defines our attitude when God said mankind should "subdue" and "rule over" the earth. The Hebrew words used here literally mean to trample underfoot and bring under control. God supplied it, and He put it under us to manage. We are to function as managers based on God's purpose for allowing us to have all that we have.

The attitude of the steward should reflect the belief that God put him where he is to rule what belongs to God. Man's stewardship is limited and delegated by God, and he must not forget the source of all he has. Job 23:13 tells us that God does what He pleases with what He owns.

The attitude of a steward should reflect thankfulness. One reason we go to church on Sunday is out of gratitude to God for sustaining us and keeping us through the week. We have many earthly blessings from the Lord, and we have eternal spiritual blessings as well. We should never cease to thank Him for all He has given and done for us. It is a privilege to manage His creation, and everything we have goes back to Him. The paper money in our wallets was made from trees He planted. The diamonds on our fingers came out of the earth that He created. It all points back to His provision, for which we should be thankful.

One Minute Please

You may think you don't have everything you want, but God expects you to be grateful for what you have.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


The Discipline of Hearing
Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops -Matthew 10:27

Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and God puts us into "the shadow of His hand" until we learn to hear Him (Isaiah 49:2). "Whatever I tell you in the dark. . ."- pay attention when God puts you into darkness, and keep your mouth closed while you are there. Are you in the dark right now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? If so, then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will speak while in the wrong mood- darkness is the time to listen. Don't talk to other people about it; don't read books to find out the reason for the darkness; just listen and obey. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light.

After every time of darkness, we should experience a mixture of delight and humiliation. If there is only delight, I question whether we have really heard God at all. We should experience delight for having heard God speak, but mostly humiliation for having taken so long to hear Him! Then we will exclaim, "How slow I have been to listen and understand what God has been telling me!" And yet God has been saying it for days and even weeks. But once you hear Him, He gives you the gift of humiliation, which brings a softness of heart- a gift that will always cause you to listen to God now.


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A Word of Encouragement

I want you to look today at a passage of Scripture that helps guide us in what to say, who to say it to, and when and how to say it.  Isaiah 50:4-5,

"The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.  He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.  The Lord GOD has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away."

First, we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.  He will teach us how to speak a word in season to the person who is weary.  As it says, He will awaken our ear.

Jesus made it very clear in Matthew, chapter 10 verses 19-20, that the Holy Spirit is quite able to give us the right words to say at the right time.  In Isaiah 51:16, God says, "I have put My words in your mouth."  In Isaiah 57:19, He says, "I create the fruit of the lips."

Chances are there is someone in your world today who needs to be given a word of encouragement.  The key is being sensitive and available.  Sometimes we are so embroiled in our own struggles that we don't even give a thought to the fact that there may be someone around us who needs encouragement...a coworker, a neighbor, your spouse, your child.

I personally think our children need to be given encouragement every day.  Like the little boy said, "Daddy, let's play darts.  I'll throw, and you say 'Wonderful!'"  Children crave affirmation and encouragement.

There is someone who you either have contact with now, or you will have contact with, who needs encouragement.  And you are God's messenger. 


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In His Presence: You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32).

How do you know if you are being a good steward? There is only one way to know-read God's Word. Deuteronomy 8:3 says: "Man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord." We show our love for God by obeying Him, being a steward who manages things on His terms.

Human ownership must be governed by God. That's why when God made Adam, the first thing He did was give him instruction: "The Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you eat from it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17). God gives instruction to protect us, and following His instruction provides His results.

When you first consider stewardship, you might think it has too many limitations. But let me assure you that the limitations of stewardship are always for the enjoyment of it. God doesn't give us commands to stifle our stewardship, but rather to expand it. We shouldn't think that God's ways are negative-we can't do this or that-because the negative exists to enhance the positive.

So many people think God's commands restrict their freedom. But freedom in the biblical sense never means just doing what you want. Freedom in the Bible is the power to do what you ought to do. How do we get that kind of freedom? Jesus told us the truth sets us free, and the absolute standard of truth is God's Word.

One Minute Please

The authority of stewardship is none other than the Word of God.


The Authority of Stewardship

God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   

"Am I My Brother's Keeper?"
None of us lives to himself . . . -Romans 14:7

Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other people? For instance, if I allow any turning away from God in my private life, everyone around me suffers. We "sit together in the heavenly places . . ." (Ephesians 2:6). "If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it . . ." (1 Corinthians 12:26). If you allow physical selfishness, mental carelessness, moral insensitivity, or spiritual weakness, everyone in contact with you will suffer. But you ask, "Who is sufficient to be able to live up to such a lofty standard?" "Our sufficiency is from God . . ." and God alone (2 Corinthians 3:5).

"You shall be witnesses to Me . . ." (Acts 1:. How many of us are willing to spend every bit of our nervous, mental, moral, and spiritual energy for Jesus Christ? That is what God means when He uses the word witness. But it takes time, so be patient with yourself. Why has God left us on the earth? Is it simply to be saved and sanctified? No, it is to be at work in service to Him. Am I willing to be broken bread and poured-out wine for Him? Am I willing to be of no value to this age or this life except for one purpose and one alone- to be used to disciple men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ. My life of service to God is the way I say "thank you" to Him for His inexpressibly wonderful salvation. Remember, it is quite possible for God to set any of us aside if we refuse to be of service to Him- ". . . lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:27).


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For Just a Little While

Today's Scripture will start with the very last word of 1 Peter 1:4, just so you know who it is talking about, and go through verse 7,

...you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Notice in verse 6 it says, Though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.  That phrase "a little while" literally means a season.  The King James Version says, Though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.

I like the phrase "a little while".  That tells me the season is going to end.  It is not forever.  Every season ends.  Winter ends.  Spring ends.  Summer ends.  Fall ends.  Every season has a beginning, and every season has an end.

If you are in a trial right now and feeling the weight of it, you are grieved because of it,  I have good news.  It will not be forever.  Things are going to change.  It may not seem like it, but that season will come to an end.

Even if you are not experiencing a trial today, I am confident you have gone through such a season, and it is likely that you will probably experience such a season again.

When you do, or if you are today, be encouraged.  God's Word wants you-and me-to remember it is for just a little while.


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God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   

Taking the Initiative Against Despair
Rise, let us be going -Matthew 26:46

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples went to sleep when they should have stayed awake, and once they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of having done something irreversible tends to make us despair. We say, "Well, it's all over and ruined now; what's the point in trying anymore." If we think this kind of despair is an exception, we are mistaken. It is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize we have not taken advantage of a magnificent opportunity, we are apt to sink into despair. But Jesus comes and lovingly says to us, in essence, "Sleep on now. That opportunity is lost forever and you can't change that. But get up, and let's go on to the next thing." In other words, let the past sleep, but let it sleep in the sweet embrace of Christ, and let us go on into the invincible future with Him.

There will be experiences like this in each of our lives. We will have times of despair caused by real events in our lives, and we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them. The disciples, in this instance, had done a downright unthinkable thing- they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus. But our Lord came to them taking the spiritual initiative against their despair and said, in effect, "Get up, and do the next thing." If we are inspired by God, what is the next thing? It is to trust Him absolutely and to pray on the basis of His redemption.

Never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step.


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Stop the Worry

Over the last few devotionals, we have been talking about trials and how we should respond.  Today I have a simple but important word for you directly from God's Word:  Don't worry.

1 Peter 5:6-7 tells us,

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Jesus said, "Don't take an anxious thought for tomorrow.  Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof."  When we worry about tomorrow, we pull tomorrow's clouds over today's sunshine.

I have shared many times in my ministry about the incredible truth of Jesus' command, "Do not worry about tomorrow."  It is like we have this 24-hour fuse.  We are wired up to deal with the stresses of life one day at a time.

If you worry about tomorrow today, you are putting a 48-hour load on a 24-hour fuse, and something is going to give somewhere.

Some people don't just worry about tomorrow, they worry about next week and next month.  No wonder the fuse is blowing!

You see, what the mind cannot contain, it will impose upon the body.  If your health is breaking down, worry may just be the problem.  The Bible says to cast all of your care, the whole of your care, all your anxieties, on Him, once and for all.

Roll your burden on the Lord.  The Bible says be anxious for nothing.  And that means nothing.  Do not worry about your children, do not worry about your money, do not worry about your future, do not worry about anything.

Your Heavenly Father does care for you, and it is His good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.


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The Accountability of Stewardship
In His Presence: His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master" (Matthew 25:23).

God will always let us know who owns what and who is in charge. How do we know He was still in charge when Adam and Eve rebelled in the Garden? Because He pronounced a curse upon the serpent. He told Adam and Eve the consequences of their sin: conflict in the home, pain in childbirth, sweat in toil, and banishment from the garden. Adam, Eve, and the serpent were all held accountable for their lack of stewardship. God let them know that He is the owner.

God is only going to hold you accountable for what He gave you, not what He has given someone else. Never get upset because somebody else has received more from God than you have. More will be expected from them, and their stewardship does not concern you. If we would spend more time using what He has given us correctly, we wouldn't have time to look at what He has given someone else. Why? Because we'll be focused on progressing in our own Christian life.

God expects you to take what He gives you and maximize its potential. We should be satisfied with what He has given in terms of our gratitude, but we should always take what He gives us and get more out of it. We put our money in the bank to make interest, or we invest it to create a profit. We maximize the potential of that money.

One Minute Please

The stewardship mentality says that we joyfully receive what God gives us and use it to the best of our ability, making the most out of it for His glory.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


Taking the Initiative Against Drudgery
Arise, shine . . . -Isaiah 60:1

When it comes to taking the initiative against drudgery, we have to take the first step as though there were no God. There is no point in waiting for God to help us- He will not. But once we arise, immediately we find He is there. Whenever God gives us His inspiration, suddenly taking the initiative becomes a moral issue- a matter of obedience. Then we must act to be obedient and not continue to lie down doing nothing. If we will arise and shine, drudgery will be divinely transformed.

Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery- washing fishermen's feet. He then says to them, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet" (John 13:14). The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some cases the way a person does a task makes that work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common everyday task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it. Our Lord takes our human flesh and transforms it, and now every believer's body has become "the temple of the Holy Spirit"
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Your Real Adversary

As we continue to think about the reality of trials in our lives, and the challenge it is to handle those trials, I want to point you to another important teaching about trials in today's devotional.

You need to realize who your adversary is.  It is not God; it is the devil.  Look at 1 Peter 5:8-9,

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Some of the trials and sufferings that we experience are the direct result of the adversary's work.

Some people want to blame God for everything, but the Bible says it is the thief- the devil-who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  Jesus came to give us life and more abundantly.

Peter makes this even clearer in verse 10,

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

Our God is the God of grace.  The devil is seeking to devour.

Frankly, I hate the middle part of this verse, After you have suffered for a while....   Clearly, God wants us to understand that suffering is going to happen.  Trials are going to happen.  No matter how much you may say, "I don't receive it!", it is still there!  You are going to go through difficult times.  It is part of the human experience.

But when you go through that time of trial, remember not to blame God.  It is the devil who is your adversary!


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The First Sphere of Stewardship
In His Presence: Lord, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am (Psalm 39:4).

Basically, God has entrusted three things to our care. He has given us three spheres where we are to be His stewards. First, He has entrusted us with time. God is not limited by time. There is no time when He did not exist or when He will cease to be. He always has been and always will be. He is eternal. But time has a different meaning for us because we are limited by time. We have 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. We have a certain number of years to live, and we don't know how long that will be.

Ephesians 5:15-17 says: "Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." In this verse Paul told us to watch out for time. It is fleeting, and we are all running out of time.

Many people define time in terms of its linear course, from point A to point B. But that's not the full definition of time. In God's viewpoint, time is the boundary of opportunity. Time must be maximized, not trivialized. We should take advantage of it because we can never get it back.

To be a good steward of time, verse 17 tells us to understand what the will of the Lord is. To use your time to its utmost potential, you should use it to accomplish the will of God.

One Minute Please

If we are righteous stewards of God's time, He will give us joy in His time.





God bless

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers   


Taking the Initiative Against Daydreaming
Arise, let us go from here -John 14:31

Daydreaming about something in order to do it properly is right, but daydreaming about it when we should be doing it is wrong. In this passage, after having said these wonderful things to His disciples, we might have expected our Lord to tell them to go away and meditate over them all. But Jesus never allowed idle daydreaming. When our purpose is to seek God and to discover His will for us, daydreaming is right and acceptable. But when our inclination is to spend time daydreaming over what we have already been told to do, it is unacceptable and God's blessing is never on it. God will take the initiative against this kind of daydreaming by prodding us to action. His instructions to us will be along the lines of this: "Don't sit or stand there, just go!"

If we are quietly waiting before God after He has said to us, "Come aside by yourselves . . ." then that is meditation before Him to seek His will (Mark 6:31). Beware, however, of giving in to mere daydreaming once God has spoken. Allow Him to be the source of all your dreams, joys, and delights, and be careful to go and obey what He has said. If you are in love with someone, you don't sit and daydream about that person all the time- you go and do something for him. That is what Jesus Christ expects us to do. Daydreaming after God has spoken is an indication that we do not trust Him.


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The Path to Maturity

1 Peter 5:10 provides a very critical principle for those times when we are going through trials, a principle that is easy to miss,

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

You need to realize that even though God did not initiate your trouble, He can still use it to work something good in you.  What the devil means for evil, God can turn into something good.

Even though the devil's purpose is to destroy you, if you will respond correctly, God can work good things.  Notice the verse says after you have suffered a short season, God will perfect.  It brings maturity to you.

While we might hate it, how we respond in times of trial makes us who we are-and it fits us to accomplish God's will.  I hate some of the things I have gone through!  But you know what?  I would not be who I am had I not experienced those things.  It has fitted me to do the will of God.

And while it may not seem like it, your present difficulty may be instrumental in your future success.

It reminds me of the guy who was shipwrecked on a deserted island.  One day he decided to go across the island for food.  When he got to the other side he looked back and saw a plume of smoke in the sky.  He ran back only to find that his shack burnt to the ground!

It stung him to the core!  Except the next morning a ship arrived and rescued him.  When he asked the sailors, "How'd you know I was here?" they said, "We saw your smoke signal."

Your present trials just may be fitting you for something you would never expect!


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The Second Sphere of Stewardship
In His Presence: As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10).

The second sphere God has entrusted to us is talent. This area includes the skills that God has bestowed on us for His purpose. A more specific word for a Christian's talent would be giftedness. God doesn't give us talent just so we can benefit from it-it's meant to benefit others.

We live in the "me" generation. Everyone only wants to be served, not to serve. There is not an overflow of God's goodness coming out of the hearts of people. But Romans 12 describes how God has given us gifts for the purpose of serving others: "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. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another" (vv. 3-5).

In these verses, Paul said we shouldn't get the wrong idea about who we are and lose sight of God's grace. We are who we are by God's grace; therefore, we should be willing to serve Him with all He has given us. In this way, others will grow in their relationship with Him. If we are only recipients of God's gifts and not conduits of His grace, we are abusing the stewardship role.

One Minute Please

God expects that since He is good to you, you should be good to somebody else.





God bless