Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

June 21, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
     

The Ministry of the Inner Life
You are . . . a royal priesthood . . . -1 Peter 2:9


By what right have we become "a royal priesthood"? It is by the right of the atonement by the Cross of Christ that this has been accomplished. Are we prepared to purposely disregard ourselves and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual inner-searching we do in an effort to see if we are what we ought to be generates a self-centered, sickly type of Christianity, not the vigorous and simple life of a child of God. Until we get into this right and proper relationship with God, it is simply a case of our "hanging on by the skin of our teeth," although we say, "What a wonderful victory I have!" Yet there is nothing at all in that which indicates the miracle of redemption. Launch out in reckless, unrestrained belief that the redemption is complete. Then don't worry anymore about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ has said, in essence, "Pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints of God, and pray for all men." Pray with the realization that you are perfect only in Christ Jesus, not on the basis of this argument: "Oh, Lord, I have done my best; please hear me now."

How long is it going to take God to free us from the unhealthy habit of thinking only about ourselves? We must get to the point of being sick to death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God might tell us about ourselves. We cannot reach and understand the depths of our own meagerness. There is only one place where we are right with God, and that is in Christ Jesus. Once we are there, we have to pour out our lives for all we are worth in this ministry of the inner life.
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The Priority of Purity

We live in a highly sexualized society.  It is amazing the number of people, even pastors, who fall to sexual temptation.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 we are told straight out,

For this is the will of God, your sanctification:  that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God.

God expects for you and me to live in sexual purity.  You need to know how to possess your body in sanctification and honor; otherwise your body will possess you.

God has created a strong sexual drive that is an awesome blessing in marriage!  But, you know, it is so strong that sometimes it just wants to flow out of the banks and go somewhere it shouldn't go.

We must learn how to possess our bodies in sanctification and honor, and live morally pure lives that bring pleasure to God.  Here are three practical ways:

Avoid temptation.  2 Timothy 2:22 says, Flee youthful lusts.  Avoid the very scenes of temptation.  Stay away when you know you might get in trouble.
Feed your spirit, not your flesh.  In Romans, we are told of the great war every Christian experiences, the war between our spirit and our flesh.  Whatever you feed is going to be stronger, so make sure to feed your spirit.
Rely on the Holy Spirit and His power.  If you will acknowledge Him and look to Him for strength, you will find He is a very present help in your time of need.
Make a commitment today to practice these three principles for purity.  If you do, you will live in the sexual purity God desires.
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The Lifestyle of Worship

In His Presence: "You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel" (Psalm 22:3).

Worship is not simply an event or a place. It is an orientation. It is a way of life. It is the result of a decision that we make-one that exalts God above everything else. It is also a way of thinking. We come to a point where we realize and acknowledge that God is truly great and worthy of all praise.

One of the major benefits of worship is that when we draw near to God, He draws near to us. This is why worship is crucial to the life of a believer. If we do not worship God on a regular basis, we will not sense His closeness and will not know which way to go when trouble comes. We will not experience the joy of living free lives because we will not be in tune with His Spirit. Instead, we must learn how to walk each day in the light of His grace and unconditional love.

Israel learned the importance of worship in the desert, where they were prepared by God to enter the Promised Land. They carried the altar of God with them. When they stopped to make camp, the first thing they did was to set up the altar and the surrounding tent. They didn't say anything about needing to wait until the Sabbath to worship. They realized the importance of worshiping the One who held their lives fast within His hands.

Do you have this same attitude toward worship? Do you go to church on Sunday with a grateful heart, longing to sing and praise God for His goodness? Or are you one of the missing who rarely shows up to worship the Lord?

Sadly, while God longs for our fellowship, the one that loses out in this case is the person who fails to enter His gates with thanksgiving. He does not need us, but we definitely need Him.

The one place where you can learn the most about God's infinite love and care for you is through times of worship. You don't have to put on your finest clothes in order to worship Him. He just wants you to come and worship with a heart that sincerely wants to be with Him.

One Minute Please
Make worship to God your heart's passion, and He will renew your faith.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

June 22, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
     

The Unchanging Law of Judgment
With what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you -Matthew 7:2


This statement is not some haphazard theory, but it is an eternal law of God. Whatever judgment you give will be the very way you are judged. There is a difference between retaliation and retribution. Jesus said that the basis of life is retribution- "with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." If you have been shrewd in finding out the shortcomings of others, remember that will be exactly how you will be measured. The way you pay is the way life will pay you back. This eternal law works from God's throne down to us (see Psalm 18:25-26).

Romans 2:1 applies it in even a more definite way by saying that the one who criticizes another is guilty of the very same thing. God looks not only at the act itself, but also at the possibility of committing it, which He sees by looking at our hearts. To begin with, we do not believe the statements of the Bible. For instance, do we really believe the statement that says we criticize in others the very things we are guilty of ourselves? The reason we see hypocrisy, deceit, and a lack of genuineness in others is that they are all in our own hearts. The greatest characteristic of a saint is humility, as evidenced by being able to say honestly and humbly, "Yes, all those, as well as other evils, would have been exhibited in me if it were not for the grace of God. Therefore, I have no right to judge."

Jesus said, "Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1). He went on to say, in effect, "If you do judge, you will be judged in exactly the same way." Who of us would dare to stand before God and say, "My God, judge me as I have judged others"? We have judged others as sinners- if God should judge us in the same way, we would be condemned to hell. Yet God judges us on the basis of the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ.
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Perfect and Complete

Your faith in God has incredible potential to make your life complete.  To take you from the place of deficiency, to the place of being perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James puts it this way in James 1:2-4,

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Faith in God can make you complete, but your faith will be contested.  It will be opposed, even as we read here.  Your faith will go through the fire of trial.

If you lack spiritually in your life, you can get to the place of holiness.  If you are lacking materially, you can get to a place where your needs are met.  Whatever your lack, your faith in God has the potential to take you from where you are, and where you are lacking, to this place that the Bible speaks of...being perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

But, the path to that completeness is one of trial.  Your faith will not get you there until it first goes through testing.  You do have an adversary.  You will be opposed.  The Bible says, Your adversary, the devil, walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

The devil knows what is at stake, and he will do all he can to keep you from trusting God.  So as your faith encounters the turbulence of trials, do what James says, and count it all joy.  You are on your way to becoming perfect and complete in Christ.
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Worship That Comes From the Heart

In His Presence: "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering" (Genesis 22:.

Usually, there will come a time when God will test the depth of your devotion to Him. In Genesis 22, He tested Abraham's faith beyond anything imaginable. The Lord instructed Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice.

For a moment, draw this parallel in your mind: God sent His own Son to earth and willingly offered Him as a sacrifice for our sins. Was God's request of Abraham a foreshadowing of what would come? Perhaps. However, the one thing we want to focus on here is that Abraham was willing to obey God. He did not talk back, make excuses, or turn away from God. He just obeyed-knowing in his heart that the Lord would provide the right sacrifice.

When they had reached their destination, Abraham spoke with words of faith as he told his servants, "I and the lad will . . . worship and return to you" (v.5). When it came to the actual moment of sacrifice, God stopped him. "Abraham! . . . Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (vv. 11-12). God did not want Abraham to harm his son. He was just checking Abraham's devotion.

How often have you faced a difficult situation and thought, "Lord, You can have anything, but please, just don't take ______." You can fill in the blank for yourself. In this situation, Abraham would have written in the name of his son Isaac-the answer to the promise God had given him years earlier.

Is there something that you are withholding from God? Could it be a relationship, dream, idea, or pursuit? Worship begins in the heart. Therefore, always be willing to obey the Lord by letting go of anything you deem more valuable than your relationship with Him. When you do, His goodness and mercy will be poured out in abundance for you.

One Minute Please
God never sends a test our way just because He's in a testing mood. He has a specific purpose in mind. Usually, it is to draw us closer to Himself.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

June 23, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
     

"Acquainted With Grief"
He is . . . a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief -Isaiah 53:3


We are not "acquainted with grief" in the same way our Lord was acquainted with it. We endure it and live through it, but we do not become intimate with it. At the beginning of our lives we do not bring ourselves to the point of dealing with the reality of sin. We look at life through the eyes of reason and say that if a person will control his instincts, and educate himself, he can produce a life that will slowly evolve into the life of God. But as we continue on through life, we find the presence of something which we have not yet taken into account, namely, sin- and it upsets all of our thinking and our plans. Sin has made the foundation of our thinking unpredictable, uncontrollable, and irrational.

We have to recognize that sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming. Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life. The New Testament brings us right down to this one issue- if sin rules in me, God's life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is nothing more fundamental than that. The culmination of sin was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and what was true in the history of God on earth will also be true in your history and in mine- that is, sin will kill the life of God in us. We must mentally bring ourselves to terms with this fact of sin. It is the only explanation why Jesus Christ came to earth, and it is the explanation of the grief and sorrow of life.
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Passing the Test of Your Faith

In yesterday's devotional, we saw how God desires for us to be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing; but the road to that is the testing of our faith.

The natural question is, "What does it take to succeed when the test comes?"  There are two cooperating forces which must be at work.  James 1:4-5 shows us what those two forces are,

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

The first force is patience.  James' point is, "Don't quit before the answer comes.  Let patience have full play, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

Hebrews 10:36, says it this way,

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

You and I may actually have done the will of God, done what God wants us to do, but if we don't exercise endurance, we won't receive the promise.  That is the importance of patience.

The second cooperating force at work to pass the test of your faith is wisdom.  If you lack wisdom, if you can't see the forest for the trees in the midst of your trial, you can ask God and He will give it...liberally and without reproach.

God delights when you ask for wisdom.  And He won't belittle you or find fault with you for asking.

So if you find your faith on trial, if you are being sorely tested, ask God for wisdom and patiently endure.  Without these two forces, you will never know victory!

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A Call of Devotion

In His Presence: "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife . . . and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26).

God calls us to a total commitment-nothing less will do. He called Abraham to complete devotion, and the same was true for Moses, David, all of the disciples, and the apostle Paul. We can't be halfhearted in our love for the Lord and expect to fully experience His joy and peace in our lives. In fact, until we make a full, uncompromising commitment to Him, there will always be distracting factors at work in our lives. We'll constantly be tempted to step away from His very best for us.

In order to be His disciple, you must be willing to deny-not only yourself and your personal desires and passions-but also your love for anyone or anything that could possibly take His place in your heart. Nothing can be more important than Him.

For many people, this concept is hard to accept. They want to say, "Lord, surely You don't want me to give up my only dream for the future?" Or, "Lord, I really want to marry this person. I love her. I know she's not a believer, but I need her. Besides, if I walked away, who would help her know You? Isn't my love for her a testimony about Your love for us?"

To make her point clear, a Christian counselor climbed up on a chair and asked her client to pull her down. The object lesson? It is easy to pull someone down but next to impossible to pull another up-especially if that person resists the truth. God wants you to be solely devoted to Him so that He can bless you with His very best.

The Enemy of your soul, however, wants you to settle for much less. In fact, his goal is for you to step out of God's will through disobedience. He knows if you do, you will not only miss a blessing, but your life will become shrouded with feelings of guilt and disappointment. When that happens you become ineffective as a witness for Christ. God has a great plan in mind for you. When you dedicate yourself fully to Him, you will see it unfold.

One Minute Please
True worship always gives God the nearest, dearest, and most treasured thing in our lives.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

June 24, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
     

Reconciling Yourself to the Fact of Sin
This is your hour, and the power of darkness -Luke 22:53


Not being reconciled to the fact of sin- not recognizing it and refusing to deal with it- produces all the disasters in life. You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings, when it attacks your life, instead of reconciling yourself to it, you will compromise with it and say that it is of no use to battle against it. Have you taken this "hour, and the power of darkness" into account, or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever? In your human relationships and friendships, have you reconciled yourself to the fact of sin? If not, just around the next corner you will find yourself trapped and you will compromise with it. But if you will reconcile yourself to the fact of sin, you will realize the danger immediately and say, "Yes, I see what this sin would mean." The recognition of sin does not destroy the basis of friendship- it simply establishes a mutual respect for the fact that the basis of sinful life is disastrous. Always beware of any assessment of life which does not recognize the fact that there is sin.

Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical nor suspicious, because He had absolute trust in what He could do for human nature. The pure man or woman is the one who is shielded from harm, not the innocent person. The so-called innocent man or woman is never safe. Men and women have no business trying to be innocent; God demands that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a child. Any person is deserving of blame if he is unwilling to reconcile himself to the fact of sin.
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Gaining the Wisdom of God

I think every Christian desires wisdom from God.  But they don't get it because they don't understand how to receive it.

In Psalm 51:6, we are told,

...in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

When God communicates His wisdom to us, He does it in that secret part.  Whether it's as we read His Word and a Scripture speaks to us, or whether the Holy Spirit just whispers to us.  As Proverbs 20:27 tells us, The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord.  In other words, God illuminates us through our spirit.

For example, maybe you are in a difficult financial situation and you just don't know what to do.  You are working, you are tithing, you are trusting God, you are doing all you need to do, but it seems like you can't make ends meet.

Maybe what you need is wisdom.  If you ask for it, God may speak something as simple to your heart as, "Go talk to this person."  Or, "Advertise in this magazine."  Or, "Call so-and-so and ask them to forgive you for the way you treated them."  Or He may just say, "Hold steady."

Shortly after I was saved, I developed a physical condition I could not get any relief from.  So I went to God and I said, "God, give me wisdom."  God spoke to me and said, "You need to stop drinking coffee."

Now I did not want to hear that because I was a big coffee drinker.  But you know what?  After obeying God in that, almost immediately, that condition cleared up, and it has never been back.

God's wisdom.  He will speak to you.  If you ask, He will make His wisdom known in the hidden part.
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The Reach of Love

In His Presence: "I who speak to you am He" (John 4:26).

Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when He decided to pass through Samaria. He was returning to Jerusalem and the disciples could not believe He wanted to travel into the region. Even though it was the shorter route home, the Samaritans were considered to be unclean by most Jews. Therefore, the area was generally avoided. But not by Jesus. He had an appointment with a woman at a well. Only, He did not let His disciples in on His plans.

As He stopped to rest beside the well, they urged Him to keep moving. Finally, He sent them into the city to buy food. When a woman showed up to draw water, Jesus asked her for a drink. He violated a long list of Jewish rules by talking with this woman-a person whose life was far from pure. Only women who lived sinful lifestyles came to the well at midday. Yet, this was exactly when and where she met the Savior.

The bottom line of their discussion was focused on God's unconditional love. He is willing to go anywhere to meet us, and Jesus proves this by traveling into Samaria. Until we come to know and experience His personal love for us, we will never understand how to worship Him.

Perhaps, like this woman, you have found yourself living in a situation that is rooted deeply in sin. Guilt and fear are wrapped around your heart and are now weighing your life down-causing you to wonder if God could ever love you. The answer is yes. Not only does He love you with an unconditional love, He wants you to be free of anything and everything that would prevent you from truly loving and worshiping Him.

This woman became a believer, and her joy and faith were so powerful that those who heard her speak couldn't wait to meet the Savior. You are never outside the reach of God's love. When you turn to Him, He turns toward You with hope and restoration.

One Minute Please
There is more to worship than finding the right location. It has to do with a heart that is repentant and turned toward the Savior.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

June 27, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
     

The Overshadowing of God's Personal Deliverance
. . . I am with you to deliver you,' says the Lord -Jeremiah 1:8


God promised Jeremiah that He would deliver him personally- ". . . your life shall be as a prize to you . . ." (Jeremiah 39:18). That is all God promises His children. Wherever God sends us, He will guard our lives. Our personal property and possessions are to be a matter of indifference to us, and our hold on these things should be very loose. If this is not the case, we will have panic, heartache, and distress. Having the proper outlook is evidence of the deeply rooted belief in the overshadowing of God's personal deliverance.

The Sermon on the Mount indicates that when we are on a mission for Jesus Christ, there is no time to stand up for ourselves. Jesus says, in effect, "Don't worry about whether or not you are being treated justly." Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in the discontent of self-pity, as if to say, "Why should I be treated like this?" If we are devoted to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we encounter, whether it is just or unjust. In essence, Jesus says, "Continue steadily on with what I have told you to do, and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance." Even the most devout among us become atheistic in this regard- we do not believe Him. We put our common sense on the throne and then attach God's name to it. We do lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts (see Proverbs 3:5-6).
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The Motive of Faith

When speaking of faith, it is critical to talk about the motive of our faith.  James 4:2-3 tells us what a wrong motive is,

You lust and do not have.  You murder and covet and cannot obtain.  You fight and war.  Yet you do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

God is very concerned about the "why" behind our prayers of faith.  He is very interested in the state of our hearts.  And I think it is good to check our motives from time to time.

Why do we want what we want?  Is it ego driven?  Am I asking for it because I want to impress someone?  Are my motives right?

Now, you don't have to overdo it.  You can overanalyze things to the point that you become spiritually frozen and don't do anything.  I think if you will get honest and lay your heart out before God, He will very quickly put the spotlight on the things that should not be there.

Our dog always stands at the back door and scratches on the glass like he really loves us and wants to come in and be with us.  But the moment you open the door he runs right by you into the kitchen looking for food.

Why do you want the thing you want?  What is the purpose behind asking?  Is it for the glory of God?  Is it to help people?  Is there a pure motive there?

When your motive is right, God will not be long in answering.  But if your motive is not right, God won't answer until it gets right.
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In Your Father's Presence

In His Presence: "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me" (John 14:11).

One day, as Abraham Lincoln's son was walking in a park near the White House, he saw a young soldier sitting on a bench crying. The man was greatly distressed, and the young Lincoln stopped to ask what was wrong.

Looking up through his tears, the soldier explained that his brother had been placed in jail for something he did not do. He had been told that the only person who could help was the President of the United States. The problem, of course, was that he could not get a message to the president because no one in the White House would listen to him.

Lincoln's son thought for a moment and then asked, "Mister, will you go with me?" Even though he did not know the younger Lincoln's identity, he agreed. The two walked across the street and through the White House gate. They passed the guards and Lincoln's personal secretary. In fact, they didn't stop walking until they crossed the threshold of Lincoln's office where his son finally spoke up and said, "Hello, Dad. This soldier needs to talk with you."

The president looked up from what he was doing and smiled. Then he listened as the solider explained his situation. This story certainly proves that when you have the right relationship, you can go a lot further, a lot faster.

The same is true of our relationship with Jesus Christ. He is God's Son, and He has direct access to His heavenly Father. We don't have to spend time praying to others, hoping that we tapped into the right source. When you pray to Jesus, you have all the access you need. No one can prevent you from coming into His presence, and nothing can stop Him from answering your prayers.

You can take your heartaches, sorrows, and disappointments to God in prayer. Whatever concerns you also concerns Him. He is your heavenly Father, and He has full control over the entire universe.

One Minute Please
When you come to worship, you are worshiping the God of the universe who is also your Daddy.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

June 28, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
     

Held by the Grip of God
I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me -Philippians 3:12


Never choose to be a worker for God, but once God has placed His call on you, woe be to you if you "turn aside to the right hand or to the left" (Deuteronomy 5:32). We are not here to work for God because we have chosen to do so, but because God has "laid hold of" us. And once He has done so, we never have this thought, "Well, I'm really not suited for this." What you are to preach is also determined by God, not by your own natural leanings or desires. Keep your soul steadfastly related to God, and remember that you are called not simply to convey your testimony but also to preach the gospel. Every Christian must testify to the truth of God, but when it comes to the call to preach, there must be the agonizing grip of God's hand on you- your life is in the grip of God for that very purpose. How many of us are held like that?

Never water down the Word of God, but preach it in its undiluted sternness. There must be unflinching faithfulness to the Word of God, but when you come to personal dealings with others, remember who you are- you are not some special being created in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace.

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do. . . I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).
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The Prayer of Faith

Over the last few devotionals, we have looked at faith-what true faith looks like, and the motive behind the faith that pleases God. 

In James 5:15 we are told,

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.  And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Clearly, James wants us to know that when we pray a prayer of faith, God will answer it.  In this passage, we are told that through that prayer God will indeed heal those who are sick, and raise them up.

So what is it that makes up the prayer of faith?  There are three components, all of which we have touched on in the last few days.

The prayer of faith is a prayer that:

Does not waver.  It doesn't vacillate, moving back and forth.  It is anchored on the promise of God.
Is followed by corresponding actions.
Is prayed from right motives.
The example James cites of someone who prayed a prayer of faith is Elijah.  I encourage you to read his story in 1 Kings 17.  There you find that, through the prayer of faith, God shut up the heavens and there was no rain.  And then, by another prayer of faith, the heavens were opened and rain came down.

Elijah expressed his faith when he said he heard the sound of abundance of rain.  He made that statement before there was a cloud in the sky or before a drop of rain ever fell!

When you and I don't waver in our faith, when we show our faith by corresponding action, and when we pray with right motives, God will act.  As surely as Elijah heard that rain by faith, you can hear the rain...whatever that represents in your life.  That is the prayer of faith.
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On Holy Ground

In His Presence "I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple" (Isaiah 6:1).

Isaiah probably felt as though he had been hit by a hurricane. King Uzziah had died. With his death came the end of a great era for Israel, which had become a mighty nation under his rule. Now that the king was dead, the people were in an emotional upheaval. Their security was compromised because it was in a man rather than in God.

What is your King Uzziah? Many people place their trust in savings accounts, jobs, and relationships. Shortsightedly, they mistakenly believe that if they have money and good health today, they will be fine tomorrow. While we don't need to live our lives in fear, we do need to develop a strong, unshakeable faith in the One who will never fail us-the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, when life does take a downward turn, we will rest secure in His loving care.

How do you handle a crisis-when you receive the news that your income will be cut in half or that the relationship you believed would lead to marriage falls apart? What do you do when your Uzziah dies and your dreams fall apart? If the focus of your devotion is set on the things of this world, then when trouble comes, you will be shaken. However, if it is on God, you will remain steadfast and sure.

Our greatest vision and understanding of God often comes in times of crisis. Isaiah stepped out of a national whirlwind into the security of the temple where God's presence appeared before him in full glory. Suddenly, the hurricane that had been ripping at his heart vanished, and he fell on his face and worshiped the Lord.

Are the winds of adversity blowing hard against your life? If so, turn your sense of worry into worship because you are standing on holy ground. F. B. Meyer writes, "A storm is only the outskirts of His robe-the symptom of His advent and the environment of His presence."

One Minute Please
Ask God to help you to see your situation from His perspective. When you do, you will understand that He has a perfect plan and that it involves His goodness poured out in abundance for you.

God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

June 29, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
     

The Strictest Discipline
If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell -Matthew 5:30


Jesus did not say that everyone must cut off his right hand, but that "if your right hand causes you to sin" in your walk with Him, then it is better to "cut it off." There are many things that are perfectly legitimate, but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them. Your right hand is one of the best things you have, but Jesus says that if it hinders you in following His precepts, then "cut it off." The principle taught here is the strictest discipline or lesson that ever hit humankind.

When God changes you through regeneration, giving you new life through spiritual rebirth, your life initially has the characteristic of being maimed. There are a hundred and one things that you dare not do- things that would be sin for you, and would be recognized as sin by those who really know you. But the unspiritual people around you will say, "What's so wrong with doing that? How absurd you are!" There has never yet been a saint who has not lived a maimed life initially. Yet it is better to enter into life maimed but lovely in God's sight than to appear lovely to man's eyes but lame to God's. At first, Jesus Christ through His Spirit has to restrain you from doing a great many things that may be perfectly right for everyone else but not right for you. Yet, see that you don't use your restrictions to criticize someone else.

The Christian life is a maimed life initially, but in Matthew 5:48 Jesus gave us the picture of a perfectly well-rounded life- "You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
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  The Importance of Revival

Psalm 85:6 asks a powerful question,

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?

Notice that the psalmist says, "again."  This tells me that the nation of Israel was once in a state of revival, but that had waned, it had declined, and they had come again to the place where they needed to be revived.

Perhaps today you are in a place where you need to be revived.

Revival has been described as the inrush of the Spirit into the body that threatens to become a corpse.  That is a good definition.  Something needs to be revived when it is dying or when it has lost its strength or momentum.

Revival brings new life.  It brings fresh vigor.  It brings renewed momentum to that which is in a weakened or dying state.

In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul writes to Timothy, Stir up the gift of God which is in you. The word for stir up literally means to rekindle.  In other words, a fire was there at one time, but it has begun to burn low.  And now it needs to be refueled and tended to.

The Amplified Bible says, Rekindle the embers, fan the flame and keep burning the gracious gift of God, the inner fire.

Maybe you have felt spiritually flat lately.  Maybe the fire that once burned white hot for God is now just a glowing ember.  If so, it is time to rekindle those embers and fan to flame what He has put within you. 

As God goes to work in your life, you will find that once again your life will be filled with purpose, and you will once again rejoice in God.
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Out of a Whirlwind

In His Presence: "When Elijah heard [a gentle whisper of wind], he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave" (1 Kings 19:13).

Huddled in a cave and miles away from his home, Elijah tried to warm himself and remember how he got to this place. The memory of Queen Jezebel and her violent threats against him came rushing back to his mind. By then, he had almost forgotten the miracle God had done on Mount Carmel and the spiritual victory that had been gained there. Instead, he hid out in fear (1 Kings 19).

At some point, many of us have done the same thing. God breaks into our lives through answered prayer, and we are left speechless. Then, some little sign of trouble appears on the horizon, and we begin to break down emotionally. Instead of sleeping soundly at night, we wake up, toss and turn, and wonder if God will help us. Of course, He always does.

Elijah's first mistake was to believe that he was the only one left in Israel who had a pure heart before God. Pride always leads to feelings of fear, loneliness, and discouragement. As Elijah waited in the cave, God began to demonstrate His mighty ability to His prophet. First, He did so through a strong wind that tore at the mountain, then through an earthquake, and finally, through a mighty fire. God's presence, however, was not in any of these. Then the prophet heard a gentle wind blowing around him, and he knew that he was standing in the presence of God.

God doesn't have to lift a finger in order to deal with the problems you face each day. He spoke the world into existence, and at His command, the storms surrounding your life will cease. Perhaps as He did with Elijah, He will gain your full attention by allowing the storm to blow a little longer. If this is the case, let the earthquake, fire, and wind come, knowing that you have a loving heavenly Father whose only desire is to draw you nearer to Himself. Take time to worship Him and tell Him that you are listening for His voice.

One Minute Please
When thoughts of fear surround your life, remember, God is still on the throne.

God bless

[Judy Harder]

June 30, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
     

Do It Now!
Agree with your adversary quickly . . . -Matthew 5:25


In this verse, Jesus Christ laid down a very important principle by saying, "Do what you know you must do- now. Do it quickly. If you don't, an inevitable process will begin to work 'till you have paid the last penny' (Matthew 5:26) in pain, agony, and distress." God's laws are unchangeable and there is no escape from them. The teachings of Jesus always penetrate right to the heart of our being.

Wanting to make sure that my adversary gives me all my rights is a natural thing. But Jesus says that it is a matter of inescapable and eternal importance to me that I pay my adversary what I owe him. From our Lord's standpoint it doesn't matter whether I am cheated or not, but what does matter is that I don't cheat someone else. Am I insisting on having my own rights, or am I paying what I owe from Jesus Christ's standpoint?

Do it quickly- bring yourself to judgment now. In moral and spiritual matters, you must act immediately. If you don't, the inevitable, relentless process will begin to work. God is determined to have His child as pure, clean, and white as driven snow, and as long as there is disobedience in any point of His teaching, He will allow His Spirit to use whatever process it may take to bring us to obedience. The fact that we insist on proving that we are right is almost always a clear indication that we have some point of disobedience. No wonder the Spirit of God so strongly urges us to stay steadfastly in the light! (see John 3:19-21).

"Agree with your adversary quickly . . . ." Have you suddenly reached a certain place in your relationship with someone, only to find that you have anger in your heart? Confess it quickly- make it right before God. Be reconciled to that person- do it now!
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The Vital Sign of Joy

In yesterday's devotional, I challenged you to consider whether God needs to do a work in your life to revive you spiritually.  Perhaps you feel it, but you just don't know what it is.         

Over the next few days, I want to point you to the vital signs that may indicate the need for spiritual revival in your life.  The first one we find in Psalm 85.  It is lack of joy.   Look at the language in verse 6,

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?

When a person is sullen and depressed spiritually, cheerless and despondent, it is a sure sign that they need revival.

You might say, "Well, you know, if my circumstances would just change, then I would rejoice."  No.  Joy is not dependent upon your circumstances.  In fact, let me give you a great example.

2 Corinthians 8:1-2 states,

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:  that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

Notice this language.  The Macedonians were not in a little trial.  They were in a "great trial of affliction."  They were experiencing deep poverty, tremendous lack in their life, and yet they had abundant joy.

What was their secret?  Living in the grace of God.

More than anything else, joy is dependent upon understanding the grace of God, knowing that God's grace is at work even in your affliction. 

If you are joyless today, ask the Spirit of God to fill your heart.  If you do, there will be a joy regardless of what you are facing.
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Knowledge vs. Power

In His Presence: Proverbs 3:19-20

"It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands and I ordained all their host"(Isaiah 45:12).

God wants a Creator/creature distinction between us. We can still relate with each other, talk, and have fun. But we must not forget there is a difference. We have limitations while God does not. A good illustration of this type of relationship is the teen/parent relationship. Teenagers often question why there should be a distinction in the relationship. Depending upon whom they listen to, they may feel that their parents are withholding things that will make life better. They don't understand why they can't enjoy the same privileges as their parents.

Why would Satan tell Eve that eating the fruit would open her eyes and make her like God? Does this reasoning sound familiar?

Satan basically said, "God wants to keep us ignorant so He can control us. If He can control us, He can always tell us what to do and be our boss. But if we eat of the tree we won't be ignorant anymore. We will know what He knows and be able to do what He does."

In using the word know, Satan was implying that information equaled power-the power to determine our own future, our own fate.

One Minute Please
Using our illustration of the teen/parent relationship, Satan was encouraging Adam and Eve to think like the teen who wants his parents to pay the bills, but does not want to submit to their authority.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

July 1, 2011

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

The Inevitable Penalty
You will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny -Matthew 5:26


There is no heaven that has a little corner of hell in it. God is determined to make you pure, holy, and right, and He will not allow you to escape from the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit for even one moment. He urged you to come to judgment immediately when He convicted you, but you did not obey. Then the inevitable process began to work, bringing its inevitable penalty. Now you have been "thrown into prison, [and] . . . you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny" (5:25-26). Yet you ask, "Is this a God of mercy and love?" When seen from God's perspective, it is a glorious ministry of love. God is going to bring you out pure, spotless, and undefiled, but He wants you to recognize the nature you were exhibiting- the nature of demanding your right to yourself. The moment you are willing for God to change your nature, His recreating forces will begin to work. And the moment you realize that God's purpose is to get you into the right relationship with Himself and then with others, He will reach to the very limits of the universe to help you take the right road. Decide to do it right now, saying, "Yes, Lord, I will write that letter," or, "I will be reconciled to that person now."

These sermons of Jesus Christ are meant for your will and your conscience, not for your head. If you dispute these verses from the Sermon on the Mount with your head, you will dull the appeal to your heart.

If you find yourself asking, "I wonder why I'm not growing spiritually with God?"- then ask yourself if you are paying your debts from God's standpoint. Do now what you will have to do someday. Every moral question or call comes with an "ought" behind it- the knowledge of knowing what we ought to do.

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The Vital Sign of Prayer

One of the truest indicators of whether an individual's spiritual life is progressing or declining is prayer.  And if your prayer life is declining, it is a sure sign your spiritual life is in need of reviving.

Psalm 80:18 puts it this way,

Then we will not turn back from You; revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

Prayer is to the spiritual life what breathing is to the physical life.  If your breathing is shallow and intermittent, something is wrong.  It is a sign that there is a lack of health.  If your breathing is deep and regular, it is a sign of health.

I once read a story about a World War II soldier who was called in before his commanding officer and accused of spying.  The officer said, "You have been seen slipping off into a wooded area where we know enemy patrols have been seen, and we think you're passing information to them."

The commanding officer demanded, "Why did you go there?" and the soldier said, "I just slipped away for a quiet hour of prayer."  The officer then commanded him to get on his knees and show him how he prayed.

So the soldier hit his knees, thinking he was likely to get executed for treason, and began to cry out to God.  Immediately it was evident that he had an intimacy with God.  The commanding officer stopped him and said, "That's enough.  You can go."  He turned to another officer and said, "No one could pray like that without a long apprenticeship."

Where are you when it comes to prayer?  Is it deep and regular?  Or is it shallow, sporadic, and intermittent?  If it is shallow, it is a sign that your heart needs to be revived.
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Walk by the Light of His Love

In His Presence: "Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand" (Psalm 73:23).

Harriet Tubman was a small wisp of a woman, yet God used her to do a mighty work. Maybe, as you read these words, you are wondering how God could possibly use you. You feel defeated and want to quit. Don't. Instead, keep reading.

While the Civil War threatened to tear our country apart, there were key players behind the scenes that not only worked to preserve life but also defended liberty, hope, and the belief that there is another life worth living. Harriet was one of these people. Without a thought about her own safety, she led hundreds to safe houses along the Underground Railroad and became a legend as she crossed back and forth over lines of battle.

She made the journey countless times, and many wondered how she could continue traveling such long distances-along roadways that were carved out of thick and unruly landscapes. But she did. Even though the threat of death shadowed her, she refused to stop. How did she do it?

The answer is simple: She had a fixed focus on her goal and nothing was going to turn her. Her faith in God's unconditional love gave her the strength she needed to continue her treks to freedom.

Perhaps you long to travel your own road to freedom. You look up at night into the heavens and wonder how you will continue-especially when your heart feels weary and burdened by life's pressures. You can continue on but only when your faith is in Someone much greater than yourself.

The psalmist writes, "Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day" (Psalm 139:12). Each night, Harriet Tubman walked straight through the darkness and on to freedom. In fact, nighttime was the safest time for her to travel, and she did not walk in fear. Perhaps it was because she carried a light of hope with her-the light given to her by an eternal God.

You too can worship the Lord because He does great things, and His loving hands encompass your life.

One Minute Please
Satan spends a lot of effort bricking up your view of God's victory and grace. Therefore, keep walking and keep holding up God's light of hope and grace.


God bless
 

[Judy Harder]

Daily Devotional

July 5, 2011
             
Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers     
 

Don't Plan Without God
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass -Psalm 37:5


Don't plan without God. God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made, when we have not taken Him into account. We get ourselves into circumstances that were not chosen by God, and suddenly we realize that we have been making our plans without Him- that we have not even considered Him to be a vital, living factor in the planning of our lives. And yet the only thing that will keep us from even the possibility of worrying is to bring God in as the greatest factor in all of our planning.

In spiritual issues it is customary for us to put God first, but we tend to think that it is inappropriate and unnecessary to put Him first in the practical, everyday issues of our lives. If we have the idea that we have to put on our "spiritual face" before we can come near to God, then we will never come near to Him. We must come as we are.

Don't plan with a concern for evil in mind. Does God really mean for us to plan without taking the evil around us into account? "Love . . . thinks no evil" (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Love is not ignorant of the existence of evil, but it does not take it into account as a factor in planning. When we were apart from God, we did take evil into account, doing all of our planning with it in mind, and we tried to reason out all of our work from its standpoint.

Don't plan with a rainy day in mind. You cannot hoard things for a rainy day if you are truly trusting Christ. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled . . ." (John 14:1). God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command- "Let not. . . ." To do it, continually pick yourself up, even if you fall a hundred and one times a day, until you get into the habit of putting God first and planning with Him in mind.
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The Vital Sign of Pride

Pride and self-sufficiency are unmistakable signs of a heart that is in desperate need of reviving.  Isaiah 57:15 tells us,

For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:  "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

To have a contrite heart literally means you break easily.  Even at the thought of grieving God's Spirit you break and repent very quickly.  It means you walk softly in your heart before God.

God says He will revive those with a humble spirit and a contrite heart.  But one of the great dangers among Christians today-especially for those living in the western world with all of its abundance-is a belief that we don't need anything.

More than ever we need to read the words of Jesus in Revelation 3:17,

"Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."

How can you be miserable and naked and not know it?   It's obvious that Jesus is speaking of their inward, spiritual condition.  Apparently, their outward wealth blinded them to their inward poverty.   They fell into the trap of pride, which is one of the inherent dangers that comes with prosperity.  As Christians living in a very prosperous western world, we need to heed this word!

At Disneyland there is a ride with cool little cars.  I remember once seeing a little boy on the ride with his dad, and his feet didn't even reach the pedals!  But Junior thought he was driving, oblivious to the fact that Daddy was actually driving the car and making it go.

We need to remember that our feet don't even reach the pedals, and that Daddy, our God, is the One who makes this thing go.  We need to maintain a humble heart.
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No Shifting Shadows

In His Presence: "Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude" (1 Timothy 4:4).

What looks like a closed door to you is God's pathway to blessing. What appears to be a nightmare can become His dream for your life. And what may seem like the worst news you could possibly receive can actually be the point of a new beginning. This is because no matter what God allows to touch your life, He has a plan for your future through it.

It is easy to think of God's goodness in a lighthearted way when it seems that we have everything going for us-a good job, health, a growing family, two new cars in the garage, and a house with several bedrooms. Life seems rich and full. But if we never learn to say "thank you" to the Lord, then we have not learned the truth of James 1:17. "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."

There are two extremes that can prevent us from living with grateful hearts. One is a sense of pride. We become prideful and believe that we have earned all that we have. When we have this attitude, we can expect to run headlong into trouble (Proverbs 16:18).

The second extreme comes as a result of feeling sorry for ourselves. While the temptation to be sorrowful-and even depressed-may pull at our hearts at times, we need to refuse it by turning our eyes heavenward. With a grateful heart we should say, "Thank You, Lord. I'm hurting, and I know You understand. I don't know how You will use this heartache that I am feeling, but I trust You to do just that-use it for Your glory and for my blessing."

God loves to hear our words of worship and praise. When we thank Him-even in times of difficulty-for His constant care over our lives, we are expressing our faith and trust in an omnipotent God who watches over every aspect of our lives.

One Minute Please
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:. Therefore, be grateful that the light of His love covers you.

God bless