Devotions


Why Aren’t You Fishing?

I love this story.  It’s a great reminder about ambition…

the_fisherman_and_the_sunset_by_stupendouskid

In Our Daily Bread, Philip Parham tells the story of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. “Why aren’t you out there fishing?” he asked. “Because I’ve caught enough fish for today,” said the fisherman. “Why don’t you catch more fish than you need?” the rich man asked. “What would I do with them?” “You could earn more money,” came the impatient reply, “and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you’d have a fleet of boats and be rich like me.” The fisherman asked, “Then what would I do?” “You could sit down and enjoy life,” said the industrialist. “What do you think I’m doing now?” the fisherman replied.

–Scott Minnich, Toms River, New Jersey. Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 3


Prozac, Paxil and God’s Will?

While preparing for a message on godly counsel, I ran across an article from The Village about whether or not Christians should take medication for depression.  You can check out the full article here: Depression, Drugs and the Desires of the Heart.

But what really struck me about this article is that these principles will help anyone trying to make godly decisions.  I’ve adapted the wording a little below.  Hopefully this will help someone else.

 

1. With the decision you need to make – what is the Lord exposing, challenging and redeeming in your life?Ritalin-SR-20mg-full

Has the Lord put a challenge in your life to help you grow.  Are you just looking for an easy way out?

 

2. How will your choice help sanctify you and give glory to God?

Will this decision bring honor to the one who gave His life for you? Will it help you take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of you?

 

3. Are you honestly, confidently and desperately approaching the Father in prayer?

We need to be examining the scriptures, seeking godly counsel and examining our circumstances.  But if we really want to hear God’s voice we also need to spend time in prayer.

 

4. Have you invited wise, loving, Christ-cherishing men or women into your life who listen to your struggles and counsel you wisely? Or are you trying to go it alone?

If you don’t have these people already in your life, pray that God will send them your way.  Elijah thought he was alone and there were 7000 who had not bowed a knee.  You might be surprised were you can find godly counsel.

 

5. Is your decision an expression of faith in Christ and a desire to love Him and others? Are you making a decision out of faith or fear?

I learned this on one of the darkest days of my life.  I was about to make a decision out of fear and a godly friend helped me see that I should not make decisions out of fear, but out of faith.  What is guiding your decision.

 

6. Will your decision edify the body of Christ or tear it down? 

Remember your decisions will affect others. I just read this in Joshua this morning.

20 When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things, did not wrath come on the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’”

 

7. How is this decision an extension of the larger mission of your life?

Is this ultimately helping you accomplish what God has for you?  Does it fit?

 

Next week we’ll be looking at how circumstances can help us determine God’s will.

 


Alive Again

Are you spiritually alive?  That’s the question that everyone needs to answer.  The scriptures are pretty clear that everyone is dead until they are brought to life by Christ. dead

Ephesians 2:2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

I like how John Piper puts it… We are not in the doghouse.  We are in the morgue.  It’s not about being a better person.  What we need is a resurrection.  We need to be made alive again.  The good news of the gospel is that Jesus has come to do just that.  By his grace and through forgiveness, we can be made alive again.

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”

This week tell someone that you love that Jesus came so we could be made alive again.


We Are Witnesses

I really like Lebron, and I’m glad he’s coming back to Ohio.  And while I think the Nike campaign is clever, this week we went over Acts 10 where Peter declares the original “We are witnesses” speech.  It is amazingly powerful.

    39″We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

We Are WitnessesPeter witnessed the death of Christ.  He also witnessed the resurrection and even ate with Jesus after he arose.  He is to declare that Jesus is Lord of all and the judge of the living and the dead.  And then comes the wonderful promise – everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.

Our message is very much the same.  We can declare the transformative power of the gospel.  We used to be dead in trespasses and sins, but thanks be to the risen Christ, we have been changed.  We can face the judge because His righteousness has been applied to our account.  We have forgiveness if only we will trust Him.

Will you declare the gospel?  Can I get a witness?

#ADivineAppt


Desperately Seeking the Savior

“Desperate is a strong word. That’s why I like it. People who are desperate are rude, frantic, and reckless. Desperate people are explosive, focused, and uncompromising in their desire to get what they want. The New Testament is filled with desperate people, people who barged into private dinners, screamed at Jesus until they had his attention, or destroyed the roof of someone’s house to get to him. People who are desperate for spirituality very seldom worry about the mess they make on their way to be with Jesus.”

Mike Yaconelli

helpmeDesperate.  We tell people, “Be careful, you don’t want to come off sounding desperate.”  And yet all throughout the scriptures we see desperate people making their way to God and to Christ.  There’s the woman with the issue of blood, the friends who lowered their friend down to Christ, a father seeking help for his little girl and more.

It seems that being desperate or sharing our helplessness with our Father is not something to be avoided, but rather a key ingredient to prayer.  We have been giving many gifts, abilities, talents and resources.  But the one thing we must never forget is our dependence upon God.

Take time this week to remind yourself of your need for God to work in your life.  Then take a little more time to ask for His provision.  Then stand back and watch the great things the Lord will do in your life as you depend on him.

Oh, and don’t worry if you sound a little… desperate.


Glorious Unfolding By Steven Curtis Chapman

This song has really been a blessing to me in recent weeks.  It’s a great reminder that God is inviting us to be a part of HIS story.  We can’t always see how he’s working it out, but our responsibility is simply to surrender.  It is amazing what God will do with a surrendered life.

If you haven’t checked it out before, take a look at Steven Curtis Chapman’s story concerning the loss of his daughter.

“Right after the accident, I started just running because I just didn’t know what else to do,” Will said, referring to what he did after making sure other family members were responding to Maria. “I just wanted to run and just be away — as far away from the site of the accident as possible — and just started running and was planning on just running as far as I could.

“And then Caleb, not too long after that, just kind of ran and tackled me and just kind of jumped on me,” he said of his 18-year-old brother. “… And it was just like, ‘You can’t leave, you can’t leave,’ and just — was just on top of me saying, ‘Everything’s going to be OK. We love you. You can’t leave.’ And just — it was just that — that was super important.”

It is so powerful.

Then see if you can spot Maria’s word “SEE” in the following video.  I hope it encourages you as it has encouraged me.


Give It A Rest

It’s been a crazy week.  Trying to push out technology to 10,000 students and teachers is no easy task.  But at the same time I’ve been reflecting on resting.

What drains you…

It’s good to identify what drains you.  What really is wearing you out?  Little Sleep, poor diet, and  too many commitments can all be things that drain us.  We can even be drained doing the things we love.  If you can limit what is draining you, it may help you with your rest.  Unfortunately, we don’t always have that choice.  So if you can’t limit what is draining you, then maybe you can figure out what re-fills you. rest

You need to Refuel and Re-fill…

Work can be draining and ministry can be draining as well, but what fills you back up?  I think this is where Jesus’ invitation comes into play.  “Come unto me… and I will give you rest”  We need time with Christ to refuel.  I’m still working on this, but guarding your time and calendar is one of the most important things anyone can do to stay spiritually strong.

For me, music is often what re-fills.  It seems like I can be incredibly drained, but some time playing the guitar or listening to some Shane and Shane and things are just a little better.

 

So the next time your stressed take Jesus up on his invitation.  Spend some time with Him and Give It A Rest.


When You Need It…

I am blown away by this truth from Lamentations 3

22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

The Lord gives new mercy every morning.  Not on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, but every day.  “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”  More faithful than the sun to rise is this promise that the Lord will give mercy for the day.  Hallelujah!

 

This thought from John Piper has really resonated with me this week…

Our task today is not to have the strength needed for tomorrow’s burdens. Our task today is to live by the mercies given for today, and to believe that there will be new mercies for tomorrow. Today’s mercies do not include strength for tomorrow; they include faith that tomorrow’s unseen mercies will be sufficient for tomorrow. — Piper

faithfulness-newHere is the full article from Piper.

 

I sometimes get so worried about tomorrow – but the Lord says he has given strength for today.  Just like manna in the wilderness, he gives us what we need as we need it.  Our job is to wait, hope and seek Him.


Eternal Significance – What Have You Done That Will Last?

Sometimes life is just plain stressful. We’ve all been there. We get wrapped up and pulled into things that really aren’t all that important, and yet we are still drawn in. We end up spending so much time on temporary things. Tonight we looked at 2 Corinthians 4.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

working hands

This is such a great reminder to focus on what matters.  What have you done today that will matter in eternity?  Here are a few ways to do something for eternity every day..

  1. Listen to someone.  This is one of the most loving things that just about anyone can do.
  2. Pray for someone.  So simple, yet we easily miss an opportunity to lay up treasures here.
  3. Work hard.  Do everything to the glory of God.
  4. Tell Your Story.  Find simple ways to share what Jesus has done for you.
  5. Serve Someone.  Look for a way to help somebody else.

Ingratitude, Ignatius, and the Original Sin

I’ve always thought that pride was the original sin, but I heard a quote last week that has really had me thinking.  It’s from Ignatius of Loyola.

In the light of the Divine Goodness, it seems to me, though others may think differently, that ingratitude is the most abominable of sins and that it should be detested in the sight of our Creator and Lord by all of His creatures who are capable of enjoying His divine and everlasting glory.  — Saint Ignatius

Is it an ungrateful spirit that leads us to into the tempation of greener grass or the lust of the eyes or the lust of the flesh?  This is an interesting question.  I did some scripture searching and found very little about ingratitude or ungratefulness, but the scriptures are full of commands to give thanks.  There is a difference from telling someone to stop being ungrateful rather than imploring them to be thankful.

I’m not talking about the power of positive thinking, but the implications of grace in the life of the believer.  What I’ve been reminded of is this – the closer we get to God the further we get from ingratitude and even sin itself.

Lord, please help us to take time to reflect upon your attributes:  your mercy, steadfast love, faithfulness, justice and holiness.  And let that reflection create within us a true attitude of thankfulness.