A Devotion May Be Someone's Only Bible
Trust is hard. It’s easy to say there is trust but actually taking the step – making the leap into mid-air without a visible net is the most difficult thing man can do. But with the Spirit of God our leap lands us safe in His palm.
When I was a child in Sunday school many years ago, I met a love so grand.
I was introduced to God’s love and His beloved Son, Jesus. These days, I am a senior, relying on my walking stick. I can no longer kneel to pray at my church. But God understands I cannot do knee mails. His love, however, is still so grand.
Our Christian faith community leaders and members pray together. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. This text means our prayers said together are a real treasure. It is a gift to have Jesus’ hands healing and guiding us to persevere in godliness. Caring and compassion were Jesus’ middle names. They should be ours too.
In the morning, I greet the quiet dawn. I pray for people of every faith and nation to unite in a patch of global peace. All Christians can pray together, as Jesus guides us, for the world to devise realistic solutions for everyone on earth.
There is nothing wrong with praying full stop. It works for me and can for everyone. So, let us all keep praying together and meeting with Jesus’ blessings. This way, we can all dwell in God’s love so grand with faith and peace.
What are some ways you can experience a love so grand?
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(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
“Don’t do this. Don’t do that.”
Those were the words I grew up with. I heard them at church (man-made rules), and I heard them at home (my grandparents’ own interpretation of the Scriptures—along with the rules they had heard in church). Break the rules and you’re headed for eternal damnation.
I always felt like a tiny bug waiting to get squished underfoot by a supreme being I could not see, hear, touch, or understand.
Did God really make all those rules? I often wondered. Or did people take it upon themselves to determine good from evil?
As I studied the Word for myself and grew in my relationship with the Lord, I realized He was the only one qualified to differentiate good from evil, right from wrong. I found more dos than don’ts—something I was never taught in church. One writer suggests that we cannot live by human inclination but by divine revelation. Don’t believe it? Just ask Adam and Eve. I’m sure we would get an earful.
Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of man-made rules—like the ones created by the Sadducees and Pharisees. Then He sent His Holy Spirit to live inside us. To lead, guide, and direct us. To show us right from wrong. To keep us on the right path and convict us when we’re tempted to stray from it. I once heard a friend say, “When we get to heaven, we’re going to find out God wasn’t nearly as concerned about all the little petty things we thought He was.”
God is not a hard taskmaster. He is a loving Father who cares about His children more than we could ever comprehend. And He does not want us to walk around fearing that we might make one wrong step and miss eternity in His presence. Instead, He richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. That’s His pleasure.
As they say, don’t sweat the small stuff. Seek God with all your heart, soul, and strength; He will keep you on track.
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(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
“This is your captain speaking. We are seventh in line for takeoff.”
“This is your captain speaking. We are fifth in line for takeoff.”
“This is your captain speaking. We are second in line for takeoff.”
We wait. And we wait some more. Life offers many opportunities for waiting, which provides time for growth in our lives. We gain strength and patience as we wait. We also learn contentment and courage.
As we wait, we can complain, whine, and be miserable. Or we can search for good, joy, and opportunities to serve the Lord.
We can write a note to one who needs reminding she is appreciated and loved. We can send a get-well card to one who is housebound. Or we could also take a much-needed nap.
And no, I’m not writing this as I sit on an airplane, waiting for takeoff. I have seven loads of laundry waiting for their turn in the washing machine and the dryer. So, I might as well make what could be a chore into a fun activity as I wait for the Lord.
Take a moment to thank God for the many opportunities during which He allows you to wait. Ask Him to help you use your time wisely so you can bring praise, honor, and glory to Him.
What do you do during your periods of waiting?
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(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
I once fasted, but not from food.
I suddenly found myself saddled with two car payments. Knowing I couldn’t afford both, I had a decision to make. One of the vehicles would have to go. One was a new Chevrolet Tracker I had just purchased. The other was a used Chevrolet S-10 pickup. The solution came not in selling one but in drawing out my retirement so I could pay one of them off. I chose the Tracker and then gave it to my daughter, who was about to leave for college.
The decision to give up the Tracker was difficult. I planned to use it on my monthly hiking escapades in the mountains. Love, however, led me to give it up for a higher purpose.
Fasting requires letting go. Often, food is in question. It was when Jesus addressed the religious hypocrites who thought they did such an excellent job at it. Like most of what they did, they did this with ulterior motives. They wanted others to notice them.
Dieting from food for a time or certain foods has never been my forte, but God has shown me a few other things I need to take a break from. Sin is one. Instead of seeing how close I can come to sin without sinning, I need to stay as far away from it as possible. God has given us a new nature, and we must avoid the “old person” with a passion. Christian baptism symbolizes our intention to die to the old way of living, walking instead in obedience to Christ’s commands.
When we choose to diet for God, it should also be because we want to draw closer to Him. Good and not-so-good attractions that attempt to distract us from God pepper this world. Giving up whatever prevents us from clinging close to His side is always a good diet.
Dieting for God is an individual choice. God won’t force us to diet for Him. We must voluntarily let go of those things that keep us from a closer walk with him.
What can you let go of that will move you closer to God?
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(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
I once had the opportunity to lead a Bible study for college students at my church.
I spent the summer teaching the truths of Scripture and my students how to apply it. During this time, the Holy Spirit revealed one of my supernatural giftings to me: teaching. When I first realized this, I was shocked and amazed. I could see how the Spirit had enabled me to teach the Word to build up the body of Christ. The more I have prayed and used this gift, the more the Spirit has given me opportunities to exercise my gift to impact others.
The Holy Spirit has given all believers gifts to build up the body of Christ. There are many different gifts, but all come together to form one body. Just as a body has many different parts that all serve one purpose, so does the body of Christ with the gifts of the Spirit.
Even if we don’t know our gift, the Spirit still has a purpose for us. We can learn our gifts through studying the different gifts, praying, fasting, and examining our lives to see if what we have been doing for the body of Christ aligns with any gifts. Just as we have been empowered and enabled by the Spirit of God, we should empower others by building them up through exercising our gift.
If our gift is teaching, we can empower others by teaching the truths revealed in Scripture. The Spirit still empowers us even if we don’t know our gifts. We can look for opportunities to build up our communities through evangelism, service, and generosity.
Ask the Spirit how He can use you in the body of Christ. Study the Bible to grasp better how building up the body looks. Talk to a spiritual leader about spiritual gifts. Actively seek out what you can do to build up and empower individuals in your community intentionally. Pray for ways or opportunities to use your gift in the body of Christ.
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(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)