APRIL 15, 2011.TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY APRIL 15, 2011
DEITY
PART TWO
DEFINITION:
A God; Divine nature.
SCRIPTURE:
“Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.” John 5: 8-9.
“Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, LAZARUS, COME FORTH. The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” John 11:43.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We have been praying that since you read yesterdays devotional on the Deity of Christ that many possible questions that you may have had have been answered. Our major concern is that if you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior that you will do that now. Nothing is more important in life then your relationship with God through His Son Jesus.
If you missed yesterday’s devotional it will be added to our past devotionals in the next few weeks and you can get it under past devotionals alphabetized on our web site. Now let’s continue by sharing with you more examples from what we read in the scriptures about the Deity of Christ.
God created the world and all that is in it and created everything perfect. After Adam and Eve sinned, disease and suffering came into the world. When Jesus was on this earth, most of the miracles that He performed demonstrated His power to bring renewal and to prolong life to a fallen creation. He made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk and healed those that were sick to show to mankind His Deity and His power to prolong life.
The second miracle that He performed was the healing of the son of a royal official. When Jesus performed a miracle of healing He saw more then just the need for physical healing but also the need for spiritual healing in a person’s life. He saw their need to be forgiven of their sins.
Ordinarily when Jesus did miracles of healing He was sought out and was asked to give healing. It was essential for the person asking for healing to have faith in Jesus. But the healing of the lame man, described in John 5, was unusual in both of these aspects. The man was unable to walk and he did not seek out Jesus and ask for healing. He did not even know who Jesus was, Jesus found him.
This lame man had sat by the pool called Bethesda in Jerusalem for 38 years hoping to be healed. It was believed that when the water of the pool stirred it had healing power for the first one to get into the pool.
When Jesus saw the man, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?” After telling Jesus that he was hoping to be healed by the water in the pool, Jesus immediately healed the man and he got up and walked. Although Jesus usually healed people because of their faith in Him, this illustration is given us to show that Jesus’ power to heal is not limited by a person’s lack of faith. Nothing can limit Jesus’ Divinity of restoration and prolonging of life.
The last thing that Jesus said to this man was, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you.” Jesus saw more then his physical need, He saw his spiritual need. For all those years the man had been hoping for healing from the wrong thing. Jesus is the one we should put our trust in for healing because He can heal us not only physically but spiritually.
Jesus also performed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead as recorded in John 11:38-44 proving to us His deity in His power to re-create life. Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus that “He whom you love is sick.” But Jesus did not go to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, until he had been dead and in the tomb for four days. But when He came He came with all power and authority showing His deity.
Jesus through this miracle showed that in His deity He had power over life and death. He not only restored life to Lazarus, through His Father they restored His life after His death on the cross. It is only through Jesus that we are restored from death to life.
Jesus in His deity knows all about us. He sees each of us as either one of His fallen creations or one who has been restored by the power of His Deity to forgive us of our sins. Just as Jesus sought out the lame man and asked him if he wanted to be made well, He seeks us out and asks us if we want to be made well in our sin sick bodies by the power of His divine power to forgive.
Over the years we have known and seen so many people who have been healed, many of them children who were so sick and some not even expected to live. We know there is power in prayer. God still today hears our prayers and will answer our specific prayers concerning our needs and the needs of others. He will do this in accordance with His will.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 4:2.
Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord for Your Divine power and Your ability to forgive our sins and to heal our bodies. Help me today to be more concerned about those who are sick, lonely and feeling hopeless. Help me to understand the power of prayer and give me a burning desire in my heart to pray for those that I know need a healing touch from You.
April 17, 2011
Diety Part One: April 14, 2011
APRIL 14, 2011.TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY APRIL 14, 2011
DEITY
PART ONE
DEFINITION:
A God; Divine nature.
SCRIPTURE:
For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen. Romans 1:20
“Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the water pots with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, ‘draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast.’” John 2:7-8
“And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples distributed to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. John 6:11
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the past we have written several devotionals discussing the Deity of Christ. Many wonderful friends recently that have been reading our daily devotionals have communicated with us through the e-mail and have asked teaching of the scriptures about the Deity of Christ.
We read that some of you are searching as to how to be sure that Jesus is God. Many of you are searching just for peace in your life hoping we can help you find peace. We hear from some of you a conflict that you feel between what your culture has taught you and what the Bible teaches.
It is important that you understand what we are talking about when we refer to Christ’s Deity. As you see above, Webster defines deity as divine nature. God’s divine nature is that He is holy and eternal. God Himself declared Jesus to be His beloved Son. In Matthew 3:17 we read that when John the Baptist baptized Christ Jesus, there came a voice from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” As the Son of God, Christ is deity. If Christ is not deity, He would be powerless to save us. Understanding and acknowledging Jesus’ divine nature is the essential foundation for our faith. Please read this last sentence again and make sure you understand its meaning.
Paul gives us one of the best descriptions of Jesus divine nature in Colossians 1:15-16. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or rulers or authorities, all things were created by Him.” He is the exact image of God and not only equal with God, He is God and the creator of all things.
It is important that you read and understand what Paul said above, but also that you fully accept it and make it part of your everyday life. When you understand the Deity of Christ and accept Him as your Savior, your life will change. To help you we will give you several more examples from the scripture.
The gospel of John gives us numerous signs or miracles that prove the deity and power of Jesus while He was on this earth. Today we want to share with you some thoughts on Jesus’ power to CREATE!
Jesus chose a wedding in Cana of Galilee to present and to prove His deity and power to create when He created wine from water. Wine is made from grapes, not water. The grapes must be gathered from a vineyard and pressed to extract the juice and then placed into containers and allowed to age and ferment. This is a very lengthy process.
At a marriage feast in Jesus time, it was the custom to serve the best wine at the beginning of the feast and then the poorest of the wine when all the guests were filled. When Jesus turned the water into wine at this marriage feast, the master of the house called the bridegroom and said: “You have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus not only created wine but the best and did not take the normal months and years to get the best.
This was Jesus’ first miracle and performed at the beginning of His ministry on earth. Jesus never performed a miracle without a purpose. Jesus performed this miracle to show His deity and to show His disciples and you and me that He is God and has power to create.
The miracle that we call “the feeding of the five thousand” is the only one recorded in all four gospels. This miracle was unique because it was public. Jesus usually performed His miracles just before a few people. It was also unique because the 5000 people not only saw it happening but participated in it.
Jesus did this miracle with what we would call insignificant materials. The fish were small and the bread was barley --- only the poor people ate it. This was also the only recorded time in the scriptures that Jesus asked anyone’s advice. He asked Philip where to get the bread. Jesus already knew but He wanted to test his faith. Philip failed the test because he lacked the faith in Jesus’ Deity.
As Christians we need to sit back and look with awe at all that God has created. Just look at the beauty of the mountains and valleys. Look at the seashore and even the deserts and you will see the beauty of His handiwork. In our travels we have seen so much poverty, hunger and loneliness. Even in areas of extreme poverty, God’s handiwork can be seen. Whether we are rich or poor, we can enjoy the beauty of His creation. Take time today to thank God for His creations. They bear testimony to His deity and divine nature and His eternal power.
We have more to share with you concerning the Deity of Christ so we will continue with this word tomorrow.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 4:2.
Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
PRAYER:
How grateful I am to see every day the miracles of Your creation all around me. I praise You for the things that we seem to take for granted each day. Thank You for the many miracles that we read about in Your Word that testifies that You are God and the creator and giver of all good things.
DEITY
PART ONE
DEFINITION:
A God; Divine nature.
SCRIPTURE:
For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen. Romans 1:20
“Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the water pots with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, ‘draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast.’” John 2:7-8
“And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples distributed to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. John 6:11
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the past we have written several devotionals discussing the Deity of Christ. Many wonderful friends recently that have been reading our daily devotionals have communicated with us through the e-mail and have asked teaching of the scriptures about the Deity of Christ.
We read that some of you are searching as to how to be sure that Jesus is God. Many of you are searching just for peace in your life hoping we can help you find peace. We hear from some of you a conflict that you feel between what your culture has taught you and what the Bible teaches.
It is important that you understand what we are talking about when we refer to Christ’s Deity. As you see above, Webster defines deity as divine nature. God’s divine nature is that He is holy and eternal. God Himself declared Jesus to be His beloved Son. In Matthew 3:17 we read that when John the Baptist baptized Christ Jesus, there came a voice from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” As the Son of God, Christ is deity. If Christ is not deity, He would be powerless to save us. Understanding and acknowledging Jesus’ divine nature is the essential foundation for our faith. Please read this last sentence again and make sure you understand its meaning.
Paul gives us one of the best descriptions of Jesus divine nature in Colossians 1:15-16. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or rulers or authorities, all things were created by Him.” He is the exact image of God and not only equal with God, He is God and the creator of all things.
It is important that you read and understand what Paul said above, but also that you fully accept it and make it part of your everyday life. When you understand the Deity of Christ and accept Him as your Savior, your life will change. To help you we will give you several more examples from the scripture.
The gospel of John gives us numerous signs or miracles that prove the deity and power of Jesus while He was on this earth. Today we want to share with you some thoughts on Jesus’ power to CREATE!
Jesus chose a wedding in Cana of Galilee to present and to prove His deity and power to create when He created wine from water. Wine is made from grapes, not water. The grapes must be gathered from a vineyard and pressed to extract the juice and then placed into containers and allowed to age and ferment. This is a very lengthy process.
At a marriage feast in Jesus time, it was the custom to serve the best wine at the beginning of the feast and then the poorest of the wine when all the guests were filled. When Jesus turned the water into wine at this marriage feast, the master of the house called the bridegroom and said: “You have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus not only created wine but the best and did not take the normal months and years to get the best.
This was Jesus’ first miracle and performed at the beginning of His ministry on earth. Jesus never performed a miracle without a purpose. Jesus performed this miracle to show His deity and to show His disciples and you and me that He is God and has power to create.
The miracle that we call “the feeding of the five thousand” is the only one recorded in all four gospels. This miracle was unique because it was public. Jesus usually performed His miracles just before a few people. It was also unique because the 5000 people not only saw it happening but participated in it.
Jesus did this miracle with what we would call insignificant materials. The fish were small and the bread was barley --- only the poor people ate it. This was also the only recorded time in the scriptures that Jesus asked anyone’s advice. He asked Philip where to get the bread. Jesus already knew but He wanted to test his faith. Philip failed the test because he lacked the faith in Jesus’ Deity.
As Christians we need to sit back and look with awe at all that God has created. Just look at the beauty of the mountains and valleys. Look at the seashore and even the deserts and you will see the beauty of His handiwork. In our travels we have seen so much poverty, hunger and loneliness. Even in areas of extreme poverty, God’s handiwork can be seen. Whether we are rich or poor, we can enjoy the beauty of His creation. Take time today to thank God for His creations. They bear testimony to His deity and divine nature and His eternal power.
We have more to share with you concerning the Deity of Christ so we will continue with this word tomorrow.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 4:2.
Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
PRAYER:
How grateful I am to see every day the miracles of Your creation all around me. I praise You for the things that we seem to take for granted each day. Thank You for the many miracles that we read about in Your Word that testifies that You are God and the creator and giver of all good things.
Passion: April 13, 2011
APRIL 13, 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2011.
PASSION
DEFINITION:
Intense emotion; anger; rage; ardent love; enthusiasm; the object of admiration.
SCRIPTURE:
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14.
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient and deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. Titus 3:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Our family, children and grandchildren, for the most part, are sports enthusiasts. They not only play sports but follow their favorite professional teams and players. Some get really involved at times and show “passion” for a certain player or team. Passion for our family in sports means at times great enthusiasm and even intense emotion.
In today’s society the word “passion” usually refers to sensuality or sexuality. In Titus 3:3 (above) Paul tells us that passion for the sinful pleasures of this world enslave us. When we live for sensual gratification we become slaves to our sinful desires. Because of God’s love and mercy He sent Jesus to free us from our slavery to sin. The meaning of passion is really an intense desire toward something or someone and can be applied to many areas of life. One place that the word “passion” needs to appear is in the believer’s life. We as believers should passionately seek to know the Lord Jesus Christ who saved us from our sins.
Even though our family has at times a passion for a sport or a team it never overshadows our passion for our faith and our belief in Jesus. We are thrilled that all of our children and grandchildren have their priorities right and always put their faith in Jesus first.
When we claim to know someone, we often just mean that we have accumulated facts about the person or simply are aware of his or her existence. Unfortunately, too many Christians know Jesus in this superficial way. He is the world’s Savior, the virgin-born Son of God who accepted death in our place and then rose again to sit at the Father’s right hand according to the scriptures. Those are the facts but just knowing these facts does not give a person the right to call themselves a Christian.
A believer in Jesus must not only know and accept these facts but must with a passion accept Jesus into their heart to begin a daily relationship. One must become intimate with Jesus and this can only become a reality by daily opening the Word and making Jesus a reality in your life through the scriptures and then communicating to Him in prayer.
Studying God’s Word is the essential first step to develop a passion for Christ. As we read the Bible we grow in understanding His ways and promises and see His great love for us. Our intimacy with Christ requires that we give Him our time to read His Word, talk to Him through prayer and listen for Him to speak.
Developing a passion for Jesus is not a one day affair but a lifetime pursuit. This true passion will only become a reality in one’s life when he or she will commit to lay aside everything that competes with one’s devotion to their Lord and Savior. Fueling a passion for Christ brings the believer rewards as nothing else can.
When you think of family life today, we all must first develop this passion for our Lord and when this happens we will have a deep passion for our spouse, children, parents and family. This is what our heavenly Father wants from us today. How do you respond?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 4:2.
Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
PRAYER:
Help me to develop a real Christ centered passion in my heart today for You. May my family join me in developing this passion so that as a family we can together make an impact on the world around us for Your sake.
PASSION
DEFINITION:
Intense emotion; anger; rage; ardent love; enthusiasm; the object of admiration.
SCRIPTURE:
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14.
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient and deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. Titus 3:3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Our family, children and grandchildren, for the most part, are sports enthusiasts. They not only play sports but follow their favorite professional teams and players. Some get really involved at times and show “passion” for a certain player or team. Passion for our family in sports means at times great enthusiasm and even intense emotion.
In today’s society the word “passion” usually refers to sensuality or sexuality. In Titus 3:3 (above) Paul tells us that passion for the sinful pleasures of this world enslave us. When we live for sensual gratification we become slaves to our sinful desires. Because of God’s love and mercy He sent Jesus to free us from our slavery to sin. The meaning of passion is really an intense desire toward something or someone and can be applied to many areas of life. One place that the word “passion” needs to appear is in the believer’s life. We as believers should passionately seek to know the Lord Jesus Christ who saved us from our sins.
Even though our family has at times a passion for a sport or a team it never overshadows our passion for our faith and our belief in Jesus. We are thrilled that all of our children and grandchildren have their priorities right and always put their faith in Jesus first.
When we claim to know someone, we often just mean that we have accumulated facts about the person or simply are aware of his or her existence. Unfortunately, too many Christians know Jesus in this superficial way. He is the world’s Savior, the virgin-born Son of God who accepted death in our place and then rose again to sit at the Father’s right hand according to the scriptures. Those are the facts but just knowing these facts does not give a person the right to call themselves a Christian.
A believer in Jesus must not only know and accept these facts but must with a passion accept Jesus into their heart to begin a daily relationship. One must become intimate with Jesus and this can only become a reality by daily opening the Word and making Jesus a reality in your life through the scriptures and then communicating to Him in prayer.
Studying God’s Word is the essential first step to develop a passion for Christ. As we read the Bible we grow in understanding His ways and promises and see His great love for us. Our intimacy with Christ requires that we give Him our time to read His Word, talk to Him through prayer and listen for Him to speak.
Developing a passion for Jesus is not a one day affair but a lifetime pursuit. This true passion will only become a reality in one’s life when he or she will commit to lay aside everything that competes with one’s devotion to their Lord and Savior. Fueling a passion for Christ brings the believer rewards as nothing else can.
When you think of family life today, we all must first develop this passion for our Lord and when this happens we will have a deep passion for our spouse, children, parents and family. This is what our heavenly Father wants from us today. How do you respond?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 4:2.
Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
PRAYER:
Help me to develop a real Christ centered passion in my heart today for You. May my family join me in developing this passion so that as a family we can together make an impact on the world around us for Your sake.
Pain: April 12, 2011
APRIL 12, 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY APRIL 12, 2011.
PAIN
DEFINITION:
Physical, mental or emotional suffering. Suffering of body or mind; cause suffering to.
SCRIPTURE:
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:5-6.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
As we are growing older we have aches and pains we never had to deal with before. We learn to live with these aches and pains, understanding they are just part of getting older. Thanks be to God we have not experienced the extreme pain that some of our friends have experienced. Pain profoundly affects us. It causes depression and anxiety. On the positive side pain can make you more sensitive to the pain that others are going through. Pain can help you grow in the Lord because it forces you to lean on the Lord for His comfort and healing.
Often in life when a person goes through a time of suffering and pain they refer going through a deep valley in their life. When everything is going well in a person’s life they might refer to it as being on a mountain top of blessing.
In the Bible, valleys symbolize periods of hardship and suffering. In Psalm 23:4, the Psalmist evokes a particular dangerous and painful image by referring to “the valley of the shadow of death.” Spiritual valleys are inevitable in our lives. Even those of great faith in the Lord will experience them.
In times of great pain many feel like they would just as soon die rather than endure more pain. Job experienced such a feeling. Even though Job had strong faith in God, his great pain and suffering brought him to such a depth of despair that he said, “Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came out of the womb.” Job 3:11
People rarely think of suffering or pain as profitable. But when one faces the difficulty and pain of a valley experience, we mature spiritually. We make discoveries about ourselves when we face pain and trials that point out clearly who we truly are. When our life is shaken by pain, we quickly learn what is the basis of our faith: the scriptures or our opinion. Valley experiences, like pain, reveal our priorities. God’s purpose for us during our pain is to take away from us everything we depend on, our spiritual crutches included, until nothing in our lives competes with Jesus’ reign in our lives. When we are down and out the only way to look is up.
Crutches and our personal bravery that we usually depend on are to be replaced by a real dependence on God. In the verses we have printed above, believers are encouraged to recall that He provides for our needs --- “prepare(s) a table before me in the presence of my enemies (pain) and heals our wounds --- “anoint(s) our head with oil.
A good shepherd, in Jesus day, rubbed oil onto the scrapes his sheep while in the fields. In doing this the healing began before the animal left the valley floor. When we rely on our Shepherd, Jesus, we experience healing from our pain and a renewed intimacy and a sense of peace that only the Lord can give us and this will sustain us through the present trial and far beyond.
Many people are facing pain in their lives today from various causes. It may be physical pain; it may be the pain of a dysfunctional marriage or family. It may be the pain of a lost job, home or some other material item. It may be the loss of a close relationship with God because of the “things” of life taking priority in one’s life. Whatever pain we are suffering we can be assured Jesus understands because of what Jesus Himself suffered in His life here on earth and in His death on the cross. He is waiting for you to come to Him so He can show His goodness and His mercy to you.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 4:2
Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the words of the Psalmist that have served as a reminder in my life to reach out to You when I go through the valleys of life. Thank You for being my Shepherd and watching over me with such great and loving care.
PAIN
DEFINITION:
Physical, mental or emotional suffering. Suffering of body or mind; cause suffering to.
SCRIPTURE:
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:5-6.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
As we are growing older we have aches and pains we never had to deal with before. We learn to live with these aches and pains, understanding they are just part of getting older. Thanks be to God we have not experienced the extreme pain that some of our friends have experienced. Pain profoundly affects us. It causes depression and anxiety. On the positive side pain can make you more sensitive to the pain that others are going through. Pain can help you grow in the Lord because it forces you to lean on the Lord for His comfort and healing.
Often in life when a person goes through a time of suffering and pain they refer going through a deep valley in their life. When everything is going well in a person’s life they might refer to it as being on a mountain top of blessing.
In the Bible, valleys symbolize periods of hardship and suffering. In Psalm 23:4, the Psalmist evokes a particular dangerous and painful image by referring to “the valley of the shadow of death.” Spiritual valleys are inevitable in our lives. Even those of great faith in the Lord will experience them.
In times of great pain many feel like they would just as soon die rather than endure more pain. Job experienced such a feeling. Even though Job had strong faith in God, his great pain and suffering brought him to such a depth of despair that he said, “Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came out of the womb.” Job 3:11
People rarely think of suffering or pain as profitable. But when one faces the difficulty and pain of a valley experience, we mature spiritually. We make discoveries about ourselves when we face pain and trials that point out clearly who we truly are. When our life is shaken by pain, we quickly learn what is the basis of our faith: the scriptures or our opinion. Valley experiences, like pain, reveal our priorities. God’s purpose for us during our pain is to take away from us everything we depend on, our spiritual crutches included, until nothing in our lives competes with Jesus’ reign in our lives. When we are down and out the only way to look is up.
Crutches and our personal bravery that we usually depend on are to be replaced by a real dependence on God. In the verses we have printed above, believers are encouraged to recall that He provides for our needs --- “prepare(s) a table before me in the presence of my enemies (pain) and heals our wounds --- “anoint(s) our head with oil.
A good shepherd, in Jesus day, rubbed oil onto the scrapes his sheep while in the fields. In doing this the healing began before the animal left the valley floor. When we rely on our Shepherd, Jesus, we experience healing from our pain and a renewed intimacy and a sense of peace that only the Lord can give us and this will sustain us through the present trial and far beyond.
Many people are facing pain in their lives today from various causes. It may be physical pain; it may be the pain of a dysfunctional marriage or family. It may be the pain of a lost job, home or some other material item. It may be the loss of a close relationship with God because of the “things” of life taking priority in one’s life. Whatever pain we are suffering we can be assured Jesus understands because of what Jesus Himself suffered in His life here on earth and in His death on the cross. He is waiting for you to come to Him so He can show His goodness and His mercy to you.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 4:2
Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the words of the Psalmist that have served as a reminder in my life to reach out to You when I go through the valleys of life. Thank You for being my Shepherd and watching over me with such great and loving care.
Confidence: April 11, 2011
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY APRIL 11, 2011
CONFIDENCE
DEFINITION:
Firm trust; reliance; self assurance; boldness; an assured state of mind.
SCRIPTURE:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.
Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. II Corinthians 3:4-5.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We learned in our training of our children that we saw confidence develop in each one when we would compliment them on a good decision they made or at the completion of a good project. When you talk down to a child and constantly criticize them they will soon lose all confidence in themselves. Nothing encourages a person more than a compliment and compliments to all people of all ages give confidence to that person.
We noticed that the same thing happened when we coached children (ages 8 to 12) in soccer and baseball. Each year we had a new set of children, for the most part, on our teams. Many of them lacked certain skills in playing the game but more important very few had confidence in themselves. Part of the success that we enjoyed about coaching was watching each child gain more confidence in themselves from the beginning of our time with them until the end of that season.
We have talked to many people who seem to be very confident in what they are saying and what they are doing. But when the conversation leaves their area of so called expertise they usually waver and you see their confidence fall apart. This is true with young children when they learn to walk. After that first step or two you can see in their eyes confidence and then all of a sudden they fall and lose their confidence.
The apostle Paul who wrote the verse above was a confident man. In his earlier years his positive attitude and confidence came from his credentials. His background, education and position in life made him very confident. However, when he had his encounter with the Lord all of a sudden he realized his education and position were of little worth. He had to re-evaluate his priorities because he came to understand that all that he had attained was because of his own efforts and that all of it would soon pass away.
What was the source of Paul’s new boldness? His new relationship with Christ formed a new foundation for his existence. (Acts 9: 1-6) He whole-heartedly embraced his new life in Christ. Paul first of all realized the inadequacy of everything he had previously relied upon -- his knowledge, his achievements and his authority. He also relinquished any notion of living independently of the Lord and recognized he must live his life in total reliance upon the Lord.
Paul’s unwavering trust in God’s faithfulness played a key role in helping Paul make this dramatic change in his life. He became very confident and firmly believed that God’s promise to him --- to equip him and strengthen him, to guide him in every situation, to meet his every need and to never leave him--- were all that he needed in life.
Because he took the Lord at His word, he could meet adversity with boldness. The source of his confidence changed dramatically. No longer was his confidence in himself but now it was in God’s presence, provision and power; therefore it became stronger than at any time before in his life.
Paul tells us in the verse above from II Corinthians that when we confidently trust in the Lord, He is all sufficient for us. When the Lord is our sufficiency it will bring to us many blessings such as spiritual growth, personal achievement, peace in our hearts and Godly influence. When our reliance in God is steady, we will respond to difficulties by seeking Him for guidance and strength and not rely on ourselves. We build our confidence when we read the Bible daily and communicate to our God through prayer each and every day. But we can lose our confidence when we forget and by pass God and focus on the circumstances and not on God.
As believers in Jesus we need to work daily on our own confidence as it relates to our relationship with the Lord. If you look at the above definition of confidence, you will notice the word “boldness.” As believers we need to be bold in living out our faith and in defending our faith to those who might question what we believe.
As in sports, the more a child would work on the basic skills necessary to play the game; he or she would become more boldly confident in what he or she could attempt. As believers it works the same way. The more we study God’s Word and practice what we learn and then pray daily so we have a two way communication with our Lord, the more confident and bold we will become in living out our faith. Then we will understand what Paul meant when he said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 4:2
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
PRAYER:
May my actions today reveal to all those that I meet that I have a Christ-centered confidence that can only come because of my faith in You. Help me to develop a wholehearted trust and reliance on You that brings about confidence in every circumstance I face.
CONFIDENCE
DEFINITION:
Firm trust; reliance; self assurance; boldness; an assured state of mind.
SCRIPTURE:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.
Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. II Corinthians 3:4-5.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We learned in our training of our children that we saw confidence develop in each one when we would compliment them on a good decision they made or at the completion of a good project. When you talk down to a child and constantly criticize them they will soon lose all confidence in themselves. Nothing encourages a person more than a compliment and compliments to all people of all ages give confidence to that person.
We noticed that the same thing happened when we coached children (ages 8 to 12) in soccer and baseball. Each year we had a new set of children, for the most part, on our teams. Many of them lacked certain skills in playing the game but more important very few had confidence in themselves. Part of the success that we enjoyed about coaching was watching each child gain more confidence in themselves from the beginning of our time with them until the end of that season.
We have talked to many people who seem to be very confident in what they are saying and what they are doing. But when the conversation leaves their area of so called expertise they usually waver and you see their confidence fall apart. This is true with young children when they learn to walk. After that first step or two you can see in their eyes confidence and then all of a sudden they fall and lose their confidence.
The apostle Paul who wrote the verse above was a confident man. In his earlier years his positive attitude and confidence came from his credentials. His background, education and position in life made him very confident. However, when he had his encounter with the Lord all of a sudden he realized his education and position were of little worth. He had to re-evaluate his priorities because he came to understand that all that he had attained was because of his own efforts and that all of it would soon pass away.
What was the source of Paul’s new boldness? His new relationship with Christ formed a new foundation for his existence. (Acts 9: 1-6) He whole-heartedly embraced his new life in Christ. Paul first of all realized the inadequacy of everything he had previously relied upon -- his knowledge, his achievements and his authority. He also relinquished any notion of living independently of the Lord and recognized he must live his life in total reliance upon the Lord.
Paul’s unwavering trust in God’s faithfulness played a key role in helping Paul make this dramatic change in his life. He became very confident and firmly believed that God’s promise to him --- to equip him and strengthen him, to guide him in every situation, to meet his every need and to never leave him--- were all that he needed in life.
Because he took the Lord at His word, he could meet adversity with boldness. The source of his confidence changed dramatically. No longer was his confidence in himself but now it was in God’s presence, provision and power; therefore it became stronger than at any time before in his life.
Paul tells us in the verse above from II Corinthians that when we confidently trust in the Lord, He is all sufficient for us. When the Lord is our sufficiency it will bring to us many blessings such as spiritual growth, personal achievement, peace in our hearts and Godly influence. When our reliance in God is steady, we will respond to difficulties by seeking Him for guidance and strength and not rely on ourselves. We build our confidence when we read the Bible daily and communicate to our God through prayer each and every day. But we can lose our confidence when we forget and by pass God and focus on the circumstances and not on God.
As believers in Jesus we need to work daily on our own confidence as it relates to our relationship with the Lord. If you look at the above definition of confidence, you will notice the word “boldness.” As believers we need to be bold in living out our faith and in defending our faith to those who might question what we believe.
As in sports, the more a child would work on the basic skills necessary to play the game; he or she would become more boldly confident in what he or she could attempt. As believers it works the same way. The more we study God’s Word and practice what we learn and then pray daily so we have a two way communication with our Lord, the more confident and bold we will become in living out our faith. Then we will understand what Paul meant when he said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 4:2
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
PRAYER:
May my actions today reveal to all those that I meet that I have a Christ-centered confidence that can only come because of my faith in You. Help me to develop a wholehearted trust and reliance on You that brings about confidence in every circumstance I face.
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