Committed to Learn
October 29, 2007 on 9:50 pm | In devotionals | No CommentsBe diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. -2 Timothy 2:15
Have you ever had one of those golden opportunities in life to share the gospel, and you found that you just weren’t prepared? Or have you had someone fire some really hard questions at you, and you were rendered speechless? After I had been a Christian for two weeks, I felt I needed to get out and do something with my faith. I was walking down the street and who did I run into but my very close friend from elementary school. I started witnessing to him. He was listening, and he was open. It seemed as though I was making some progress. I was getting excited. I didn’t notice, however, that someone else was eavesdropping on our conversation. He walked up to me and said, “I have a few questions for you.” I thought, No problem. I have been a Christian for two weeks. I think I can grapple with most theological issues at this point. Fire away. So he fired four or five pretty tough questions at me. I can’t even remember today what they were. All I remember is that I was dumbfounded. I didn’t even have a clue. I was ashamed. I was embarrassed. But worst of all, I felt that I had let the Lord down. I made a commitment that day–a commitment to study the Bible so I would not be caught in that position again. I can’t say that I have the answer to every question now. Nor am I suggesting that I can resolve any difficulty any person has, because I can’t. But I did realize that I needed to equip myself if I was ever to be used by God. And you need to equip yourself too.
C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514
Faithful
October 27, 2007 on 12:51 pm | In devotionals | No CommentsHis mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” -John 2:5
When David was called by God to be king, he was out watching sheep, just being faithful. The day David killed Goliath, he didn’t wake up that morning and hear God say, “David, today you are going to the valley of Elah. There will be a giant Philistine named Goliath, and you will kill him with a stone.” No, David was taking food to his brothers, just being faithful on an errand for his dad. It was a little thing, but he was faithful. What was Gideon doing when God called him? He was hiding from his enemies. He was terrified. But God saw his potential, and the next thing Gideon knew, he was leading his troops into battle. And what was Elisha doing when Elijah called him to carry on the work? He was out plowing in the field. Even Moses was watching sheep when God called him to deliver the Israelites. Then there was Daniel, who was so faithful to the Lord that his enemies could not find one thing wrong with him. They had to make up lies about him so that he would be sentenced to death. My point is this: They were faithfully doing what God had set before them. They weren’t running around, looking for big things to do. They were simply doing the little things. Sometimes, we have great ideas of what God will do. But we have to wait on Him. What are your dreams right now? Maybe you want to do something for God, but you think it will never happen. Maybe it will. Maybe it even will surpass your wildest dreams. Just be faithful to do what God has set before you right now.
C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514
Grasping for the Wind
October 21, 2007 on 11:57 am | In devotionals | No CommentsI said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” -Ecclesiastes 2:1-2
Joy Davidman, the wife of C. S. Lewis, said, “Living for your own pleasure is the least pleasurable thing a person can do. If his neighbors don’t kill him in disgust, he will die slowly of boredom and powerlessness.” It has also been said that the only cure for hedonism is to try to practice it. If you go after pleasure, you will quickly see the emptiness of it. Of course, the pursuit of pleasure is nothing new. As Solomon reminds us a number of times in the Book of Ecclesiastes, when you boil it down, there is nothing new under the sun. Though our technology has changed and we have had certain advancements since Solomon wrote those words, the basic cravings of humanity have not changed. The basic things people look to have not changed either. The philosophy of “eat, drink, and be merry” has been with us for a long time. Solomon once decided to pursue everything this world had to offer. Then he came to realize there was nothing to profit from under the sun. It was only when he looked above the sun and looked to God that he found the answers he was seeking. In other words, when we see God for who He is, we will see the world for what it is. If you have a close relationship with God and are walking intimately with Him, then you will see this world for what it is. You will recognize the philosophies and concepts and ideologies our culture propagates that are contradictory to what the Bible teaches. And when you are walking closely with God, you will see the emptiness and the futility of the things people chase after.
C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514
The Right Way to Pray
October 13, 2007 on 2:41 pm | In devotionals | No Comments“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” -John 15:7
When it comes to prayer, people sometimes mistakenly think they can first come up with a plan and then get God to do what they want Him to do. They think that if they really pester God through prayer, He will finally cave in. Others would teach that if we have enough faith, we can speak something into existence. We can just say it, and it will be ours. Of course, both concepts are false. The fact of the matter is that prayer is not for the purpose of moving God your way. It is for moving you God’s way. Do you want to know the key to answered prayer? Then line yourself up with the will of God and start praying for what God wants you to have. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you”(John 15:7). A literal translation of this verse would read, “If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My Word is at home in you, you can ask at once for yourself whatever your heart desires and it will be yours ”When we hear this verse, we immediately gravitate toward the part about asking whatever our heart desires. But here is what it comes down to. If you are maintaining a living communion with God, and His words are at home with you, then your prayers will change. You won’t be praying for self-indulgent things. Instead, you will be praying for the things God wants you to have. This is what prayer is really all about. It is about getting our will into alignment with the will of God.
C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514
Ability vs. Availability
October 2, 2007 on 10:03 pm | In devotionals | No CommentsBut we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. -2 Corinthians 4:7
When Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin, it was a source of complete amazement that these untrained laymen could be so well-versed in the Scriptures–and more importantly, in their understanding. They were ordinary fishermen, salt-of-the-earth-type people. This doesn’t mean they were illiterate. But they had not attended the rabbinical schools or spent their lives in the study of the Scripture. Acts 4:13 tells us that when these religious leaders “saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” These simple fishermen appeared to be better-equipped than the professionals were. How did this happen? The disciples had been with Jesus. They were boldly sharing their faith. They knew the Scriptures. They were men who prayed.This should give hope and encouragement to those who think of themselves as ordinary people. Maybe God has not called you to be a pastor, a missionary, or some professional ministry position. But God can use you too. It is clear that He is looking for ordinary men and women to bring the gospel message to others. God can use you where you are. The opportunities are there. There is a mission field where you work. There is a mission field where you go to school. There is a mission field in your neighborhood. You are God’s representative, and He is calling you to go into this world and speak up for Him. God is not looking so much for ability as He is looking for availability. So make yourself available to Him.
C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside CA 92514
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