Devotionals

We have started our new L.I.F.E. Lessons Bible Study, and I have decided to bring the contents of our study into our devotional time, as well. We are following a six-week Bible Study by Katie M. Reid entitled, “God, What Do I Do?” This study is based on the Book of Judges, Chapters 1-5, and we are digging into what these lessons teach us about making wise decisions in uncertain times.

In our passage for today, we will continue with chapter 1; our focus is “God, What Do I Do with What You’ve Given Me?”
We have been entrusted with so many gifts from God: promises, position, possessions, and people. As well, based on God’s covenant with Abraham, we have been given time, talents, and treasures to offer God during our lifetimes. As Abraham’s descendants of faith, we have received the Promised Land [symbolic of a state of rest, spiritual peace, and an eternal destination], the ability to multiply the people of faith, as well as bless the world around us. We must decide how we will use our gifts, because believers have been given territory from God to enter, possess, and faithfully steward. Will we seek to use these good gifts in ways that honor God?

This morning, we look at courageous Caleb, who was born into slavery in Egypt and experienced the Exodus and the Wilderness. His character was forged through adversity, yet instead of becoming bitter, he grew stronger. Perhaps you remember that Joshua and Caleb were two of the twelve spies sent by Moses to scout out the Promised Land. They were the only two who returned with energized faith and saw a favorable outcome.

God promised Caleb something, but before he could lay hold of the divine promise, a battle was required. This battle would strengthen and prepare Caleb to steward the promise of God. As we seek to steward God’s promise to us, we will face different battles in order to strengthen and prepare us to handle the challenges, blessings, and to take responsibility of what is being entrusted to us by God. Age is not a factor, because Caleb was 85 y/o when his promise was fulfilled. To be successful, Caleb had to learn how to responsibly delegate and how to operate in supernatural wisdom. May God help us!

Judges 1:12-20 NLT
12 Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” 13 Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife.
14 When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?”

15 She said, “Let me have another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

16 When the tribe of Judah left Jericho—the city of palms—the Kenites, who were descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, traveled with them into the wilderness of Judah. They settled among the people there, near the town of Arad in the Negev.
17 Then Judah joined with Simeon to fight against the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they completely destroyed [consecrated/offering to God] the town. So the town was named Hormah [destruction]. 18 In addition, Judah captured the towns of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, along with their surrounding territories.

Israel Fails to Conquer the Land
19 The Lord was with the people of Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they failed to drive out the people living in the plains, who had iron chariots. 20 The town of Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses had promised. And Caleb drove out the people living there, who were descendants of the three sons of Anak.

The Canaanites worshiped foreign gods and trusted in their “iron chariots” to protect them. When the tribes of Judah and Simeon saw these “iron chariots,” they saw their foe as having superior fighting power. They took their gaze from the assured promise of God to bring them victory and, instead, stepped away from their faith mission. Their disobedience would impact the other tribes.

What if the “iron chariots” we construct to defend ourselves end up being an obstruction to experiencing complete restoration? What “iron chariots” are you coming up against in your allotted territory?

Truth: When you aren’t sure what to do with what you’ve been given, decide to obey the Lord by faithfully stewarding the people, position, and place He has entrusted to you.

Prayer: Lord, we confess our focus can easily shift to the power of “iron chariots” before us, rather than remembering You are all-powerful and Your promise to bring us victory is assured. You are more than capable of making us successful in whatever You send us to be and do. Help us identify what may be hindering our ability to fully possess what is rightfully ours as Your children. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Last night we started our new L.I.F.E. Lessons Bible Study, and I have decided to bring our study into our devotional time, as well. We are following a six-week Bible Study by Katie M. Reid entitled, “God, What Do I do?” This study is based on the Book of Judges, Chapters 1-5, and we are digging into what these lessons teach us about making wise decisions in uncertain times.

Last night, my goal was to give a proper introduction to the Book of Judges. If you have time to listen to the study, it will help you understand the context, location, timeline, God’s faithfulness, and His commands. We spent much of our time “remembering” the promise of God to remain faithful to His covenant. God alone is perfectly faithful.

Later, we read Judges 1:1-2 and our focus was, “God, What Do I Do First?” In those brief passages, we learn Joshua, Israel’s military leader and assistant to Moses, has died, and the people are looking for direction from God. Entering the Promised Land is filled with uncertainty, and the people are overwhelmed. God answers the people’s prayer, gives divine direction [Judah—praise—is God’s anointed tribe to fight against the Canaanites], and then God waits for obedience. To hear is to obey!

Truth: When we aren’t sure what to do first, we must decide to pray, listen, obey…and repeat.
In our passage for today, we will continue with chapter 1; our focus is “God, What Do I Do When I Need Help?”

Judges 1:3-11 NLT
3 The men of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, “Join with us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us. Then, we will help you conquer your territory.” So the men of Simeon went with Judah.
4 When the men of Judah attacked, the Lord gave them victory over the Canaanites and Perizzites, and they killed 10,000 enemy warriors at the town of Bezek. 5 While at Bezek they encountered King Adoni-bezek and fought against him, and the Canaanites and Perizzites were defeated. 6 Adoni-bezek escaped, but the Israelites soon captured him and cut off his thumbs and big toes [justice—an eye for an eye; without thumbs cannot hold a weapon and without big toes cannot balance or fight].

7 Adoni-bezek said, “I once had seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off, eating scraps from under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They took him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it, killing all its people and setting the city on fire. 9 Then they went down to fight the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the western foothills.[a] 10 Judah marched against the Canaanites in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath-arba), defeating the forces of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 From there they went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher).

According to verses 2 and 3, God was with Judah; this is a picture of the Lord going before us in spiritual battle. Judah and Simeon supporting one another in battle is a powerful image. We are certainly stronger together, too. It can be easier to follow through in obeying the Lord when we have companionship and accountability along the way. Wearing yourself out is often based on striving and trying to prove yourself, but pouring yourself out is operating from the overflow, in obedience, and gratitude.

In verses 4-11, we should note that the people asked God for wisdom, He answered them, and they obeyed God. These two tribes worked together to accomplish God’s purposes. God’s instructions were for His people to fight against injustice, grievous sins, and idol worship—to fight against that which opposed God and His ways. This was not for violence’s sake; it was because the people had a greater need for deliverance from the sin that drew them away from God.
Truth: When you need help, decide to obey God by connecting with and helping one another, according to His example and His instructions.

Prayer: Lord, help us to maximize our efforts for your Kingdom, by collaborating and sharing the load while stewarding our responsibilities. Thank You for being our Promise Keeper and always being available for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

We all have deep needs within us that long to be satisfied. Each one of us has been made in God’s image—created to bear His name and carry the divine presence. We were designed to be filled with the pure love of God, so unless we open ourselves up to Him and welcome the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we may enjoy portions of life but fail to feel fulfilled. We may search for meaning in the world, yet find ourselves empty.  What our souls may actually long for is available and just a prayer away.

In our passage today, Jesus and his disciples are traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.  This festival celebrated, with great joy, how God provided for Israel in the wilderness:  bringing shelter, guidance, and water from a rock.  Specifically, the high point of the ceremony was when the priests took water from the Pool of Siloam, poured it out, and asked God to bring abundant blessings.  The feast celebrated God’s temporary provision, but Jesus came to reveal the eternal provision.

It was during this time in the celebration Jesus proclaimed, “Anyone who is thirst may come to me!  Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!” (John 7:37b-38a).  Jesus is the One who fulfills this blessing; the One who is the Living Water.  God provides for us in the dry seasons, because He dwells within us, and in His presence we find fulness of JOY! 

Jesus is talking about the promise of the Holy Spirit who refreshes spiritually exhausted hearts, cleanses and renews the inner life, produces peace, wisdom, and spiritual strength, fills the dry places, and brings eternal life.  Jesus promised abundance, and the Spirit provides it all!

John 7:37-39 NLT  Jesus Promises Living Water

37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

Prayer:  Lord, thank You for being our Living Water and taking care of our needs and fulfillment.  Continue to fill us, form us, and flow through us as Your people.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

These past few weeks have revealed some present suffering in our spiritual family and we have to remind ourselves it is temporary compared to eternity.  Pain is real and we cannot minimize it, but like the whole of creation we all need restoration from God and He is still working on us.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul reminds us of this restoration God is doing.  He is healing us and for those who love God and are called according to his purpose and will, He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).  The Spirit intercedes for us, because He knows the will of God and can pray accordingly.  

So, if you are feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or discouraged, take heart and trust God.  Invite the Holy Spirit to pray for you and help you when you are feeling weak or uncertain.  God loves you; trust Him.

Romans 8:18-24, 26-27 NLT  The Future Glory

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

Prayer:  Lord, we go through different seasons of struggles and discouragement. Life requires great faith.  Thank You for understanding how we feel and for giving us the Holy Spirit who prays for us to press on and seek Your perfect will.  We trust You, Lord, please deliver us from evil and keep us filled with the Spirit.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Today, we celebrate Memorial Day.   We remember the men and women who died while serving our country in the armed forces.  We honor them for their sacrifice, and we pray for their families, who may need comfort and loving support.   We must remember that many others have sacrificed for our country’s freedom.  We need to understand that this is not just a day for remembering our nation’s heroes, but also to remember God and His goodness in giving us a Savior who laid down His life for our spiritual freedom.

David writes to remind us of God’s unfailing love and our need as a nation to bow before Him.  God understands our feelings, our suffering, and our brokenness.  To be brokenhearted is to suffer grief or heartbreak.  To be crushed is to be drained and exhausted.  To be rescued is to be healed and restored. 

Our nation needs healing, and Jesus is the Healer.  Jesus laid down His life so we could live in spiritual freedom and peace.  Oh, if all the people of this nation knew the gift of the Savior and desired to live under God’s authority.  Then, God would heal our land.

Psalm 33:12 NLT  What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.

Psalm 34:18 NLT The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

John 15:13 VOICE There is no greater way to love than to give your life for your friends.

Prayer:  Father, thank You for Your compassion and mercy to draw near.  We trust Your love and rest in Your goodness.  Thank You for caring for us; for raising up men and women who were selflessly willing to serve and defend our country’s freedom.  We humbly bow before Your throne of grace and ask for comfort for those suffering loss today.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is my final devotion before we come together on Sunday to celebrate Pentecost. I absolutely love that our last message of the week comes from Paul. Remember, Paul was not present with the other disciples in the upper room, in Jerusalem, during Pentecost (Acts 2). Yet Paul’s life became one of the greatest testimonies of the transformative power of the Holy Spirit after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul was temporarily blinded so that he could spiritually see, and from that moment on, Paul never looked back as he fully surrendered his live to Jesus and allowed the Holy Spirit to stir within his heart. Paul allowed his life to be guided by the Holy Spirit and as a result his life became an example for many to witness. Friends, like Paul, our prayer should be that our lives are transformed so much that our hearts honor and glorify Jesus and our love impacts the world for His Kingdom.

In today’s passage, Paul reminds believers that we are “children of God”. I know that we say those words often, but when we say them do we think about the sheer magnitude of the meaning behind those words? Through our salvation in Christ Jesus, we are no longer slaves to fear, shame, or any sin of this world because we know Jesus has taken all of that from us, and He has ignited the Holy Spirit within us. It is the Holy Spirit Who affirms when our hearts are connected to Jesus and offers divine guidance for our lives when we are fully surrendered to Him, and all because we are children of God.

In yesterday’s devotion from Acts 2:1-11, we recalled what transpired in the upper room when the Holy Spirit first came to the Church on Pentecost in Jerusalem which was 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus. Today, Paul reminds us that as believers, we are children of God who are led by the same Holy Spirit that transformed the disciples nearly 2,000 years ago. That means that the same Holy Spirit Who settled on those disciples, is the same Holy Spirit Who blinded Paul, and is the SAME Holy Spirit Who abides within us. Think about that for a moment, right now the Holy Spirit is joining with your spirit to affirm that you are one of God’s precious children. It means that as this world tosses and turns in darkness, the Spirit draws you and me closer to the Light of Truth, which is Jesus, Who is the heart of our Father because we are set apar as God’s children. So, we are His kids, His heirs, and as a result we get to share in God’s glory with Jesus, as He prepares us to journey through every moment that this life brings, including suffering. Remember, “Abba, Father” is with us at all times, He never leaves us, and He will never forsake us. His Spirit is within us, and we get to celebrate that Truth together on Sunday.

Romans 8:14-17 (NLT)

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Prayer: Abba Father, we are so grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit and that through our salvation in Christ Jesus, You call us Your beloved children. Holy Spirit, we need You every single moment of every single day, as we never want to walk this dark world or suffering alone. So, please continue to burn brightly within each one of us and be our Guide. We ask that You continue to lead us away from fear, shame, and sin, and draw us closer to Your Truth, love, and holiness. Each one of us wants to surrender in faith like the disciples and Paul, and so we need You to fill our hearts with Your gratitude, joy, and peace. We are looking forward to coming together on Sunday to celebrate the great gift that You, Holy Spirit, live within us. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Friends, I am so excited about today’s passage. Over the last few days, we have been preparing our hearts to celebrate Pentecost this coming Sunday, and today we actually read what the disciples experienced when the Holy Spirit arrived in Acts 2. We need to keep in mind that the same Spirit that boldly brought fire to settle on each of the disciples, lives within each one of us as believers. Think about that for a moment…through our salvation, the Holy Spirit burns brightly through each one of us. He convicts us, refines us, and seeks to transform our hearts so that our lives can keep growing to reflect Jesus and His love within this hurting world. It is the greatest gift that we contain…the vibrant Holy Spirit living and moving within us.

Our passage today is Acts 2:1-11, and after days of being in the upper room together in prayer, surrender, and spiritual preparation, Pentecost FINALLY happened. God’s promise was fulfilled and the Spirit-empowered Church began at that very moment in Acts 2. Imagine, it sounded like a roaring windstorm, and suddenly each disciple was speaking languages they did not know how to speak moments before the Holy Spirit settled on each one of them. This moment reminds us that the Gospel message of Jesus, the eternal One, and His unending love is for everyone. Think about it, people from every nation heard from God, through the disciples, in their own languages on Pentecost. The same Spirit that moved through them wants to move through us. Pentecost still matters, as it reminds us that God works through surrendered hearts that are willing to turn their full lives over to the work of the Holy Spirit.

The question each of us need to ask ourselves today is, “Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, shape, and empower my daily life so that Jesus may be glorified and more hearts can come to truly know Him, to be loved by Him, and to grow in love with Him?”

Acts 2:1-11 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit Comes

1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.

7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit through Jesus. Holy Spirit, please continue to convict, refine, and transform each one of our hearts so that our lives may be willing vessels to reflect Jesus, His love, and His Truth. Help us to know what we need to surrender into Your hands. We want to be filled with Your wisdom so that You can guide us on where You needs us to go and share more of the Gospel message so others may know, love, and glorify Jesus. Thank You for the Pentecost message that reminds us that we contain Your burning love and Truth. We love You, and ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

If someone asked us to have a conversation about John 3 without opening our Bible, I think John 3:16 might come to most of our minds, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 is a beautiful theological and spiritual bridge that connects one biblical conversation to another biblical conversation within the third chapter of the Gospel of John. In the beginning of John 3, we find Jesus and Nicodemus, who is a religious leader, having a nighttime conversation. Jesus talks about the importance of being “born again” through the Spirit in order to enter the Kingdom of God, or to experience eternal life. In the second part of John 3, we find John the Baptist having a conversation with his disciples. John confirms Jesus’ divine authority and in verse 30 we see that John understands that in order for Jesus to be given all of the glory “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” This is true for each one of our lives, in order for Jesus to be glorified through our lives, we must allow the Spirit in us to become greater, as our flesh becomes less.

Our passage for today’s devotion are the last six verses of John’s conversation with his disciples, and we see that he is talking about Jesus. As we continue to prepare our hearts to celebrate Pentecost on Sunday, John reminds us that our spiritual transformation begins with our full surrender to the One Who is God, to His Word, and to His Spirit that abides within us…and that is Jesus. On Pentecost Sunday, we will be reminded that God gave the gift of the Holy Spirit through Jesus.

So, let’s ask ourselves again, is there anything within my heart and life that is resisting God’s authority, direction, and refining work? If so, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse those things from us so that our hearts are clean and open as we near Pentecost. Both of the conversations within John 3 remind us of our great need for salvation in Christ Jesus, as our eternal existence comes through believing in Him as the Son of God, and surrendering our full selves and hearts over to the Holy Spirit so He may transform us as we have been born again and baptized into a new life with Jesus.

John 3:31-36 (NLT)

31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! 33 Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. 34 For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. 36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son, Jesus, so that we may have eternal life through Him. Holy Spirit, please continue to guide us as we want our hearts to be prepared to celebrate Pentecost on Sunday. We know that our hearts must surrender to Your authority, direction, and refining work within our lives, and we desperately need Your help. We want You, Jesus, to increase within our lives so that our flesh may decrease. So, cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, and draw us closer to You, Jesus, as we want You to be glorified as we seek to draw others closer to You. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Friends, let’s continue where we left off with Peter yesterday, because his message about our spiritual preparation is crucial, especially as we live with the expectation that Jesus can return for His Church at any moment. What Peter is telling us, as the universal Church of believers, is exactly what the disciples did as they waited for the promised Holy Spirit just before Pentecost in the upper room. They devoted themselves to prayer, they loved one another with the love of Christ, and they served others with their individual God given gifts.

The three words that Pastor Mary shared during Sunday’s Challenge fit beautifully with today’s passage. If you were not able to join us here are those three words, and if you were with us, this is a reminder:

1. First, Contrast. As believers, we need to remember that it is alright to look different from everyone within the world; because as believers, we are being shaped by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Christ. So, our love and hearts for Christ and others will Contrast with the love and hearts of non-believers.
2. Second, Clarification. When life feels uncertain, Pentecost is one of many great reminders that God alone is always certain, He is in control, and we can count on Him. We can have great joy and rest in God’s supernatural peace as we trust in Him and His timing and direction for our lives. We must allow the Holy Spirit to utilize our lives so others can be blessed by our spiritual gifts to see Jesus and to hopefully turn to Him.
3. Third, Confirmation. Through our salvation, we have been called to a place of transformation. God does not want to stop by saving us. Remember, we are sanctified through our salvation. That means God has set us apart from the world, and the Holy Spirit is working in and through each one of us all of the time, even right now, to draw us away from sin and closer to Jesus and His holiness.

Let’s allow God’s Word to continue to prepare our hearts to celebrate Pentecost together on Sunday. Today, we need to keep in mind that sanctification is happening within us, right now, and that means the Holy Spirit wants to use our surrendered lives to selflessly love someone else into Jesus’s arms. Ask the Holy Spirit, in prayer, to use you and your uniquely appointed gifts to glorify the Lord and to lovingly grow His Kingdom by serving His creation.

1 Peter 4:7-11 (NLT)

7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus so we have the perfect example of how our transformed lives through our salvation in Him should look different, and contrast from the lives of those living for this world. Please clarify the Truth for our hearts today, so that we can be filled with Your joy and peace as we trust that You alone are in control. Confirm within our hearts that You are sanctifying us all of the time, as we want You, Holy Spirit, to be our Guide. We need Your guidance in our prayer time as we want to grow closer to You, so that we can love others more deeply and serve others more faithfully with our appointed gifts. Thank You for continuing to prepare our hearts for Pentecost as You draw us closer to Jesus. We ask all of this in Jesus’s Holy Name. Amen.

Pastor Mary is visiting her brother this week, and I have the privilege of filling in for our devotional time while she is with her family. Please continue to pray for all of them.

If you recall, last Thursday, Pastor Mary reminded us that it was Ascension Day. Ascension Day is 40 days after Easter and celebrates the ascension of Jesus from this earthly realm into His exalted place within the eternal heavenly realm. There are 10 days from Ascension Day until Pentecost, which we will celebrate this coming Sunday, May 24, 2026.

Our passage today, from Peter, does a perfect job of bridging Ascension Day and Pentecost, not only for the disciples but also for us as believers. Keep in mind, as Luke tells us in Acts 1, the disciples were primarily waiting, praying, worshiping, and preparing their hearts while gathered together in the upper room. If you think about it, they had no idea what was going to happen on Pentecost and so they were faithfully waiting on God’s direction and appointed time, just as you and I have to do all of the time. The disciples were waiting between a time of promise and a time of fulfillment, and their hearts were aligned with Jesus, so they would not miss out on what God was bringing them, which was the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. God wants to do the same for each one of us all of the time. We “miss out” when we step out of alignment with Jesus.

Friends, waiting is not wasted time. Just as the disciples waited in prayer, worship, and a time of preparation, Peter reminds us that as believers we are called to leave behind our old lives so that we can keep moving forward in living out our renewed lives with Jesus. We do this by surrendering our flesh to the constant work of the Holy Spirit. Our spiritual preparation takes time as it does not happen overnight, it is hard work that takes faithful dedication and discipline, and honestly, we are constantly growing in our spiritual preparation as long as we are on this side of the heavenly realm.

So, we need to keep asking ourselves, what is it within my life that I need to surrender so that the Holy Spirit can move more freely within me?

1 Peter 4:1-6 (NLT)
Living for God

1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 6 That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that as we wait upon You, we need to continue to faithfully surrender our flesh so that the Holy Spirit can move freely within us. Help each one of us today, to be more prayerful, to be more devoted as worshippers, and to lay down something that we need to surrender to You, so that we can grow spiritually deeper with You, Jesus. Holy Spirit, thank You for guiding us today. We ask that You please continue to be with everyone who needs Your healing touch and guidance today, especially Pastor Mary and her family. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.