Devotionals

In our Tuesday discussion following The Chosen (season 4; episode 6), we explored how human beings can have preconceived notions about God and his perspective of life that are not clarified in his Word. For example, we might choose to believe that God will prevent traumatic things from happening in the lives of believers while on earth if we simply love and trust him; however, traumatic things happen all the time to those who are pure in heart. We might choose to believe while on earth God will spare us heartache and disappointment based on the power of our faith; however, God is near to the brokenhearted. We must align our theology of God with the Truth of his Word.

I believe we serve a very powerful God who loves us, but our belief’s may not always align with God’s purpose and plan for salvation. We need to ask for understanding when we face difficulties. According to Scripture, God did not spare the suffering of his own Son, but gave him up for all of us (Ro 8:32). As well, Jesus prepared his disciples for the challenges ahead of them, “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith…so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:1, 33-34). Jesus was seeking to convince his disciples about the truth of a life beyond this world and the need to press on in hope while on earth.

In our passage today, Jesus shares a case history about two people and their experiences in this earthly life with wealth, poverty, and their eternal destination. In the passage, we meet an unnamed rich man, as well as a poor man named Lazarus [no connection to the Lazarus Jesus raised from the dead]. The rich man parades his wealth, feasts on delicious foods, and enjoys the finest things in life while he knowingly allows his neighbor, Lazarus, to remain hungry and suffer. He thinks only of himself and his pleasures. Lazarus begs for simple crumbs, is met with indifference, but presses on in faith. Then, both men face death.

The roles then reverse and Lazarus is the recipient of the blessings of Abraham and the rich man finds himself in a place of torment and punishment. Lazarus was not saved because he was poor; nor was the rich man sent to Hades because of his wealth. Both men had a vastly different earthly life, but Lazarus was a descendent of Abraham—a person of faith.

After Jesus died for the sins of the world, eternal life opened to humanity. At death, human beings either find themselves in the presence of God or in the place of torment. The spirits and souls of both the rich man and Lazarus were transported. In this passage, Jesus reminds us of eternal realities and we should not see this as a parable; but rather the truth according to the Living Word.

Luke 16:19-31 NLT Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet.[a] The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and he went to the place of the dead.[b] There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this lesson about the heart. You have assigned to us different experiences and we must find our faith in you and trust you no matter how difficult things may be at times. As well, we need to find ourselves filled with compassion and learning to share your blessings with others. Help us ponder this lesson today and put your love into practical acts. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Life has changed for many of us; so we must change in how we perceive the things before us each day by embracing the true wisdom of God. By God’s decree, worldly wisdom has been rendered worthless. Unredeemed humanity has lost true common sense and has become even more blinded by evil. However, this is the time for the children of Light to shine in the darkness. Be courageous…God is with us!

There is nothing eternal about the scope of worldly wisdom. I need much, much more than a temporary fix these days. Actually, every day we should be searching for godly wisdom. We don’t need to search far; for our benefit God has connected us to Christ and made him to be wisdom itself (1 Cor 1:30). I am so grateful to have my connection to Christ! What would we do in this chaotic mess without Jesus—our living HOPE?

Today, our Scripture reading comes from the Book of Job [Wisdom Literature]—Job is a righteous man of integrity and prosperity. One day Job is doing really well and life is good; the next day he faces one disaster after another that tests his faith. Job begins to deeply suffer in spirit, soul, and body. Why? Unbeknown by Job, Satan wants to prove to God that Job will stop being a righteous worshiper [obediently honor the authority] of the Most High if God temporarily ceases to protect and bless him (Job 1:11). The biggest test we will ever face will be the temptation to curse God and cease our worship of him when we do not understand the challenges we face. We must remain faithful and reveal Christ!

In our passage today, Job’s witness reminds us we cannot seek divine wisdom through human effort. We must learn to look at life the way God sees it; in wholeness. Addressing suffering through panic is fruitless. We cannot see or hear divine wisdom without choosing to remain in peace. We cannot discern truth over lies unless we remain in God’s integrity. We must forsake evil and the work of Satan. God can be trusted to restore us even when he allows our faith to be tested.

Pain is ever present and no one is exempt from suffering—even the righteous. However, our relationship with God is enough to keep us grounded in hope, filled with peace, and overshadowed with his never-failing divine love. Life is really all about perspective. How we view things matters. Let’s ask for Wisdom [Christ] and his perspective [Way, Truth, and Life] of God’s Kingdom as we move forward each day. Rejoice, because Jesus in on the throne!
Job 28:12-28 NLT
12
“But do people know where to find wisdom?
    Where can they find understanding?
13 
No one knows where to find it,
    for it is not found among the living.
14 
‘It is not here,’ says the ocean.
    ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea.
15 
It cannot be bought with gold.
    It cannot be purchased with silver.
16 
It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir,
    greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 
Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal.
    It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold.
18 
Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it.
    The price of wisdom is far above rubies.
19 
Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it.
    It’s worth more than the purest gold.
20 
“But do people know where to find wisdom?
    Where can they find understanding?
21 
It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity.
    Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it.
22 
Destruction and Death say,
    ‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’
23 
“God alone understands the way to wisdom;
    he knows where it can be found,
24 
for he looks throughout the whole earth
    and sees everything under the heavens.
25 
He decided how hard the winds should blow
    and how much rain should fall.
26 
He made the laws for the rain
    and laid out a path for the lightning.
27 
Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it.
    He set it in place and examined it thoroughly.
28 
And this is what he says to all humanity:
‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom;
    to forsake evil is real understanding.’”

Prayer: Father, your children cry out for divine wisdom, because we need your perspective to move forward through the present challenges of life. Thank you for knowing all things and for giving us Jesus who leads us in the way we should go. We are listening and seeking in all we do, because we know this world is void of genuine wisdom. We worship you and bow down to your authority today, as well as every day that will follow. We confess our past sins against your wisdom. We thank you for your forgiveness and miraculous restoring grace. Make us strong and courageous in Christ our King. Holy Spirit, please keep us following and focused on the Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Friends, we just wrapped up our 10 Days of Prayer on Saturday and that time should have encouraged our hearts to “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The Bible mentions prayer over 650 times and so let’s recall what has transpired over the last couple of weeks surrounding the 10 Days of Prayer. I agree with Pastor Mary that this is a time we all must enlarge our theology, faith, confession, and understanding of God, as Jesus leads the way, and prayer should be at the center of it all.

Thursday, September 26, 2024 –
It was a week prior to the start of the 10 Days of Prayer, and it was also the day that Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida. It was the perfect prayer motivator for all believers to “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” – Colossians 4:2

The 10 Days of Prayer –
It was 10 days – 100 cities – 50 countries – who all came together to form 1 global upper room. We will talk about the “upper room” later. So, our 10 Days of Prayer began on Wed, Oct 2nd which also began the Jewish high holiday period. Rosh Hashanah (or the Day of Trumpets) began on the evening of Oct 2nd and it is the first of the ten-day period which God’s people enter into a time of self-examination and repentance, known as the Ten Days of Awe (or Ten Days of Repentance), in other words they pray throughout the 10 days. This period concludes on the evening of Oct 12th with Yom Kippur (or the Day of Atonement), a time when God’s people abandon everything to purse God and His heart. There is typically fasting and extended prayer. “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” – Matthew 26:41

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 –
One week into the Jewish high holiday period, one week into our 10 Days of Prayer, and almost two weeks after Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida. Matthew tells us that God cares about our heart, He does not care about fancy words or public displays of good deeds, or the consumerism of this world, God longs for us to cry out to His Holy Name and to build His Kingdom here on earth, NOW, in preparation for the time when Jesus will return, which seems to be soon, and so that each of us is ready to spend eternity with Jesus. – Pray The Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:9-14

The “Upper Room” and the “Global Upper Room” –
If you recall, in Acts 1, after Jesus ascends to heaven, the disciples are together for 10 days in the “upper room”, and through prayer, worship, fasting, and repentance, they were all in one accord, and as the Father promised – 10 days after Jesus ascended into heaven, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out onto them and the Church was born.

What began in that upper room, over 2,000 years ago, with 120 believers is now a global upper room with 2.4 billion Christian believers (which includes you and me). As the global Church we embody every nation, from every tribe, and included is every language. Our time of prayer did not end on Saturday night, no we have every reason to pray, worship, fast, and repent, EVERY DAY, and especially on the heels of these hurricanes.

I don’t know about you, but the prophetic messaging through the Apostle John that Jesus gives to His entire Church in the book of Revelation stirs within my heart and makes me realize that I must be spiritually ready for Jesus’s return. To quote Pastor Mary, “This life we now live is about the Revelation of Jesus!” It is as simple as that, and today’s passage should make you and I want to be a part of the Great Crowd.

Revelation 7:9-17 (NLT)

Praise from the Great Crowd

9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a great roar,
“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
and from the Lamb!”

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. 12 They sang,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength belong to our God
forever and ever! Amen.”

13 Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, “Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?”

14 And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.”
Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.

15 “That is why they stand in front of God’s throne
and serve him day and night in his Temple.
And he who sits on the throne
will give them shelter.

16 They will never again be hungry or thirsty;
they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.

17 For the Lamb on the throne
will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.
And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for making it very clear throughout Your Word, that we are to commune with You all of the time in prayer. Help us, Holy Spirit, to be better prayer warriors, who trust You with every aspect of our lives and with the lives of our loved ones. Help us to grow close with You and to deepen our understanding of Who You are through Your Word every single day. We want to be ready when You return, Jesus. We continue to pray for all who have been impacted by hurricanes Helene and/or Milton. Please continue to restore power and hearts, rebuild homes and broken spirits, repair damages and relationships with You and with loved ones. Thank You for bringing people together to help one another. Strengthen the linesmen, the workers, and all who are a part of restoring our communities. May hearts grow closer to You, Jesus, through these difficult times. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

In today’s passage, Peter begins by giving praise to God for the gift of being born again. This new inherited life is our faith that is only found through our salvation in Christ Jesus, and it should be something that each one of us not only treasures but wants to share with everyone we meet.

Our faith is what brings us true joy, the joy of the Lord; but our faith is also what moves us through this world’s trials. Pastor Mary taught about this during yesterday’s heartfelt sermon. She mentioned that Jesus did not die to take away our trials, rather He died to take away our sins, and He wants to use our trials and times of suffering to help others experience His eternal love. She also mentioned that the trials we face are designed to get us ready, ready to help others, and ready for when Jesus returns. Peter reminds us that through our faith, God is protecting us up to when He reveals Himself in the last days for all to see.

Friends, we cannot find ourselves, as believers, in despair, we must find ourselves living by faith and sharing the joy of our salvation and Jesus’s eternal love with EVERYONE!

1 Peter 1:3-9 NLT
The Hope of Eternal Life

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the resurrection in Christ that holds Your promise of the gift of eternal life with You. May our faith and hope in You grow as each one of us faces trials. Please continue to be with everyone who was impacted by Hurricane Helene. Help hearts to see the work of Your Family in the midst of such destruction, and to be drawn to You and to the priceless inheritance of spending eternity with You in heaven. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Although some people may think God’s love means no boundaries, in Scripture there are times our sovereign God communicates to a sin-living people and says, “Enough!” Obviously, that reveals a divine boundary has been set by God’s Word. God does not share space with sin; there is no sin within him (1 John 3:5). Therefore, if we really want a relationship with God, we must allow righteousness to be our Master (Mat 6:24). Grace has been given to the humble for this purpose; God opposes the proud (James 4:6). To think there will never be consequences for our sin is the epitome of the spiritual arrogance that leads to death. God IS LOVE, so rejecting him is sin (1 John 4:8).

In Acts 12, Herod Agrippa has successfully killed James [John’s brother] and plans to do the same to Peter until God miraculously helps him escape from prison. Not only does Herod persecute the early church of believers, by his attitudes and actions, he allows the people in his charge to see him as a god with authority and great power for their good.

Think about the statement Peter made in our passage yesterday, ““Do you think God wants us to obey you [human authority] rather than him?” (Acts 4:19). We note a distinct difference in how Peter and Herod Agrippa viewed divine authority—Peter is humble. Certainly, there are consequences to sinful and prideful leadership and we see it in Herod Agrippa’s fate.

Satan always uses people-pleasing leaders to pander to human flesh. Even though leaders may prove untrustworthy, people listen for what they want to hear in order to meet their desires. Such is the case with Herod Agrippa and the people of Jerusalem. The sin against God’s righteous glory always leads to horrendous consequences.

The Truth must be within us; otherwise, we are vulnerable to deception. These days are challenging, but we will only know how to navigate this fallen world when Truth—Jesus—is our Master. By the help of the Spirit, we must tenaciously live in the integrity of Christ who has been made Wisdom for us (1 Cor 1:30). “The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence” (Pro 14:16).

Acts 12:20-25 NLT The Death of Herod Agrippa
20 Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod’s country for food. The delegates won the support of Blastus, Herod’s personal assistant, 21 and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. 22 The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!”

23 Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.

24 Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers.

25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them.

Prayer: Lord, today, we humble ourselves before your throne of grace. We pray for mercy and protection each day. Holy Spirit, keep us focused on Jesus the Author of our faith and help us to remain within the divine care of your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Spirit-filled and courageous leaders always capture my attention. The boldness and confidence of these leaders to effectively and faithfully witness for the cause of Christ is absolutely inspiring to me. No matter what comes against them, these men and women of faith stay focused on the Truth and never waiver.

During his ministry on earth, Jesus promised to develop this kind of leader—ones who rested in the power of the Holy Spirit—to keep them focused despite their personal weaknesses. Peter and John demonstrated this type of Spirit-led leadership which should not surprised us, because Jesus promised to send the Helper (Acts 1:5).

Peter and John started out their faith journey with Jesus by actually having a default state of fear. They struggled to remain faithful to Jesus; the disciples abandoned him at the cross and hid after his death. This fear continued until the Spirit of God rested like tongues of fire upon them. Pentecost was a day of change. Courage took down fear!

In our passage today, Peter and John are being questioned by the Sanhedrin council, because a lame man—sitting outside the Temple begging for money—experienced healing; he began leaping and praising God (Acts 3:7-8). Peter and John were asked by the Sanhedrin to be silent; no more conversation about the saving grace of Jesus. However, Peter’s response is, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?”

Everyday in this fallen world we have a similar decision to make; who will have the highest authority over our lives. God, the fallen world, or our flesh? Will we ask God for more courage and continue to be a mouthpiece of Truth for the Lord? Or, will we cower in fear, step back, and allow evil to be the loudest voice to the nation? The battle with evil is real! Evil is anything that diminishes life with the Lord by rejecting the Truth of God’s Word. Make sure you listen to the Voice of Truth, because some leaders lie to promote their power.

Peter, John, and the rest of the disciples chose to pray and ask God to increase their courage. Please note they did not ask God to remove the challenges or to stop the political pressure from the Romans or the religious leaders. Instead, they wanted God to change and equip them to champion the challenges. Inspiring leadership! Amen?

Acts 4:13-31 NLT
13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. 15 So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber [Sanhedrin] and conferred among themselves.

16 “What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17 But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” 18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
21 The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God 22 for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.

The Believers Pray for Courage
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— 25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,
‘Why were the nations so angry?
    Why did they waste their time with futile plans?

26 
The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
    the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
    and against his Messiah.’[Anointed One—the Christ]

27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

Prayer: Lord, there is so much going on in our world right now; things that seek to rob us of the peace you died to provide. Your peace is not of this world; it’s supernatural to calm the heart. Thank you for the peace you give—a peace the world cannot taste or understand. Believers can have your peace right now as we face a tropical storm, because you have promised to be with us and protect us. We can have your peace right now in the face of political rhetoric, because we know your Voice and we refuse to follow evil. Help us to take a deep breath and reach for you, Lord! And, while we reach for you, we pray for unbelievers to want you, be willing to turn from sin, and enjoy your peace, as well. In Jesus’ name.

Sometimes it is a wise thing to hesitate in doing or saying something and sometimes it is not. For example, it is wise to pause or hesitate in responding to a feeling of anger; most of the time we will settle down if we simply breathe and refuse to immediately react. In contrast, it is always unwise to hesitate in doing something we know God is calling us to do. We still need prayer, the guidance of the Spirit, and the counsel of mature believers, but we must do what God places before us. God created us and knows what he designed us to be, do, and say to multiply his Kingdom on earth.

In our passage today, the Lord selects Jeremiah to be a prophet for him—a mouthpiece to speak Truth to the nations. God communicates to Jeremiah through a vision. The Lord tells Jeremiah he knew him from the beginning—formed him in his mother’s womb—and his plan was to send Jeremiah with a message no one wanted to hear. Jeremiah heard the Lord’s message, he hesitated to receive God’s call, and responded, “I can’t speak for you!”

Just like Moses and others, Jeremiah found excuses why he could not serve according to God’s will. Jeremiah felt he was too young to speak to the elders and face them with hard truths. While all of this was probably true, this call was not about Jeremiah’s capabilities, it was about God’s plan and desire to save people from brokenness and bondage to sin.

God was going to judge Judah for her idolatry, corrupt leadership, and moral compromise. He was giving them a chance to turn things around. This meant the people needed to know about their sin against God and repent. The Lord promised to be with Jeremiah to accomplish what he could not do in his own strength. Jeremiah was to take a stand, uproot, tear down, and destroy before rebuilding for the honor of Almighty God. The Lord has promised to do the same for believers, today.

When human beings stand against the flow of evil in the world and speak the uncompromising truth of God’s Word, we also serve the Lord in a prophetic capacity. God does not use us because we are perfect or eloquent; however, if we serve as a prophet, everything we share must be judged by comparison with the written Word of God. God simply chooses to use whomever will receive his call to get his message out.

God wants to use us every single day to get his love and Word to people, because his judgment upon the earth is coming. We must be open to God’s will and employ the attitude of Christ the Lord because all things are possible in him (Mat 19:26). Don’t fall into the excuse pit by comparing yourself to others; we are all instruments of God from the womb to the grave in some miraculous way.

So, stay in the Word of God, because God will never send us to do something contrary to the Spirit of Truth who bears witness to our spirits. And share life with other believers, because you will find God’s grace continues to flow for each of us as we place ourselves in his righteous Hands. God will affirm our call through other believers, so we can be positioned for his glory.

Jeremiah 1:4-10 NLT Jeremiah’s Call and First Visions
4 The Lord gave me this message:
5
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
6 “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”
7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,
“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!
10
Today I appoint you to stand up
against nations and kingdoms.
Some you must uproot and tear down,
destroy and overthrow.
Others you must build up
and plant.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sending us, protecting us, and putting your words in our mouths. We remain open to your daily call, because we desire to be a blessing to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God is never far away; by his design, we are connected to him. Sometimes it is easier to sense God’s Presence more than others, but that is not God being distant. Rather, it is when human beings become too focused on the things of the world to enjoy his supernatural Presence in the present.

This moment, God is with you. However, we can become so distracted by the good, as well as the challenging things in this earthly life, we exchange an awareness of the Eternal for the temporal. Remember, the Kingdom of God is not of this world (John 18:36).

In Psalm 139, David knows he is connected to an all-powerful God; a Shepherd who is present to provide and guide his life into the good and righteous things God has prepared for those who love him (Ps 23; Ro 8:28). Now, that knowledge and assurance does not stop David from occasionally feeling alone. During times of loneliness, David chooses to remain in faith and “know” that God is present with him…maybe just silent for a reason. Perhaps God wants to gain a greater measure of David’s attention. I have wondered if God spiritually sits shiva [seven days/mourning] with his children as he heals the brokenness and loss that tests our faith!

In our passage today, David reflects over the entire span of life in connection to God in order to help us understand the divine Presence. Before you and I were born, God was designing you in your mother’s womb. Sometimes people want to think they are just some blob of random cells, tissue, and we become human when we breathe air at birth. But, friends, we have a heartbeat at 5-6 weeks of gestation and, although a gender is determined at the moment of fertilization, the visible evidence of that human gender starts between 7-12 weeks. An unborn baby is a human being!

David reminds us before birth, we began as God’s design and for his glory. When we are born, our lives have been uniquely laid out in the plan of God. From birth to death, God continues to reveal himself to us as we live out good, as well as challenging days. Finally, at death, we are still in the loving care of God. God’s fingerprints cover the creation and development of every human being, from the womb to the grave, and we must live to bring glory to his name!

Psalm 139:1-18 NLT For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 
O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
2 
You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 
You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
4 
You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
5 
You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!
7 
I can never escape from your Spirit!
    I can never get away from your presence!
8 
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave,[Shoel—house of the dead] you are there.
9 
If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 
even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
11 
I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
12 
    but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to you.
13 
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 
You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.
17 
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
18 
I can’t even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    you are still with me!

Prayer: Lord, please open our spiritual eyes and give us a deep conviction for the Truth, today. The Word reveals that your miraculous hand forms and develops human beings in the womb, and guides human life from the womb to the grave and beyond. Our lives are designed and directed by you as we listen and obey. Thank you for making us all so wonderfully complex. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s devotion picks up from yesterday’s sermon from Pastor Mary. If you were unable to worship with us, or as a reminder, Pastor Mary guided us through another portion of Truth from James in chapter 3, verse 13 through chapter 4, verse 7. Within this passage, James clearly defines the difference between living a faithful life versus living a faithless life. As believers, we should be growing in our faithful life which means growing to reveal more of God’s goodness.

So, how do we grow in God’s goodness?

Well, we humble ourselves as we put the Word of God into our hearts as a guide for our souls, and we do that each day, and we pray. Remember what Pastor Mary said yesterday about humility, it is birthed from the divine wisdom of God. While we are in our daily prayers, we need to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, asking Him to impart His humility and wisdom into every aspect of our daily lives. The Holy Spirit wants God’s wisdom to work through us so we are operating in God’s goodness of being pure, peace loving, gentle, and willing to yield to others all of the time.

As we continue with James today, be sure to focus on how he tells us to “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor” (v. 10). Also, look at how James gives us two additional warnings, or wake-up calls. If we are operating in the Spirit, there is absolutely NO room for us to judge others or for us to be boastful. Keep in mind the Hebrew word for humility that Pastor Mary shared with us yesterday, anavah, which means to occupy your God-given space in the world.

Friends, if we are occupying our God-given space within this world that means we are humbly walking out God’s plan for our lives with His wisdom and not speaking evil or being boastful. We need to think twice today before we allow the enemy any room to move within our hearts or souls and out through our mouths. We belong to Jesus, and we stand firmly against the work of the enemy, today, to try and stifle the work of the Holy Spirit in and through us.

James 4:8-17 (NLT)

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Warning against Judging Others

11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

Warning about Self-Confidence

13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.

17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Prayer: Jesus, we are so grateful for the work of the Holy Spirit to move within each one of us. Help us to lay down ourselves today, to take on a spirit of humility, as You impart Your wisdom to us. Guide each one of us to be pure, peace loving, gentle, and willing to yield to others all day. We want to look more like You, so put a watch over our mouths and filter everything that comes into our soul realm touches our hearts to be in oneness with You, Jesus. We ask this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

I am a planner; however, no matter how organized my day begins, something unexpected seems to find its way onto my lap of experience. I can only see so much when making my plans, but God is not bound by this natural realm we live in; he sees and views things—past, present, and future—all at once. Think of all the stages and aspects of God’s long-term plan to reveal his existence to his human creation throughout the millenniums. It’s unfathomable; all planned before time began.

In our passage for today, we hear from the Apostle Paul and we are reminded once again about the mysterious scope and expanse of God’s view. God’s plan started long before his Voice was heard at the creation of the heavens and the earth, long before the documentation of humanity’s struggle in relationship with him due to sin, and long before the witnesses experienced the God-Man and Savior—Jesus—in the New Testament.

God knew human beings would sin against his righteous rule, knew they would choose to be their own god rather than bow to his authority, knew their choices would take them into captivity to evil, and knew he would have to bring judgment to gain humanity’s attention. Therefore, God’s plan always included a Rescuer—Himself—to be the blood sacrifice for the sins of the world. God chose a people group and nation to begin his rescue plan; he would be the God of the Jews.

The world was to watch how God took care of his chosen people; blessed and provided for them. God sent the Rescuer first to the Jews; yet, many of the Jews rejected Jesus at his first coming. Because of this rejection, God temporarily handed off the stewardship—of making him known to the world—to the gentiles or non-Jews.

When the Lord Jesus returns at his second coming, the Jews will recognize their Messiah and pick up the torch of God’s plan to make him known. God’s merciful plan has always involved the salvation of his people and he will fulfill his promises to Israel. God has mercifully fulfilled amazing promises for believers already. “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14). What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Romans 11:25-32 NLT God’s Mercy Is for Everyone
25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,
“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,
    and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness.
27 
And this is my covenant with them,
    that I will take away their sins.”

28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. 31 Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share [someday] in God’s mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the amazing plan you put into place to save your creation. Although we see in part, we praise you for seeing the whole. Help us, as believers, to continually place our faith in you as we pray for Israel. May every promise you made to them soon be fulfilled. In Jesus’ name. Amen.