Friday, September 30, 2011

+DEV+ Faith Nourished

Date: September 30, 2011 1:17 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Faith Nourished

Faith Nourished

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (HEBREWS 11:6)
Scripture Focus: Romans 10:8-15

Over the years, I have met many teenagers and adults who wrestle with the question, What is my purpose in life? I think that if we were all honest, we would admit to wondering this ourselves at one time or another.

Thankfully, the Bible answers that question. According to Revelation 4:11, we were created for God's pleasure, that He might receive the glory, honor, and power due unto His Name.When fulfilling God's perfect purpose for our lives, we experience the joy, peace, and soul satisfaction that He intended for us. But how do we know if we are pleasing God?

Hebrews 11:6 advises that the way to fulfill this chief purpose in life is through faith in Christ. Faith is a gift from God, and His Word is the instrument by which He brings it about. "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). When we earnestly seek God through His Word and prayer, faith is built and nourished and the Author of our faith is pleased.

Insight: Is God's Word Near You - On Your Lips, In Your Heart? Confess With Your Mouth And Believe In Your Heart That Jesus Is Lord!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

+DEV+ Hiding Place

Date: September 29, 2011 1:20 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Hiding Place

Hiding Place

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him...Who is the Rock except our God?" (2 SAMUEL 22:31-32)
Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 22

In her book, The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom recounts the inspiring story of her family's quest to offer a place of refuge for those oppressed by the Nazis. This passion eventually led to their imprisonment. But their faith in the Lord and dependence upon His grace grew ever stronger.

While sitting in a prison cell, Corrie's father led a time of prayer and sharing God's Word, as he had done regularly at home. Although he was not allowed to have a Bible in the concentration camp, much of God's Word was hidden in his heart. Facing a cell of despairing souls, He quoted from Psalm 119:114, "You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your Word."

The Ten Boom family trusted God to protect and defend them, much like David did when he was pursued by his enemies. They sought comfort and hope not in their surroundings, but in the flawless Word of the Lord. They sheltered under the Rock of God's promises and looked to Him as their Hiding Place. He is a shield to those who hope in His Word!

Insight: Are You Facing A Situation That Is Overwhelming And Discouraging? Hide Yourself In The Power-Filled Words Of The Savior And Take Refuge In Him.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

+DEV+ The Refiner's Fire

Date: September 27, 2011 8:54 PM
Topic: +DEV+ The Refiner's Fire

The Refiner's Fire

"'Is not my word like fire,' declares the LORD, 'and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?'" (JEREMIAH 23:29)
"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." (DEUTERONOMY 4:24)
Scripture Focus: Malachi 3:2-3

Someone once described to me the process of refining gold. The gold is subjected to a very hot fire until it melts. This causes imbedded impurities to separate and rise to the surface. The dross can then be skimmed off, allowing the worker to see his reflection on the surface of the pure, precious metal.

God desires to prepare a people for Himself (Zechariah 13:9). But first, the Master Refiner must remove our dead hearts of stone and replace them with living hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). We need the holy fire of God's Word to melt our stony hearts and burn away the dross of sin and impurity. Christ died to cleanse and redeem even the vilest of hearts. He alone has the power and authority to forgive sin and free the captive from its power.

Once the refining fire of God's Word softens the heart, He then hammers and shapes it, forging something glorious for His holy use. He is preparing for Himself a spotless bride that will reflect His glory (Ephesians 5:25b-27).

Insight: Are You Yielding Yourself To The Fire And Hammer Of God's Word So That His Glory Can Be Reflected In Your Life?

Monday, September 26, 2011

+DEV+ Teach Us to Pray

Date: September 26, 2011 12:15 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Teach Us to Pray

Teach Us to Pray

"This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us we have what we asked of him." (1 JOHN 5:14-15)
Scripture Focus: Luke 11:1-13

One of the extraordinary gifts that God has given to His children is the gift of prayer. But we, like the disciples, need Jesus to teach us to pray. Left to ourselves, we are senseless and ignorant before the Lord (Psalm 73:22). Christ, however, gave Himself to prayer and set aside precious time to converse with His Father. He is the ultimate example, and He teaches us how to pray by His Word and Spirit.

1 John 5:14-15 says that when we pray in faith and in accordance with God's will, we can be confident that our Father hears us and will answer. But how do we know what God's will is? We must search the Scriptures! When we pray God's Word, we come into agreement with God's will and can expect answers. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray by interceding on our behalf in harmony with God's will (Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit never contradicts the Holy Word.

Today, may the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with God's Word so that we may know how to pray as Jesus prayed.

Insight: Jesus said, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" (John 15:7).

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

+DEV+ Teach Us to Pray

Date: September 20, 2011
Topic: +DEV+ Teach Us to Pray

Teach Us to Pray

"This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us we have what we asked of him." (1 JOHN 5:14-15)
Scripture Focus: Luke 11:1-13

One of the extraordinary gifts that God has given to His children is the gift of prayer. But we, like the disciples, need Jesus to teach us to pray. Left to ourselves, we are senseless and ignorant before the Lord (Psalm 73:22). Christ, however, gave Himself to prayer and set aside precious time to converse with His Father. He is the ultimate example, and He teaches us how to pray by His Word and Spirit.

1 John 5:14-15 says that when we pray in faith and in accordance with God's will, we can be confident that our Father hears us and will answer. But how do we know what God's will is? We must search the Scriptures! When we pray God's Word, we come into agreement with God's will and can expect answers. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray by interceding on our behalf in harmony with God's will (Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit never contradicts the Holy Word.

Today, may the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with God's Word so that we may know how to pray as Jesus prayed.

Insight: Jesus said, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" (John 15:7).

Thursday, September 15, 2011

+DEV+ The Inerrant Word

Date: September 15, 2011
Topic: +DEV+ The Inerrant Word

The Inerrant Word

"All Scripture is God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16a) “When you received the Word of God you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the Word of God." (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Scripture Focus: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

We are all on a quest for truth. Every day, we are bombarded with lies that lure us down paths of emptiness and destruction. Praise God that there is a divine and ultimate Truth we can know with certainty (Luke 1:4)! Every word of God is flawless (Proverbs 30:5a) and the sum of His Word equals Truth (Psalm 119:160). The Holy Scriptures are completely trustworthy and sufficient because they come from a Holy God. They have the unique power to transcend time, culture, and human reasoning and are equally as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.

A house built on shifting sand is sure to collapse. In the same way, we cannot build our lives on changing ideologies. But God our Father does not change like shifting shadows, and He has given us His absolute Word that we may confidently rest on (James 1:17-18). Our LORD Jesus is the same yesterday, today and always (Hebrews 13:8)! In an ever-changing world, how awesome it is to know that we can trust in The Inerrant Word.

Insight: Do You Believe That The Bible Is The Very Word Of God? If So, Do You Allow Its Infallible Truth To Permeate Your Life?

+DEV+ The Living Water

Date: September 15, 2011
Topic: +DEV+ The Living Water

The Living Water

"The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." (ISAIAH 58:11)
Scripture Focus: Isaiah 55:1-11

Do you ever feel as though you are wandering through a barren desert? Does your thirsty soul long for something more in a "dry and weary land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1)? Have you been looking to the waters of this world to satisfy, only to be left wanting? Jesus said that those who drink the waters of this world will thirst again, but those who drink the water He gives will be completely satisfied (John 4:13-14). He is the Spring whose waters never fail, and He beckons you this day to come and drink freely the water of life (Revelation 22:17).

Trees need water in order to survive and bear fruit. We, too, must soak in the Living Water if our lives are going to flourish and bear God-honoring fruit. As the earth opens wide to receive God's gift of rain, so must our hearts break open wide to drink of His fertile, life-giving Word (see Deuteronomy 32:2). Through it, He causes rains of grace to fall upon a sun-scorched soul, yielding new life with the green of spring.

Insight: Those Who Drink The Living Water Of God's Word Become "Oaks Of Righteousness, The Planting Of The Lord, That He May Be Glorified" (Isaiah 61:3B).

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

+DEV+ The Shepherd's Voice

Date: September 13, 2011
Topic: +DEV+ The Shepherd's Voice

The Shepherd's Voice

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep." (JOHN 10:14-15)
Scripture Focus: John 10:1-18

On July 8, 2005, stunned onlookers watched helplessly as 450 sheep plummeted to their deaths near the Turkish village of Gevas. The wooly train wreck started when one sheep walked off a cliff, luring more than 1,500 others to follow suit.

Sheep are known for being easily distracted, directionless, and defenseless. They utterly depend on the shepherd to provide for, preside over, and protect them. The Bible often refers to us as sheep, saying, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6).

The prophet Ezekiel foretold the coming of a Good Shepherd (34:11-24), the Messiah, who would save and defend His sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. He is our only protection against the "thieves and robbers" who seek to steal our joy and peace. The more time we spend grazing in the verdant pastures of God's Word and drinking from the waters of Truth, the more recognizable His voice will be.

Insight: We Must Daily Fill Our Hearts And Minds With God's Word So That We Can Distinguish Truth From Lies. Do You Know The Shepherd's Voice?

Monday, September 12, 2011

+DEV+ The Shepherd's Voice

Date: September 12, 2011
Topic: +DEV+ The Shepherd's Voice

The Shepherd's Voice

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep." (JOHN 10:14-15)
Scripture Focus: John 10:1-18

On July 8, 2005, stunned onlookers watched helplessly as 450 sheep plummeted to their deaths near the Turkish village of Gevas. The wooly train wreck started when one sheep walked off a cliff, luring more than 1,500 others to follow suit.

Sheep are known for being easily distracted, directionless, and defenseless. They utterly depend on the shepherd to provide for, preside over, and protect them. The Bible often refers to us as sheep, saying, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6).

The prophet Ezekiel foretold the coming of a Good Shepherd (34:11-24), the Messiah, who would save and defend His sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. He is our only protection against the "thieves and robbers" who seek to steal our joy and peace. The more time we spend grazing in the verdant pastures of God's Word and drinking from the waters of Truth, the more recognizable His voice will be.

Insight: We Must Daily Fill Our Hearts And Minds With God's Word So That We Can Distinguish Truth From Lies. Do You Know The Shepherd's Voice?

Friday, September 9, 2011

+DEV+ The Most Important Prayer

Date: September 9, 2011
Topic: +DEV+ The Most Important Prayer

The Most Important Prayer

"Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'" (MATTHEW 14:29-30)
Scripture Focus: Matthew 14:22-33

Peter had extraordinary faith when he stepped out of the boat. But that faith wavered when he realized walking on water was impossible. Fear came, and he began to sink. He knew he was in danger of drowning. Nothing he could do would rescue him from certain death. Then he prayed the most important prayer anyone could pray: "Lord, save me!" Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.

There came a time in my life when I, like Peter, knew I couldn't save myself. Only Jesus could rescue me from eternal death. So I admitted my need for Him and prayed Peter's same prayer. "Lord, save me!" He immediately came into my life. I knew I was safe forever.

If you are reading this and have never called out to Jesus to save you, now is the perfect time. No matter where you are or how the turmoil of this world swirls around you, this is time to admit you cannot save yourself. Put all your faith, hope and confidence in Jesus whose mighty arm reaches out and pulls you to safety.

Insight: We All Are On The Precarious Sea Of Life; The Wisest Thing To Do Is Ask Jesus To Come Into Our Lives And Save Us.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

+DEV+ The Kingdom, Power and Glory Forever

Date: September 8, 2011
Topic: +DEV+ The Kingdom, Power and Glory Forever

The Kingdom, Power and Glory Forever

"For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (MATTHEW 6:13B, KJV)
"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor." (1 CHRONICLES 29:11)
Scripture Focus: 1 Chronicles 29:10-20

Performing a wedding at a nearby location, I was taken off guard when everyone present recited the Lord's Prayer but only a few spoke the words, "Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever," (NKJV) at the end. Members of the other church were silent at that part so that it sounded like half of a duet had stopped singing.

Though this portion of verse 13 is not included in some versions of the Bible, I think it reaffirms the beginning of the Lord's Prayer. Our Father in Heaven, Your name is hallowed. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. It reminds us of who is in charge of the universe. It emphasizes God is ruler of His kingdom. He is all-powerful, and the glory of His presence fills eternity. A fitting end to the Lord's Prayer, it reminds me of King David's prayer recorded in 1 Chronicles 29.

Include this closing phrase of the Lord's Prayer. Let it be a rallying cry for those of us who put our trust solidly in the One to whom all glory and power belong forever.

Insight: His Kingdom Is Forever. When We Open Our Hearts To Jesus, We Become Members Of His Forever Kingdom.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

+DEV+ Creation's Message

Date: September 7, 2011
Topic: +DEV+ Creation's Message

Creation's Message

"How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures... May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works." (PSALM 104:24, 31)
Scripture Focus: Genesis 1; Colossians 1:15-20

From the beginning of time God has communicated through creation. Just look at what it shouts to us about Him: the planets in perfect alignment; the earth, perfectly fitted and tilted on its axis; the sun, not too far and not too close; the natural cycle of water; predictable seasons and profuse variety of plant life; the animal world in its complexity of balance and form. What message does such a magnificent creation give about its Creator? That He is perfection in every way - in knowledge, skill, care, and character. Not once has spring followed summer or the earth tipped off its axis. Creation came from God's perfect knowledge and skill and is sustained through His perfect care.

Scripture also tells us that God's Son was intimately involved in our creation, that "by him all things were created," and that "he is before all things and in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:16-17). The same Jesus who came to earth as a tiny baby was with the Father in the creation of this world and of you. Let's delight in the wonder of that throughout this Christmas season.

Insight: We Think Of Jesus Being Born In Bethlehem, But He Is The "Firstborn Over All Creation" - The Very One Who Created And For Whom Creation Was Made.

Friday, September 2, 2011

+DEV+ Deliver Us from Evil

Date: September 2, 2011
Topic: +DEV+ Deliver Us from Evil

Deliver Us from Evil

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (MATTHEW 6:13)
Scripture Focus: James 1:2-18

This phrase of the Lord's Prayer raises questions. Does God ever lead us into temptation? Are temptations the same as trials? James explains the distinction between trials and temptations, saying that God does not "tempt anyone; but each one is tempted, when, by his own desire, he is dragged away and enticed" (James 1:13b-14). Many trials do present temptation. And temptations certainly are trials. But the two are quite different.

As we pray these words, we accept that God, for His divine purposes, may order our lives in such a way that we face temptation. Satan waits to pounce when those situations arise. Sometimes, in our human weakness, we do not resist. Therefore, we pray that God would so conquer the way of the world that we would escape temptation altogether.

When Satan tried to entice Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus met his words with the Word. Praise God we have the entire Bible to direct us. Praise Him even further that we have a Savior who has rescued us from all of Satan's evil traps.

Insight: Through Christ, We Can Resist Temptations. Where Temptation Is, You Also Will Find The Loving Arms Of Jesus That Will Never Let You Go.