Monday - What Is Faith?
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see" (Hebrews 11:1 NLT).
Faith is an intangible, mysterious thing. I can't give you the faith that I have and you can't give me the faith that you have.
One thing that we can be certain of is that when we put our hope, trust, and faith in Jesus Christ, we are placing that faith in the right place. By placing our faith in Christ, we are placing our faith in the Rock.
Thank You, Lord, for being the Rock of our lives. We pray that all who might be struggling with their faith will open their hearts to Your presence in their lives. Lord, provide them confidence so that they might attain the faith of our fathers. Amen.
Tuesday - He Bled for Us
"And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:24-26 NLT).
Have you been washed in the blood of Christ? Have you accepted Him so that the blood that He shed will cover your sins? He died for each of us, but you must accept that He did this for you. No one can do it for you, you must proclaim Jesus as your Savior.
Please pray with me:
Lord God, lead the lost back home to You. We ask in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Wednesday - The Water Can Be Deep
"Then Peter called to him, 'Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.'
'Yes, come,' Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. 'Save me, Lord!' he shouted.
Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. 'You have so little faith,' Jesus said. 'Why did you doubt me?'
When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped" (Matthew 14:28-32 NLT).
We get ourselves in bad situations because of our lack of faith and belief in our Savior. We will often step out in faith for what we feel Jesus is asking us to do, then we get discouraged when things don't go as we expected. Sometimes, we immediately give up our God-inspired dreams. We question ourselves on whether it was something that God wanted us to do or was it something that we wanted to do. So we just give up and quit. This seems to be a pattern of human nature.
As we are floundering in our unbelief and lack of faith, God will show up and show out. His intervention is many times immediate. Although at other times, He will make us wait and flounder in our lack of belief, not as punishment, but to teach us an important lesson in life.
It's important for us to always remember that God is with us and will never leave us. As it's been said many times, “The will of God will never take you where the riches of God cannot supply you.”
We should go into all areas of life prayerfully and having faith and trust in our God. He will lead, direct, and deliver us. His will shall be done.
Thank you, Jesus, for pulling us out of the deep waters of our lives. Thank You, Lord, for calming the storms and stilling the waves. Amen.
Thursday - Our Duty and Privilege
"I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus" (Acts 20:20, 21 NLT).
We, as Christians, should never be afraid to share the love of Jesus with others. We should never shy away from asking someone if Jesus is their Savior. How will they know Him without being told about Him? Many people have not heard about Jesus and the amazing grace of salvation. Also, don't think that just because someone goes to a church that they are saved by the power and blood of Jesus. They might have "head knowledge" but not "heart knowledge." Don't let an opportunity pass to share what Jesus did for you. His mercy, grace, and love, trumps all other issues.
Dear Lord, help us understand it is our duty as Christ-followers to share the Gospel with this lost and dying world. Also, help us realize what a privilege it is to be called to go and make disciples so that Your kingdom expands. Thank You, Jesus, for Your gift of salvation and eternal life. I praise your name, Lord Jesus. In Your mighty name, we pray, Amen.
Friday - Praise God
"How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!
All who delight in him should ponder them.
Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
His righteousness never fails.
He causes us to remember his wonderful works.
How gracious and merciful is our Lord!" (Psalm 111:2-4 NLT).
We don't spend enough time praising God for all that He has done for us. When things are going well, how many times do we throw up our hands in praise and thanksgiving for our many blessings? Do we look at how much He has blessed us?
God's plan is perfect, it centers around His unbridled love for us. He could have let us die in our failings but He offers each of us a way for a better life in eternity with Him through His son, Jesus Christ. I submit that we can't praise Him enough.
I've had many questions in this devotion, but the real question is, do you know Him? Have you accepted Him? Do you understand the ramifications of not turning to Jesus as your Savior? Isn't it time that you got off that fence and came to Him in repentance and acceptance? He is waiting for you to come into His presence. I pray that you will take that step, soon.
Thanks be to God for loving us as we are but loving us so much that He will never leave us as we are. There is total life change in the blood of Jesus Christ. I'm praising Him today, how about you?
Lord God, thank you for Your love, mercy, and grace. Our hands are raised high in praise. Our knees are on the ground in reverence and prayer. Save us from ourselves, Lord. Amen.
Saturday - At the Foot of the Cross
"Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light'” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT).
Are you tired? Is your plate full of problems, anxiety, and sadness? Have you just about given up? Is work demanding more than you can give? Are you struggling financially or in relationships?
You know folks, this is part of the world we live in. Sometimes it's hard. It seems many times that the best we can do just isn't good enough.
There is an answer which is bringing all your troubles, frustrations, problems, needs, and uneasiness to Jesus. When we lay our brokenness at the foot of the cross, we can find relief from the problems in life, focusing on the One who is the answer, the Comforter and our King.
Jesus says it best (as He always does) in today's Scripture. Thank You, Lord, for Your amazing grace.
Father God, open our eyes that we might see You. Clear our minds that we might understand Your love. Break open our hearts that we might feel Your presence. Lead us into the peace that only You offer. Help us to take rest in Your amazing arms. Give us comfort in our time of need. May we trust You fully today in all of our life disasters. May we lay all of our burdens at the foot of the cross. We praise Your amazing name, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Sunday - The Big Picture
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,' says the Lord. 'I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land'” (Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT).
As followers of Christ, we don't always know what God wants us to do in this world. We don't see the big picture. Many times, we ask God to show us what He wants us to do. We can't understand why He is letting us go to places, in which, we are struggling and experiencing doubt and fear.
I just read a devotion that deals directly with this subject. It states the simple fact that we can't know God's will for us because we can't handle that knowledge. Through God's compassion and mercy, He hides the path that we must take. In a very popular movie, Jack Nicholson stated, “You can't handle the truth.” If we knew the trials and valley's that we must experience, we would be less than willing to walk that path. God has a plan for each of us. He carves a path for us and teaches us what we need to know and experience for Him to use us for His glory. He also knows that we would mess up His plans if we knew what they were.
Through God's compassion, He doesn't let us know what His will is for us. Through God's mercy, He has a plan for each of us. We must abide in Him. We must concentrate on doing what we are called to do for that particular day. We must pray that He will continue to work in our lives so that we might reach the goal that has been set before us. Not knowing that goal or how we are going to get there is part of our walk in faith.
Following the trail of being a Christ-follower is not easy. This path has many trials and tribulations. The walk can be treacherous and humbling. But we are to remain faithful and keep putting one foot in front of the other, we can finish the race. God will never leave us and He is always working for good in and through our lives.
Lord God, let us be willing to follow Your roadway for life. Help us to be strong in faith and relentless in pursuit of You. We pray in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus. Amen.
This article originally appeared on the Stand.
