A Special People

1 Peter 2:9-10

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
NIV from www.biblegateway.com

    
 Whenever feelings of low self-worth threaten us with discouragement, we need to rely on the truth of God's Word rather than on our emotions. Today we are going to examine four phrases that describe how the Lord sees every believer.
    A CHOSEN RACE. God chose you and me to be part of His kingdom and family because he wanted us. No one who has been specially selected by almighty God is insignificant.
   A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. As believer, we are children of God and, therefore, part of a royal family. In other words, we are "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). Just as Jesus fulfilled the roles of both king and priest, so God has also entrusted us with priestly responsibilities of worship and intercession for others.
   A HOLY NATION. The church - or body of Christ - is a group of people who are holy, which means "set apart" for the purposes of God. Our lives are never meaningless, because living for the Lord is the greatest purpose one can have.
   A PEOPLE FOR GOD'S OWN POSSESSION. You and I are the heavenly Father's personal possessions. (See Deut. 14:2; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9.) Because He sees us a precious, He sent His Son to die on the cross in our place so we could belong to Him.
   Each of these descriptions shows the high value God places on you. Satan may whisper lies of condemnation and criticism, but he can't change who you really are. Begin today to demonstrate the truth of Scripture by remembering your real identity and living out your high calling from the Lord. 

 Stanley, Charles F. "A Special People." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. page 34.

Victory Over Weakness

JUDGES 16:1-31

Samson and Delilah

16 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. ² The people of Gaza were told, “Samson is here!” So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, “At dawn we’ll kill him.”

³ But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
⁴ Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. ⁵ The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”
⁶ So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
⁷ Samson answered her, “If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
⁸ Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. ⁹ With men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.
¹⁰ Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied.”
¹¹ He said, “If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
¹² So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads.
¹³ Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.”
He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric ¹⁴ and tightened it with the pin.
Again she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric.
¹⁵ Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” ¹⁶ With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.
¹⁷ So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”
¹⁸ When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. ¹⁹ After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.
²⁰ Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”
He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
²¹ Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison. ²² But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
²³ Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.”
²⁴ When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying,

“Our god has delivered our enemy
    into our hands,
the one who laid waste our land
    and multiplied our slain.”

²⁵ While they were in high spirits, they shouted, “Bring out Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.

When they stood him among the pillars, ²⁶ Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.” ²⁷ Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. ²⁸ Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” ²⁹ Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, ³⁰ Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
³¹ Then his brothers and his father’s whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led Israel twenty years.  NIV from www.biblegateway.com

Parents often try to give their children every advantage in the hope that they'll become successful adults. As Christians, we especially want to help our kids increase in knowledge of God and His Word, love for Jesus, appreciate for the body of Christ, and the desire to serve the Lord. Children frequently have great enthusiasm for the things of the Lord. But as they grow older, we sometimes see them falling away from the faith.

Samson is an example of such unfortunate drifting. Despite his godly upbringing, sexual temptations eventually became overly attractive to him.

Scripture reveals several occasions where Samson gave in to his lust. For instance, he desired a pagan woman from Timnah, and despite his parents' warning, he broke God's command by marrying her (Judges 14:1-3). A second incident nearly led to his death; he survived only because of his supernatural strength. (See vv. 12-20.) Perhaps the most tragic example was his betrayal by Delilah, the ungodly woman he loved. Lust prevented him from seeing her true nature. As a result, Samson was captured and blinded by the Philistines.

 Left unchecked, sin will permeate and dominate our lives, while affecting others with its repercussions. The first step toward success is to become aware of our weaknesses. Next, we must admit helplessness to overcome them on our own. Finally, it's important to acknowledge God's sufficiency to rescue us. In the end, Samson recognized his need for God and prayed for strength to strike back at the Philistines (16:28). If we share Samson's perspective, we will be able to obey God's commands and gain victory.

Stanley, Charles F. "Victory Over Weakness." In Touch: Daily Readings for Devoted Living. June 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 10.

When We Feel Helpless

Psalm 50:15

and call on me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

NIV from www.biblegateway.com

In adventure movies, we often see people trapped and helpless, frantically looking for a way to escape. Real life can sometimes feel that way for us, and as we begin to look for a way out, our prayers become filled with requests for rescue - physical healing, changed circumstances, additional provision. 

   Did you ever consider that even more important than physical rescue is spiritual liberation? (See Eph. 6:12). First and foremost, Jesus Christ delivered you from the power and penalty of sin. As your living Savior, He also knows your continued helplessness in the face of sinful habits, uncontrolled emotions, and ungodly thoughts. He wants to free you from these sins. So seek out His offer of spiritual rescue every day - whether or not a physical crisis looms over you.

   Follow the example of the psalmist, who cried out to God for deliverance. Psalm 50:15 says, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor me." Start by admitting your helplessness to the Lord and to yourself. Confess any fears, unbelief, or self-reliance that you might detect in your life. Surrender all further attempts at change that are done apart from the heavenly Father. Then turn your gaze toward Him. Think about His relationship with you, who He is, and what He desires. Let the Holy Spirit fill your spirit with the truth of God's Word. Meditate on it. Commit yourself to following His way. Then trust God, and wait on Him to change you from the inside out. A day will arrive when the helpless feeling will leave to be replaced by the joy of being free. When it does, give God the glory. 

 Stanley, Charles F. "When We Feel Helpless." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. page 31.

Praying the Promises of God

Isaiah 40:8

The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures forever.

  Jesus made it clear that we would endure many hardships in this life. But God provided amazing tools to keep trials from overwhelming us. For instance, He placed His Spirit inside each believer to guide and empower. In addition, He gave us prayer so we could not only communicate and stay connected with our Father but also bring Him our requests.

   Today I want to focus on yet another one of His marvelous gifts: the Bible. Scripture is the actual Word of God Almighty. It is truth. It never changes. It enables us in all circumstances, so we have a sure foundation on which to base our lives and decisions.

   There are thousands of promises in the Bible - countless assurances that we can rely on with perfect confidence. God wants us to learn them so we won't miss out on blessings He wants to give. And wise believers will turn His promises into prayers, which they express as the cry of their heart.

   Let me give you a example that relates to difficult decisions. Psalm 32:8 states, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." We can pray God's words back to Him, saying we believe that He will teach us and reveal His path - and that He'll remain by our side as our caregiver through the entire situation.

   When hardships arise, we need a solid foundation on which to stand. Otherwise, our emotions could easily lead us astray through faulty thinking. God is faithful and unchanging, so we can trust in His promises, which enable us to rest confidently and act boldly.

 Stanley, Charles F. "Praying the Promises of God." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. page 30.

Qualifications for Sainthood

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

² To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— ⁶ God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
NIV from biblegateway.com

    Many people hold an unbiblical view of sainthood. Their idea of a saint is one who has led such an exemplary life that he or she is venerated by the church, but God's Word presents quite a different picture. The Corinthian church struggled with all sorts of ungodly behaviors, yet Paul describes them as "those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling" (1 Cor. 1:2).
   Sanctify means to set apart from common use to a sacred use. Throughout the Bible, the Lord has sanctified days (such as the Sabbath), places (the tabernacle), things (the arch of the covenant), and people. A saint is simply a person whom God has set apart for His purposes. This means that every believer is a saint.
   Before you were saved, your position relative to God was one of enmity (Romans 5:10). But the moment you trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, the Lord changed your position and set you apart for Himself. You were born again and are now his child. He forgave your sins an declared you righteous. A saint is not a perfect person but one who is in a right relationship with the heavenly Father. Although our position of sanctification is not predicated on good behavior, the Lord expects us to live in a manner that honors Him.
   Just think - God set you apart for a sacred purpose. That means you are here, not to live as you please but to bring glory to Him. He calls us to live according to our new position in Christ. When we accept this responsibility of sainthood with gratitude, we bring joy to the Father's heart. 

Stanley, Charles F. "Qualifications for Sainthood." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. page 28. 

Eternal Security: You Can Be Sure

Hebrews 7:24-25

²⁴ but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 

NIV from www.biblegateway.com

    We spend a lot of time worrying about physical needs - such as our house, car, food, finances, and health. All these are important in our life, but one form of assurance supersedes all the others.  God desires for us to be confident in Him and in His saving grace. He gives us several reasons to be sure of our eternal security.

• Jesus makes a personal promise to all believers: "No one will snatch [you] out of my hand" (John 10:28) - and He does not make promises unless He intends to keep them. To assume that we can take an action that would separate us from the Lord once we have been saved would essentially be calling Him a liar.

• The hand of God is used throughout Scripture as a symbol of His strength. Once we have received Christ, we are safely in His palm, and no force or action can remove us. If Satan could snatch us away, either by tempting us into sin or through his own power, it would mean he is stronger than God. We know that isn't true because God is omnipotent (2 Chron. 20:6).

• Jesus is our advocate with a holy God who cannot look upon sin. In fact, Hebrews 7:25 tell us that Christ "save [s] forever" because He is available to intercede with God on our behalf. In human terms, Jesus is at the right hand of God as a tangible reminder that our sin debt is paid in full.

  Through His Son Jesus, God has offered us not only salvation, but salvation eternally, with no loopholes, caveats, or maybes. You can be sure!

Stanley, Charles F. "Eternal Security: You Can Be Sure." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. page 26.

Thoughtful Living

Psalm 25:8-15

Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
⁹ He guides the humble in what is right
    and teaches them his way.
¹⁰ All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
    toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
¹¹ For the sake of your name, Lord,
    forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

¹² Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
    He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
¹³ They will spend their days in prosperity,
    and their descendants will inherit the land.
¹⁴ The Lord confides in those who fear him;
    he makes his covenant known to them.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever on the Lord,
    for only he will release my feet from the snare.

   Are you living thoughtfully and intentionally - or are you living automatically? It's so easy to get up each morning, do our work, enjoy some relaxation or entertainment, and fall into bed each night without giving any thought to God's involvement in our everyday life. But to be ignorant of how He has blessed, guided, protected, and warned us is a foolish way to live. Just consider the benefits of keeping our spititual eyes and ears open throughout the day.   

   We who are aware of God's presence during daily activities enjoy the peace of knowing He's always in control and working to achieve His good purposes. Day-to-day experiences with Him teach us to know and love Him more.

   When we learn to see God's footprints throughout each week, we will become aware of the scope of His involvement in His children's lives. Maybe He strengthened us for a task or opened a door of opportunity. Perhaps He guided our decisions or helped us respond in a godly way to a difficult person or a challenging situation.

   If our ears are open to the Lord's warnings and instructions, we won't repeat the same mistakes again and again. But if we remain deaf to His voice, we run the risk of continuing in unhealthy thought patterns, negative emotions, and foolish responses.

   Each night before you go to sleep, take some time to reflect on the day's activities. The heavenly Father is constantly with you, guarding and guiding your way. He wants you to see Him in everything and understand life from His perspective as you rely on His wisdom and power to face any challenge.

Stanley, Charles F. "Thoughtful Living." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. page 25.