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. 

David: A Model of Servanthood

2 Samuel 7:8-17

⁸ “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. ⁹ I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. ¹⁰ And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning ¹¹ and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
“‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: ¹² When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. ¹⁵ But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”

¹⁷ Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

NIV from www.biblegateway.com

    From his days as a simple shepherd boy to the time he was a heroic ruler, David served God in many capacities. By looking at the various states of his life, we can clearly see how his godly devotion allowed the Lord to use him mightily.

   SHEPHERD. David was anointed as king long before commanding anything other than sheep (1 Sam. 16:1-13). Shepherding was a job he took so seriously that he even killed a lion and a bear to protect his flock. During those days, he learned to be strong and brave, and to take care of creatures weaker than himself. An early life of obedience to his earthly father taught him the humility he would later need in order to depend on his heavenly Father.

   PSALMIST. David's writings reveal his hunger for God. He is open about issues such as fear, depression, defeat, loneliness, and sorrow. By describing valley experiences and communing with the Lord in the night watches, David provided us with intimate glimpses of the God he knew so well.

   LEADER. Following his encounter with Bathsheba, David's life was plagued by heartache, suffering, and conflict. He'd sinned greatly, but God forgave him and continued to use him as king and military commander. He ruled Israel for 40 years, and his people called Jerusalem the "City of David." His restoration teaches us about sin's consequences and God's limitlessness grace.

   King David served God's purpose when he lived, and his impact continues thousands of years later - every follower of Jesus Christ has been blessed by David's obedience, service, and literary skill. He is a great example of what God can accomplish through us if we yield our lives to Him. 

Stanley, Charles F. "David: A Model of Servanthood." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. page 24. 

 

The God Who Forgives

Matthew 6:9-13

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.’ 

 NIV from www.biblegateway.com

   Jesus gave his followers a pattern for prayer that includes seeking forgiveness every day. The invitation to regular repentance is not a means of renewing our salvation, but rather a maintenance plan for our fellowship with the Lord.

   The Lord's substitutionary payment for our transgressions means that we can look forward to an eternity spent in God's presence instead of getting the punishment we deserve. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, our sins are forgiven forever - the stains from our past, present, and future wrongs are wiped from our record. The tendency to sin, however, remains part of the human experience, though its influence decreases the more we're conformed to Christ's image.

   With the exception of Jesus Christ no person is perfect, so while on earth, we will all continue to deal with sin and its consequences. The Lord's admonition to seek daily forgiveness is a reminder to confess our sins and turn away from them because we are forgiven.

   God's grace is not a license to sin; instead, it's a reason to continuously pursue righteousness.  Bad attitudes, thoughtless actions, and unkind speech do not fit who we are as children of God. We're new creatures in Christ; we were bought for a price and set free to live as partakers of His grace.

   Salvation makes a way for us to enter God's presence, while regular confession and repentance keep the pathway well maintained and free of obstruction (1John 1:9). The 'sinner's prayer" need be said only once, but a saint will tap into God's forgiveness every day of his or her life. 

 

Stanley, Charles F. "The God Who Forgives." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. page 14.