ALMIGHTY GOD – OUR SUPPORT

READING: PSALM 71:1-8

Verse 6: “By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He Who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise will continually be of You.”

In the Book of Ecclesiastes we are informed that there is a time to be born. The Bible is making the point that God has predetermined and established the times of our births. In some situations, however, life becomes extremely difficult for some people. On those occasions, they can be heard
to express regret that they were born. At any time of discouragement, it is important or even vita, for Christians to find refuge in the truth of God. At those times, the psalms are passages of the Bible that provide inspiration that can motivate us. For example, Psalm 71:6 is a prayer of praise to the Lord that can produce that affect. How comforting it is when we turn to the realities of the Holy Father’s provision for us. We are assured that in everything that happens from our births through our eternal lives, we are upheld by our great and sovereign God. That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. Give two reasons it is profitable for you to understand you have been upheld by God since birth.

2. How can your praise to the Lord be more effectively continued?

CHEATED OR COMPLETED

READING: COLOSSIANS 2:4-10

Verse 8: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

People don’t very well tolerate being cheated. We respond to fraud using organizations like the Better Business Bureau and various law enforcement agencies. The Apostle Paul encourages us to have a similar attitude toward being cheated spiritually. He expresses that as his desire for us in the verse quoted above. There is something that Paul wants for all Christians. Instead of being cheated by the emptiness of deceit, he wants us to receive the fullness of the Lord Jesus. In verse 9, he goes on to explain that the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ. Therefore we as Christians are complete in Him! Once again the Holy Scripture faces us with a vital choice. We can be cheated thru human emptiness or we can accept completion through the divine fullness offered to all in the Lord. The eternal truth is that no one will ever be defrauded in Christ. That’s a thought - about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. In the past, in what situation were you cheated of you divine fullness because of human emptiness?

2. How does that past experience influence your life today?

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW

READING: PSALM 71:12-16

Verse 15: “My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits.”

Above, the writer admits that he does not know the extent of God’s righteousness and salvation, and that they exceed his understanding. So how do people react when something exceeds our understanding? Usually we attempt to extend our understanding in order to rectify the lack. If understanding continues to elude us, eventually we will usually evade the matter or even drop it. In this psalm, the psalmist models a better alternative. His response to his lack of understanding of the limits of the righteousness and salvation of God was to: hope continually, to praise God more and more and to tell of His righteousness and salvation all the day long. This example set by the psalmist in his situation, is still current for our application after all these years. His prescription is good advice about what to do when you don’t know what to do. Our answer is always found in Jesus! That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. What is your usual response when you encounter something in your Christian experience that exceeds your understanding?

2. Identify one aspect of your life in Christ where you lack understanding, then apply the psalmist’s model and note the results.

THE ANSWER IS IN JESUS

READING: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:15-24

Verse 18: “But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No.”

Paul wrote the statement quoted above to the Corinthian Church. His point was that a yes and no answer is indecisive and confusing. Just a few years later, James wrote in a similar manner as he provided leadership for the early church. He confirmed in James 1 that a person who does not respond in faith is double minded and unstable in all his ways. Indecision and double mindedness come from the flesh and not from the heart of the Lord. These are reactions that consistently produce confusion, and 1 Corinthians 14:33 informs us that God is not the author of confusion. Instead of indecision and double mindedness, Paul commends Christians to the example of our Lord Jesus as stated in verses 19 and 20 of 2 Corinthians 1. “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ...was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen...” . So it seems the key to a firm response is being in Him, a lesson that can't be taught too much. That’s a thought – about God’s word.

RESPONSE

1. Can you identify some ways do you respond with both “yes” and “no” in your relationship with the Lord?

2. How do these “yes” and “no” responses influence or affect your life in Christ?

WE CAN HAVE IT OUR WAY

READING: 1 SAMUEL 8:4-22

Verse 9: “Now therefore heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them”

How do people respond when they are asked if they prefer to learn the hard way or the easy way? Only rarely would a person state a preference for learning the hard way. On the other hand, the behaviors of some people relegate them to positions where there is no option but to learn the hard way. In 1 Samuel 8, the nation of Israel illustrates the choice to learn the hard way. Through Samuel, God warned them of the suffering that would result from having a king to rule them. Verse 19 states that they refused to hear and said “We will have a king over us”. The results of their choice condemned them to having to learn the hard way. The Lord wants us to avoid this type of bad choice. He provides us with the wisdom of His word so that we can learn in an easier way. We can repeat the mistake of the Israelites, or we can receive the way of blessing from the Holy Father. We can have it our way. That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. Have you chosen the hard way instead of the easy? If so:
a. What caused that choice?
b. What did you learn from the experience?

2. If you have never chosen the hard way instead of the easy:
a. To what do you attribute this?
b. What does it teach you about yourself?

FERVENT IN SPIRIT

READING: ACTS 18: 24-28

 

Verse 25: “This man had been instructed in the way of the LORD; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the LORD, though he knew only the baptism of John”

Acts 18 informs us about a man named Apollos. This man had only received the baptism of John the Baptist, but still taught accurately the things of the Lord. How could this have happened? The answer to that question probably involves the Holy Spirit’s ability to exceed our ideas about what it takes to be powerfully used by the Lord. We should be careful about setting prerequisites and requirements, then believing they must be met before the works of God can come forth. Ideas that have the effect of setting limits on what we will do or how far we will advance, can cause opportunities for service to be missed. We should not fail to be entirely open to God’s supernatural choices about through whom He will work and how He will go about it. H is unlimited, so all things are possible in Him. That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. In your Christian experience, what have you learned regarding people who have not seemed prepared, but who accomplished much for God’s Kingdom?

2. When you consider yourself, what is your perception regarding your willingness to serve beyond what seem to be your levels of preparation?

THE ANCIENT ART OF MENTORING

READING: DEUTERONOMY 31:1-8

Verse 7: “Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and of good courage...’”

Often, much of the strength of good leadership is not spontaneous, but is passed from one who is senior to one who is junior. This devotional reading is a case in point. When we hear the following scripture, we usually think of Joshua and the book that is named after him. “Be of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” That quote is Deuteronomy 31:6, and verse 7 is as stated above. Moses used the instruction in these two verses, as a part of the process of conferring the mantle of leadership on Joshua as his successor . This experience as recorded illustrates a powerful practice. It models for us the principle of faithfulness in thoroughly preparing those who follow, to serve well as leaders responding to their callings. That’s a thought - about God’s Word

RESPONSE

It has been said that every Christian should have a mentor and be a mentor.

1. If you agree with the statement above, is this a time for you to respond and if so how are you to respond?

2. If you disagree is there a scriptural basis for your disagreement?