DIVINE GUIDANCE!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MAY 28, 2023.

SUBJECT : DIVINE GUIDANCE!

Memory verse: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go: I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32 vs 8.) 

READ: Psalm 25 vs 9 - 15: 

25:9: The Humble He guides in justice: and the humble He teaches His way.

2:10: All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

25:11: For Your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity; for it is great.

25:12: Who is the man that fears the LORD? him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

25:13: He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth.

25:14: The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him; and He will show them His covenant.

25:15: My eyes are ever toward the LORD; for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

INTIMATION:

The greatest guide of any human being is divine guidance; the special influence of a divinity on the minds of human beings; the ability to be guided by or hear God and be lead by Him. This is because you are guided by One who knows the road you are traveling on and all of the problems that lay ahead; the end is already known to Him from the beginning, therefore, He can give you dependable advice. He is able to help you be all that you can be, and can enable you either to avoid or overcome every obstacle or problem in your lives. 

Events do not occur by luck or coincidence. We should have faith that God is directing our lives for His purpose. What you call ‘coincidence,’ somebody calls it ‘Godincidence.’ Stop now and think about the events in your life leading up to where you are now. Obviously, as a child of God, He has led you to the point you are right now. He never promised us a trouble-free life, but rather He promised to be with us even in our troubles. As you grow older, you will look back and see God’s involvement more clearly than you do now. He will make all things work together for the good of those who love Him.

When you follow God’s guidance, you know you are where He wants you, whether you’re moving or staying in one place, and you are sure of achieving the purpose for which you are created because the Creator and determinant of the purpose is guiding you. As you go about your daily tasks, God is working in your life in ways you may not even notice. You are physically somewhere now. He has a purpose in placing you where you are right now. Begin to understand God’s purpose for your life by discovering what He wants you to do now where you are. We must not close the door on what God can do. 

How do we receive God’s guidance? The first step is that you must be spiritual, and desire to be guided. You must realize that God’s primary guiding system is in His Word—the Bible. Psalm 119 tells of the endless knowledge found in God’s Word. By reading the Bible and constantly learning from it, we will gain the wisdom to perceive God’s direction for our lives. When we are willing to seek God, learn from His Word, and obey His commands, then we will receive His specific guidance. We need both a map that gives us directions and a constant companion who has an intimate knowledge of the way and will make sure we interpret the map correctly. The Bible is such a map, and the Holy Spirit is our constant companion and guide. As you make your way through life, use both the map and your Guide.

God has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess. He has clearly revealed His purposes for our lives in the Bible. It tells us why we are alive, how life works, how the owner of life governs it, what to do, what to avoid, and what to expect now, and in the future. And it is only in Him, and His Manual you can find these answers. If that is the case, it makes no sense to center your life on yourself, but rather on the Owner of that life, and the determinant of how best to lead that life of yours.

God describes some people as being like horses or mules that have to be controlled by bits and bridles (Psalm 32 vs 9). Rather than letting God guide them step by step, they stubbornly leave God with only one option—chastisement. If God wants to keep them useful for Him, He must use discipline and punishment. God longs to guide us with love and wisdom rather than punishment. He offers to teach us the best way to go. Accept the advice written in God’s Word and don’t let your stubbornness keep you from obeying Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, I desire my help to come from you who created heaven and earth; who has all knowledge, and knows the end from the beginning. My absolute trust is on You. Guide me, O Lord, that I may remain in the path You fashioned for me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Payout for Patience

 

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive.” (Genesis 50:20)

The story of Joseph in Genesis 37–50 is a great lesson in why we should have faith in the sovereign, future grace of God.

Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, which must have tested his patience tremendously. But he is given a good job in Potiphar’s house in Egypt. Then, when he is acting uprightly in the unplanned place of obedience, Potiphar’s wife lies about his integrity and has him thrown into prison — another great trial to his patience.

But again things turn for the better, and the prison keeper gives him responsibility and respect. But just when he thinks he is about to get a reprieve from Pharaoh’s cupbearer, whose dream he interpreted, the cupbearer forgets him for two more years. Another painful trial to his patience.

Finally, the meaning of all these detours and delays becomes clear. Joseph is raised up to be the leader of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. He ends up saving from starvation the very brothers who sold him into slavery. Joseph says to his long-estranged brothers, “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. . . . As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive” (Genesis 45:7; 50:20).

What would have been the key to patience for Joseph during all those long years of exile and abuse? The answer is: faith in God’s sovereign, future grace — the sovereign grace of God to turn the unplanned place and the unplanned pace into the happiest ending imaginable.

That’s the key to our patience as well. Do we believe that God is working for us in the strangest and most painful turns of our lives?

Authentic vs. Phony Faith

 Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28)

The question before us all is: Are we included in the “many” whose sins Christ bore? And will we be saved at his second coming? 

The answer of Hebrews 9:28 is, “Yes,” if we are “eagerly waiting for him.” We can know that our sins are taken away and that we will be safe in the judgment, if we trust Christ in such a way that it makes us eager for his coming.

There is a phony faith that claims to believe in Christ, but is only a fire insurance policy. Phony faith “believes” only to escape hell. It has no real desire for Christ. In fact, it would prefer if he did not come, so that we can have as much of this world’s pleasures as possible. This shows that a heart is not with Christ, but with the world.

So, the issue for us is: Do we eagerly long for the coming of Christ? Or do we want him to stay away, while our love affair with the world runs its course? That is the question that tests the authenticity of faith.

Let us be like the Corinthians as we “wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7), and like the Philippians whose “citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

That’s the issue for us. Do we love his appearing? Or do we love the world and hope that his appearing will not interrupt our plans? Eternity hangs on this question.

ENTERING GOD'S REST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MAY 27, 2023.

SUBJECT : ENTERING GOD'S REST!

Memory verse: "For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it." (Hebrews 4 vs 2.)

READ: Hebrews 4 vs 1 - 10:

4:1: Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 

4:2: For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

4:3: For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest'" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

4:4: For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works";

4:5: And again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest."

4:6: Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,

4:7: Again He designates a certain day, saying to David, "Today," after such a long time, as it had been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."

4:8: For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.

4:9: There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

4:10: For he who entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

INTIMATION:

Why are there many Christians but only a few share testimonies of the goodness of God? In a typical Sunday service in a large church, attendance might be five thousand worshipers, and the testifiers might be as few as two people. The reason is "unbelief." Many Christians do not believe completely that God will do what He says He will do. 

The Bible says that, when people hear God's Word but do not believe it, "the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Many of the Christians in our churches today, do not know Christ personally. They know a great deal about Christ, but do not have a personal relationship with Him, and do not combine their knowledge with faith. Consequently, when a problem shows up in their lives, they will be overwhelmed by the difficulties of the present moment, and allow that to overshadow the reality of God's promise. 

They turn back on the promises of God, and doubt that God would fulfill His promises. Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world, only those who believe do enter that rest (do obtain His promised blessings). God even swore in His anger that the unbelieving hearts would not enter His rest (Psalm 95 vs 11). 

The major conditions that keeps us from God's ultimate blessings ("entering His rest" include: (1) Not worshipping or submitting to Him. (2) Hardening our hearts, especially to sin. (3) Trying God's patience because of stubborn doubts. (4) Ungrateful hearts—not being thankful. In the passage we read today, the Bible warns us not to harden our hearts, but to reject the glamour of sin and anything else that would lead us away from God.

For the Christians that believe, the apostle Paul has a word for them in First Thessalonians 2 vs 13, "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe."

God wants us to enter His rest; to be at peace with Him now, and rest eternally with Him later. He offers the opportunity to enter His ultimate place of rest, that is, invites us to come to Christ. To enter His rest, you must believe that God has this relationship in mind for you: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope”  (Jeremiah 29 vs 11). The relationship is not subject to your creating it; it is already in place, and you must trust in Christ for it; and you must determine to obey Him. 

We do not need to wait for the next life to enjoy God's rest and peace; we may have it daily now! Our daily rest in the Lord here on earth will one day end with death, but will become an eternal rest in the place that Christ is preparing for us. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know" (John 14 vs 1 - 4). 

You will never miss Christ and God’s rest, in Jesus’ Name. Declare today to totally commit yourself to Christ and be assured of eternal rest in Him. Since it is possible to lose our rest through disobedience and unbelief, every Christian must be in fear lest he turn from the security of God’s grace. The choice is yours.

Prayer: Abba Father, You have said it, I believe it, and that settles it. In Christ Jesus I have rest round about, and in Him I live, and move, and have my being. Give me the grace for raw obedience to Christ that I will not lose my rest through disobedience, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Strength to Wait with Patience

 

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. (Colossians 1:11)

“Strengthened” is the right word. The apostle Paul prayed for the church at Colossae, that they would be “strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience” (Colossians 1:11). Patience is the evidence of an inner strength.

Impatient people are weak, and therefore dependent on external supports — like schedules that go just right and circumstances that support their fragile hearts. Their outbursts of oaths and threats and harsh criticisms of the culprits who crossed their plans do not sound weak. But that noise is all a camouflage of weakness. Patience demands tremendous inner strength.

For the Christian, this strength comes from God. That is why Paul is praying for the Colossians. He is asking God to empower them for the patient endurance that the Christian life requires. But when he says that the strength of patience is “according to [God’s] glorious might” he doesn’t just mean that it takes divine power to make a person patient. He means that faith in this “glorious might” is the channel through which the power for patience comes.

Patience is indeed a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22), but the Holy Spirit empowers (with all his fruit) through “hearing with faith” (Galatians 3:5). Therefore Paul is praying that God would connect us with the “glorious might” that empowers patience. And that connection is faith.

SILENCE IS EXPENSIVE IN CHRISTIANITY!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY MAY 26, 2023.

SUBJECT: SILENCE IS EXPENSIVE IN CHRISTIANITY!

Memory verse: "Do not let me be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon You: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.” (Psalm 31 vs 17.)

READ: Romans 10 vs 8 - 10; Second Corinthians 4 vs 13:

Romans 10:8: But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith, which we preach):

10:9: that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10:10: For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Second Corinthians 4:13: And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak.

INTIMATION:

People say silence is golden, and it can certainly be so. But in Christendom it is certainly very expensive, and most times costs Christians the things they wanted from God. In Christianity confession is greatly required, in whatever form it is made; either confession of guilt or acknowledgement of faith.

Unfortunately, in our society the word "confession" has come to have mainly a negative, rather than a positive, meaning. Today we usually associate confession with guilt. People who have committed crimes "confess" them. And some denominations stress negative confession; confession of sins, faults, shortcomings, weaknesses, and failures. Even according to most dictionary definitions, confession carries with it the idea of guilt. 

The confession of admitting guilt or acknowledging our sins to God is also necessary for forgiveness of sin and restoration of fellowship with God. In First John 1 vs 9, the Bible says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The directive to do that is for us to get right with God and to continue our fellowship with Him.

However, the definition that should be emphasized, one which also is in the secular dictionary, is "the acknowledgment of a belief." Christians are followers of Christ, that means the acknowledgment of His saving power. The confession of our belief—our faith—is the confession of God's Word. Hearing God's Word, claiming it for your own, saying His promise is for you, and receiving the results of that promise are the orderly and direct steps along the pathway to God.

The Scripture in Hebrews 4 vs 14 - 16 says, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest  who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Prayer is our approach to God, and we are to come boldly. God's mercy to us when we come is assured, provided we hold fast to our confession of faith and believe in Him. 

We get what we say because God honors His Word, and His Word says in Mark 11 vs 23,  ‘....whoever says.....and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.’ That is an awesome promise from God. But most people keep missing it because they are not holding fast to their confession. In the morning they will pray and believe God for divine healing, and in the afternoon, they are already confessing that they are sick. Instead of thanking God for answered prayer in faith, they are not sure yet. How then can they receive when their confession is double and in opposite direction.

The Scripture says, "Can two walk together, except they are agreed?" (Amos 3 vs 3).

When you can't hold fast to your confession, you are not agreeing with God, and it is difficult to walk together with Him. A double minded person is a doubter, unstable in all his ways (James 1 vs 8). And the Bible says that "He who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord." (James 1 vs 6 - 7.) 

What you confess you possess. If it is a negative confession, the results will be negative. If it is a positive confession, the result will be Godward. Many people spoil their confession by wavering between the positive "Yes" and faltering "No" to the Word of God. When your heart gives a positive "Yes" to the Word, positive results will begin to occur in your life.

T. L. Osborn, the world renowned missionary and evangelist once said that the Bible truth of the effect of the positive confession of the Word of God was the great springboard to his whole ministry around the world. He said knowing what you do about the confession of the Word of God makes you a man richly blessed by God.

Fortunately for us, however, God does not wait until we have gone through all those steps, as if we were working for some kind of permit, license, or diploma. At our very first turning toward Him—our Heavenly Father, He stretches out His hand and draws us steadfastly along the way. While we are still in the babyhood of faith, He is urging us toward the positive confession of His place in every area of our lives. He will never draw away from us. If we falter or waver, however, He gives us back the choice, and we may lose ground in our spiritual progress.

Engage therefore, the power in spoken words, and keep on confessing positively, "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12 vs 37.) I encourage you today start confessing positively, and make the Word of God your bedrock for living; confess the Word and hold fast to your confession, and your life will begin to experience strange blessings of God.

Prayer: Abba Father, forever Your Word is settled in heaven. O Lord, give me the grace to speak Your Word in faith at all times because I believe, and I will receive my confession because I have no doubt in my heart that You will do what You says You will do, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

God’s Design in Detours

 

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

Have you ever wondered what God is doing while you are looking in the wrong place for something you lost and needed very badly? He knows exactly where it is, and yet he is letting you look in the wrong place.

I once needed a quote for a new edition of my book Desiring God. I knew I had read it in Richard Wurmbrand. I thought it was in his devotional book, Reaching Toward the Heights. I could almost see it on the right hand side of the facing pages. But I couldn’t find it.

But while I was looking, I was riveted on his devotional for November 30. As I read it, I said, “This is why the Lord let me keep looking for my quote in the ‘wrong’ place.” Here was a story that illustrated perfectly that nothing is wasted that we do in the name of Jesus — nothing, not even looking for a quote in the wrong place. Here’s what I read:

In a home for retarded children, Catherine was nurtured twenty years. The child had been [mentally handicapped] from the beginning, and had never spoken a word, but only vegetated. She either gazed quietly at the walls or made distorted movements. To eat, to drink, to sleep, were her whole life. She seemed not to participate at all in what happened around her. A leg had to be amputated. The staff wished Cathy well and hoped that the Lord would soon take her to Himself.

One day the doctor called the director to come quickly. Catherine was dying. When both entered the room, they could not believe their senses. Catherine was singing Christian hymns she had heard and had picked up, just those suitable for death beds. She repeated over and over again the German song, “Where does the soul find its fatherland, its rest?” She sang for half an hour with transfigured face, then she passed away quietly. (Taken from The Best Is Still to Come, Wuppertal: Sonne und Shild)

Is anything that is done in the name of Christ really wasted?

My frustrated, futile search for what I thought I needed was not wasted. Singing to this disabled child was not wasted. And your agonizing, unplanned detour is not a waste — not if you look to the Lord for his unexpected work, and do everything in his name (Colossians 3:17).