1 MAY 23 Monday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 1 MAY 23 Monday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you.  We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give spiritual wisdom and understanding.  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.  All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” Col. 1:9-10

When you pray, do you primarily list your needs and the needs of others? Does it resemble a shopping or Christmas list? Many of us rattle off a list of things we desire and of course “to bless” us or our family and friends.  Maybe we are pleading for God to get us out of a jam or trial.  Those may not be bad things present to the Lord, but there may be a more fitting conversation to have.

Paul gives us some insight into his prayers for himself and others.  When praying for himself, he is asking for boldness from God to be faithful and to share the good news with those that he meets on his journey.  When Paul prays for others, he desires that God would make them into the person that He desires.  There is an expected hope that people reach spiritual maturity.

To have ‘complete knowledge’ is to become mature in this life to the will of God and understand how to live in it.  He doesn’t want people to just go through life, but to grow through life.  If you are mature, then you will know how to please God and be filled with joy no matter where you live on earth.  You can live under harsh governments and immoral and hostile societies, and various socio-economic conditions.  You can be fruitful no matter where you are planted.

When you pray, leave that Christmas list in the drawer.  God is not Santa.  He is more concerned with your development and holiness than your happiness.  You will find true joy when you start asking God to make you into the person He desires and start obeying what He has already written in His Word.  

Are you praying to God for stuff or your maturity?

Reading Plan: Psalm 41, 52; Job.23:1-12; Col. 1:1-14;  Luke 6:1-11

29 APR 23 Saturday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 29 APR 23 Saturday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth.  I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.” 3 John 3-4

When you are a practitioner of disciple-making, there is a great deal of time invested and caring for others.  Jesus himself modeled his patterns, teaching, and formation to the twelve and others for three years.  His intention from the beginning was to develop these men so that they could eventually make disciples on their own.  They eventually would do so.

When you invest deeply with a few people at a time, there is no guarantee that the disciples will in fact take the baton and start living out what you have imparted to them.  As a matter of fact, many don’t and that is a painful reality.  Sometimes the people you have invested in take more time to get on their feet and then put into practice what was learned.

I can attest that It is such a great feeling of joy to know that your spiritual children or even your own children are following the truth and living out the faith.  John experiences this and writes to his disciple Gaius.  John hears how Gaius’ faithfulness has impacted others, and it moves John to praise and thanksgiving.  There is some affirmation towards Gaius in what he is doing, and thankfulness that God is allowing John to see the fruit of his labors.  

Are your disciples faithful and making disciples?

Reading Plan: Psalm 30, 32 Dan. 6:16-28; 3 Jn. 1-15;  Luke 5:27-39

28 APR 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 28 APR 23 Friday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“But when Daniel learned the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem.  He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.” Daniel 6:10

It has been said that you are either in a trail, coming out of one, or about to enter one.  Jesus said that in this life there will be trials and troubles.  Daniel in this passage is entering a trial and test of his faith.  The jealousy of other leaders has sparked a plan to trap Daniel and remove him from his position.  What is Daniel’s response? Is it panic?

No! Daniel has established a pattern or rhythm of prayer that empowers him and gives him peace of mind even in dark times.  When you have entrusted your life to Jesus and let him have your problems, you grow through the experience.  When you talk to God regularly, he gives you insight into daily living and answers to your problems.

Daniel does something counter-intuitive to our nature.  He doesn’t complain but gives thanks.  This act builds spiritual resilience and helps us to think clearly and change our why questions into what or how.  God will use the trial to build us up even though it was meant to hurt or destroy us.  We come out on the side of trials better than when we entered them.

Why would you want to establish a regular rhythm of prayer?

Reading Plan: Psalm 105:1-22 Dan. 6:1-15; 2 Jn. 1-13;  Luke 5:12-26

26 APR 23 Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 26 APR Wednesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true.  Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.” 1 John 5:10

The more I read the Scriptures, the more blunt and offensive it appears to be to our modern ears.  We think we know so much more than people from the previous eras of history.  We certainly have more information, but hardly the wisdom.  Sometimes we believe if we have the right evidence or the most prominent thinker, we can hang our hat on a topic and call it settled.

In doing so, we can presume that we have all truth and that is enough to discount God’s own testimony.  Christians face the indifference of opponents to our faith even rejection and hostility.  Rejection is a painful thing to be on the receiving end of.  We are personally made to feel less than and our message is viewed as a fairy tale.  That’s a politically correct way of saying the message is a lie or trash.

In reality, we are dealing with two things, our audience is spiritually dull and God is being insulted.  Every time we share the good news there will be people who reject the message because God has hidden the truth from them.  The pieces of the puzzle they do understand they suppress in their hearts thereby hardening themselves to God.   Their response to God, his message, and his messengers is taken as an offense.  Ultimately, they are calling God a liar and they will face the consequences.  May God have mercy on their souls.

Are you calling God a liar?

Reading Plan: Psalm 38; Dan. 5:1-12; 1 Jn. 5:1-12;  Luke 4:38-44

25 APR Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 25 APR Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!” Luke 4:36

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Prov. 9:10) The more people understand who God is and his capabilities, the more likely fear will set in.  The people of Capernaum were in awe of Jesus’ teaching and how he spoke with authority.  It’s not that the other Rabbis were not learned or scholars or people of influence, but Jesus was something else.

As he preached and taught, he didn’t cite other people’s words or ideas unless he was exposing errors.  He taught from a position as “the” source of wisdom and truth.  When you read the Bible you find that he makes truth claims that leave no room for any other viable ideology, religion, or other truth.  This causes a stir in a person’s heart to be in awe of Jesus or to hate Him.

The people experience Jesus’ authority and power when he encounters a demon-possessed man.  Demons are fallen angels that rebelled against God and live on earth living among us.  In this case, a demon has overridden a man’s will and life controlling his every action.  Demons know Jesus and they know those that belong to Him.  When the demon sees Jesus, he is struck with fear.  He knows his maker and knows what he can do to him.

No one, not you or me or angel or animal or planet or demon can hold back the will and command of Jesus.  His will, will be done, period.  He does what he desires and no one can stop him or complain that he is doing this or that.  Jesus has both the authority and power to back it up.  That can spark fear, but it can also spark hope.  If Jesus is for you, who can be against you or what can man do to you?

Are you trusting in the authority and power of Jesus?

Reading Plan: Psalm 26, 28; Dan. 4:28-37; 1 Jn. 4:7-21;  Luke 4:31-37