Following God's Call (Matthew 4:19-20)
Matthew 4:19-20, And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. On January 22, 1886, Evangelist Dwight L. Moody addressed his church members in Chicago saying: "I tell you what, and what I have on my heart I believe we have got to have gap-men, men to stand between the laity and the ministers; men who are trained to do city mission work. Take men that have the gifts and train them for the work of reaching the people." This formal meeting, held at Farwell Hall, resulted in the group founding the Chicago Evangelization Society, which was later renamed the Moody Bible Institute. During that same year, Moody was in New York City when he met William Evans. Evans was a 16 year old boy working as a typesetter. Moody was impressed with Evans and told him to pack his trunk and head for "my school in Chicago." Evans was on his way within days, becoming Moody's first graduate. William Evans held various Presbyterian pastorates, and, after several years, became Director of the Bible Course at Moody Bible Institute. He then served for three years as dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. He was also a respected Christian author and leader. And it all started when he had the courage to leave everything and to follow Jesus. Jesus sees two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew, throwing their net into the water (Matthew 4:18). They have already met Jesus in Judea the day after His baptism (John 1:35-42). Jesus invites them to follow Him, Simon and Andrew leave their nets and follow Jesus. Their lives change forever. In Jesus' day, disciples would literally and physically follow their masters, or teachers, to learn from them and imitate them. Today, we follow Jesus through Bible study and church attendance. Discipleship can be summed up in one word: follow. There was no delay in obeying Christ's calling. This verse is an example for us that this is the only way to respond to Divine commands. It is interesting that Jesus first and last statement to Peter was “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19; John 21:22). “God’s call is for you to be His loyal friend, for whatever purpose He has for your life.” Oswald Chambers Whatever the price is to follow Christ, it is more than compensated for by the rewards of following Him. I must testify, that every time, the LORD has called me to follow His leading in His work I have followed. He has never failed in giving peace and provision. I must say that I have seen already in my lifetime, much fruit from the laboring in Tennessee, Arkansas, New York, Mississippi, Georgia, Belize, and now Florida and abroad. Question to Consider: Is God leading you to do something for Him in your life? Is He directing you to serve Him through your church? Points to Ponder: Don’t silence Him through doubt, delay, or disobedience but follow His direction. Remember to always be sensitive to the Lord’s direction. PRAYER: Father, I want to be a true, totally committed Christ follower. Enable me by Your Spirit to passionately, deeply, and completely follow You. Make me into the disciple You want me to be. In Jesus name AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
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Finding Joy in Suffering (Romans 5:3-5)
Romans 5:3-5, And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. ABC's of Trials Although things are not perfect Because of trial or pain, Continue in thanksgiving Do not begin to blame. Even when the times are hard, Fierce winds are bound to blow; God is forever able-- Hold on to what you know Imagine life without His love; Joy would cease to be. Keep thanking Him for all the things Love imparts to thee. Move out of "Camp Complaining"-- No weapon that is known On earth can yield the power Praise can do alone. Quit looking at the future, Redeem the time at hand. Start every day with worship; To "thank" is a command. Until we see Him coming, Victorious in the sky, We'll run the race with gratitude, Exalting God most high. Yes, there'll be good times; and, yes, some will be bad, but... Zion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!—Unknown We are given insight as to the work of troubles and trials. Most people groan in tribulation, but the perspective that comes from salvation changes one's view of life's experiences to the extent that trials bring rejoicing more than complaining. The idea is because we are now at peace with God, having access to His grace and having standing before Him, we also glory in tribulations. Because of the riches of His grace in saving us, we not only can endure troubles, we can rejoice in them because of our standing in Christ. The Bible teaches that God wants to work a character quality in your heart known as patience. Patience has the sense of ‘endurance’ or ‘perseverance.’ Trouble and persecution, especially for Christ’s sake, produce the added benefit of determination to continue. What are some reactions when troubles come? How do you respond? One of the greatest marks of your faith and your confidence in the Almighty is your endurance, your perseverance when trouble comes. This is a guarantee that not only are we saved now, but we will still be saved when we stand before God. As a believer, I can have full assurance of salvation. What a promise! The love of God changes everything! God's love was shed abroad in our hearts at the time of our salvation. Our hope is backed up by the love of God. This is where it all started (John 3:16). If it were not for the sacrificial love of God there would be no hope of salvation. God’s love is an amazing love that is never depleted! Our hope is a sure thing because it is grounded upon the love of God. Are you experiencing a major setback in your life? Has a health problem sidelined you? Is some obstacle keeping you from reaching your fullest potential? Don’t give up. God can use your hardships to accomplish in you what no one else could ever do. His plan has not been hindered by your limitations — rather, if you trust Him, it may be heightened by them. With His help you can thrive. PRAYER: Lord, thank You for my salvation, and the hope that I have in Christ. Give me a teachable spirit and a willingness to rejoice in the You, no matter what difficulties and I have to face. May my life be a testimony of Your goodness and grace, in Jesus name I pray, AMEN. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com There’s No Omission in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)
Matthew 28:19-20, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. In March 2003, Christian Ambaye was arrested for "Christian proselytizing" and detained in a crowded jail cell for twenty weeks. Ambaye had left his home in Eritrea in 1988 to seek employment as a tailor in Saudi Arabia. While jailed, he said his detention in the crowded cell provided an opportunity to share his faith with other prisoners awaiting deportation. He estimated he had explained the gospel to 600 of his cellmates during the 20 weeks he was detained. Ambaye said that 42 of the prisoners indicated they wanted to become Christians. In August 2003, Ambaye was deported for his crime. He said: "I felt that Jesus Christ was with me in the jail and now I know Him so much better. Everyone knew my crime was being a preacher of Christianity." Even as he was being deported, he was able to witness for Christ. Ambaye said his guards at the airport told curious inquirers, including the airline ticket agent, that he was a "preacher of Christianity" who was being deported for violating laws against proselytizing. Just before Jesus finished His earthly mission, He clearly outlined His mission for His followers. We need to be disciples. Disciples are people whose lives who are filled with Christ. Disciples are those who hear, understand, and obey His teaching. Part of the fullness of Christ is the actual responsibility of sharing that fullness of life with others. We need to be disciples making disciples. In understanding the entirety of His authority, we come to understand our responsibility to that authority, which is "Go therefore." It is not a matter of debate or discussion. The Great Commission is a command, not a “Great Suggestion.” It is ultimately a matter of obedience. We need to come before Him and ask,” What would You have me to do in light of Your Great Commission?” Every Christian needs to let others know that Jesus Christ came into the world to bring salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. We have a wonderful opportunity to be a part of God's plan and program that has eternal value. That is where we need to put our attention and focus. May we find and obey the task that He has called us to do. Points to Ponder: We need to be people whose lives are filled with Christ. As His disciples, we need to make other disciples. Jesus Christ is looking for disciples, not names on church rolls or decision cards. Questions to Consider: What are you doing to take part in the work of spreading the message of Christ to the world? How are you involved in making disciples? PRAYER: Father, help me to become a more disciplined laborer in the field. I submit my availability to Your authority. May Your Holy Spirit guide me to souls who are open to receive Your truth. Help me to bring forth lasting fruit for pleasure and glory. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Missing the Mark (Romans 3:23)
Romans 3:23, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; In the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the US women's softball team lost only one game, and it was a game they should have won. Why? In the fifth inning, the score was tied 0-0. The American player, Dani Taylor slammed a home-run over the fence. She took her home run trot around the bases and when she came to home-plate, her team greeted her with high-fives and cheers. Unfortunately, this joyous distraction cost them the game. Dani failed to touch home plate in all the celebration. When she got to the dugout, the Australian team brought this challenge and the first base umpire agreed. Dani had to return to third base where she was stranded and was unable to score. The score remained the same until the end of regulation play. The American team scored a run in the top half of the tenth inning and took the lead. With two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the tenth, the Australian batter hit a two-run homer and won the game. It was a painful defeat for the Americans, but illustrates the truth of what happens when we get distracted. Distractions can rob us of victory and blessing. Peter, Paul, and James addressed this issue in their writings. Every person born into the human race since the fall has been under a death sentence. No matter how good or moral a person may be, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We needed deliverance from death, but our righteousness could never be equal to the task. Jesus being perfect and sinless had nothing for which to atone, so His perfect righteousness was available to be our deliverance. In the Old Testament on the Day of Atonement, the priest would select two goats. One would be sacrificed on the altar. The other would be taken to the edge of the camp. There the priest would lay his hands on the “scapegoat” to symbolically transfer the sins of the people to it and then drive it into the wilderness. Jesus did something far greater—He did not just cover our sins but He removed them and replaced them with His righteousness so that we could be delivered from death. We had a debt that we owed to God that we could not pay (Romans 5:12). He who knew no sin became as sin that we who knew no righteousness could be made the righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:21). He would place all of His righteousness upon my record so that I might be viewed upon by God as having the righteousness of Christ. Now that’s a loving God! Do you realize all that you will miss if you reject Christ as your Saviour? PRAYER, Father I thank You for Jesus who paid the sin debt that I owed and could never repay. Although I strive to live righteously, I still fall short of perfection. I thank You that my standing is “in Christ” and His shed blood has washed my sins away. In Jesus name, Amen! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Are You A Burden Bearer?…
Carrying Someone’s Burden (Galatians 6:2) Galatians 6:2, Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. There is no shortage of people in need. Have you ever been so busy in life that you missed the opportunity to do something big in the life of another? We all need help and we are all helpers—that’s part of being human. But what does it look like to help each other well? The people who help best are people who both need help and give help—being able to share their burdens and to bear the burdens of others. In many cities in the Middle East, carriages or carts were not allowed to enter the city gates, so porters usually had to carry heavy loads on their backs. These men were often chosen from among the poor and were forced to spend long days and nights in back-breaking labor. Often, two porters would walk side-by-side and take turns relieving each other. So when Jesus told those who were “heavy-laden” to come to Him for rest-it was a clear illustration of an everyday struggle (Matthew 11:28). When Paul encouraged the Galatian church to “bear one another’s burdens,” (Galatians 6:2), it was more than a spiritual truth-it was a way for Christians to practically live out their faith. Walking alongside someone who is going through hardship means making time for that person, maybe at a child’s ball game, or at church, or over coffee, or during a small group meeting. It means having conversations that go beneath the surface, hearing what’s on their heart, and praying for and together with the person. As people who are needed, we can ask to hear our friend’s story. The better you know other people, the more you enjoy, appreciate, pray with, and love them. And the more you love them, the more they will invite you into their lives in times of hardship. Problems are complex, and there will be times when limits to our human gifts, abilities, and experience create the need for co-helpers. Maybe today you can do something to help lighten someone’s load. Think of someone who is hurting in your church or your community-and think of a way you can do something practical that will help them. Bearing other’s burdens is sometimes more than kind words and sweet notes. It’s rolling up your sleeves and doing something positive to affect their lives. If we are not willing to help others with their problems, then we have no one to whom we can minister. I want to encourage you today to be sensitive to the needs of others who are around you. When you go to church, go to work, or even spend time with your family and friends, ask the Holy Spirit to help you see when people are carrying too much by themselves. If you discern that they are burdened, go to them and ask, “How can I pray for you today? What is happening in your life?” God may use you to bring real relief and freedom into someone’s situation. Perhaps just providing a listening ear is all that is needed to help that person get through his or her dilemma. On the other hand, if an overwhelming problem, weakness, habit, or sin is pressing down on your life, you need to be humble enough to say, “Hey, I need someone to pray with me! This is too much for me to do completely by myself!” It may be difficult for you to open your heart and reveal your need, but it will be far more difficult for you to carry it alone until you eventually become emotionally devastated by that burden. As brothers and sisters in the Lord, we need to do everything we can to step deeply into people’s lives in order to encourage and refresh them spiritually and to help them get through their problems. When we see someone struggling, we must be bold enough to ask that person how we can help! When we work together as a Body in this way, every need will be addressed and met! 1. Have there been situations in your life when you thought you might break under the weight you were trying to carry by yourself? When that happened, did anyone come to you and ask how he or she might help or pray for your needs? 2. Have you ever gone to others to see how you could help them through the situations they were enduring? Or have you been too self-consumed to remember that other people have needs too? 3. Do you know of individuals you should check on today to see what you can do to help them through a situation they are facing? In what ways can you be a strength or an encouragement to them? Prayer, Lord, I am asking You to help me be sensitive to the needs of other people. Help me to stop being so self-consumed with my own concerns that I am negligent in recognizing the needs of people around me who need help and prayer. Holy Spirit, help me see through the masks people tend to wear to cover up what is really happening in their lives. Give me the wisdom to know how to approach people who need strength and encouragement. I pray this in Jesus’ name! Amen. If this post has blessed you in any way, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com God’s Got This! (Psalm 34:17-19)
Psalm 34:17–19, “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Have you ever felt like nothing in your world was going right? You may have recently experienced the absolute worst day of your life. We all have experienced troubles and know the feeling of having a "crushed spirit." When circumstances are difficult, all too often this affects our attitude towards God and can also inhibit our worship. After all, why should we worship when it seems like life is falling apart at the seams? The Psalmist gives us 3 profound reasons why we can worship the LORD even in the midst of the deepest valleys. 1. We can worship because He hears us. This does not mean He merely hears our cry, but this word implies action. God is so unlike us; when He hears, He acts. And He acts immediately! He does not sit idly by, but intervenes in even the most desperate situation. 2. We can worship in the midst of trials because we know the Lord promises to deliver us. Keep in mind, this word deliver does not mean that He will remove us from our difficulty. Isn’t it true that at times we cry out to the Lord but it seems as though our situation doesn’t change? Do not mistake unchanging circumstances for God’s lack of deliverance. His promise to deliver us is made evident in the way He sustains believers even through the hardest times. 3. Finally, when everything goes wrong, we can worship Him because the Lord is close to us. He is not a distant, uninvolved, uninterested God, but a loving Saviour whose arms reach out to us in the midst of our brokenness. Maybe you are in the midst of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, month, or even year. Maybe you feel that in the midst of a valley, it’s too hard to worship. Take some time today to thank God that He hears our cries, He promises to deliver us, and we can rest assured that He remains close to us even in our darkest moments. “What we do in the crisis always depends on whether we see the difficulties in the light of God, or God in the shadow of the difficulties” G. Campbell Morgan Have you ever experienced a difficulty that inhibits your worship? Which of these three promises do you need to be reminded of; God hears your cry, God promises to deliver you, or God is near to you? PRAYER: Father, thank You for being a personal God who is involved in my life. Thank You for hearing my cries. I want to worship You in the midst of this difficult time. Help me to see that Your promise to deliver me from trouble is Your promise to see me through till the end. Thank You for being near to me, especially when I am hurting the most. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post has blessed you in any way please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Your Labour is Not in Vain in the LORD (I Corinthians 15:58)
I Corinthians 15:58, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the LORD. Doctor Jonas Salk is among the most venerated medical scientists of the twentieth century. He went into medical research at New York University medical school and in 1938 he began working with microbiologist Thomas Francis, Jr. Together, they developed a vaccine for influenza that was used by the armed forces during World War II. In 1947 Salk began to study the poliovirus with hopes of creating a vaccine against that disease, as well. Finally, in 1955, after some 200 unsuccessful vaccines for polio, human trials of the polio vaccine proved to be effective in protecting the subjects from the poliovirus. When news of the discovery was made public on April 12, 1955, Salk was hailed as a miracle worker. He further endeared himself to the public by refusing to patent the vaccine. Somebody asked him one time, "How did it feel to fail 200 times trying to invent a vaccine for polio?" This was his response: "I never failed 200 times at anything in my life. My family taught me never to use that word. I simply discovered 200 ways how not to make a vaccine for polio." Being “steadfast” speaks of the challenge to dig in against the difficulties of life and be stable, solidly set, dependable, anchored by God, His truth, and His grace. “Immovable” speaks of the believers keeping a secure footing when they take a faithful stand for holiness and against what is unholy. May nothing jars them loose from their convictions. They must keep fixed, steadfast in their position and course without swerving or letting something budge them away. “Always abounding” speaks of our duty is not to just do God’s work, but to abound therein. We are directed to do over and above the norm. Serving Jesus Christ is rarely easy. There is often opposition, disappointment, and setbacks. It is work which may exhaust physically, emotionally, and at times spiritually. But praise God, your labour is not in vain in the Lord. There is a reward for the righteous. There are rewards for serving Jesus Christ. And someday in glory you will rejoice, it was worth it all. Your service is not a waste of time. God will honor you and use it for His glory. Although you may not see it immediately, God will use your service to Him. Don't give up because you are discouraged. Galatians 6:9, And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Don’t grow weary in the good you are doing. Remember, the seeds you sow is powerful. Your seeds will bear fruit in God’s timing. You will reap a harvest in God’s perfect timing, in his “due season.” Prayer: LORD, help me remember and to never forget those times in the midst of life’s struggles when I was at the point of throwing in the towel, You gave me grace to endure and I achieved the task You set before me. Keep me looking unto Jesus as I run the Grace Race, and may my flame will never die out. In Jesus name, AMEN If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com The Christian’s Race (Hebrews 12:2)
Hebrews 12:2, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Brian Wilkerson said, "I once ran in the New York City Marathon. The first half of that race is a party. You're swept along by 28,000 runners, crowds lining the streets, and people running in costumes. You're touring the ethnic neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens. You feel like you could run forever. At mile 13, you cross over into Manhattan and start heading north, away from the finish line. Central Park is behind you, and you're going in the wrong direction. The crowds are thinner now. The party's over. At about mile 16 or 18, you hit the wall. You're absolutely miserable. Physically and psychologically, you're busted. All you want to do is stop running. I remember passing one of the first aid stations. There were runners lying on cots—pale and gaunt, with IVs dripping into their arms. I thought to myself, 'Those lucky dogs.' At that point I began to despair. I imagined myself having to go home and tell everybody I didn't finish. Why did I ever sign up for this race? What made me think I could do this? That's when it hit me. One way or another, I had to get to Central Park. That's where my ride was. I had no car. I had no money. I would have to get there on my own two feet. So I might as well keep running. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Don't think about the next 6 miles; just think about the next step. And if you can keep that up, keep putting one foot in front of the other, the miles pass. And when you cross that finish line, it feels like glory—even when you're in 10,044th place. Some of you may be hitting the wall right now—feeling like you can't go on, like you'll never make it. Following Christ is harder than you ever imagined it would be, and you're thinking about giving up—about doing something foolish. Don't do it! There's no magic to endurance racing. It's all about continuing." Bruce kept going forward by controlling his focus from fatigue to finishing. We must do the same in our race for Christ. Our Commitment. Committed believers do not get diverted. When we got saved we entered into the race of the Christian life. Our Concentration. Conditioned believers do not despise discipline. This race is a marathon and not a 100 yard dash. If we are to run this race effectively then we must train so we can build our endurance. A runner without endurance can never run successfully in a long distance race. There are times when a race can be difficult and we must press on to the finish line. I remember when I ran cross country in high school. The practices we very exhausting, but they would prepare you to run the race more effectively. When the race gets tough and you feel like quitting, remember the cloud of witnesses cheering for you. We must concentrate and focus on Jesus Christ. The word looking means "to focus or to keep the eyes fixed on." It means to fix your gaze upon and to look exclusively without distraction. The idea is to give complete attention to that which is before you. Like a runner in a race concentrates and focuses on the finish line, we are to have our eye fixed on Christ. If we are going to do well in this race we must keep our eyes on our Lord. Despite life's doubts and difficulties, regardless of the failures and falls, in spite of the hindrances, we can have confidence that our salvation is certain. When our race is finished we will be glorified. Prayer: LORD, You have chosen the course for my life. It’s been both exciting and exhausting however, I have a finish line to cross. I want to thank You for the patience and joy You have given me on my course. As I run this race it’s my desire to please You. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Heavenly Secret Service (Psalm 91:11-13)
Psalm 91:11-13, For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. We are told in Hebrews 1:14, that angels are ministering spirits for God's people. The ministry of guardian angels comes into view. God sends forth His ministering spirits to be agents of providential protection for those in the center of God’s will. It is in God's ways that protection comes. This is the stipulation that Satan left out (Luke 4:10-11) when he tried to seduce Christ by appealing to Him to jump off the pinnacle of the Temple. Jumping off the Temple was not "thy ways," and it was only in "thy ways" that the angels' protection was promised. Satan can quote Scripture, but he always leaves out important stipulations for blessings. That’s right! The devil loves distorting doctrine and tangling the truth with errors. Watch out for Satan's twisting of Scripture. Satan is crafty and he uses God's powerful Word out of context to deceive us. Remember, God's Word will not contradict itself. Satan quoted Psalm 91:11-12 of this psalm during Christ's temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4, Mark 1, Luke 4). Of course, he quoted these verses out of context in order to tempt the Lord Jesus. Notice he did not quote Psalm 91:13, which predicted his own doom. God commands His angels to watch over and care for us. We are divinely protected until the Lord deems fit to remove our protection. God protected missionary David Brainard who ministered to the Susquehanna Indians. One day, David sat down beside a stream to rest as the evening shadows began to creep across the sky. He watched some beavers build a dam across the stream, but other eyes were watching him. A party of warriors sent out to kill Brainard were spying on him and biding their time. These men drew near as the paleface missionary was on his knees talking to the Lord. As David prayed, the Indians saw a rattlesnake glide along him and lift its ugly head to strike, its fork tongue flickering near his face. Brainard was deep in prayer and totally unaware of the rattlesnake. Without apparent reason, the rattler glided away and disappeared in the bushes. The Indian warriors said, "The Great Spirit is with him," and they too departed. The next morning when Brainard entered the Indian settlement, the whole tribe came out to meet him and gave him a prophet's welcome. God took care of His man in this situation. Later on, in his life, Brainard was called home to glory when God was finished with him. David Brainard was a mighty prayer warrior for the Lord. His testimony is very powerful and his influence still lives on today. Unfortunately, Brainard lived only 29 years, but what a life he lived! Though this portion of the Bible was written thousands of years ago, the written words still hold true to us today. People everywhere need a sense of security. True hope and security are found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our ultimate protection comes from God. There is no better place in this world than in the presence of God. As Christians, we shall never be afraid because we have God looking after us. PRAYER: Lord, Thank You for Your supernatural protection over me. In Jesus' name. Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com A Clean and Willing Vessel (Psalm 139:23-24)
Psalm 139:23-24, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Even though God speaks to many people, some do not hear because they are not willing vessels. People are unprepared vessels when they can't make good use of a word from God because of how they are living. So we ask ourselves: Do I stand ready to obey and change, should God direct that? Do I want to know if I am wrong? 1. Search Me. David is inviting God into his heart, where all sin originates. David sought for God to search him and reveal to him any sin that might have crept in. He surely was transparent before God. Though God knew his every thought, David invited God to shine His pure light into the inner crevasses of his heart to reveal to him his thought life. He wanted the Lord to search his heart and to go beyond his words and deeds, to probe the innermost depths of his being and to expose anything that grieved Him so that he might repent of it. Opening ourselves up entirely to God may prove to be a painful process. Not only will we have to confront our sins, or the sins we might not currently be aware of, but we will also have to repent of them. When we are willing to go through this process of letting God explore us, expose what is within us, and extract it from our hearts, we will possess a clean heart. More than anything else, our greatest desire should be to please the Lord. David wants to be obedient to God. He wants to live in the way that will honor God. The heart reveals the true you. Acknowledging the omniscience of God once again, David pled with God to reveal any wickedness in his heart. David asked God to see if there was any wicked way in him. He wants his life to be in accord with Divine requirements and wants all wickedness exposed and removed that might remain in his heart. 2. Lead Me. The leading of God will mean that David will not walk in sinful paths, but will be led in the right ways that are pleasing to the Lord. If you want to be right with God, you must constantly confront your thought life with God’s Word. When God’s Word exposes where we are wrong, we must submit to the Lord and walk in His way. We all need to be led. Believers have the Scriptures and the Spirit to guide them, but too often allow self of the flesh to do the leading. A follower of Jesus Christ, whose greatest desire is to be like the Lord, understands that they must have a daily walk and conversation with Him. Questions to Consider: Do you want to know if you are on a wrong path? Do you stand ready to obey and change, should that be what God directs? Where are you most resistant to hearing God's direction (for example, in circumstances that require humility, or honesty, or purity)? When you sit down to read the Bible or hear a sermon, are you willing to ask God to show you where you are wrong and what you need to know to be corrected? PRAYER: Father I ask You to search my heart and reveal to me anything that is hidden so that I can repent of it and lead a life that pleases You. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com |
AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
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