In God's Spotlight

John 3:21
“Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”


Living in the Light

Imagine you are playing the lead role in the school drama production. The cast has rehearsed for weeks on end until everyone knows exactly what to do on every line of every scene. The curtain goes up and the play begins. After about thirty seconds you realize that the house lights are on while the stage is in total darkness. Woe be unto the lighting guy if that happened!

When we go to a play, the audience sits in darkness while stage lights illuminate the actors. Spotlights may even follow the movements of key characters to emphasize the importance of what is happening. In a similar way, athletes don’t hide away in the darkness as they set out to win the state tournament. And, professional musicians stand on stage and strut their stuff under huge spotlights so everyone can enjoy the performance.

When we’re living in the light rather than in darkness, others will see what we’re doing. God’s Word is like the script or musical score that we practice until we’ve got it down pat.

We read it over and over, and we practice doing what it says. For instance, we might read Ephesians 4:29 which says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” After thinking about this verse, we realize that certain off-color phrases and expressions have snuck into our conversations lately. We determine to correct ourselves. After a while a friend will realizes that we’ve cleaned up our language and asks us why. When that happens, God’s spotlight is shining on us full strength. As a result, it may be possible for us to tell our friend a little something about our relationship with God.

This one example shows how the truth of God’s Word comes into the light by the way we live. If we will practice the principles of scripture, eventually someone will notice and wonder what’s up with us.


Today’s Prayer:
Dear Lord, please show me ways of letting your light shine through my life. Help me not to be afraid to do what your word teaches, even if it means being different from my friends. Please, give me the confidence I need to live in the light. Help me let your goodness shine through my life and make my friends want to know you, too. Amen.



From: New Wine Skin - Written by Martha E Menne

Go the Distance

“Those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved.”
Matthew 24:13

Jesus doesn’t say if you succeed you will be saved. Or if you come out on top you will be saved. He says if you endure. An accurate rendering would be, “If you hang in there until the end…if you go the distance.”

The Brazilians have a great phrase for this. In Portuguese, a person who has the ability to hang in and not give up has garra. Garra means “claws.” What imagery! A person with garra has claws that burrow into the side of the cliff and keep him from falling.

So do the saved. They may get close to the edge; they may even stumble and slide. But they will dig their nails into the rock of God and hang on.

Jesus gives you this assurance. Hang on. He’ll make sure you get home.



From: Max Lucado

GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4

When we built our house a block from the ocean in Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida, the builder had a “Standard Code” enforced by the county. Our house had to be constructed to withstand the rain and winds from a hurricane up to 150 mph. From past experience, the code was established so builders would not side step strong reinforcements of steel and concrete to secure homes from future hurricanes. This is a benefit for all, and is reassuring when you are in one of these devastating storms.

When you become a believer, God does not leave us to fight the storms of life alone, but has provided the resources of His grace to be our strength and foundation. We are His “purchased possession” and given the privilege of abiding “under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91). God has “given unto us exceeding great and precious promises” which meet every need we will ever encounter. They are the steel girders, the cement reinforcement, and “standard code,” by which we can stand safe and secure against the furious encounters of Satan to defeat us. We must understand these promises are made available to us, but must be “appropriated by faith” in order to make them a reality in our lives.

God's promises are like a "life preserver" and the "lifeboat" on a ship. They are provided for our safety and security in case of an emergency, but they are of no use unless we appropriate them for our safety and security. The verse says…“by these” (that is, the promises of God)if we by faith “APPROPRIATE” them and in unwavering trust make them our own, we will “begin” to grow in grace and be “partakers of the divine nature.” This is not “our” doing, but the ministry of the Holy Spirit within us. He awakens us to our need, reveals God’s promises to us, then encourages us to exercise believing faith in Christ. God makes them a reality in our life. These promises are not to be “museum pieces,” but foundational stones of strength, security, and a blessed refuge from the onslaught of satanic powers and the difficult encounters of life.

God wants us to be “partakers of the divine nature.” You might say, “What does that mean?” It means, God wants us to be “Christ-like” in the whole of our life, “having escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Peter gives us an insight in this. He says of our adorning, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:3). God wants us to be clothed with the “virtues of Christ”…with the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control).

I often hear people say, and sincerely mean it…“God bless you”…to which I reply, “He will if I let Him!” This is so applicable to these “exceeding great and precious promises.” Claim what God has provided to you…open your heart to the leading of the Holy Spirit…respond in believing faith…and know the joy of being “conformed to the image of His Son.”



From: Literature International Ministry - Ed Powell

Eve's Mistake

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, ‘yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ And the woman said unto the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’”
Genesis 3: 1-3, King James Version

EXPLORATION

“Eve’s Mistake”

“Great blunders are often made, like large ropes, of a multitude of fibers.”
Victor Hugo

What “fibers” make up the rope of mistakes I have made in my life?

INSPIRATION

“My (daughter), if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.”
Proverbs 1: 10, N.I.V.

I want to ask you a question that came to my mind as I read Genesis 3: 1-3, the text that begins our devotional today. Here’s the question:

“If there were one day in my life that I could ‘do over’, what day would it be?”

If you and I asked Eve if she could have a “do over” day, I believe without a doubt she would tell us she wanted back the day she wandered to a tree, a forbidden tree, and began to talk to a serpent. How Eve wished that day had never happened! But it did and before we heap all our anger on Eve, I think it is wise for us, as her daughters, to look closely at this situation and see what we can learn from it.

Genesis 2 portrays such an ideal situation. A garden home. Animals as friends. A place of relaxation and joy. And the whipped cream and cherry on top of the sundae was a marriage performed by God. A happy couple living in Paradise. It sounds fabulous! It was fabulous!

Here again, we have one of those times when the Bible doesn’t give us a lot of detail. We do know that one day, something happened to end the blissful existence forever! Did Eve wander away from Adam intentionally? I doubt it. Did Adam act carelessly toward Eve so she felt alone? I don’t believe that either, although I’ve heard both theories thrown around in religious discussions.

I may be totally off base, but I think Eve’s garden wandering toward the forbidden tree was totally innocent.

Let me give you an example. My husband and I grew up as children in Southern California near a beautiful spot called Descanso Gardens. Neither of our families had a great deal of money, and years ago, admission to the garden was free. On the weekends, we often went to the gardens to smell the gardenias and roses and walk the beautiful foliaged paths. I’ll never forget one time becoming so absorbed in looking at some of the flowers, I became completely separated from the rest of the family. I began to wander down one path after another trying to find my way back to the front gate. I didn’t get lost or separated on purpose. I just became so focused on what I was doing at the moment, I lost track of everything else.

Eve’s Lesson #1 – Watch what you focus on. In Eve’s case, it was something good. But even something good can distract us from what we should be doing. I can’t tell you how often in my own life I’ve found myself so involved in “church” duties and social activities to the detriment of my personal time with God. Singing in the choir or teaching children’s classes or visiting the sick are admirable and desirable activities. But not if I become so consumed doing them I forget to spend time with the Man – Jesus—who I claim to be doing all my good deeds for.

Eve lost focus. With diverted attention, Eve suddenly heard a voice coming out of a tree. Low and behold – it was a talking serpent! I’m sorry, but if I had been Eve, I’d have done exactly what she did. I’d ask myself, “Are my eyes deceiving me?” I’d take a second look. And then, please note what the serpent asked. “Yea, hath God said, ‘Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1)

Eve’s Lesson #2 – There’s no such thing as an “innocent” question when you are talking to a serpent. And I might add, watch out for serpents because they come in all forms, shapes and genders! You see, the serpent didn’t start out with a temptation! He began with an innocent question. He was only gathering information. “My dear Eve, what was it that God told you? Did God say you can’t eat of any tree?” Now look closely at this question. Already the serpent was making God sound arbitrary. “Did God really say you can’t eat of any tree?” Here’s where Eve made a huge mistake. She decided to defend God to a serpent, when in fact she should have run to God for protection. However, before we decry Eve’s behavior and say how stupid, I know I need to look in the mirror at myself for I have had many a “good” discussion with a serpent only to later find myself in the pit with a viper who did not have my ultimate good as their goal. This brings us to the next lesson.

Eve’s Lesson #3 – The serpent was more subtil. In the Hebrew, “subtil” means crafty and cunning. The dictionary further expands the meaning this way: “Something or someone that executes with or displays ingenuity. Someone who is delicately shrewd and pleasing.” All you have to do is see a skilled magician display their wares to understand how easy it is to fool any of us. But in a perfect garden, with a cunning serpent, Eve found herself “beguiled.” And that was the very word she used when God asked her what happened at the tree. She said, “The serpent seduced me.” Yes, the Hebrew word for “beguiled” is “seduced.” Girls, we have let too many serpents “seduce” us down through history. And men, you have let too many serpents “seduce” you down through history, as well. Seductive Sin. The serpent that strikes, bites, and destroys.

There’s one final lesson we need to learn from Eve.

Eve’s Lesson #4 – Watch what you desire. Genesis 3: 6 (K.J.V.) is one of the most instructive texts in the entire Bible. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit therefore, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.”… We could spend an entire week studying this one text but let’s just look at some of the “highlights” or in this case the “low lights.” Eve saw something. A beautiful tree. A talking serpent. Luscious fruit. Do you know what else she saw? She saw the serpent in the tree with the fruit – and the serpent wasn’t dead. Furthermore, Eve heard the serpent say, “God is wrong. You eat this fruit, you won’t die. You’ll be smart. Smarter than you can imagine. Smart like God himself.” Yes, Eve saw fruit that was good for food; fruit that was beautiful; and fruit that would make her wise. She was no dummy. This was a smart move! How many times have I told myself that something I desire is a “smart move,” too! So I take like Eve, and consume to my own painful downfall. Then Eve, who was created to “aid” Adam, handed him fruit and without question, he gobbled it down.

Many years ago, as a young teenager I was in a Bible class with a group of kids and we got to discussing whose fault the “sin” mess was. A very deep topic for 14-year-olds. I was sitting next to a guy known to “mouth off” with snappy comments. He looked at me and said, “Well if it wasn’t for you females this whole mess wouldn’t have happened.” Not to be outdone I looked him in the eye and said, “Well, at least Eve thought she was going to be smarter by eating the fruit. Adam just put the fruit in his mouth without asking a question.” Then to get in one last jab I retorted, “You guys will eat anything if it’s handed to you by a beautiful woman.”

I know, because I’ve heard discussions through the years in devoutly religious circles, where the blame for this mess we call sin is laid at the feet of women. I believe some people just do this as an excuse to try to put women down and demean their value and worth.

Today, as we looked at the saddest event in the history of the universe, I want to end by focusing on what God said. He didn’t blame Adam or Eve. He focused on the serpent, “Thou hast done this!” (Genesis 3: 14). God focused on the cunning, crafty, seductive serpent because He wants us to learn that the best and only way to avoid sin is to stay away from the serpent. As Thomas Brooks so insightfully wrote “(She) that will play with Satan’s bait, will quickly be taken with Satan’s hook.” However, don’t despair! While today we met the crafty serpent, tomorrow we will meet Eve’s healer – the One who took on the cunning serpent and crushed his power – forever!

“If you have been tempted into evil, fly from it. It is not falling into the water, but lying in it that drowns.”



From: CrossWalk Devotionals - Transformation Garden

Priorities

Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
-Matthew 6:33 (NRSV)

ONE of the biggest dilemmas for most people is juggling the roles and responsibilities of modern life. These roles clash with one another, competing for our time. The constant struggle to choose takes our physical, emotional, and spiritual energy. We may feel life is out of control as we go in different directions and find no satisfaction in any of our accomplishments.

Turning to God can give us peace in the midst of this chaos. Through the years I have come to realize that the most important priority in my life is to cultivate a personal, intimate relationship with God. When I commit to doing what God has called me to do, my choices become clearer. This puts my other responsibilities and roles in perspective, blessed by God's wisdom.


Prayer
God, we want to have a personal relationship with you. Help us to put you first. We pray as Jesus taught us, saying, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."


Thought for the Day
When we put relationship with God first, the rest of life becomes manageable.



From: UpperRoom Devotionals - Ana María Viader

The "Go" of Relationship

Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. — Matthew 5:41


Our Lord’s teaching can be summed up in this: the relationship that He demands for us is an impossible one unless He has done a super-natural work in us. Jesus Christ demands that His disciple does not allow even the slightest trace of resentment in his heart when faced with tyranny and injustice. No amount of enthusiasm will ever stand up to the strain that Jesus Christ will put upon His servant. Only one thing will bear the strain, and that is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Himself— a relationship that has been examined, purified, and tested until only one purpose remains and I can truly say, "I am here for God to send me where He will." Everything else may become blurred, but this relationship with Jesus Christ must never be.

The Sermon on the Mount is not some unattainable goal; it is a statement of what will happen in me when Jesus Christ has changed my nature by putting His own nature in me. Jesus Christ is the only One who can fulfill the Sermon on the Mount.

If we are to be disciples of Jesus, we must be made disciples supernaturally. And as long as we consciously maintain the determined purpose to be His disciples, we can be sure that we are not disciples. Jesus says, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you. . ." ( John 15:16 ). That is the way the grace of God begins. It is a constraint we can never escape; we can disobey it, but we can never start it or produce it ourselves. We are drawn to God by a work of His supernatural grace, and we can never trace back to find where the work began. Our Lord’s making of a disciple is supernatural. He does not build on any natural capacity of ours at all. God does not ask us to do the things that are naturally easy for us— He only asks us to do the things that we are perfectly fit to do through His grace, and that is where the cross we must bear will always come.



From: RBC - Utmost For His Highest