“He gave up his place with God and made himself nothing.”
Philippians 2:7
God grants us an uncommon life to the degree we surrender our common one. “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” (Matt. 16:25 NLT).
Jesus did. He “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men…He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death” (Phil. 2:7-8).
No one in Nazareth saluted him as the Son of God. He did not stand out in his elementary-classroom photograph, demanded no glossy page in his high school annual. Friends knew him as a woodworker, not a star hanger. His looks turned no heads; his position earned him no credit. “He gave up his place with God and made himself nothing.”
God hunts for those who will do likewise—people through whom he can deliver Christ into the world.
From: Max Lucado
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Equal to Us
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Labels: Bible Devotionals, Daily Devotions, Instant Daily Devotion, Reality of Faith, Spiritual Reminder, UpperRoom Devotionals, Youth Devotionals
Labels: Bible Devotionals, Daily Devotions, Instant Daily Devotion, Reality of Faith, Spiritual Reminder, UpperRoom Devotionals, Youth Devotionals
"These men who were hired last worked only one hour," [the workers] said, "and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day."
- Matthew 20:12 (NIV)
IN Jesus' parable of the workers in the vineyard, laborers are employed at various times throughout the day, some even at the eleventh hour. When it is time for wages to be disbursed, they all get paid the same amount. This causes the longer-serving workers to complain.
Often my attention in this story is drawn to the last sentence spoken by Jesus: "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." However, what strikes me today are the words of the complaining workers: "You have made them equal to us."
We are all equal in God's sight. Yet there may well be times when we feel God has favored others over us. Others seem to prosper while we suffer. God appears to answer their prayers but keeps us waiting; or, worse, God gives us an answer we don't want. But at these times we can look beyond the immediate and see the bigger picture of what God wants - and in that big picture there are no losers. All who believe will receive the same reward, and all will get full measure. This excites me. There is no short measure with God. No one will miss out who sincerely receives Christ as Savior and follows him.
Prayer
Lord God, we pray for any who think they have been short-changed by you. Show them this is not so. May they reconnect with you in joyful response. Amen.
From: UpperRoom Devotionals - Peter Francis
- Matthew 20:12 (NIV)
IN Jesus' parable of the workers in the vineyard, laborers are employed at various times throughout the day, some even at the eleventh hour. When it is time for wages to be disbursed, they all get paid the same amount. This causes the longer-serving workers to complain.
Often my attention in this story is drawn to the last sentence spoken by Jesus: "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." However, what strikes me today are the words of the complaining workers: "You have made them equal to us."
We are all equal in God's sight. Yet there may well be times when we feel God has favored others over us. Others seem to prosper while we suffer. God appears to answer their prayers but keeps us waiting; or, worse, God gives us an answer we don't want. But at these times we can look beyond the immediate and see the bigger picture of what God wants - and in that big picture there are no losers. All who believe will receive the same reward, and all will get full measure. This excites me. There is no short measure with God. No one will miss out who sincerely receives Christ as Savior and follows him.
Prayer
Lord God, we pray for any who think they have been short-changed by you. Show them this is not so. May they reconnect with you in joyful response. Amen.
From: UpperRoom Devotionals - Peter Francis
Where Will You Spend Eternity?
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Labels: Bible Devotionals, Come Close To God, Daily Devotions, Early Light Devotional, God Cares, Instant Daily Devotion, Reality of Faith, Spiritual Reminder, Youth Devotionals
Labels: Bible Devotionals, Come Close To God, Daily Devotions, Early Light Devotional, God Cares, Instant Daily Devotion, Reality of Faith, Spiritual Reminder, Youth Devotionals
READ | 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
In our homes, we use smoke detectors to warn us of fire. Our car’s dashboard has lights to indicate a malfunction. We’d be foolish to ignore these warnings. Similarly, we need to pay close attention to the scriptures that warn us about the terrible consequences for rejecting God’s provision of a Savior.
The Bible tells us how to be reconciled to God so we can spend eternity with Him. We need to understand and accept that . . .
Sin separates us from God (Rom. 3:23; Col. 1:19-22). Because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion, we all are born with a nature bent away from the Lord. His justice requires that we pay for our transgressions. God sent His Son Jesus to make that payment for us (1 Cor. 15:3). Only the death of one who was perfect would satisfy the Father’s righteous judgment. Jesus lived a life without sin, which qualified Him to become our substitute. He willingly took our place and died in order to pay our penalty. God accepted His death in place of ours and declared us righteous in His sight (Rom. 3:22).
Salvation is a free gift, received through faith in Jesus (Eph 2:8-9). Our good works will neither satisfy divine justice nor pay for our transgressions. They are not what God requires for forgiveness or adoption into His family. Faith in Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6). When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, heaven becomes our eternal destination.
God wants you to live forever with Him. If you haven’t yet made your eternal destination certain, do so now.
From: InTouch - Early Light Devotionals
In our homes, we use smoke detectors to warn us of fire. Our car’s dashboard has lights to indicate a malfunction. We’d be foolish to ignore these warnings. Similarly, we need to pay close attention to the scriptures that warn us about the terrible consequences for rejecting God’s provision of a Savior.
The Bible tells us how to be reconciled to God so we can spend eternity with Him. We need to understand and accept that . . .
Sin separates us from God (Rom. 3:23; Col. 1:19-22). Because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion, we all are born with a nature bent away from the Lord. His justice requires that we pay for our transgressions. God sent His Son Jesus to make that payment for us (1 Cor. 15:3). Only the death of one who was perfect would satisfy the Father’s righteous judgment. Jesus lived a life without sin, which qualified Him to become our substitute. He willingly took our place and died in order to pay our penalty. God accepted His death in place of ours and declared us righteous in His sight (Rom. 3:22).
Salvation is a free gift, received through faith in Jesus (Eph 2:8-9). Our good works will neither satisfy divine justice nor pay for our transgressions. They are not what God requires for forgiveness or adoption into His family. Faith in Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6). When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, heaven becomes our eternal destination.
God wants you to live forever with Him. If you haven’t yet made your eternal destination certain, do so now.
From: InTouch - Early Light Devotionals
What is a Missionary?
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Labels: Bible Devotionals, Daily Devotions, Instant Daily Devotion, Obeying God, RBC, Reality of Faith, Spiritual Reminder, Utmost For His Highest, Youth Devotionals
Labels: Bible Devotionals, Daily Devotions, Instant Daily Devotion, Obeying God, RBC, Reality of Faith, Spiritual Reminder, Utmost For His Highest, Youth Devotionals
Jesus said to them again, ’. . . As the Father has sent Me, I also send you’ — John 20:21
A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus. The source of our inspiration in our service for God is behind us, not ahead of us. The tendency today is to put the inspiration out in front— to sweep everything together in front of us and make it conform to our definition of success. But in the New Testament the inspiration is put behind us, and is the Lord Jesus Himself. The goal is to be true to Him— to carry out His plans.
Personal attachment to the Lord Jesus and to His perspective is the one thing that must not be overlooked. In missionary work the great danger is that God’s call will be replaced by the needs of the people, to the point that human sympathy for those needs will absolutely overwhelm the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, and the conditions so difficult, that every power of the mind falters and fails. We tend to forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary work is not primarily the elevation of the people, their education, nor their needs, but is first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ— "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . ." ( Matthew 28:19 ).
When looking back on the lives of men and women of God, the tendency is to say, "What wonderfully keen and intelligent wisdom they had, and how perfectly they understood all that God wanted!" But the keen and intelligent mind behind them was the mind of God, not human wisdom at all. We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God being exhibited through childlike people who were "foolish" enough to trust God’s wisdom and His supernatural equipment.
From: RBC - Utmost For His Highest
A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus. The source of our inspiration in our service for God is behind us, not ahead of us. The tendency today is to put the inspiration out in front— to sweep everything together in front of us and make it conform to our definition of success. But in the New Testament the inspiration is put behind us, and is the Lord Jesus Himself. The goal is to be true to Him— to carry out His plans.
Personal attachment to the Lord Jesus and to His perspective is the one thing that must not be overlooked. In missionary work the great danger is that God’s call will be replaced by the needs of the people, to the point that human sympathy for those needs will absolutely overwhelm the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, and the conditions so difficult, that every power of the mind falters and fails. We tend to forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary work is not primarily the elevation of the people, their education, nor their needs, but is first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ— "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . ." ( Matthew 28:19 ).
When looking back on the lives of men and women of God, the tendency is to say, "What wonderfully keen and intelligent wisdom they had, and how perfectly they understood all that God wanted!" But the keen and intelligent mind behind them was the mind of God, not human wisdom at all. We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God being exhibited through childlike people who were "foolish" enough to trust God’s wisdom and His supernatural equipment.
From: RBC - Utmost For His Highest
LIVING IN COMPANIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
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Labels: Bible Devotionals, Christian Lifestyles, Come Close To God, Daily Devotions, Focus on God, Instant Daily Devotion, Literature International Ministries, Spiritual Reminder, Youth Devotionals
Labels: Bible Devotionals, Christian Lifestyles, Come Close To God, Daily Devotions, Focus on God, Instant Daily Devotion, Literature International Ministries, Spiritual Reminder, Youth Devotionals
"For I will go before you, and make the crooked places straight." Isaiah 45:2
What a tremendous covenant God has made to those who will dare to turn from their self-imposed ways, exercise child-like faith in God, and follow His ways. So often we fall into the shallow security of the present by not allowing the sins and failures of our past to minister to us, and challenge us for the future. The lessons God has tried to impress upon our hearts from the trials we have endured, should propel us to new ventures of undaunted faith, steadfast reliance upon Him, and triumph!
But, have we so learned? Do we recognize the impetuous haste in which we respond to life's encounters, when patient perseverance is needed? Is the present anxiety and concern accompanied with unremembered delight, which causes us to lunge forward with impulsive thoughtlessness? Do we fail to remember how devastating our actions were, when we unconsciously disregarded holy concern, inward inability, and weakness, trusting in our resources rather than God's? How beneficial it is to transform this destructive anxiety into constructive thoughtfulness that finds its point of reference in God and His Word.
It is a constant challenge for us to "look within" and evaluate our relationship with the Lord. How destructive it is to rely upon our old nature that exalts the sinful resources of SELF. Satan points his ugly finger at our failures, and delights to see us hasten to acknowledge, "Yes, I've failed again...I've been neglectful again...I've fallen into the same trap again!" We are admitting that "we" have failed. GOOD! But, we must also recognize, that sometimes "we" act impulsively within the realm of "our" strength, and do not rely upon the ONE who is the SOURCE OF OUR STRENGTH--Jesus Christ.
Why do we do this? Because we live in the UNCONSCIOUS REALITY of not walking and living in His companionship. Unconsciously, we rely upon our own resources, gifts, personality, and ability. We think, "I really don't need to involve God in all of this, I can handle it." But, we do so, to our own peril. We are living within the walls of our own self-inflicted bondage, rather than walking in companionship with Christ. We become so engrossed with our concerns, our involvement, and our interest, which all may be good...BUT we do so at the expense and exclusion of unwavering trust and reliance in Christ. God is not in the equation of our considerations.
Therefore, in the haste of our unfocused actions we forget that it is of Him, and through Him, and to Him, ARE ALL THINGS, to whom be glory forever" (Romans 11:36). This is a constant challenge to every believer...every day! BUT, God has promised to be our refuge, our strength, our shield, our defense, our sure foundation and the resource for ALL our need...as WE TRUST HIM!
"I will go before you, making the crooked ways straight." For what purpose? "That you may know that I, the Lord, which call you by your name, am the God of Israel" (Isaiah 45:3). What a blessed relationship is ours in Christ! This is true when we walk in surrender and resignation to His lordship. A provision beyond our comprehension, by the ONE who has made it all possible...Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him" (Romans 8:37). HOW GLORIOUS!
From: Literature International Ministry - Ed Powell
What a tremendous covenant God has made to those who will dare to turn from their self-imposed ways, exercise child-like faith in God, and follow His ways. So often we fall into the shallow security of the present by not allowing the sins and failures of our past to minister to us, and challenge us for the future. The lessons God has tried to impress upon our hearts from the trials we have endured, should propel us to new ventures of undaunted faith, steadfast reliance upon Him, and triumph!
But, have we so learned? Do we recognize the impetuous haste in which we respond to life's encounters, when patient perseverance is needed? Is the present anxiety and concern accompanied with unremembered delight, which causes us to lunge forward with impulsive thoughtlessness? Do we fail to remember how devastating our actions were, when we unconsciously disregarded holy concern, inward inability, and weakness, trusting in our resources rather than God's? How beneficial it is to transform this destructive anxiety into constructive thoughtfulness that finds its point of reference in God and His Word.
It is a constant challenge for us to "look within" and evaluate our relationship with the Lord. How destructive it is to rely upon our old nature that exalts the sinful resources of SELF. Satan points his ugly finger at our failures, and delights to see us hasten to acknowledge, "Yes, I've failed again...I've been neglectful again...I've fallen into the same trap again!" We are admitting that "we" have failed. GOOD! But, we must also recognize, that sometimes "we" act impulsively within the realm of "our" strength, and do not rely upon the ONE who is the SOURCE OF OUR STRENGTH--Jesus Christ.
Why do we do this? Because we live in the UNCONSCIOUS REALITY of not walking and living in His companionship. Unconsciously, we rely upon our own resources, gifts, personality, and ability. We think, "I really don't need to involve God in all of this, I can handle it." But, we do so, to our own peril. We are living within the walls of our own self-inflicted bondage, rather than walking in companionship with Christ. We become so engrossed with our concerns, our involvement, and our interest, which all may be good...BUT we do so at the expense and exclusion of unwavering trust and reliance in Christ. God is not in the equation of our considerations.
Therefore, in the haste of our unfocused actions we forget that it is of Him, and through Him, and to Him, ARE ALL THINGS, to whom be glory forever" (Romans 11:36). This is a constant challenge to every believer...every day! BUT, God has promised to be our refuge, our strength, our shield, our defense, our sure foundation and the resource for ALL our need...as WE TRUST HIM!
"I will go before you, making the crooked ways straight." For what purpose? "That you may know that I, the Lord, which call you by your name, am the God of Israel" (Isaiah 45:3). What a blessed relationship is ours in Christ! This is true when we walk in surrender and resignation to His lordship. A provision beyond our comprehension, by the ONE who has made it all possible...Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him" (Romans 8:37). HOW GLORIOUS!
From: Literature International Ministry - Ed Powell
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