DAY 21: Proven June 21, 2015

"In this you greatly rejoice,

though now for a little while you may have

had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

These have come so that your faith -
of greater worth than gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire -

may be proved genuine and may result in

praise, glory and honor

when Jesus Christ is revealed."
(1 Peter 1:6, 7, NIV)

MORNING DEVOTION - "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee..." (Psalm 63:1)

Scripture Reading: Luke 9:18-27

It was time for another lesson, as Jesus took His students on a field trip to Caesarea Philippi; to the place where many came to worship false gods. Jesus had gone to pray, and His disciples joined Him. After preparing them in prayer, He questioned them: "Who do the crowds say I am?" (v.18b). With his feet still wet from failing his last examination Peter was a little more cautious in speaking up, so the others chimed in: "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life." (v. 19). Their Teacher, wanting to test their understanding of Him, questioned further: "But what about you? Who do you say I am?" (v.20). This time Peter was ready, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). Peter had passed the test with flying colors, and he received his reward: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by My Father in heaven" (v.17). The lessons were beginning to take root. How blessed we are that the Lord doesn't give up on His children, but proves His love over and over in giving us ample opportunity to learn the lessons He desires to teach us.

The disciples had been observing Jesus in prayer, and at work ministering to the many needs of the people. Up to this point they had been astounded by what they saw with their eyes. Jesus wanted them to see beyond what their limited physical vision allowed them to see, and, instead, to view the world around them through spiritual lenses. Peter looked at Jesus, all of the miracles and healing He had done flooded his mind; he had seen what everyone else had observed, but now he saw so much more; he saw the truth, before him stood the Christ, the Anointed one, the promised Messiah whom the prophets had spoken and written about. This was not just one of the prophets; this was The Prophet, the Son of the Living God. Peter had found the key, and the door of his heart had been opened to greater understanding, and the Lord opened the floodgates of heaven to him: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (v.19). Peter opened his mouth and proved with his words that he all that he had observed penetrated his soul and became truth to him. What he spoke about Jesus in private, he would soon be proclaiming openly and unashamedly (v.26).

Heavenly Father,

"Sovereign LORD, [You], have given me an instructed

tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary,"

[You have] "wakened me morning by morning,

waken my ear to listen like one being taught.

Sovereign LORD, [You], have opened my ears,

and I have not been rebellious;

I have not drawn back." (Isaiah 50:4-5)

Help me to not waste the precious keys You

have placed in my hands, but use them

daily to unlock the storehouse of heaven

so that Your blessings can be poured out on

all those You have placed in my life.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Jesus warned His disciples to tell no one what they had just proclaimed about Him. The people would be convinced soon enough that He is "the Christ of God"; His crucifixion and resurrection would provide all the proof they would need. "But wisdom is proved right by her actions" (Matthew 11:19b). Jesus knew the sufferings He would soon endure, therefore He took this opportunity to explain to His disciples the cost of following Him. The life of a true follower of Jesus Christ would not be one of creature comforts, but rather they would be called to live the crucified life; a life of self-denial and cross-bearing. "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). We have been called, as His followers, to advance His Kingdom in this world; we are not to make a name for ourselves, or concern ourselves with the comforts the world has to offer. As we continue in prayer, may we be willing to deny ourselves of the pleasures of life that rob us of valuable time that we can spend in quiet devotion with the Lord. Let us remember, that with every moment of solitude we spend with the Lord, He is there with us. We are not alone. There is nothing in this world that we could sacrifice that could possibly equal the extraordinary privilege of spending time in the company of the King! May every possible discomfort or affliction be exchanged for joy as our souls learn to delight in the presence of the One who is willing to give us anything we ask of Him. Jesus has given us the keys to the kingdom of heaven and He desires for us to unlock the door to His heavenly storehouse with our prayers so He can flood the earth with His eternal blessings. Let us be willing to sacrifice our time and comfort so that others will find salvation and true happiness in the Lord. "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).

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AFTERNOON DEVOTION - "Evening, and morning, and noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice" (Psalm 55:17, KJV).

Scripture Reading: Luke 9:28-36

A transition was beginning to take place in the disciples' journey with Jesus. Peter had passed the test and identified Jesus for who He truly was. It was time to prepare them further as the cross lay just ahead. It was vital their vision be completely focused on the things of God and not on the things of men (Matthew 16:23). The disciples would not have to walk with Jesus to the cross, but they would have to decide afterwards if they would take up the cross and carry on the mission. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it" (v.24).

Jesus had called them to suffer for Him, now He encourages them with a special invitation for Peter, James, and John to join Him at a private spot on the mountain to pray. Up to this point they believed what they had seen with their eyes; Peter's answer revealed they were able to perceive with their hearts. Their reward would be an opportunity to see what they had first believed. As Jesus prayed He was transfigured: "As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus...A voice came from the cloud, saying, 'This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him' " (Luke 9:30-31, 35). Peter's right response to Jesus' question was confirmed on the mountain as he witnessed with his own eyes the glory of God. "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40).

The Lord loves to bless His faithful ones with a greater revelation of Himself if we are willing to wait upon Him, with complete dependence and trust. His faithfulness is proved over and over when His followers heed the words of the Father: "Listen to Him." He will never leave us nor forsake us, He will lead us down the path of righteousness, and He will see that we make it to the finish line. It is to the Father's glory that He complete His work in, and through, us. "The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Heavenly Father,
It is my hearts desire to see what You see

and to hear Your voice

as You whisper the way to walk in my ear.

May each day that I walk with You

open my eyes to a greater revelation of who You are,

and lead me to lay down my selfish plans

to take up my cross and follow You - wherever You

desire to lead me. I only want to be where You are!
In Jesus' Name. Amen.

God's Word tell us, "that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:3-4). Each day we face difficult circumstances, decisions and challenges that the Lord will use to test our faith; to prove it and to make it more firm. May these trials lead us to spend more time in prayer so that we can look upon Jesus and not the difficulties, and learn from Him the humility we need to surrender to His Sovereign hand which He will use to transfigure us into a vessel of His glory. The disciples almost missed out on seeing Jesus in His glory, because they were sleepy; an act they would repeat when Jesus would be in His most difficult and agonizing prayer meeting in the garden of Gethsemane (reference Luke 22:39-46). As we pray this afternoon, let us be on our guard against weariness and lethargy. There is so much the Lord wants to reveal to us, but we must be diligent and alert. "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18).

Happy Father's Day!

Pray especially for our father's today, asking our Father in heaven to bless them with child-like faith to experience the fullness of the love of the heavenly Father. Pray for believing father's all across the land to live fully surrendered to the Lord with whole-hearted obedience and dependence upon their heavenly Father, so their hearts can be filled with the Father-love of God and be able to receive His infinite love and compassion to be able to pour back into the hearts and lives of their own children and families. Let us pray fervently for our earthly fathers to cultivate fully yielded hearts which desire to know deeply and intimately the love of the heavenly Father and to learn to live in that love, so they will experience all the blessings of the father-child relationship as God intended it to be, and to be able to model that beautiful and tender relationship authentically to their children. May our churches be full of humble, holy men who know and walk in the heavenly Father's love, and who are strong spiritual leaders in their homes and godly examples to this generation, who desperately need to know the Father's love. "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers..." (Malachi 4:5, 6a).

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EVENING MEDITATION - "...and on His law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2)

Scripture Reading: Psalm 51

We can become easily distracted by the world we live in and have our vision so clouded that we miss out on the goodness and glory of God revealed to us each day. We must guard our hearts and pray constantly for the innocent eyes of our children to be shielded from the immorality and corruption that bombards them at every turn. The Lord desires that our eyes be firmly fixed on Him, and our hearts open and available, so He can purify and prepare us to take firm hold of the keys of heaven and use them in prayer to release His power and blessings on the earth. Psalm 51 is a prayer of repentance. As we meditate on this Psalm this evening, let us offer up our own prayer of repentance, and ask the Lord to empty us of ourselves so we can be filled with more of Him. May He accomplish all that He has purposed in our lives so that we can be transformed into a vessel of His holiness through which He can radiate His glory in the earth. Let us humble ourselves before the Lord, and allow Him, in His time, to lift us up; and when we do rise up, may we boldly proclaim that He is "Christ, the Son of the living God!" (Matthew 16:16).

Heavenly Father,

"Have mercy on me, O God,

according to Your unfailing love;

according to Your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in Your sight,

so that You are proved right when You speak

and justified when You judge."

"Cleanse me with hyssop, that I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones You have crushed rejoice.

Hide Your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from Your presence

or take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

(vv. 1-4a, 7-12)

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

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"Beware in your prayers, above everything else,

of limiting God, not only by unbelief,

but by fancying that you know what He can do.

Expect unexpected things 'above all that we ask or think.' "

- Andrew Murray

www.trumpetandtorch.org

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